Page 88 of Salt Between the Wolves

Maelin closed her eyes briefly.

"Eira."

"I had enough."

"Had."

Eira looked away.

"It was a small piece."

"A piece of what?"

"A hair ornament."

The silence that followed carried unmistakable disapproval.

"From Frostvein."

"Eira."

"It paid for food."

"Eira."

"And paper."

Her sister looked as though she could not decide whether to laugh or despair. The expression was painfully familiar, and for a moment Eira almost smiled before the feeling faded.

Beneath the exasperation, she could see what truly troubled Maelin. It was not the ornament or the money but the fact that Eira had reached the point of trading pieces of her former life simply to continue moving forward.

The realization settled between them, and neither spoke for a while as the wind drifted through the ruins and the horses waited patiently below where they had been left.

Eventually Maelin broke the silence.

"If Father finds out..."

The sentence remained unfinished because it did not need completion. Both of them knew how it ended if Father discovered where Eira had gone or learned that Maelin had helped her. The possibilities stretched onward without limit.

Eira lowered her eyes.

"I know."

"No."

Maelin's voice was quiet and almost gentle.

"You don't."

The words held no cruelty, only the weight of experience and years spent living with its consequences.

"I have children."

Eira looked up.

For the first time since arriving, fear stood completely uncovered in her sister's face. It was not fear for herself but for the people she loved.

"My son follows me everywhere."