The road from Dynja to the fortress was about as long as the journey from the inn to Dynja itself. At every moonrise and moonset, Daiya gave thanks to Sylun for the fact that they hadn't encountered any bounty hunters. Thankfully, Milo's condition didn't deteriorate, and Gert didn't seem to suspect anything from the fact that the boy never ate in his presence, always went to sleep later, and woke up earlier. Many times, Daiya simply embraced the young elf, pulling his avehead to her chest so it would look as though his motionless body had sunk into a deep sleep.
When they arrived at the fortress, the guards only checked Gert's papers. Seeing they were in order, they let them through the gate without a word. The cartload—countless sacks filled with food and various seeds, some acquired back in Dynja—was stored in Lord Möllnar's spacious courtyard.
Just as described, the fortress was sparsely populated, with only a few men, women, and children working quietly.
"Who are you?" came a high-pitched, childlike voice. Looking down, Daiya saw that a little girl had approached her and was now speaking. The child couldn't have been more than six years old, and her large, curious eyes scanned the new arrivals. Daiya crouched beside her.
"I'm Daiya. And you?"
"Merrien. My parents work here at the fortress. Say, don't you want to play with me?"
Daiya was taken aback by the question—why would the child want to play with her, a total stranger? She asked Merrien as much, to which the girl replied:
"No one wants to play with me lately. It's like they've all been replaced or something, and I'm always bored." Her mouth twisted into a disappointed pout.
Meanwhile, Gert had remained silent, only shaking his head disapprovingly. But now he stepped in and explained to little Merrien that the residents of the fortress had been extremely busy lately and that she needed to be patient. Once things settled down, surely someone would find time to play with her. Daiya assured the girl that if the opportunity arose, she'd definitely come find her. That promise seemed enough, and as they moved deeper into the fortress, Merrien waved at them cheerfully.
Gert then led them to the lord's chambers. There, it seemed many recognized the merchant, and the guards allowed them to pass freely.
"Lord Möllnar," the merchant bowed before the figure scribbling furiously behind the desk. "Allow me to introduce two new friends of mine—Daiya and Milo. They've come from the Onyx Valley."
The lord hunched over the papers for another minute, clearly finishing what he was writing. Then he raised his gaze to the newcomers, a genuine smile spreading across his face. He didn't look three hundred years old—in fact, he barely looked thirty. At first glance, there were no visible signs of injury.
"Gert! So you've finally returned! And with new friends, no less! Tell me, young Daiya and Milo, what are your plans for the near future?" he asked.
"I heard your lordship is seeking strong, young elves," Daiya replied. "As long as the pay is fair, we'd gladly help with any work around the fortress."
"Splendid," the lord said, clapping his hands together in satisfaction. "You've come at just the right time. I'm in dire need of workers. There's so much that needs doing."
After agreeing on a fair wage, Lord Möllnar explained that he primarily needed help repairing the southern walls, as well as tending to the injured during the construction work. Unfortunately, reinforcing the walls was far from safe—accidents were common, and people often fell. Daiya agreed readily to assist with the healing, while Milo would help those working on the wall. If the lord found it strange that the boy said nothing, he didn't show it, and the conversation proceeded without issue. In the end, Möllnar also shared with Daiya that there was a grandmaster living in the fortress named Berald, his right-hand man and closest friend. He asked the elves to follow Berald's instructions as if they were his own.
With nothing else to discuss, Daiya headed toward the southern wall, guiding her lover along. She was a little worried that Milo might not follow such complex instructions as wall repair required, but her concern proved unfounded. If she told him to climb up and help fit the stones into place, he obeyed immediately. If she told him to stay by her side on the lower levels, that was fine too. He was like a remote-controlled, grotesque doll—with Milo's face.
In the following days, the work progressed smoothly, and the only strange thing was how little anyone spoke. They did talk now and then, but only to relay instructions. There was no joking, no idle gossip during meals. It was as if nothing outside the wall mattered to them at all.
After a while, Daiya began to deeply miss company, and unfortunately, Milo was not the best conversational partner. She decided that in her free time she would look for Merrienn, who soon found her by the well, holding a bucket in her hand. From afar, the elf waved to the little girl and started calling out to her. Merrienn heard the shouting and turned toward her, but her behavior was different from last time. The little girl stared at Daiya with an empty gaze, showing none of her previous liveliness."I'm here, as I promised," the elf smiled warmly at her. "If you'd like to play some more."Merrienn tilted her head questioningly, as if she didn't understand what was being said at all. She didn't answer."Or if you're busy now, I can come back later," Daiya continued, a little surprised. Again, no answer. They just stared at each other for a while, then Merrienn turned back to the well and began drawing water into the bucket. Daiya couldn't really understand the reason for the girl's behavior, but eventually, disappointed, she moved on.
More days passed, and the wall was almost fully repaired when Berald appeared at the construction site. He didn't even glance at most of the workers, and after watching Milo work for a moment, he walked straight up to Daiya. The girl asked how she could help him.Berald was old, as old as the Grey Lands themselves, but this was not at all visible in his movements. The girl was surprised by how strong and confident he seemed and was filled with admiration when she heard the commanding tone of his voice. She involuntarily thought to herself that there were many in the fortress on whom age seemed to have no effect at all.