The next week passed in a blur, as Reed quickly began to call for a series of meetings with various groups throughout the valley.

On her first day, the pioneer managed to gather all of the most important figures left in Keystone–local traders, skilled artisans, social leaders. She informed them, just as she had with Cadence and Tenebres, that she'd been sent by Crown decree, along with the other cadres that followed her, with the primary job of making Valley Hearth as productive as possible with the approach of spring.

While the wardens were working on finding accommodations for the new arrivals, Adeline brought Cadence and her friends to watch the meeting.

"Have any of you heard of pioneers?" Reed asked the collected people of Keystone. When the question drew only puzzled stares, she went on to explain. "I'll spare you the long-winded explanation. Basically, the Verdant Wastes up north are big. Real big. So pioneers, like me and the cadres that came with me, go out into that Elder-forsaken stretch of wilderness and throw up Restlings–small, secure settlements buried deep in the Wastes, so that our sentinels have somewhere safe to rest during their longer expeditions.

"Essentially, each and every one of us is an expert at going into dangerous territory and quickly, efficiently creating fortified, self-sufficient settlements. We're glorified craftspeople, but not like those you may have met before."

"And?" One man crossed his arms, attempting a glare that was undercut by the way Reed loomed over him. "You northerners have some good gifts and all that, so we're just gonna give up our land to all of you?"

Reed met the man's eyes with a level stare, her confident smile fading a bit. "Let me be clear," Reed explained. "Me and mine have no plans to displace anyone–from my understanding, in fact, there's plenty of empty space that we will be able to claim without any problem. We'll be able to get some of these empty villages opened back up, and we'll be giving our help tending to those fields you all are already working on."

"And how are we supposed to trust you?" a woman asked sharply. "We've had guards and landowners before–that was how we got into this mess!"

Reed nodded, keeping her composure even in the face of the angry, bitter townspeople. "A completely reasonable fear to nurse, good woman. I will tell you this, though–every one of the pioneers and sentinels that came with me have faced down the outsiders of the Chained World before. In fact–I believe the hag you recently found yourselves plagued by was a rot hag, right?"

Reed directed the last question to Adeline, who was watching with the others from the back of the room. The question prompted the small crowd to turn and look at the silver knight, and she responded with a firm nod.

"That's what I thought. Well, here's something that will help you all sleep a little easier– I've defeated a rot hag. Alone."

That claim caused a small ripple of surprise to run through the room, even reaching the observing adventurers.

"I thought you were a farmer!" one townsperson called out.

"Or an artisan," the first man said, glaring at Reed suspiciously.

"I am," Reed said. The massive woman reached up and pulled aside the neckline of her tunic. Cadence felt Olivia stiffen in surprise next to her, and heard Allana's dry chuckle, while the crowd stirred in surprise.

But Reed wasn't flashing the audience. She was merely showing the brand that she bore on her chest, over her heart. The black lines formed the image of a broad tree, its boughs spread over a field of mingled grain and flowers.

"The gifts of the farmer, of wood, and of blooms," Reed declared proudly. "All hard earned. I'm from a village not so different from this one, a few weeks from the Twins. Yet, yes, I've faced down outsiders before, and won. As I said–we pioneers are not like the Elder-gifted you're all familiar with."

Reed's display was greeted with stunned shock, and the confident woman gave all of the townspeople a nod. "Trust me when I say I understand your fears. We are outsiders, just as much as those from the Chained World, sent by forces outside of your control at a difficult time in your Valley's history. But also trust that me and mine are here to help all of you–and through you, the rest of the Realm."

"She's good," Oli breathed.

Cadence looked at her in surprise. While the rest of them were fixated on the stunning giant of a woman, the squire was studying the crowd.

"This group came in ready to distrust her," Olivia explained, her voice a whisper. "But she greeted them openly and frankly. She displayed her credentials as a farmer–but more than that, established herself as capable of protecting herself and others, and as a commoner, not so different from the rest of them."

