[Dimturiel]

Edhener was listening closely to Mayonette and Leoflic's conversation. He had made himself ready to set off again as soon as Hama and Mayonette had given their orders. Yet now it seemed that something else was delaying them. He had been very intrested in the finding of the map and also in Leoflic's story. Yet he prefered not to voice his thoughts aloud. They were much too gloomy, and he did not want to poison the whole group with his fears.

He felt sory for Leoflic of the way he was needlessly blaiming himself. Why were people always doing that? There was no question of one's guilt when one had no choice. As far as he could see, Leoflic had had no choice. There was no way he could have confronted the man that gave him food and shelter without endangering himself. No, sometimes it was best to leave the noble spirit aside and take care of your own skin.

He opened his mouth to tell Leoflic this, but then he changed his mind. Did he really believe in this? No, of course he did not. Then why say it? To give comfort? What was the use of comfort if he did not believe what he was saying? "Yet sometimes,"he mused, "it is best to say untrue words if they bring solace to others. Or so say some. " But he was not among them. He could not lie, he thought it would be an unfair thing to tell Leoflic something in which he did not believe. Therefore, he changed his words:

"Do not dwell on such things, Leoflic." he said. "The past cannot be changed. It is tomorrow that we are entrusted to better. There is nothing that we can do about yesterday."

He tried to hide the bitterness in his voice, lest it should be misinterpreted. Yet he could not help smiling grimly to himself as he spoke these words. Those were other things in which he did not believe, or that he chose not to. They seemed reasonable enough, yet not to him. But why? He could not tell. Maybe that was the punishment for those that felt guilty about something.