The alcove swallows the worst of the pass. Stone walls hush the wind, and the violet static thins to a faint murmur below the ledge.
Kynes settles with his staff across his knees. Bren leans back against the cold rock, breathing slow at last. Venom hangs near the entrance, quiet as a shadow pinned to the wall.
Bren
We are still standing. That feels worth naming.
Kynes
The pass is finally giving us a moment.
Dust drifts from the ceiling in soft little falls. For once, the silence is not empty, only waiting.
Bren
When we leave this ridge, I want a place that stays ours. No vault, no house, no ledger telling us who we are.
Venom
Then choose one. The road does not decide that for you.
Kynes
The static is fading, and the stone feels steady under my hand.
Bren gives a tired, crooked smile and lets her head rest against the wall. The alcove holds them in a pocket of cold calm, and the path beyond can wait a little longer.