He frowned, no doubt thinking my twitching lips indicated some disrespect or another. “He has left this world?”
“All elves did. And dwarves. Forty-odd years ago. Nobody knows why, but there are lots of theories. Nobody left behind knew how to make portals, so it’s not like I could get a ticket and go looking for him, even if I wanted to see him. And I don’t.”
“Why not?”
“He left my mother before I was even born.” I pulled my collar up against another chilly gust. It was almost summer, but I was wet, and the rain was threatening to turn into a more serious storm. “She forgives him, or so she says, because he had to choose between leaving with his people and staying here with her and only her. He chose his people.”
Why was I speaking about this to a dragon? What did he care?
“Look, neve
