Bloodied bandages littered the floor around Maeric’s bedside. The rain had finally subsided, allowing the dimming sunlight to peek through the windows.

Erith sat slouched beside Maeric, his face buried in his hands. Waking up to ride to the Morvathi camp felt like a lifetime ago.

He lifted his head, his eyes traced over the wooden splint holding Maeric’s leg in place. The sight of the pins pressed deep into Maeric’s leg, holding the fractured bones in place, twisted something in his chest.

Maeric’s agony was impossible to shake from Erith’s mind.

A droplet of water broke free from the flask placed near Maeric, landing on his forehead. Erith followed the bead of water as it trickled into his hairline.

It was hard to tell if Maeric was awake. His breathing was steady, but his stillness left Erith uncertain.

“If you’re really going to throw your life away at this, then I’ll find a way to drag you through it alive”,  Erith whispered.

He felt his throat tighten, his eyes began to sting. Wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his arm, Erith rose to his feet and left the room.

“Mystery guy. They’re in the other room.” Amun leaned on an end-table in the hallway, a brush in hand and a bucket of water at his feet. “And try not to make a mess in there too. You’re a pain to clean up after, you know.”

Erith glanced at Amun’s bloodstained clothes before nodding and stepping through the doorway. The room was larger than expected, with a bed tucked neatly into one corner and a loft overhead.

Four well-worn but comfortable chairs surrounded a small table near a crackling fireplace. Rin sat in one, and beside him, an older woman. Her blonde hair, streaked with gray, was tied loosely over one shoulder, where it brushed against the edge of an ornate shawl draped around her.

Her attention caught Erith the moment he stepped inside. Her lips curved into a faint, welcoming smile.

“Erith, dear. Please, come sit. Eat something.” She gestured toward a plate of dried jerky on the table. “Had I known I’d be entertaining such unexpected company, I might have prepared something finer. But we make do.”

Erith tilted his head toward Rin, his eyes caught on the fresh bandages across Rin’s torso, visible under his loosened shirt. Rin gave a small nod, silently reassuring him. Erith stepped further into the room, taking a seat opposite the older woman.

“My son and I were catching up—it’s been a few years. Yet I’ll admit, today’s tale has a way of making the years vanish.” She spoke casually, but the way her sharp eyes lingered on Erith made it clear she wasn’t simply making small talk.

The woman picked up a piece of jerky from the table and bit into it. “I assure you the food is simply food. No tricks. You must be starved after the day you’ve had.”

She folded her hands across her lap. “I’m Rhymera Varsk, proprietor of Spindle Hall. For what you’ve done for my son, you have my gratitude. Maeric will need time to heal before he can stand on his own again, and I’ll make sure he has that time under this roof.”

“Now, I understand that you can sense Kaida. That’s quite… peculiar.” An edge of curiosity threaded through her words.

Her gaze swept across the room before settling back on him. “Tell me, dear— what is it you sense right now?”

Erith felt discomfort crossing over his face. He hesitated under her expectant stare. Letting out a shallow breath, Erith closed his eyes.

The sensation struck immediately. Vast. Overwhelming. He flinched and snapped his eyes back open. 

Rhymera’s expression didn’t waver, calmly watching for Erith’s reaction.

He swallowed hard, then tried again, forcing himself to breathe deeply as he closed his eyes once more.

“A prison,” he muttered after a pause, his voice quieter than he intended. Then, grabbing a piece of jerky, he bit into it, his tone sharpening. “To keep me in?”

She grinned, calm yet satisfied, as she reached into her pocket, retrieving a milky-white, ornately carved Kaida gemstone.

“This gem is an exceptional piece. It emits Kaida in a controlled sphere rather than simply spilling outward—elegant craftsmanship, would you say? They’re exceedingly rare, but invaluable when navigating lands thick with Murasi.”

