The first marrow blossom turned toward Jiang before Raska finished looking at the founder wound.
It grew beneath the branch holding the graveback beside Maelin's hall, a black bud veined in white. The bud had faced the cracked flight joint. Now its closed point followed Jiang as Aylin gathered him into the warmth of her coat.
Raska saw the movement and put one boot over the bud.
Behind her, clear fruit knocked together along the boarding branch. Each held a curved reflection of the confluence. Red heartseeds moved through several, hidden behind guild roads that looked empty to the naked eye.
Raska caught one fruit and twisted it from the stem.
The road reflected inside did not vanish. Red light continued crawling across the broken fruit in her palm until she closed her fist and black sap squeezed between her fingers.
"They are following wounded flight," she said. "Your hall rang louder than most."
"And your orchard answered," Kessa said.
