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He pointed a claw at her and nodded.

“I see...” She averted her gaze to the fire before needing to bring it back to him so she could read him. “You can only speak with the voices of those you’ve... eaten?”

She threw her hands up when he shook his head, as if that was incorrect.

He snickered, then slipped forward to scratch his claw against the ground. She watched him, her eyes growing wide when she realised he was writing something. He was slow and seemed to second guess what he was writing as he hesitated at each letter.

When he was done, she braved coming a little closer so she could twist her head and read the words from his perspective.

Her expression scrunched up, since it made little sense.My voice lost?

“So, you used to be able to speak?”

The Duskwalker nodded and scratched out more words.Voices not mine. Hurt.

“It pains you to speak with the voices of people you’ve eaten?”

His skull dipped up and down, informing her she was correct. She inwardly groaned as she rubbed her cheek.Well, that makes communicating with him difficult.She eyed the crudely written and shaky words, as if he wasn’t confident. She figured trying to communicate through writing would prove difficult with more complex words, especially since they didn’t have parchment.

He wrote again.Nathair.

“Nathair?” She winced, not knowing this word.

He patted his chest and then pointed at it.

“Oh!” She gave him a hopeful smile. “Your name is Nathair?”

His orbs brightened in their yellow glow, and he reached for her hand, enveloping it with both of his. He also inadvertently explained what the colour meant by doing so: joy.

She smiled at that, while trying not to rip her hand from him. Thankfully he let go swiftly.

“Well, Nathair, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” It really was, all things considered. She wouldn’t be alive, nor free, if it wasn’t for him. He attempted to write something, which only softened her gaze. “Linh has an ‘h’ at the end. L-i-n-h, that’s how you spell my name.”

He added the letter and tilted his head inquisitively at her. She couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

As he slinked back within himself, plopping his head down to rest, a soft rumbling came from him. She didn’t know if that was a growl or a purr, but she was hoping for the latter.

Heat rose into her cheeks, and she cuddled towards the fire more.Is he seriously purring? I didn’t think Duskwalkers could do that.

Then again, she knew very little about them.

Texts always said they were destructive and violent.Nathair had shown those qualities, but he’d also been protective.Even the one who exchanges a protection ward for a human offering couldn’t be trusted.Many villages who received such news considered this to be a made-up story. Her people told this tale as a way to keep young children from doing the wrong thing:“If you don’t behave, the Duskwalker will come and take you as a sacrifice.”

They said he always wore a scent barrier cloth over his snout.Here Nathair was, not wearing one, and he seemed fine. He hadn’t even tried to eat her once.

“If... you brought me here,” she started, flicking her gaze to his bony face. “Does that mean you’ll help us?”

He immediately shook his head, and her bottom lip stuck forward into a pout.

“Why not?”

He proved he was indeed purring when that rumbling morphed into an obvious growl. He pointed at her.

“You won’t because of me?” He shook his head and poked the air to show he was pointing at her. Her brows knitted together, then she guessed, “You’ll only protect me?”

He nodded, and Linh sighed.I guess that’s better than nothing.