The Guild Hall. Evening.
The great hall was empty.
The adventurers had gone. The staff had retired. The lanterns burned low, casting long shadows across the stone floor. Grog stood at the head of the long table, his arms crossed, his face still. Lira sat to his left, her bow across her knees. Ken stood near the door, his hood down, his eyes on the shadows. Mirena sat across from Lira, her staff in her hand, the artifact in a leather pouch at her belt.
Edward was there too. He had come from the palace, slipping away from his duties, his guards waiting outside. He sat at the end of the table, his hands clasped, his face tired.
"The artifact will be ready in two days," Mirena said.
Grog nodded. "The strangers will leave."
"They want to leave."
Lira leaned forward. "You're suggesting we let them."
Mirena met her eyes. "I'm suggesting we talk to them. About staying."
The room was silent.
---
Edward spoke first. "Staying?"
Mirena turned to him. "They have knowledge we need. About Vorlag. About the hunters. About how to survive against them."
Edward's jaw tightened. "They killed seven of our people."
"They thought they were defending themselves." Mirena's voice was quiet. "They were running from hunters. They saw armed people in the trees. They reacted."
Grog spoke. "That doesn't excuse it."
"No. It doesn't." Mirena looked at him. "But it explains it."
Ken moved from the door. Walked to the table. Sat.
"I spoke to them," he said. "Ben. Tina. The boy."
Lira raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"They're scared. They're tired. They've been running for a long time." Ken paused. "They're not our enemies."
Lira shook her head. "They killed our people."
"They made a mistake." Ken's voice was flat. "People make mistakes."
Lira stared at him. "You're defending them."
Ken met her eyes. "I'm being honest."
---
Grog held up a hand. "Enough."
The room went quiet.
He looked at Mirena. "You think they should stay."
"I think we should ask them." Mirena's voice was steady. "Vorlag has no presence in this world. The portal is closed. The connection is severed. He can't reach us here."
Edward leaned forward. "Can't. Or won't?"
Mirena shook her head. "Can't. The link is broken. He would need to find another way."
Grog was quiet for a moment. "And if he does?"
"Then we'll have people who know him. Who've fought him. Who've survived him."
Lira spoke. "Or we'll have spies. People who work for him. People who are waiting for the right moment to betray us."
Mirena met her eyes. "They're not working for him. They're running from him."
"You don't know that."
"Neither do you."
---
Edward stood. Walked to the window. Looked out at the dark city.
"The strangers," he said. "If they stay—how long?"
Mirena shrugged. "That's up to them. Their artifact is their way home. If they stay, they're choosing to stay."
"And if they change their minds? If they decide to leave in the middle of the night?"
"Then they leave." Grog's voice was flat. "We can't stop them. We can't watch them forever."
Edward turned. "We could lock them up. Keep them contained."
Grog shook his head. "That's not who we are."
Edward held his gaze for a moment. Then he nodded slowly. "Then we need to decide. Trust them. Or don't."
---
Lira stood. Walked to the window. Stood beside Edward.
"The boy," she said. "Davin. He's young."
Mirena nodded. "Sixteen. Maybe seventeen."
"He shouldn't be running from monsters. He should be at home. With his family."
Mirena was quiet for a moment. "He doesn't have a home. None of them do."
Lira turned. "Then where would they stay? Here? In the guild?"
"Here." Mirena looked at Grog. "We have rooms. We have space. They could help. With the creatures. With the research. With whatever needs doing."
Grog's jaw tightened. "You're asking us to trust people who killed our friends."
"I'm asking us to give them a chance."
---
The room was silent.
Ken spoke. "I trust them."
Everyone looked at him.
"Not completely," he said. "But enough. They're not hunters. They're not cultists. They're survivors." He paused. "Like us."
Lira shook her head. "We're not like them."
"We're exactly like them." Ken's voice was quiet. "We've lost people. We've run. We've made mistakes." He looked at Grog. "We've killed people who didn't deserve it."
Grog was silent for a long moment.
"The battle in the canyon," he said. "The Vargr. The soldiers who died. That was on us."
Edward frowned. "That was war."
"People still died." Grog looked at Mirena. "We'll talk to them. Tomorrow. We'll see what they say."
Mirena nodded. "Tomorrow."
---
The meeting ended.
Edward returned to the palace. Lira went to the training yard. Ken disappeared into the shadows. Mirena walked to the stairs, then paused.
"Grog."
He turned.
"If they stay—if we let them stay—we need to watch them. Closely."
Grog nodded. "I know."
"And if they betray us?"
Grog's hand went to his sword.
"Then we do what needs to be done."