Chapter 5
It takes me longer than it should to find Vinge’s things. I scour the southern path most of the afternoon before daylight starts fading and I must stop the search. It’s on my way back home—far closer to my cabin than expected—that I find his pack by accident.
I’d stepped off the path to go a few steps among the trees to relieve myself when I’d noticed a bright green, fur-lined cloak halfway up a slope. I climb the hill and scan the area for more of his things. I’d found a knitted hat not far from the cloak, and caught by a ground-hanging branch of weeping spruce, I’d finally located his pack.
Now, I scratch my neck. How did he even end up here, off the track? It’s far away from any of the frequently traveled paths, and as an outsider to the area, he shouldn’t have ventured thi
