Chapter 43

Raeve prepares fruit while Siharna’s labor screams carry across the courtyard. She probes Kaan about Rygun’s unease, prompting Kaan to recount a past hunt when the Mists drove Rygun into sinking sand. Warriors converged to claim Rygun’s presumed corpse; Kaan fought them for two days until Rygun recovered enough to incinerate the attackers, cementing their bond as Kaan chose to climb aboard or die with him.

Moved, Raeve crafts an uhloo braid from her own hair and knots it into Kaan’s hair, honoring his sacrifice and leadership. Kaan confesses the weight of the lives he took, and Raeve reframes his actions as honorable defense. Their intimacy grows as they find steadiness in each other despite the ongoing screams.

Kaan presents Raeve with tailored riding leathers, boots, and a cloak lined with protective runes and Rygun’s claw scales, designed for warmth, concealment, and combat readiness. As they share a tender kiss, Pyrok storms in, rattled by Siharna’s cries, hauling liquor, a Skripi board, and a swarm of parchment larks he stuffs into an urn. The trio sets up to play, agreeing to drinking rules while Raeve volunteers to stay sober for Korie’s sake.

Amid gallows humor and talk of looming apocalypse, Roan enters silently, absorbed in the Book of Voyd and his notes. With Siharna’s pain escalating outside, the group turns to cards and drink—small rituals of camaraderie and preparation—as Raeve and Kaan’s deepened bond and new gear signal their resolve for the conflicts ahead.