Zara, I've been hoping to catch you — have you had a chance to think about whether you'd be willing to teach me?
My heart is beating a little faster than I'd like. I've been rehearsing this moment since the second day of walking. Just ask. Don't stumble over it.
Unknown
I have been thinking on it, yes. I'm willing to try, but I need to know you'll be patient — this isn't something you rush.
I've been turning this over for days. Teaching means letting someone close enough to see what I know — and what I failed to do. But if I don't share it, what happened before could happen again to someone else.
Unknown
Patient I can be — it's the not knowing that I can't live with. I'll take as long as it takes.
She's agreeing — she's actually agreeing. I've waited so long for this. I need to not seem too eager, too desperate. But patient... I've been patient my whole life. I watched my mother suffer because no one knew enough, acted fast enough. I can be patient with learning. I just can't be patient with the consequences of ignorance.
Unknown
Then we start tomorrow, at first light. Bring nothing — just your eyes and your quiet.
That answer — 'the not knowing' — that's real. That's the same thing that's lived in me since I couldn't name what would have saved him. Maybe she means it.
(42, 43) — Unknown & Unknown
Unknown
Ivy. You know anyone around here who works metal, or keeps tool stock? I need parts for a pickaxe.
Get to the point. I need a pickaxe head or someone who knows how to make one. No need to dress it up.
Unknown
There's a man called Cassen near the east end of the market — he doesn't advertise much, but he keeps a forge and usually has spare parts tucked away if you ask him right.
He seems straightforward, practical. A man who needs tools usually has work to do — that's honest enough. Old Cassen at the edge of the market keeps a small forge, though I'm not sure how well-stocked he is these days.
Unknown
East market, Cassen. Appreciated, Ivy.
Good. A name and a location — that's all I needed. No point lingering here.
(38, 34) — Unknown & Unknown
Unknown
Morning. I'm Petra — I don't think we've met before, but I was hoping to run into someone who knows this area.
Just say hello. Don't overthink it. They're right here and so am I — that's already more than I could have hoped for this morning.
Unknown
You've found the right person, then. Mira — and I've been here long enough to know where the good paths are and where they dead-end. What are you looking for?
A stranger looking for local knowledge — could be harmless, could be angling for something. Still, a fresh face is interesting. Let's see what she actually wants.
Unknown
Honest answer — I'm trying to figure out if the land past the mill creek is worth breaking ground on, or if I'd just be wearing myself out for nothing.
She seems capable and direct — that's a relief. I hate fumbling around asking the wrong people. I need to know about the eastern fields, whether that soil is worth working or if it's all clay and rock like I fear.
Unknown
Depends what you mean by 'worth it' — the soil past the creek is decent, but the drainage is bad enough that two people I know gave up after the first wet season. What are you planning to put in?
She's asking the right question, but I want to know what she actually wants to do with that land before I send her in any direction. People hear what they want to hear.