Morning sunlight spilled through the tall windows of Whitehold's western tower, washing the stone chamber in a warm golden glow.
Baron stood beside the window with one hand resting against the clod stone frame.
His gaze stretched far beyond the city walls.
Beyond the farms.
Beyond the winding road that disappeared into the distant hills.
He sees some small figures moving along the road. At such distance they were little more than dark silhouettes against the land, just travellers heading towards a horizon that seemed endless.
Edric watched them until the road bent around a hill and the figures disappeared from sight.
The window reflected a faint image of the room behind him.
Empty. Quiet.
For the first time in many days, there was nothing demanding immediate attention.
No reports, no meetings, just silence.
The kind that felt unfamiliar after decades spent carrying responsibility.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Enter"
Asha stepped inside.
She carried herself with the same composed confidence baron remembered from years ago, the frightened child he had once known was nowhere to be found. The robe of a mage suited her well.
She closed the door before offering a respectful nod,
"Good morning, Baron."
Edric sighed. "We are alone."
Asha immediately looked toward the ceiling.
"As stubborn as ever."
"And yet you continue doing it…"
"One day you will accept proper etiquette."
"That day has yet not arrived"
A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Good morning, Father."
"Good morning."
The conversation settled into something more familiar.
Edric moved away from the window and toward the seating area arranged near the far wall. A kettle rested upon a small wooden table between two chairs.
A servant had prepared it earlier.
He reached for the kettle, the teapot felt cold.
For a brief moment he considered calling a servant.
The thought had barely formed when Asha extended her hand toward the kettle.
A faint orange glow flickered at her fingertips.
The metal gave a soft ticking as warmth returned to it. Moments later, wisps of steam began curling from the spout, carrying the familiar scent of the tea through the room.
Asha lowered her hand.
"There."
Edric looked at the kettle for a moment before reaching for it.
"Pretty handy."
Asha leaned back in her chair.
"I have spent years trying to convince you of that."
"You have spent years trying to convince me of many things."
"And one day you will admit I was right."
Edric poured tea into two cups before handing one to Asha.
"I would not become that old and wise overnight."
She accepted it with both hands.
"Thankyou."
"You're welcome."
"That joke was not funny."
"It wasn't a joke."
The look she gave him suggested otherwise.
For the first time that morning, the room felt a little warmer than the sunlight alone could manage.
For a while, neither spoke. The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
They had known each other too long for that.
Asha took a slow sip.
Outside, faint sounds drifted through the open window.
Distant conversations, the creak of a wagon's wheels, a barking dog somewhere in the city, ordinary sounds.
Eventually Asha lowered her cup.
"They have left."
Edric nodded.
"I know, I saw them leave."
Asha gave him a look.
One that clearly stated that she didn't believe that answer.
Edric ignored it. Years of practice made that remarkably easy.
"You always do that."
"Do what?"
"Answer a question without actually answering it."
"I answered."
Asha shook her head.
"No. you avoided it."
A faint trace of amusement appeared in Edric's eyes.
"Years at the Mage Tower and that remained your greatest talent."
"I learned from the best."
That earned a smile.
Asha set her cup down.
The warmth faded from her expression, replaced by something more thoughtful.
Something she had likely been considering since yesterday.
"Why now?"
The question settled between them. Silent and direct.
"What do you mean?'"
"Why did you let Veyl go. Why now?"
Edric remained silent for a moment.
"The question is not why now."
Asha raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
He took a small sip before continuing.
"The question is why not."
Asha frowned.
"You are doing it again, I don't understand."
Edric rested the cup back on the table.
"Joren approached me, he was asking permission for Veyl to go with Kaavi."
His voice remained calm.
Asha nodded. That much she already knew.
"Which exactly why I am asking."
Her fingers traced the rim of the cup.
"You agreed surprisingly quickly."
That was true, most people would have hesitated. Edric had agreed almost immediately.
Asha remembered the look on Joren's face.
Uncertainty. Concern.
Like a brother trying to make the best decision he could for someone he cared about.
And she knew how quickly Edric had answered. As if he had already made the decision long before.
"You didn't even need time to think."
Edric leaned back slightly.
"I did think about it."
"When?"
"Years ago,"
That answer caught her off guard.
The old solider looked toward the window, his gaze drifting somewhere.
"When you spend enough time raising people," he said quietly, "you eventually realize something."
Asha listened.
"The purpose is not to keep them beside you forever."
"It took me a long time to understand that."
Asha looked down at her tea, watching the ripples move across the surface.
"So that's it?"
She asked.
"You let him go because you think he's ready?"
Edric considered the question. Then shook his head.
"Not entirely."
His gaze met hers.
"Readiness is a strange thing."
Asha waited.
"When I sent you away to study at the mage tower, were you ready?"
The question caught her completely off guard. For a moment she simply stared at him.
A short laugh escaped her.
"no."
"Neither did I."
The memory seemed distant now.
"I was terrified."
"I didn't know anyone there."
Asha folded her arms.
"I thought you were abandoning me."
That earned a small smile.
"I know."
For a moment neither spoke.
The years between them and now stretched quietly through the room.
Then Edric continued.
"I let you go for the same reason."
Asha sat quietly for a moment; her fingers wrapped around the warmth of the cup.
"I understand why you are comparing it to me," she said. "But it isn't the same."
Edric waited.
She had always been the type to think through her words before speaking.
"When you sent me away, you knew exactly where I was going. You knew the people there, you had friends there." She shook her head lightly. "The situation is different."
Her eyes met his.
"Kaavi is still a stranger."