Chapter Twenty-Two: Gift of Words[edit | edit source]

Solineus and Ilpen depart Bloody Pebble after breakfast, passing the hanged slinger—Solineus’ prior victim—prompting Ilpen to share a tale of lynching a thief, which Solineus accepts without guilt. They reach Choerkin Fost by midday, its fortified docks bustling with trade, including Luxun ships sparking Solineus’ fragmented memory. A woman’s voice, eerily like the lady from his dreams, seeks passage to Istinjoln; Solineus intervenes, meeting Lelishen, a talkative pilgrim who pays Ilpen gold for a swift trip, relegating Solineus to the wagon’s back. Hadin Elost, a Resten survivor, recognizes Solineus as Adinvan’s son and Emudar clan-blood, offering passage home, but Solineus declines, bound for Istinjoln. Accepting his identity despite unease, he boards the cramped wagon with Lelishen, pondering his dangerous past as they depart.

EoS Chapter 21 — Chasing Choerkin
EoS Chapter 23 — Digging Deeper