Steal Me Back

Weneon is sprinting through the outskirts of Brable, chasing Safwalyn, who has just stolen the Cape of Leaves. He loses track of her and suddenly finds himself caught in a snare trap. Suspended upside down, he hears a familiar voice—Faeriel. She emerges from the shadows, arms crossed, unimpressed. She tells Weneon that he acted impulsively and, while she’s fine with him leaving the rest of the party, she’s not okay with him leaving her. Weneon, realizing the weight of her words, accepts her criticism. Faeriel smiles, cuts him loose, and heads toward Brable, while Weneon refocuses on tracking Safwalyn and retrieving the Cape of Leaves.

Mycha visits the Willowshade Apothecary and meets Mirna Willowshade, the apothecary owner. She immediately notices something is wrong with his mechanical heart and prepares a potion for him. After drinking it, Mycha feels better, but Kilijan senses a momentary dissonance between their attunement before it stabilizes. Mycha converses with Mirna, who mentions that some ingredients have gone missing, but she doesn’t remember where they went. Kilijan visits the Whispering Pines Library and listens to readers discussing "Sun and Snow" by Jean-Claude Scimitar, a book dealing with moral dilemmas and the struggle of being a good person. Impressed, he joins the discussion before seeking out Melya Veyne, the librarian. He requests a book titled "About Forgetting and Snow." Upon examining it, he realizes that the last four to five pages are missing, surgically removed. When he hints at this to Melya, she does not perceive anything missing and thinks he’s joking. He asks for the last recorded borrower. She finds Silverfall Elder Varros (five years ago), but Kilijan notices another, smudged name—someone else checked it out more recently, but the record has been erased. Greg gains access past the guards at Silver Peak Passage and speaks with Vhiran, the guardian. Vhiran cryptically warns him not to seek passage now. Greg presses for clarity, and Vhiran suddenly reveals himself to be Moroz in disguise. Moroz bluntly tells Greg to stop asking questions so openly. Greg gets the message and leaves.

The party regroups in the village square, where they witness Garel Vellmar performing a mocking act. He has dressed a male goat as a priest, repeatedly asking, "Is this a goat or a priest?" The crowd erupts in laughter, recognizing the act as a direct mockery of Egan, who watches disapprovingly from beside the chapel. The party reacts. Kilijan starts removing the goat’s costume. Greg openly threatens Garel for mocking religion. Manasa also confronts him, accusing him of attempting to humiliate Egan and the party. Garel, intimidated, scoffs and backs down, sneering, "They pray to gods of winter, and what do they get? More snow. Pathetic." Weneon mounts the goat and follows Garel, trailing him through the streets. When confronted, Garel dismisses Weneon, telling him to go back to his ‘Egan defenders.’ Weneon senses that Garel’s mockery isn’t just ideological—it’s personal.

The party has lunch and discusses their findings. Manasa asks Orin Graves, the innkeeper, about hiring musicians. Orin agrees, saying the town could use a morale boost. As they retreat to Kilijan’s room for privacy, Greg suddenly starts stabbing furniture. The others think he’s lost his mind, but Weneon and Kilijan notice something in the mirror. Scratched into the reflection, invisible to the others, are the words: "Kili, don’t forget about me. Faeriel." Kilijan casts Rope Trick, allowing the party to discuss their findings in private. As they climb, Weneon discreetly hands Manasa a paper with the transcribed musical notes from the severed hand. Manasa recognizes his own handwriting style. A humming sound begins—matching the melody on the paper. Weneon realizes that the wounds on the severed hand match Mycha’s sword. As Weneon climbs, he experiences a brief memory flash. He returns to Brable with the Cape of Leaves. Faeriel is waiting for him. She hugs him, thanking him for choosing them. Suddenly, Wailon from Pale Mill arrives, in a trance, handing Weneon a letter. He doesn’t know who sent it. Weneon reads it—it’s from Faeriel. It says: "If I am lost and forgotten, steal me back." Weneon does not remember Faeriel, but as he joins the others in Kilijan’s Rope Trick, he feels a deep, inexplicable sense of loss.