Agnarr was quiet for several seconds, his head bowed. “Yes. Your ways differ from ours. What you believe is an immediate threat, we see as history in a constant state of repetition. The Faceless Eshrok came close to killing the Odalian king for his urvan one hundred and twenty years ago, only to be slain by Veshyareda of the Light. The Faceless Kinma killed Brenymede the Lovely and was three daeva away from taking all seven before he was felled by the young Anahiko, a newly pledged asha of House Imperial. It is always a matter of life and death, and every time we keep our silence, the world does not end. Shadowglass is our paramount duty, not the rise and fall of kingdoms. If you wish to help, then weed out the Faceless who dare usurp the daeva and destroy him and all other armies that follow.”

“That doesn’t sound like a permanent solution,” Khalad said.

“Nothing is permanent, Heartforger.”

I turned away, disappointed. “We’ll make for Mithra’s Wall, then.” I was angry at having come so far, at having gone through hell inside Stranger’s Peak, only to find myself with nothing to show for my efforts.

“You are a wiser woman than when you entered our mountain, Tea,” Lord Agnarr said. “Heed my words carefully. Magic that we cannot comprehend touched you there, left traces of itself in you. You have passed the trial of Honor, and your strength has grown. You have passed the trial of Duty, and your eyes have been opened to glimpses of what may come to pass. Only the trial of Love eludes you. Perhaps in the near future, it is a trial you will find worth repeating.”

“Nothing within that mountain merited the price it asks for, milord.”

“Our value changes depending on how we perceive our worth, Lady Tea. You will always be welcomed here, no matter how far you go.”

“Thank you, Lord Agnarr. We shall leave in the morning.”

“It feels like this was all a waste of time,” Likh complained.

“Not necessarily. We didn’t lose anything making the journey. We have time to spare to join the Odalians and Yadoshans.”

Khalad shot her a careful, deliberate glance. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked. “I think we need to talk.”

Likh glanced at us, blushed, and turned to him. “Tea, Kalen. If you will excuse us?”

“What are those two up to?” I asked, watching them head off.

“A lot happened while you were asleep. Khalad hasn’t voiced an opinion yet, but after the shock wore off, I don’t think he’s against the idea that Likh likes him.”