“Do you believe that, truly?”
“I do. I believe that mankind is mankind, all of us the same whatever our shape, and such changes as come upon us are trifles, and the best we can ever do is find such happiness for ourselves as we can, however dark the times.”
“These are darker times than most, Leaf.”
“Perhaps.”
“These are evil times. The end of all things approaches.”
Leaf smiled. “Let it come. These are the times we were meant to live in, and no asking why, and no use longing for easier times. Pain ends when acceptance begins. This is what we have now. We make the best of it. This is the road we travel. Day by day we lose what was never ours, day by day we slip closer to the All-Is-One, and nothing matters, Shadow, nothing except learning to accept what comes. Yes?”
“Yes,” she said. “How far is it to the Middle River?”
“Another few days.”
“And from there to your kinsmen by the Inland Sea?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “However long it takes us is however long it will take. Are you very tired?”
“Not as tired as I thought I’d be.”
“It isn’t far to the Snow Hunters’ camp. We’ll sleep well tonight.”
“Crown,” she said. “Sting.”
“What about them?”
“They also sleep.”
“In the All-Is-One,” Leaf said. “Beyond all trouble. Beyond all pain.”
“And that beautiful wagon is a charred ruin!”
“If only Crown had had the grace to surrender it freely, once he knew he was dying. But then he wouldn’t have been Crown, would he? Poor Crown. Poor crazy Crown.” There was a stirring ahead, suddenly. “Look. The Snow Hunters see us. There’s Sky. Blade.” Leaf waved at them and shouted. Sky waved back, and Blade, and a few of the others. “May we camp with you tonight?” Leaf called. Sky answered something, but his words were blown away by the wind. He sounded friendly, Leaf thought. He sounded friendly. “Come,” Leaf said, and he and Shadow hurried down the slope.