The footsteps above fade into silence. Around the bone token, the pool clears, and the reflected bearer, infant, and waiting shadow replay their final passage in broken fragments.
The ringed hand carries the infant beneath a stone arch, but a second hand briefly steadies the bundle. Its fingers bear the same crooked mark as the token.
the voice in the trees
There were two who carried you, Aren. One bore the child. The other bore the order to leave you here.
The image stutters. Beyond the waiting shadow, five dim cradle-lights appear in a corridor, then vanish as the bearer turns toward a closing door.
the voice in the trees
The hand that followed was not hunting you. It was hunting the one who brought you, and the hollow sealed itself before either could return.
A tremor passes through the vault. Dust slips from the ceiling, and the tablet's warning fades until only Aren remains, reflected beside the motionless token.
Far above, the eldest and youngest halflings remain at the hollow's edge, waiting beyond the sealed chamber. Below, the water holds its unfinished memory open for Jason.
✓ Quest Accepted
Identify the bearer's destination
✓ Quest Accepted
Discover who ordered Jason’s abandonment