V. The Bargain in the Tower

Days later, in a tower on the Black Rose Steppe, Cairn sat in silence, watching the turning of the sky through narrow slits of stone.

On the third night, a stranger entered. Their cloak bore no sigil, though the Hearthfire token glimmered faintly on their belt.

An Emberlord of the Explorer’s Guild.

“Ser Cairn,” they said, bowing slightly. “A hinge has been set upon the world, and you stand at its turning.”

Cairn laughed, short and without warmth. “All these years, and at last I become useful.”

The Emberlord unfolded a parchment.
“Vana sends word. The Choir has misstepped. Tai has seized opportunity. The Guild would rather the treaty bend than snap.”

“And what would this bending demand?” Cairn asked.

“That you confess not guilt, but… proximity,” the Emberlord said. “A brush with the Choir’s path. Enough to give Tai his spectacle. Not enough to ignite war.”

“And when the chains fall?”

“You walk as Wolf,” the Emberlord said. “Bound to Friar, leased to the Guild. A man trusted by none, watched by all. Which is, in this age, the safest place to stand.”

Cairn looked at the torch behind them. The flame bent in the draft. A small, persistent light.

“Vana designed this?” he asked.

“In part.”

“And Tai?”

“He believes it was his idea.”

“And the Choir?”

“They believe you are sacrificed for a greater harmony.”

Cairn closed his eyes. “Everyone takes something.”

“Everyone except you,” the Emberlord admitted.

Cairn opened his eyes. “Give me the words.”

Final Chapter Next Monday!