I could hear the gentle rush of a river up ahead, and by the time I snuck between two trees at the edge of a small clearing, Gloam was already standing beside it, the drum abandoned on the ground next to him. His head was bent low, and it looked like he was just staring into the water. Then his shoulders heaved with a great, shuddering sob that sounded raspy and rough within the cage. My vision got blurry in an instant.
