In a tense row to shore, Odessa sat between a fearful Jocelyn and a watchful Brielle while Zavier stayed silent at the bow. The landing site was a stark, gray beach backed by reed grasses and dense pine hills, with no visible road or town. As trunks and supplies were ferried ashore, Odessa searched for the Guardian and discovered him on the strand in wet clothes, speaking closely with the High Priest.

Odessa observed a seeming warmth and familiarity between the Guardian and the High Priest, including mirrored gestures over their hearts and a hand to the Guardian’s shoulder. She noted the black case on the High Priest’s back—the Shield of Sparrows—and wondered whether the Voster granted the Guardian his abilities and whether her father might seek to destroy treaties by burning the documents. The High Priest then departed alone over rocks into the forest, not joining their party.

Moving inland, Odessa overheard crewmen mention a man joining “Ramsey’s militia,” hinting at King Ramsey Wolfe’s separate force. At a forest-edge staging area with wagons, wood, horses, and mixed-gender Turans in practical attire, Odessa drew attention as Zavier’s bride. A ranger named Tillia greeted her, accepted Odessa’s preference to drop titles, and issued satchels, advising Odessa, Brielle, and Jocelyn to keep essentials with them in case supplies lagged behind.

Odessa quietly asked Zavier about who knew he could speak; he confirmed his rangers knew, but not all Turans, and told Odessa, “You didn’t,” when she fretted about telling Brielle, implying he trusted her discretion in that instance. Odessa packed minimally—her journal and a clean dress—and was assigned a blue roan mare while Zavier took a bay stallion. Brielle and Jocelyn were placed with a group of warriors, separating them from Odessa and Zavier for travel.

The Guardian arrived on a massive black stallion and assessed Odessa’s riding in a curt exchange. He signaled readiness, then led five warriors ahead at a gallop. Zavier set the main group into the trees without ceremony. As the forest swallowed the view of the sea and ships, Odessa felt the loss of the ocean’s constant sound and the disorientation of traveling on an unmarked route.

Riding beside Zavier, Odessa scanned the terrain for landmarks to record, recommitting internally to her mission: to earn her father’s trust, protect her people, and find the road to Allesaria, even as the path through Turah appeared trackless and the stakes—hinted by the High Priest’s presence and the Guardian’s allegiance—grew more complex.