Chapter 83: A Taste Of Emotions

When night came a few of the adults had a fire burning as they did every night. It was a fire that would burn deep into the night, adding its crackling symphony to the forest's echoes, a new member of its orchestra surrounded by the adults who would talk and drink and make merry if they saw fit. But though it burned so late and would last the whole night if allowed, the gatherings often came to an end before the darkest of the night. Each adult leaving at spaced intervals. Those new to the responsibilities of being husbands or wives always retired first, having drunk very little, retiring early either in a bid not to annoy their new spouses or a desire for the benefits of new marriages.