3 South

In the Vale of Blood, seventeen-year-old Siyu climbs the sacred orange tree and, before a gathering of sisters and brothers, runs along a high bough and leaps into the River Minara. Tunuva and Imsurin rush to help; Siyu surfaces unharmed, exultant. Tunuva, shaken, escorts her back to the Priory, rebuking the sacrilege and warning of consequences.

In Siyu’s chamber, Tunuva stresses responsibility—over the abandoned rope, the frightened ichneumon Lalhar, and respect for the tree—and refuses to shield Siyu from punishment. After Siyu apologizes for the fright, Tunuva leaves to inform the leadership.

Tunuva reports to Prioress Saghul Yedanya, with Esbar present. While Esbar goes to calm the witnesses, Tunuva recounts events. Saghul confirms no fruit was taken, then laments a deeper “rot”: after five centuries without the Nameless One, reverence is fading and sisters question the Priory’s purpose. Tunuva recalls her first journey beyond the Vale with Esbar, their bond, and how the wider world affirmed her duty to remain.

Seeking a corrective path, Tunuva proposes sending Siyu to guard Princess Jenyedi in Lasia so she can love the world and, through contrast, value the Priory. Saghul replies with a sun-wine parable about restraint, praising Tunuva’s and Esbar’s moderation but warning that some would drown in sweetness, leaving the decision—and its risks—unsettled.