“What do you mean there’s no more food?” she asked, following him along the beach.

She saw his shoulders go up to his ears and fall. His head rolled up towards the sky.

“I figured I could refill my supplies at Icherrun. I didn’t realize how bad it would be.” An anger rose within her chest, falling quickly at the tone of despair in his voice. She thought instead.

“Well. Maybe we can…eat fish? The ocean has fish, right? This ocean?” He didn’t answer her.

“Or, maybe, some of the…sand, the sand has creatures? Is there a town nearby, do you know?”

“Shut up. Just…shut up.”

Leena pursed her lips together.

They had rested for a day in the ice hut, setting out the next morning. Most of it was spent dozing or lamely talking about nothing.

Bo was not a conversationalist. Or rather, it seemed like he was hiding something. Or at least not telling her everything. Every time she felt like she was reaching into a bit of deeper knowledge, he ignored her or redirected her back to a different conversation. Bubbles of frustration pent up inside her head, threatening to escape and pop any goodwill she had for him.

She had found some entertainment watching the water go up and down on the beach. Leena had never seen such a sight before, at least not that she remembered. The sand was unfortunately cool with the water and the night and the lack of sun warmth, but she had managed to enjoy the feeling of it in her hands and on her feet.

In the morning, Bo dissolved their shelter back into the sea, and they marched on.

Now they were here, along the beach, and Leena was feeling the threat of an outburst from her own throat.

Bo sighed, stopping in the middle of their route.

He turned around, facing her, his eyes and face worn like yellowed cloth. She felt for the talisman in her pocket and gripped it tightly. It was warm like sunlight, and it made the anxiety in her stomach dissipate into air.

“We are going to…ah…” Bo started, sighing again. He rubbed his hand through his hair, pushing it back and revealing a wide forehead.

“We are going to go into a village, but I’m not sure how it is. I just…I don’t know, okay?” he said.

“What kind of village?”

“A goblin village.”

“There’s a goblin village near here?”

“Yeah…sorta. It’s just that if Icherrun was the way it was…I don’t know how this one will be. Goblins are already kind of cagey,” he explained, looking away from the ocean and at the top of the dune.

“There’s one so close?” she asked, amazed that she had never heard of one before. A real goblin village!

“Yes, but don’t get too excited. It’s pretty…um…small.”

“I’ve never seen a goblin before. Are they green? What are they like?”

Bo shrugged, “They range from green to brown to gray, but honestly, it is not a big deal. Just make sure you listen to me and stick with me when we get there because I don’t know…I just don’t know.”

His face drooped into a sad look, and Leena felt the mood turn somber.

“Okay. I’ll stick with you,” she said. His eyes fell on her face again, and he smiled weakly.

“Okay. Let’s go inland a bit then. It shouldn’t be too far away.”

He led her over the dune.

“How do you keep sand out of your boots?” she asked, feeling the grit irritate her skin.

“I don’t.”

“Oh. Doesn’t the sand bother you?”

“Yes, but I’m not going to complain about it.”

“I’m not complaining. I’m just asking.”

A period of silence.

“Bo, how do you know where to go? Do you have a map or something?”

“No, I just…I have a sixth sense for these things,” he replied, turning his head to eye her. She smiled at him, and his eyebrow went up before he turned his head forward again.

“Let’s be quiet for a bit,” he said, coughing and clearing his throat.

After the dunes was the forest again, and Leena heard the sound of the ocean melt away into the background. It was replaced by their own steps and their own breaths. A very slight breeze wafted through the trees, but not enough to disturb anything, as if it was tiptoeing to avoid disturbing something.

Leena was hungry.

Not just sort of hungry, but she was feeling her stomach eat itself. It was like a ravenous wolf at the point of consuming its young and itself. She had managed to avoid feeling it, but now her stomach threatened to heave out anything in it, overwhelmed with the amount of activity she was doing.

She stopped, dry heaving. Her hand pressed against the trunk of the tree, and she bent over, spitting up acid. She groaned a bit, steadying her breathing. Bo touched her shoulder briefly before pulling his hand quickly back.

“You okay?” he asked. She nodded, trying to smile at him.

“I am just feeling a bit sick. I’ll be fine.” He frowned at her and looked away. He pulled out some of the ice.

“Here, take it.” She put it in her mouth, feeling the coldness fill her stomach. It was not nourishing and made her stomach feel empty.

Bo paced a bit as she stood there, waiting for him to lead the way.

“I’m going to leave you here,” he said suddenly.

“What? No. I don’t want to be here by myself.”

“No, it will just be easier. I’ll go and come back. Okay? Just stay here and don’t go anywhere. If anyone comes, just hide.”

“But I want to go with you. I want to see the village!”

He shook his head, “No, Leena, you’re too important. Just…sit and rest for a while. I’ll be back with something.”

“No!” she said loudly, “I am not going to be pushed aside. I’m fine. I promise. I’m fine!”

Bo growled a bit, working his mouth silently and moving his hands in exasperation.

“I didn’t want to do this, but…I’m sorry, Leena.”

He came up close to her, and she stepped back.

He overlapped his thumb and middle finger and flicked her in the forehead. She felt it hit her, her eyes closed, and everything turned to blackness.