Kel groaned. "Why is it always me bleeding when we do this?"
Ren didn't answer.
Kel turned his head, eyes barely open. "I'm just saying. Maybe next time one of you gets haunted."
Ardan muttered, "Haunted?"
"Yes," Kel said. "By whatever that was back there. It followed us. Don't lie."
Lindarion didn't look away from the water.
'He's not wrong. But he's not really useful either.'
"Your name's not really Kel," he said without turning.
Kel hesitated.
Then sighed. "No. Not really."
"Then what is it?"
A beat.
Kel looked at Ren. She didn't move.
"Does it matter?" he said finally.
"Yes," Lindarion said.
Kel scratched his jaw with a shaking hand. "Fine. Meren. It was Meren. A long time ago."
Ardan stopped pacing. "Why change it?"
Kel gave a tired shrug. "Don't like being followed."
Ren laughed softly, just once.
"Didn't work," Lindarion said.
"No," Kel said. "Didn't."
