The chase sound fades into the distance. Bamboo leaves whisper overhead, and moonlight spills in pale strips across the grove. Tenda Wildheart slows at last, the ledger still heavy in his hand.
Daisy steps in close and gently takes his wounded forearm, her focus steady as she inspects the cut. Nearby, Rex settles with a low rumble, watchful but calm.
Daisy
Hold still. This looks worse when you keep moving.
Mei stands a little apart, staring back toward the basin through the bamboo. Her shoulders are tight, and the haunted look on her face does not quite leave with the danger.
Kaelen
We made it through. That should count for something.
Zero
Hah. I was hoping for at least one more swing, but I will take a quiet night if the world is offering one.
Daisy finishes wrapping Tenda's arm, careful and practiced. The ledger rests in his grasp again, its weight now feeling less like paper and more like a promise.
Mei
If we reach the elders with that, my father loses more than a vault key. He loses his lies.
“I thank daisy for the healing and ask her how she's holding up”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled +1)
Tenda Wildheart
Thank you, Daisy. For the wrapping, and for staying steady with me. How are you holding up?
Daisy
I am all right. A little tired, but not shaken. You needed the care more than I needed the worry.
Daisy lets out a small breath and eases back on her heels, her hands resting for a moment on the bandage at Tenda’s forearm. The bamboo leaves stir above them, and the waterfall keeps its steady hush beyond the grove.
Kaelen
That is the first honest quiet we have had in hours. I would like to keep it.
Zero
Quiet never lasts, but I admit, this version is better than bleeding on a ridge.
Mei
If we keep talking like this, I can almost believe we are more than fugitives carrying my father’s sins.
Mei finally looks away from the basin and back toward the group. The iron key glints at her side, and the ledger sits secure in Tenda’s grip as the tension between them loosens into something steadier.
“I ask Mei if she will stand with us openly”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled -1)
Tenda Wildheart
Mei, will you stand with us openly?
Mei
Yes. Not as my father’s shadow, not as a name hidden in his halls. I stand with you, and I will say it where people can hear me.
The words settle over the grove. Mei’s grip tightens on the ornate iron key, and the moon catches its edge as she squares her shoulders.
Kaelen
Then we stop pretending this is only a flight. If she stands beside us, the ledger becomes a weapon in the open.
Zero
Good. I was tired of whispering. Openly is better, and louder.
Daisy
I am glad to hear it. We have all been carrying too much alone.
Mei exhales, then gives Tenda the ledger back with both hands. The bandage on his forearm pulls at the new bruise when he takes it, a small sting for a clear answer.
“I head for the village with the ledger”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled -2)