Twenty-Six: Signposts

As the hillside steepens and trees thin, Kettricken warns Fitz he may need to join the Skill Road. That evening Kettle presses him with strategy games to keep his mind anchored. Next day, rough terrain and Starling’s prodding lead to her taunt that the Fool is a woman in love with Fitz, which he rejects. The slope becomes sheer, forcing Fitz and Starling to climb to the Road and rejoin the others.

Stepping onto the Road, Fitz feels its Skill-current dull his Wit, even to Nighteyes. Kettle deliberately slows and engages him with game problems, explaining the Road’s subtle influence and hinting at old lore: nursery verses about Wise Men who go up and do not return, Skilled coteries called to the Road, and a destination tied to Verity and the Skill’s source. As dusk falls, Fitz grows increasingly entranced by echoes of past travelers.

Near camp, Fitz hallucinates a bustling procession and unconsciously drifts toward a broken branch of the Road. Nighteyes slams him down and drags him back; the others haul him into the tent. Kettle anchors Fitz’s mind with the game solution and explains he almost followed the memory of a path that was destroyed long ago. She questions Verity’s survival; Fitz admits he Skill-saw Verity at a magic river, which horrifies and awes Kettle.

To warm and steady themselves, Kettle brews light elfbark tea for Fitz and the Fool. Studying Kettricken’s map, Fitz reasons Verity likely visited the nearer two marked sites before attempting any descent. Kettricken proposes searching for a way down for a few days but rejects splitting the party. Verity briefly Skills to Fitz, warning him to hide his trail; Fitz withholds this from Kettricken until pressed, deepening her ache to reach her husband.

Outside, Fitz finds Kettricken silently weeping over her fears and guilt. He comforts her with memories of Verity’s warmth and assures her Regal’s crimes are not hers. As her grief eases, a black, crystal-webbed column at the Road’s sheared edge catches Fitz’s eye. He touches the signpost, which welcomes him, signaling the Road’s lure and the rising stakes of their passage.