Well, she is in her own home, I thought to myself. Hah!”
Emmy was surprised by just how disappointed that made her feel. It was quiet for a time save for the splashing of water as I used a cloth to wash the blood from her back. But every once in a while, that façade would fall away. “Want some help changing your dressings?” I asked. Emmy spread her legs obligingly to allow me to wrap the wound there. She moved back in that afternoon, but gave me an open invitation to drop by. Our lands here are fertile, capable of feeding our population no matter how quickly it grows. And then suddenly, the touch was gone. I read Gunnar’s letter first. “Thanks, though it’s kinda lonely,” she said glumly. He looked like he had more to say on that topic, but he cut it off and moved on. ========
On the twelfth day, my scouts reported a sudden increase in the amount of shipping traffic. “What if I don’t want to be a part of your society?” she asked, “What if I want to leave?”
“Under normal circumstances, you would be required to stay.
