Andar surfaced from sleep slowly, awakened by a terrible ache in his neck. He frowned without opening his eyes. Was that dirt in his teeth? And what on earth was in his bed? Something that felt like... rocks? His heart raced. This was not his bed.
He could smell the outdoors. Not the outdoors of Maween, with its flowering trees and mild breezes. This smelled like stone that had laid in the sun for thousands of years, like trees that never shed their leaves, like the cold desert. He also smelled something like people and maybe animals. In an instant of revelation, Andar knew these smells, knew that he had breathed this cold air many years ago. He kept his eyes closed for just a few heartbeats, trying to gather his courage. Was how Queen Azariyah had felt, waking up in a strange place? Or h
