Kane spent his first full day in Pinebarrow absorbing more knowledge than he had learned throughout his entire journey so far The villagers moved with purpose each step guided by traditions older than the Guild Each tool had meaning every herb had history and every path through the ridge had once carried secret wagons his father helped protect

Erynd brought Kane to a circular stone platform surrounded by woven wooden screens Wind passed through them making low gentle tones He spoke This is where we train new guides for the hidden routes You will learn here

Kane stood straight What do I need to learn first

Erynd pointed to a carved stone map lying across the platform It showed the northern ridge valleys streams and hidden trails not marked on any empire chart Kane traced the lines with his eyes noticing small etched symbols pine marks dots small patterns

Erynd explained These are the silent roads Your father moved goods along them to avoid Guild checkpoints They shift with seasons Some disappear some reappear You must memorize every turn if you are to guide or trade safely

Kane spent hours studying the stone map Erynd quizzed him relentlessly demanding he repeat paths in reverse recite alternate routes for storms recall emergency hide spots in case Guild patrols entered the ridge Kane struggled at first but memories of traveling the cliffs and fog made the patterns clearer

Next Erynd led him to the herb terraces Villagers tended glowing dawnroot plants each leaf pulsing with light The woman with silver hair known now as Mira oversaw the gardens She approached Kane with a handful of leaves

Touch them Kane

Kane gently pressed his fingers against the leaf expecting smooth texture Instead he felt warmth the leaf pulsing faintly like soft breath

Mira smiled Dawnroot reacts to human touch It senses intention It knows when someone gathers it with respect and when someone gathers it for greed The Guild tried to grow them in controlled gardens but they withered

Kane watched her trim a few leaves with care She placed them into a wooden bowl and handed it to a child who carried it inside a hut The process felt sacred gentle precise Kara explained Dawnroot cannot be stockpiled too long It must be dried in a specific rhythm cooled with stream water then stored in lined boxes If transported wrong it loses its power

Kane absorbed every detail He finally understood why the Guild wanted control not understanding These plants required patience and purpose not factories and iron

Through the afternoon Kane trained with Javin who had arrived from Ironford by sunset Javin taught him navigation through danger spots not shown on the stone map cliffs with unstable rocks ravines where sound traveled too far valleys where bandits camped

Javin demonstrated signals small stone markings branches tied in specific shapes symbols that told hidden travelers which route was safe that day Kane practiced them until his fingers moved instinctively

When the sun lowered Mira brought Kane to a quiet place at the ridge edge The view stretched endlessly mountains folding into each other like ocean waves

She spoke softly Thalen stood here countless times when he needed clarity He carried wisdom in silence not words Kane looked at the ridge imagining his father standing exactly where he now stood

Mira continued The Guild sees trade as structure We see trade as connection When they take control the world shrinks When we keep roads free the world grows She placed a hand on Kane’s shoulder Your father believed the world should grow not shrink

Kane took a long slow breath feeling the meaning settle deep inside him

Night arrived Pinebarrow lit only by small lanterns embedded in tree hollows casting gentle glows Kane ate beside villagers listening to stories of past patrol raids old resistance methods ways they fooled the Guild for years He learned of secret alliances with farmers hidden shelter homes messages encoded in shipments

After dinner Erynd approached with a small wooden box He set it in Kane’s lap Open it

Kane lifted the lid Inside lay a symbol carved from dawnroot wood A pine tree with two roots

This is our mark Erynd said Not for display but for recognition Only those who inherit the road carry it Your father carried one too

Kane’s throat tightened as he held the mark between his fingers the wood warm soft and pulsing faintly with stored light

Erynd stepped back Tomorrow we begin the deeper lessons You will learn how to transport dawnroot safely how to mislead Guild inspectors how to use wind routes and how to pass messages between valley farms Your path is not only to survive Kane Your path is to become a trader strong enough to protect what matters

Kane closed the wooden box feeling its weight both physical and symbolic

He looked around Pinebarrow children playing under lanternlight Mira trimming herbs Javin sharpening hunting knives Erynd watching him with quiet certainty

This place held the truth of his father and now the truth of himself

Kane whispered under his breath I will not fail you Father

That night he slept in a small hut offered by the villagers The roof creaked gently with the wind the scent of herbs drifting in He closed his eyes and dreamed not of fear but of purpose a path forming ahead clear and wide

He would learn He would grow He would protect

Tomorrow the real journey continued