As my speech came to a close, I knew I had done all that I could. It wasn't much, I knew. Just a bunch of words. But all I could do now was hope that she might listen.

Niralessa seemed to study me in the dark for a moment, as if realizing there was more to me than a pretty face and an annoying tendency to talk back. She swayed a little, and for the briefest moment, I thought she might lean over and hug me.

Silly thought.

Her spine straightened, as if coming to some kind of decision. "We'll see," was all she said, before arranging the furs around her. "You should get some sleep."

I stared at her silhouette. We'll see? I knew exactly what 'we'll see' meant. I said it to annoying kids who kept pestering me about swimming in the lake when it was too cold out.

"So that's it?" I said.

She answered by lying down and turning her back to me.

I sighed. That was it. So much for that idea.

With a growl I got to my feet and tore out of her tent. How was I supposed to sleep knowing I'd failed? Knowing my friend was stuck?

I looked around for her. Where had she gone? Tessia?

Her answer came in the form of a pair of arms throwing themselves around my waist and squeezing, nearly knocking me over.

You stood up for me. She pressed her face against my shoulder.

"Yeah, but I don't think it did any good," I mumbled.

But she's thinking about it.

I pulled away to look at her. "She is?"

Tessia covered my mouth with her hand and dragged me farther away from the tent.

"She is?" I repeated in a whisper.

She's trying not to, but her thoughts are conflicted. Your words keep repeating in her head.

My mouth dropped open. "They are? Like, which ones?"

It's a jumble, but 'I forgive you' loops the most.

I leaned against a tree. Her aloofness was just a front, then. It was her armor, I realized, to cover the doubts that could be perceived as weakness. I knew, because I did the same thing with my stories and my bluster.

Forgiveness. Had it really been that important to her? Maybe she was being honest when she'd said she hadn't wanted to give me up. The revelation was a bit staggering, and I sagged further against the tree. Maybe my mother wasn't the cold, calculating cactus I'd thought her to be.

Well, she was kind of calculating.

"What's she thinking now?" I asked, wanting to know more.

Tessia gave me a pointed look.

"Oh, come on. This is your future we're talking about!"

She shook her head. We've already snooped too much. She wanted to use me to intrude on people's thoughts. It made me feel dirty. Private thoughts should stay private.

I wanted to disagree, but I could also see her point. I'd be a hypocrite asking her to do what Niralessa wanted her to do, the very thing I was insisting she shouldn't have to do.

"No matter what happens, we'll figure it out, okay?" I said instead.

She nodded, but I couldn't get over the feeling that she didn't quite believe me.

A young girl's fate hangs in the balance. Let's see if we can stack some votes in her favor.