Messenger

A few mornings later, Matty and Kira wake up. Matty is surprised they're still alive. Kira can barely see, and Matty discovers that his nose is bleeding. Kira says that she can't walk and Matty looks at her legs, which are cut deeply enough in places to expose muscles and tendons. Frolic lies motionless against Matty as Kira tells Matty to go on while she sleeps. Matty pushes through the pain to pull out Kira's embroidery frame, thread a needle, and shake her awake. He asks her to try to figure out where Leader is by meeting him with her gift. She obliges and finally, her hands shimmer.

Two days into Forest, Leader feels the attacks. He realizes that they probably started earlier, but he brushed them off as clumsiness. He reaches a place where the path seems to end. A frog hops out, croaking, and hops away. Leader follows it and is surprised when he comes across the path again. Suddenly, stinging insects swarm around Leader and fly away. He runs, but rocks throw themselves at his knees. Leader wishes he'd brought a weapon, but thinks that Forest is too big to fight with a knife or a club. He thinks of telling Seer that his gift is his weapon. Now, he's not even sure what he meant by that. As a vine grows around his ankle, he tries to look beyond.