.5.
Her hands are weathered after all the time she has spent in the sun and wind and rain. She listens as they speak and cry, but she is barely touching their skin. She hears the whisper whether she has a lover or not and silently curses the speaker as she leads the group of souls through darkness and light, cold and heat.
She hears the mutter about wishing, and straightens her back. She has no need for love, she tells herself. In all the stories she has heard, love is usually the main reason the souls are lost or sour. She has no need for love, the Carrier tells herself, but she is not sure if she believes it.