"You shouldn't expect anything from anyone. People will disappoint there. Frequently." A phrase she once spouted bitterly had softened into something she merely acknowledged as a matter of course. The hill crest approached, and Valkyrie jogged the final few steps to the top. The sight of the woods in autumn stretching into the blue horizon made her forget her words. She cleared her throat.

"Now that I've accepted it, I feel like I'm allowed to take a chance again."