Chapter 130: Vigil

VOLUME THREE: IN DESPAIR

Present Day

Telmé startled awake and stared blearily around the dim lit room. Remnants of a dream moved through his mind like wind-spun smoke. He scrubbed at his face, trying to banish the memory of too much silence. What had woken him? His eyes fell on the book lying open and face down on the floor.

"Are you all right?" Ingegärd asked softly from where she sat embroidering in the chair by Korin's bed.

"Just a little groggy." Telmé bent to pick up the book, then slowly sat up again. He smoothed out the bent pages before closing the book with a soft snap and setting it aside on the table by his chair. He shifted his gaze to the bed, mind sluggish with exhaustion and fear. A bare smile curved his mouth at the way Dagrún had crawled into the bed to curl up against Korin's side, one small hand fisted in his robe, the other tucked away out of sight. Dagrún was nearly as bad as Telmé when it came to leaving Korin's side.