Herun opened the oven door in the kitchen to throw in another log, a reddish glow of embers dancing across his face. Hidden behind the hearth wall, the hot air made its way along the passages underneath the floor of the main room, half a level up, before escaping through the vertical shaft at the back. Herun grunted with satisfaction. Finally a snuggery with a properly heated floor. Just as it should be wherever kids were crawling around.

Taking a pot of steaming tea with him, Herun went back up to the children.

Over in one corner, Olfwer and his little sister were guardedly huddled up together and slowly getting used to the idea that no one was going to attack them. Even that no one was going to attack anyone else either. That things might be safe, here. They clearly did not believe it yet, but they kept on watching everyone around, slowly taking in the possibility that there might indeed be another way to live.

Olfwer glanced over at Yunda every now and then, with looks somewhere between suspicion and admiration. But mostly his attention was on Herun, who was repairing one of the low tables together with Quinetopu's sons.

Both of the brothers had taken their father's death in stride. They had seen it coming. For a long time, they had been more or less on their own, their sick parent too weak to talk. And so the two little boys had grown more and more silent as well, wrapping into their quiet ways.

But now, things had changed. They had moved out of their old home, into a new one. With other children in it, who would be living with them, like siblings. To their amazement, the two little boys now saw their family grow rather than shrink. They noted it with wonder.

And in the midst of it all, there was Herun. Herun, who was strong and alive. Herun, who was doing things. With them! They pricked up their ears and became livelier than they had been for moons. Doing chores, playing games, taking an interest in all the things that one could suddenly take an interest in. Eagerly, they turned over the tools in their hands, waiting for their chance to put a nail into the broken table on the floor.

Behind them, Yunda, still as wiry a girl as she had been, was dancing through the room, accompanying herself with a bit of improvised singing every now and then. She had perfected the art of integrating fencing lunges into her dance too, just in case she might need them some day. She would be ready then.

But right now, she did not need to fence. She had left the horrors of the work cabin behind. The master had not found her. Neither had the demon. He never would. She was free. And she was home! With Herun, with siblings, and with an oven! Yunda sang out loud and strong, from the depths of her heart.

* * *

A freezing gale howled across the highlands. The thick white flakes that had covered the path knee-deep before were now being blown into dunes and valleys, an alien, unrecognizable landscape. Needles of ice raced with the storm, an onslaught of tiny pikes, angry and cold. They turned the air a misty gray, a twilight come before its time, melting without distinction into the clouds that shrouded the higher slopes.

The rabbits had felt it coming, the evil weather. They knew, and had found shelter deep within the earth. There they huddled together in the darkness, seeking warmth and comfort in the soft, moving bodies of their companions, far from the rage of elements that would sweep away every single breath of life it met.

*

"Enim has not come back."

Cahuan's brow was furrowed. She rubbed a hand over her arm. "He should have been here days ago. What could possibly have happened?"

Lhut snuggled up to her and, seeing that, Pulan and Lunin instantly followed suit.

"He didn't ride out into that snowstorm the other day, did he?" Pulan let out a low and worried whistle, sounding a bit like an icy wind. With one hand, she reached out to Lunin, pulling him closer.

Cahuan heaved a deep sigh. "I don't know. I am not sure how well he can judge these things. Like what kind of weather is coming over the mountains."

"There are shelters all along the way." Lhut tucked the blanket in around the edges of their little huddle. "Enim would have gone in there if indeed he had been caught in a storm. He'll be safe."

"But does Enim know where the shelters are? Would he be able to find them, even if he can't see in the snow and the wind?"

* * *

Flickering flames were hissing merrily inside the oven of the Behrlem county house, mingling their discreet song with the sound of human voices.

Enim cleared his throat. "I do have another question, in fact. If you could spare me a little more of your time?" He had brought a package of tea along, as a gift, as an offer of reconciliation. And as an indication of just how long he was hoping to talk to them.

Ojorsven put the kettle on with a deep sigh of relief. He had all the time in the world, and all the good will too. If only he didn't have to do battle with anyone. But pleasant, drawn-out conversations were a most welcome part of his life. And if it all could return to that, Ojorsven would be the first to go in with relish.

* * *

Deep in the gardens of the Behrlem bath palace, a small cabin with crumbling paint and a mossy roof lay hidden among the ferns.

The artificer who worked there turned her eyes to Enim, the glass beads in her many braids catching the light, surrounding her black face with a coronet of glowing colors. In her hands, she held the last pieces of the puzzle.

Enim touched a reverent finger to the magical implements. Carefully, he stowed away these precious acquisitions in his bag, taking care not to damage anything. Puffy clouds of fine, see-through threads fitted in beside bespoke crystals that already carried some of the most important spells within them. Just as an intricate design pattern was waiting to be engraved inside the beautifully polished wooden cases.

"I think I will be able to patch things together myself from here on." Enim looked up into the face the artificer who had provided all these treasures, so minutely tailored to his specific needs. "You've been incredibly supportive. I can't thank you enough. I would never have managed without you."

She waved it away. "That's how life works, isn't it?" She gave him a roughish grin. "Where would we all be if we didn't constantly help each other out?"

* * *

On his way back, Enim stopped at each of the shelters he knew. To renew his acquaintance with them, to let their life-saving presence sink more deeply into his bodily memory, so that he would hopefully be able to find them even in fog and hailstorm should he ever need to.

Also, Enim wanted to do his bit. He knew all the passing traders chipped in to keep the path marked and the vital shelters ready.

Enim put a stone onto the cairn pointing the way to rescue. He had already changed the vim-stone in the magical lantern inside the hut and even left an additional lantern there, together with a mouse-proof jar of dried bread.

He patted the neck of his horse, who had waited patiently outside and now snorted at Enim's face in the sunshine.

"Right," Enim nodded. "Shall we, then?"

* * *

"Enim!!!"

Cahuan threw herself at him, closely followed by Som and Lunin. Enim soon found himself enveloped in a wriggling group hug. "You're safe!"

Enim snuggled in under their duvet, happy to press his feet against a warmling. As soon as Kaya had made it over, he gave his report.

"Oh, damnation." Lhut's voice was a deep grunt, a rasping sigh. He pushed his cap back on his head, then pulled it firmly down again to cover both ears.

"Two more things," Enim put in quickly with a worried glance at Kaya, who looked dangerously close to a fuming volcano. "One, I have written to Lenoren to ask if they can send new scribes to do a folkcount. A proper one. Before the Choosing, hopefully."

He cleared his throat. "Two, I have brought back these." He opened his bag, and a glimmer of glass and crystal became visible. "I can build a receptacle. And we could start doing a folkcount ourselves. I've asked the scribe how."

Kaya the volcano exploded. Into Enim's arms.