Yori stepped over to Wolfram and cleared his throat. “Excuse me,” he said, his voice soft.

Wolfram looked up from the book he was reading. He blinked and adjusted his glasses. “What do you want?” he snapped. “Go away!” He turned back to his book.

Rune pulled out a chair for Yori and then sat down in one beside it. As Yori sank into the chair, Rune spoke. “The creature that carried off your girl…”

“Astrid,” Wolfram said, his voice cracking. Tears welled up in his eyes and he shook his head. “Her folks didn’t even want us to be wed. They said I wasn’t good enough for her. I’m a bookworm, they said. I’d never be able to provide for her, they said. I wouldn’t be able to protect her, they said. Well, they were right and – and now she’s gone!”

Yori tensed. He set a hand on Wolfram’s shoulder. “We all have strengths and weaknesses,” he said. “You… love her, right?”

Wolfram nodded. “With all my heart,” he said, his voice cracking.

“Then that’s all that matters,” he said, giving the young man a weak smile.