Odessa lay awake in her inn room under bright twin moons, unable to sleep after the attack on Ashmore. Freshly bathed and wearing a borrowed tunic, she reflected on the devastation: seventeen people had died, including the blond tavern owner, Sariah, whose parents had vanished months before on a supply trip. Odessa helped bury Sariah beneath a tree because the cemetery was full, and the infirmary overflowed with the injured as bariwolf corpses burned nearby.

Haunted by the stink of green blood and the memory of snarling faces, Odessa wrestled with guilt, believing that entering the tavern had prompted Sariah to reveal herself and cost Sariah her life. She anticipated the Guardian would come at dawn to take her back, resigned to losing any freedom after what she deemed a foolish trip to Ashmore.

The door burst open as the Guardian staggered in, slurring his words and seeming drunk. He appeared freshly cleaned and fully healed, without a trace of the wounds he had sustained during the battle. He collapsed onto the floor, remarking that he had not expected Odessa to remain and accusing her of possibly fleeing back to Quentis.

Odessa offered him her pillow, and the Guardian, still calling her “my queen” and “Sparrow,” needled her about her guilt over Sariah’s death. When Odessa apologized and claimed responsibility, the Guardian rebuked her, saying everyone in Ashmore chose to stay knowing the risks and that Sariah would have hated Odessa playing the martyr.

As they settled—Odessa in bed, the Guardian on the floor—she asked why he called her Sparrow. He replied simply, “Because you’re a bird,” without elaboration. Odessa then asked whether they would go to Allesaria before the migration; the Guardian answered no.

Turning to the attack, Odessa noted something seemed wrong with the bariwolves and connected it to their green blood. The Guardian confirmed and, after a pause, named the cause: Lyssa. When Odessa asked what Lyssa was, he gave no explanation and fell asleep, leaving Odessa with unanswered questions.