"I'm not sure anymore... I was thinking of going to a place where no one would look for me or know me. I was also thinking maybe I could stay here... by your side.” Ezer doesn't know where those words came from, nor was sure what face he had right now when he understood the meaning of what he said.

“You can't.” Lyaria pronounces those sharp words deciding to ignore the feelings that were released through Ezer's eyes. She didn't think of him as a child, but she didn't think of him as a man who had enough experience to recognize a real love from a passing one of adolescence. After all, she had gone through the same thing only to suffer.

Regardless, when she rejects him, little ripples arise in her chest that she didn't know where they came from. Lyaria felt an attraction to Ezer, but she wouldn't call it love. It was something else, something even she didn't know.

“You can't because my people don't accept humans, especially someone from the Inmerlan family.” She explains after a few seconds of silence between them.

“Why?” Ezer says it almost in a whisper without making it clear what he was referring to, his rejection or the explanation of the hatred towards his family.

“We believe this world was empty, with nothing but chaos and death among the beasts that populated it. But this changed with the appearance of the Elves, some believe that we came with them, while others believe that we were created by their grace. Whatever it was, everyone agrees that we were its guardians. Thanks to us, the Elves were able to expand without fear as they could trust us to protect them.” Lyaria pauses slightly and then continues. “At some point we failed our mission, for some reason we couldn't protect them and they became extinct while we survived. Wounded and without a goal to cling to, we roam the very lands we sworn to protect. But time makes us forget, the new generations began to wonder why they remain locked up between mountains whipped by the cold and the beasts. An internal war broke out between the old customs and the desire for freedom. In the end, the new blood triumphed over the old, the promises of a better life attracted many joining the same cause. When we finally took the first steps without our view being blocked by mountains, it was made by black walls that prevented us from continuing. It was then that we knew we were not alone. Lyaria pauses for a moment, remembering the words her father told her being passed from generation to generation.

“At that moment we found a new condition, the goal of seeing beyond what blocked us no matter what blood we spill for it.”

"And that blood was my family's." Ezer says it bitterly.

“Ours too.”

"Then why I didn't know anything? Something as important as this should not be forgotten.”

“I don't know that. But I am sure of one thing, 300 years ago both parties signed a peace treaty. The clauses and agreements are a mystery to me, but since then, there has been no war between the two species.

“300 years... At that time my family began to decline to what it is today.

“I only know a few things from the past, although they are the kind that are passed by word of mouth, so there may be false details.” She makes herself comfortable, as much as she can, and closes her eyes.

“I still have questions.” He is dissatisfied when she cuts his story off at the best part.

“Tomorrow.” Lyaria answers with a clear word and a tone that does not give rise to further discussion.

Ezer is left alone with his thoughts, trying to find answers to all the questions he had with the new information. At some point remembers what he said without wanting it, as well as the resounding rejection and Lyaria's words.

At that moment he is grateful to be the only one awake and leaves the shelter, trying not to make any noise, to walk alone in the cold of the night. For the first time he feels a real hatred for not being older and a desire to be.

Contrary to the previous day, the sky was clear except for a few clouds that refused to disperse, although the cold of the night was still present since the sun's rays had not yet managed to warm the environment.

Ezer carries Lyaria on his back who had relapsed into her fever during the night. She was conscious, but she was weak, very weak.

Both don’t speak to each other for a good stretch. Lyaria from exhaustion and Ezer from embarrassment at remembering the night before, although knows he can't go on like this and decides to forget it for now. After all, Lyaria depends on him and him alone to save her life.

“I don't want to sleep... I want to be awake a little more.” The weariness was evident in her voice, despite having woken up less than an hour ago, and Ezer could imagine her eyes must have been half-closed as she struggled not to fall asleep.

“Then tell me something.” Ezer didn't want to show it, but his concern grew every moment as he saw how she got worse.

“What do you want to know?” His sleepy voice was lower than a whisper.

“Of your people, their customs, your childhood. Anything.”

“Um… So, let's start with something obvious. I'm sure you noticed the main difference, what irreversibly differentiates us between species."

"The ability to change shape?" Talking seems to have helped her wake up a bit.

"I find it strange that you're not surprised, scared or upset. It must seem strange to you that people can change into animal form, though it's strange to me that they can't.”

“At first I was surprised, but... later it seemed natural. Perhaps it was because of the time we spent together before we parted ways, at that time I had already noticed your clear intelligence. At that time I suspected, although I didn’t know the reason.”