Za'r jerked awake as though someone had called her name. Her breathing quickened, and before her mind had fully caught up, her hand instinctively reached toward the space beside her. Her fingers brushed nothing but cold hay, causing her heart to skip a beat. She sat upright immediately, her sleepy eyes darting frantically around the dim chamber until she realized the bed beside hers was already empty.
"Ka'z?" she called softly, her voice still thick with sleep.
"Don't worry," Tong'a's calm voice answered from across the room. "He woke up quite a while ago. He's already back to work."
Za'r followed the voice and found the old Oracle seated comfortably on a wooden stool. Beside him sat Kurg, his shoulders drooping and his ears hanging low. The usually timid kobold looked unusually quiet, as though something heavy weighed upon his heart.
