Lena's shoulders slumped. Her gaze fell on the embers glowing at the fire's heart.
"I know."
The words were hard to swallow, as much as it was the truth they conveyed. She turned looked at the fire, as if it held the solution to all her problems.
She sighed.
"You know, Reidar. He wasn't some manipulative person you knew. He was a good man… He… he was a father to me."
"I know; you told me he was your father's best friend and that he took care of you and your mother."
"And my sister…"
A log shifted, sending a shower of orange sparks into the air.
"He never wanted to lead Havenwood. He was a park ranger. He knew the dam and the woods. When everything collapsed, people just… looked to him. He didn't want the responsibility, but he couldn't refuse it. He had no choice."
Her voice grew thick.
"What he did… the lies, banishing you… it was always for them. For the people. To keep them from falling apart, from dying, and to give them a reason to keep going. He was a good man."
