The crowd that had gathered fell silent.
She stood there, swaying, clutching the belongings of the dead, blinking in sunlight that seemed too bright after the cave's phosphorescent glow. The tokens clinked softly as her arms trembled from the weight.
Then recognition rippled through the crowd as they saw what she carried. Someone made a wounded sound—a parent recognizing a pendant, a spouse seeing a familiar weapon.
Mor'va stepped forward, her ancient eyes taking in the burden Briar carried.
"You honored them," she said quietly.
"They deserved to be remembered," Briar managed, her voice rough.
One by one, Drak began coming forward. An elderly female took a pendant with shaking hands, pressing it to her chest. A young warrior retrieved his brother's knife, tears running silently down his scaled face. Each token found its way to family, to friends, to those who'd been waiting.
Through it all, Briar stood there, gradually emptying her arms, watching grief and gratitude play across faces. When the last token had been claimed, her legs finally gave out.
Eliam caught her before she hit the ground, pulling her against him, holding her upright. She sank into his warmth, savoring the feeling of his arms around her. She wanted nothing more than to live in that moment forever.
"The trial is complete," Mor'va announced. "She survived the cave. She honored our dead. The crimes are forgiven."
The crowd erupted in sound—roars, clicks, and calls in the Drak language that Briar couldn't understand.
Karse appeared in front of her, his expression a mixture of shame and relief.
"The debt—" he started.
"Is paid," Briar cut him off, too exhausted for a longer discussion. "We're even."
He stared at her for a long moment, then nodded slowly. The tension he'd been carrying since she'd invoked the life debt seemed to drain from his shoulders.
Arion pushed through the crowd to reach them, his hand finding her shoulder, gentle but needing the contact, needing to confirm she was real and standing.
"What happened in there?" he asked quietly.
"Later," she managed. "Too tired now."
"The human needs rest," Veroc said, appearing at Mor'va's side. "And food."
"She'll have all of it," Mor'va said. She raised her voice to address the crowd. "Tonight, we celebrate."
"We need to leave now," Thaine protested. "The seal—"
"Will still be a threat tomorrow," Mor'va cut him off. "The Shadow Walker can barely stand. She faced something in that cave that Drak twice her size failed. She needs rest, or she won't survive the journey to the seal."
Shadow Walker. The title rippled through the crowd, and Briar wondered what it meant to them.
"Prepare the celebration," Mor'va commanded, and Drak began scattering to follow her orders. She turned back to the group. "Take them to their quarters, bring food, drink, whatever they need." Her ancient eyes settled on Briar. "You did something I didn't think possible, human. You survived what shouldn't be survivable. And you honored our dead while doing it."
Briar wanted to respond, but exhaustion was pulling at her, making everything feel distant and unreal. She felt Eliam shift his hold on her, preparing to carry her if necessary.
"Can you walk?" he asked quietly.
She nodded, though she wasn't sure it was true. But she wanted to leave this place on her feet, not in someone's arms. She'd earned that much.
They were led through the settlement to a large tree-dwelling, carved with symbols that probably marked it as important. Inside were separate rooms with real beds, fresh water, and broad windows that looked out over the settlement.
The moment they were alone, Briar's legs gave out completely. Eliam caught her, lifting her easily, carrying her to the bed.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?" he asked, his voice rough with suppressed emotion. "We heard you scream. Once. Then nothing for over an hour."
