Linda did not notice the exact moment the trembling stopped.
For hours she had remained seated just like that on the wet ground very close to the cave, her back pressed against the roughness and steadiness of his wings while Gaffer's heavy body rested partly against her.
At first the violent shaking had frightened her.
Each tremor that ran through him felt like a storm trying to tear its way out of his bones, and every time his claws dug into the ground she feared the pain would overwhelm him again.
But slowly… very slowly… everything began to change.
The tremors weakened, the harshness in his breathing faded little by little until it became deeper and steadier, like a man who had finally escaped drowning and could breathe again.
Linda continued moving her fingers gently through his hair, unaware of the strange power flowing through the simple gesture.
