“Chasing her own demon”
The Shepherd“Chasing her own demon” is Lawson’s retrospective description of Veena’s pursuit. The expression turns a question about what she was doing beyond the border into an account of a private struggle, and the exchange ends with Lawson confirming that she reached its conclusion.
Use in the Conversation
Haydar asks what Veena was doing out there. Lawson looks back over the border, contrasting the landscape’s imposing beauty from a distance with what it was like up close, then answers with the phrase. Its figurative language does not explain Veena’s history or spell out the nature of her inner conflict; it gives her actions a personal dimension without detailing it.
Meaning and Narrative Function
Haydar’s immediate follow-up—whether Veena got him—connects the image of a demon to the person she pursued. Lawson answers yes and says she can finally rest easy. The exchange therefore shifts from an enigmatic account of Veena’s purpose to confirmation that her pursuit is over. The expression holds those two ideas together: the hunt had an external target, but Lawson describes its significance as something Veena herself needed to confront.
