Dusk thickens in Bren's cottage, and the blue at the doorway deepens to a cold hush. The travel note lies flat beneath Alexandra's hand, as if the page itself is listening.
Bren sits opposite her, the table between them crowded with his satchel, his herbs, and the worn edge of his religious text. He does not reach for the note yet.
Alexandra
You keep looking at it like it will speak first.
She eases her fingers off the vellum, not surrendering it, only giving him room. Her expression stays open, patient, almost careful.
Bren Riverglade
The seal is already broken. The words are what matter now.
Alexandra
Tell me what weighs more, the paper, or what it proves.
Outside, evening settles over Willowford in quiet layers. Inside, the small room holds steady, waiting for Bren's answer without pressing him for one.
✓ Quest Accepted
Reveal what the travel note proves