The refugees regroup around the three wagons, keeping the children between the wheels. Erica still holds the black stone while the patron's shadow lingers faintly over her hand.
An elderly woman with a sturdy frame, weathered brown skin, white hair wrapped in a russet scarf, and a blue-gray wool cloak steps forward. A brass key hangs at her throat.
the elder
The chime has stopped, but has the danger truly ended? Can we sleep beneath these trees without waking the Host?
the captive
No. The stone is silent, not emptied. Its summons may return when the shadow thins, or when we carry it too near another marker.
Uneasy murmurs pass between the wagons. Some refugees tighten bundles and glance toward the marsh, while others draw closer around the children and the remaining lanterns.
the elder
Then scattering may hide us, but it may also leave each family alone. Staying together gives us protection, if the mark finds us again.
the captive
The choice cannot wait long. Blackreed Ford is behind us, the eastern marker is ahead, and either road could carry the summons farther.
+ New Item Acquired
Black stone
“I look to the stone, and ponder what my patron meant by it being mine?”
SUCCESS (Good Reasoning, rolled +0)
Erica studies the black stone in her palm while the refugees wait in uneasy silence. Its surface reflects no faces, only the faint outline of her pact-shadow.
Erica Blodgett
“Mine” means the summons answers through me now. The stone is bound to my pact, not owned like an ordinary thing.
The understanding settles into the stone's shape: it is a conduit and a burden, carrying her claim wherever marked roads or summonses remain. The insight costs her a sharp pulse of heat through the scar on her cheek.
the captive
You know what it is, then. Not merely a weapon, but a leash with your hand on the end of it.
the elder
If it belongs to you, can you carry it away from the families without calling the Host back?
The stone's glow answers the elder's question with a dim red thread pointing west, toward Blackreed Ford. It remains quiet, but Erica now knows the direction of its claim.