"The King chose well when he sent her," Adeline agreed.

#

Word was sent throughout Valley Hearth soon thereafter, with warden patrols, summoned spirits, and charmed animals all carrying messages, inviting any interested residents of the Valley to come to Keystone three nights hence, to hear Reed's plans for the region.

Over the next two days, Reed met with the wardens and the Apothic mages in small groups, carrying them word from the Correntry Warden's Office and the Apothic Order's leaders in Arsilet, giving them fresh instructions. In most cases, the instructions were either to return to their home cities, or to stay another year in the Valley.

To a few select individuals from both groups, though, a different offer was extended.

"He's offering to buy out our commissions," Rose explained to the adventurers. They were all sitting around a table in the small house the adventurers had taken for themselves, three nights after Reed's arrival.

"The King wants to buy your services?" Allana asked.

"I know, right?" Beryl seemed as surprised by the news as the rest of them. "Just a few of us, though. Farris, both of us, a few other wardens, and a couple of the healers that got comfortable here."

"Wait, wait," Tenebres said, "you've lost me. What's all of this about your commissions?"

"All wardens are technically indentured," Rose explained. "The Warden Office provides training, armaments, supplies, room and board, and monthly pay on top of all of that. In exchange, we generally sign term contracts, swearing to serve the wardens for a set period of time."

"We both signed on for three years of service when we became recruits," Beryl added. "Farris just signed a fresh contract when she got promoted."

"So now the King is offering to buy out those contracts, so he can hire you instead?" Allana asked. Cadence couldn't blame the streetborn for the distaste in her voice–the idea of being bound to a job like that seemed stiflingly cruel.

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"That's what it amounts to," Beryl agreed. "He'll pay out Correntry for our services, but only if we serve out the rest of our contract term in Village Hearth, helping to supplement the defense efforts."

"But after that, we'd be unbound, and paid out, too," Rose added. "It's a lot more freedom than the warden contracts provide."

"Yeah," Beryl said, in the tone of someone repeating her words for the hundredth time, "but only because the old schemer knows we'd just end up staying as hunters afterwards."

"Oh no," Rose told her sarcastically, "we'd be respected landowners in the most fertile region in the Realm. How terrible."

"So I'm assuming there's some indecision," Cadence noted dryly.

"That's putting it mildly," Beryl grumbled.

"Still…" Allana actually shivered, seeming incredibly unnerved by the revelation. "To be… owned like that, it's so…"

Rose gave a small shrug. "It's not so bad. Aton says we're essentially mercenaries, just with long term contracts."

"That's actually how the wardens originated," Olivia said. "I guess it makes sense that some of that mercenary tradition is still hanging around."

Allana shook her head firmly. "No," she told the table, her voice firm. "It's wrong."

"Maybe," Rose said, "but it's the best we have."

#

It was the fourth day after Reed's arrival when Caden got the news.

"They're just gone?" he asked incredulously.

Olivia blew out a breath, taking a seat with the rest of them at their little dining table. "That's what Adeline says. They left a note and everything, but yep. The Mendicant decided that their work here was done and took off last night."

"Bleeding adventurers," Caden muttered to himself.

"Is it really that surprising?" Allana asked. "The disease is over and done with, and the Apothic healers don't need the Mendicant's help with the last of the recovering fettered."

Caden rolled his eyes. He couldn't blame anyone for hitting the road once their feet started itching–Adventurer knew he'd been feeling plenty of that same urge. But did they need to not bother saying goodbye to anyone?

"Yeah, and that's all fine and well, I just don't get why these veteran adventurers feel the need to disappear in the night, without a word, and just leave a letter behind."

"Right," Tenebres said, "Storyteller did that to you too, right?"

"Tobias, too. The Silver Mage drops me a farewell note every time he decides to up and teleport away again."