Rhymera set the gem on the table in front of her. “For someone who can sense Kaida, I imagine this must be… quite noisy. And for someone who can wield Mura, well—perhaps this keeps on even footing.” 

Her eyes locked onto Erith, unwavering. “Spindle Hall has long thrived on secrets and whispers, my dear. You’ve done well to keep yours close, and perhaps it’s in both our best interests to keep it that way. I’ll assume you intend to stay while Maeric recovers?”

Erith’s eyes met Rin’s, who was intently watching the conversation unfold. He turned back to Rhymera. “You could trade me for anything you want. Why should I believe you won’t?”

“Desire is a peculiar thing, isn’t it?” She spoke with a calm introspection. “People speak of it endlessly, chase after their dreams of it, yet rarely recognize it when it brushes past them.”

“Did you sense anything else in the noise?”

Erith looked down at the table, where a thin, wooden box sat atop the table. Rhymera leaned forward, carefully lifting the lid, revealing a thin, needle like object with a circular hilt inside.

His brow furrowed as he studied the artifact. “A Murath?”

“Yes,” a trace of satisfaction carried in her voice. “Though this isn’t simply imbued with Mura from the ancient times. It’s been refined for a modern purpose. In Loradun, this is how they conduct the Balance.” 

Her tone shifted slightly, almost casual, as she gestured toward him. “Please, unbutton your shirt.”

Confusion flickered across his face, caught off guard by the request.

“This Murath provides a means to better control the amount of Mura introduced to the body,” she continued. “Balancing is chaotic—an art of precision. The right level of Mura matched with the right level of Kaida.”

Erith's fingers hovered over the top buttons of his shirt before unfastening them. Rhymera leaned forward slightly, her eyes fixed intently on his chest. Erith glanced down, his fingers brushing over the faint circular mark etched above his heart—a mark he’d never thought much of, until now.

“Drawing Kaida into the body alone can kill, but failing to balance it with the right amount of Mura…” Her voice trailed off. “Well, that’s what ends most.”

Rhymera reached for the gem, turning it thoughtfully in her hand. She let silence overtake the room, collecting her thoughts before continuing. “An older gentleman used to stop by now and then, spinning tales of his travels over a drink... the tales he'd tell of this world." She spoke with a nostalgic warmth.

"The last time I saw him was a little before the drought. Only, that time, he wasn’t alone—he had a small boy with him." 

She paused, her eyes momentarily distant before refocusing on Erith. “He let me in on a secret. Said age was catching up to him, and he planned to settle down, raise the boy on a farm, and leave the road behind. Before he left, he entrusted me with this Murath and disappeared.”

Her voice trailed off, turning the gem in her hand once more. "I wondered, in the back of my mind, if I’d ever see either of them again.”

Erith hesitated, memories he hadn’t revisited in years stirred. “I only knew him as Thatch. Don’t even know if the old man’s still alive—or where that farm even was. I just remember… it was a long ride to Aldasi. He brought me to join the Adoses Academy.”

“You said you were a stray,” Rin interjected, breaking from his quiet awe of the conversation.

“I was,” Erith admitted, a hint of sheepishness in his voice. “Ran away from the Academy the first day. Joined a year later.”

“They let you in? A runaway?” Rin asked, incredulous.

Erith shrugged. “They seemed to think surviving as a stray for that long meant something.”

Rhymera’s eyes flicked between the two before settling on Erith. “I’ve kept your secrets for some time now, and my desire is to continue doing so. You’re welcome to stay, dear. But you’ll need to pull your weight—my Moonsie will appreciate the help.” 

Her voice was gentle, yet carried an unshakable weight. “You aim to help Maeric through the Balance?”

Erith nodded, his expression resolute.

Rhymera paused, studying him for a moment, then gave a faint smile as she pushed the wooden box toward him. 

“Under different circumstances, I’d laugh it off as a foolish venture… In these times, perhaps we must all take a gamble.”

✦☽✧❖⨁☼✺☼⨁❖✧☽✦