The ridge stream wound through dense pine and sharp boulders guiding Kane like a patient silent companion He kept his wagon close to the water’s edge even when branches scraped the wooden sides and rocks forced the wheels to jerk unevenly The horse moved carefully sensing Kane’s tension The air grew colder with every mile and the trees grew taller casting long shadows across the narrow trail

Hours passed The sun rose then dipped behind thick clouds The forest felt untouched by travelers even the ground seemed to whisper of solitude Only birds and occasional deer watched from a distance Kane felt alone yet strangely connected as if the stream carried echoes of his father’s footsteps

Eventually the forest thinned revealing a wide valley scattered with enormous stones Some stood upright like ancient guardians others lay half buried in moss Green shadows wrapped around the rocks and the wind drifted through them producing low tones like hollow whispers

Kane stopped his wagon at the valley’s edge The Valley of Stones He had heard rumors that travelers who passed through alone sometimes felt unseen eyes watching them He could almost feel the weight of that legend pressing around him now

He took a slow breath This was the road Erynd insisted he must take He urged the horse forward the wagon wheels crunching over gravel The stones rose on either side like silent towers Some carved by nature others shaped by something older Kane kept his eyes open watching every shadow

The valley had no clear path just a maze of stone formations He followed the stream as Erynd instructed letting the sounds of water echo off the rocks guiding him when sight failed Kane noticed symbols carved faintly into one large stone near the waterline The symbols were simple curved shapes resembling leaves or roots

He dismounted and touched the carving The stone was cold yet the groove felt familiar Like something he had seen in his father’s old herb journals when he was a child Symbols for mountain plants He whispered softly Father were you here

As he walked back to the wagon a sudden shift sounded among the stones Kane froze His horse’s ears pricked forward Something moved A faint scraping sound then another Kane reached for the wooden pole beside him gripping it tightly

A figure stepped out from behind a stone but unlike a bandit this one wore a long green cloak similar to Erynd’s but with a slightly different symbol A pine tree with two roots extending downward

Kane tightened his stance Who are you

The figure spoke with a calm steady voice You arrived sooner than expected The stream guides those meant to find this place

Kane kept the pole raised You know who I am

The figure nodded Kane son of Thalen trader among the ridge routes You carry your father’s look the quiet eyes the careful thinking

Kane’s breath caught Hearing his father’s name spoken aloud hit him unexpectedly

The figure continued Others will come soon but I was sent to guide you through the valley Alone the stones twist paths and trap travelers The Guild scouts never enter too deeply They think the valley cursed

Kane lowered the pole slightly What do you want from me

The guide stepped closer The wind lifted his cloak revealing well worn boots and a belt carrying simple tools not weapons Your father once helped Pinebarrow when the Guild tried to seize our farms You deserve to know the truth he died protecting something that belonged to us and to the world not to the Guild

Kane felt the ache again but steadier now Tell me what happened

The guide shook his head Not here The valley carries sound strangely and bandits sometimes hide between stones We must reach the upper ridge before nightfall Follow me

He led Kane through tight corridors of stone Sometimes they had to squeeze the wagon through narrow gaps or push scattered rocks aside The guide moved with confidence He knew every crack every unseen dip in the ground Kane followed watching how the stones changed shape around them like silent sentinels

As they traveled Kane asked Why did my father keep this hidden from me

The guide answered without turning Because he wanted you to choose He feared burdening you with a fight that began long before you were born A fight between free trade and forced control between healers and the Guild’s locked markets

Kane felt something settle inside him like a missing gear clicking into place His father’s gentle nature made more sense now He had chosen quiet resistance over open war

At the heart of the valley they passed a large cluster of stones forming a natural circle The guide paused here This was where your father met with the farmers for the last time He warned them that Guild scouts had found their hidden paths He managed to divert them but he never returned

Kane felt his chest tighten Was he killed

The guide nodded softly The Guild reported an accident But those of us who knew him understood the truth He was hunted

Kane let the silence settle The valley seemed to hold his grief absorbing it into stone

The guide placed a steady hand on Kane’s shoulder Your father would be proud that you walk this road He did not want you to fight his battles but fate has brought you into them You can turn back but the Guild will not stop until they know what you know

Kane lifted his head No I will continue

The guide smiled faintly Then Pinebarrow awaits

They traveled for another hour until the valley rose into a higher ridge where pine trees thickened again The stream twisted sharply disappearing into a narrow gap between roots The guide raised his hand signaling Kane to stop Look there between the pines

Kane followed his gaze The faint outline of wooden rooftops nestled deep in the ridge barely visible A hidden village masked by trees and stone

Pinebarrow

Kane felt something inside him stir hope fear purpose

The guide motioned forward Welcome to the place your father protected And the place where your own journey truly begins

Kane guided his wagon toward the hidden village letting the last echoes of the Valley of Stones fade behind him The air smelled of herbs pine and the promise of truth

He was ready for whatever waited inside