"Doesn't he only ever stay here for a day or two?" Olivia asked.

"Yep. I started burning them after the third one. I'm starting to think it's some sort of adventurer… joke…" Caden trailed off, eyeing Allana's suddenly empty seat suspiciously. "Where did she go?"

Tenebres shrugged. "Allana takes off sometimes. You know that."

"In the middle of a conversation?"

"Not all that surprising," Olivia agreed.

Caden looked down. "Tenebres?"

"Yes?"

"Where did this envelope come from?" Caden held up the folded parchment that had been left on the table, directly in front of where Allana had been sitting.

"If I had to guess, Allana left it there."

Caden eyed the folded note–and then, without a word, threw it into the fire.

"Seems a little rude," Tenebres observed.

"She just wanted to say goodbye," Olivia added. The squire wasn't doing as good a job as Tenebres at keeping her face straight.

"I'm going out for a patrol," Caden decided, giving his friends a flat glare as he stood up.

"No you're not," Olivia informed him, as he turned for the door.

"Is that so?" Caden asked, not stopping. "Because it really seems like I am."

"Reed wants to meet with us after lunch."

Caden froze, then turned to give the squire an arch look. "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"What about Allana?"

"She'll be missed."

"Why am I friends with you people?"

#

Rather than meet with the adventurers in the small home they had taken for their own through the winter, or the comfortable cottage Adeline had chosen for herself, Reed had instructed them in the clearing at the base of the Lifetree.

They found the pioneer studying the remains of the small building constructed against the Lifetree's trunk. When the adventurers had arrived, the diminutive shrine had been apparently sealed shut, the vitalwood that it was made from having grown together into a solid whole. The appearance was actually a lie–Ellevesa had used the supposed security of the shrine as a cover, while she dwelled in a series of small caves underneath the massive tree.

The residents of Keystone were as ignorant as the adventurers as to the purpose and origin of both those caves and the shrine that had once sealed them away. The easy answer was that the outsiders, or their militia allies, had constructed the caves, but Cadence nursed a belief that they vastly predated the rot hag and her plans.

The shrine had to have been built around something, right?

"So this was where she was hiding?" Reed asked. The woman had apparently noted their presence even without turning to face them.

"Down below, yes," Caden responded, frowning as he always did when he considered his fight with the hag and her servants.

The tunnel down was sealed now, a heavy stone having been placed over the entrance. Given enough time, the Lifetree would grow over the stone, safely trapping it in place, and over the years, once again, all knowledge of the place would be forgotten.

Except by the adventurers, perhaps.

"Did you really defeat a rot hag by yourself?" Olivia asked.

Reed finally turned to face the four youths, a smile on her face. "I forgot you heard that. Yes, I did."

"How?" Caden asked. "I gave it everything I could, and I still barely managed to force her to flee."

Reed's smile grew a shade more cocky, and she offered Caden a brief wink. "She made things decay, I made them flourish–and I ended up being better at it than her."

Caden huffed a dry chuckle. "So it was that easy, was it?"

"Not easy, maybe, but simple." Reed winked again, then looked around the group. "There's one of you missing."

"Yeah, yeah," Allana called out breathlessly. "I'm coming."

Caden turned to see the rogue jogging down the trail towards them.

"Was the bit worth it?" he asked.

"I dunno," Allana replied, as she approached. "Tenebres, you got to see his reaction. Was it worth it?"

"Definitely."

"One hundred percent," Olivia agreed.

"If you're done?" Reed interrupted their banter. "I am on a bit of a schedule."

Caden flushed, and Allana coughed in a way that wasn't entirely convincing.

"Apologies," Olivia said, her tone implying that the words were on behalf of the group. "Please, go ahead."

"Alright," Reed said, her smile brightening by a shade before she cleared her throat. The wraith woman reached into the satchel at her side, and pulled out four scrolls, each bound by the familiar seal of the Crown. "Let us proceed, then."

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