Autumn came early this year.

Gring sent her thanks to whatever gods chose to listen. Barely a season and she could already feel the new life growing inside her.

A strong life. Rahak was a strong father. And a good one if how he held himself among the halfmen in Erkateren was anything to go by.

She didn't want to bring him bad news, but she had one last debt to settle.

Arthur had grown very close to Harbend during the time they shared with the caravan. She had seen that friendship while she used her gift to enable Arthur to speak with people around him. She had seen it grow, and she had seen first-hand how much Harbend was prepared to risk to save his friend.

Her debt was to both of them. The man who had lost himself as well as the man who didn't know.

But Arthur was somewhere in Keen. Most probably in Verd, and her kind wasn't welcome there. Inquisition warriors would descend on her like scavengers if she went there.

Rahak, though, had told her that it might be possible to travel to one of the halfmen subservient towns. Client states as they preferred to call them. From there she could send Karia as a messenger, and Arthur could come to her.

Sending a message in itself wouldn't suffice. She needed to walk his mind for him to truly understand what had happened.

It was time to leave.

She rose and went to tell Rahak. Karia followed her. He already knew.