It felt like there was nothing, like she was floating in an airless bubble; no sound, no color, light, or feeling. She was not even aware of her own body…
And then, pain. A screaming, burning pain that exploded on the left side of her, from her leg and up her body. Her eyes flew open, but the pain blinded her. She was dying, of course she was dying. The drinling…which one…? Heg? Heg had stabbed her?
Her amar. Someone had destroyed her amar.
"Failie." A familiar voice, just out of reach. "Failie, it's me. It's all right."
A face that matched the voice appeared, framed by the long black hair that he had cut…back in Durna? It was all too faded to recall.
The only response she could make was a moan of pain.
Drake—for who else would come to her?—appeared beside her and placed his hands on her leg. "Sh, Failie, I know. It hurts, but just…hold on."
He ran his hands over the ruined fabric of her robe, and she could feel it shift as the pain slowly vanished. The tears she hadn't felt before stopped, and her breathing slowly returned to normal.
"There, all better now, isn't it?" He touched her forehead, smiling. "Now, can you tell me where we are?"
He helped her sit up while she looked around; the misty world was coalescing around them. Blue streaked the sky above, and grass rippled out from beneath her hands and bare feet. A cool breeze rustled the leaves of towering trees that cast them into soft shade. Drake nodded, and Farfalee felt herself smiling.
"The Seven Vales," she said quietly, surprised she could speak. Her mouth was dry, as though it was full of cotton. It had been too long since she'd been home.
There was an uncommon grin on Drake's face as well. When the wind, smelling of soil and pine, touched his face, he closed his eyes and breathed it in. "This is where you were reborn after your First Death, isn't it?"
Farfalee nodded, but Drake's eyes were still closed. "Yes. You remember?"
"The day you showed me, before my own First Death, I was terrified. You calmed me down. Of course I remember."
"Am I dead?" she asked suddenly.
Drake opened his eyes, still that same dark brown-green. "No." His smile had gone, but he did not look sad. He held out his brown hand. Resting in his palm was an amar, the same shade as his skin.
Farfalee let him drop it into her hand. When she held it closer, she could see a long crack along the shell, and her leg throbbed at the sight. She traced the crack along the exterior, struggling not to cry.
"You'll be all right, Failie." Drake knelt in front of her, his voice absolutely serious. "You will be all right." The way he said it, he seemed to be willing it into truth.
"What do I do?" she whispered.
Drake took her free hand and helped her dig a small hole in the earth at the base of a pine tree. The feel of the dirt under her fingers was so familiar that tears streaked down Farfalee's face. Her brother leaned into her and wiped them away, leaving dark smudges under her eyes. With his help, she planted the amar.
When it was in the earth again, Farfalee leaned against the tree and touched the dirt on her face. Everything felt so real, but she couldn't truly be home. Indeed, the Seven Vales was turning to mist once more. Drake stayed by her side, an arm around her shoulder. His other hand was on the back of his neck, where his amar had once been.
"Are you dead?" Farfalee asked when he was the only thing left in the swirling mist.
She looked up at him, her little brother, and he smiled at her.
"Yes, Failie, but I'm still here for you."
He faded, but she could still see his dark eyes in her mind long after she returned to life in the Fuming Waste, Jasher at her side. He had to help her stand, and then walk; her left leg was lame.
