Chapter 67 The Oath Of The Shieldc

• The firelight painted the walls in restless gold, shifting with every snap of the wood. Darren sat close enough to feel its warmth seep into his battered body, but not close enough to let comfort dull the words he had been turning over in his head for days. Lucy sat across from him, her posture composed, her face unreadable. The fox lay curled by her side, ears twitching at every gust of wind outside. The two children, already asleep, were bundled in the next room.
• The quiet stretched, thick with everything unsaid. Finally, Darren broke it.
• “My name is Darren Korran,” he began, steady but low. “And I come from the line of Shields.”