The companions return through the western refuge road and reach the older threshold before dusk. Raphael’s family seal glows softly, while the restored waystones answer in sequence behind them.
Nikol
The records clarify the duty’s scope. Keepers guide travelers, maintain the waystones, and judge when a road must remain open or safely closed.
Zorya Asvana
That does not make Raphael responsible for every road alone. It means he must recognize danger, call for aid, and preserve the refuge’s purpose.
Zorya marks the threshold stones with fresh chalk while Nikol copies the surviving route symbols. Chrom steadies the Falchion, careful not to awaken more than the road requires.
Elma
Your grandfather, Maya, and Veyra can maintain the village side. We should leave them a clear schedule, while this group checks the western markers and distant branches.
Chrom
Then we establish a shared watch. The inn keeps the refuge open, Veyra guards the foundation, and we return when the waystones signal trouble.
The plan settles into the threshold’s ancient grooves. A new amber line links the inn, the refuge, and the western road, not claiming Raphael, but inviting him to choose how its welcome endures.