Chapter 10
It’s the end of summer, on the birthday of Krusa, the fairest and youngest of the three northern Maidens, and a day of fertility and happiness. The sun has already set but the sky hasn’t darkened yet; the last remnants of light still burn over the treetops.
It’s been a damp and rainy summer, but today is warm and lovely. The sun has been shining from a clear sky since this morning, and the light breeze that rustled the branches during the day has died down. The forest is still, except for the sounds of animals getting ready for the night.
Before me—in the middle of the clearing I dreamt of so many months ago when Vinge had just arrived, the one I stumbled upon during one of my hunts earlier this spring—stands Vinge. He’s completely naked, his hair flows down his back and over
