Yerin nudged him with her elbow. “What’s to worry about?”

[You should worry that he’s not about to lead you into a trap. Hey, if he does betray you, do you think you could slam him through a tree?]

They had a point. Yerin did, at least. There was no point in doubting Wei Mon Teris.

What could Teris do?

What if there are more scripts like the last one? Lindon thought. He’d have to keep an eye out.

“Lead the way, cousin,” Lindon said. He even attempted a smile, though it made Teris’ scowl deepen.

Teris led Lindon down the main thoroughfare, the same street the Kazan and Li clans had marched through during the Seven-Year Festival so long ago. This time, the road trembled, and he saw very few people out and about.

Those he did see scurried from place to place, many keeping their eyes on the aura beneath their feet. He sensed most people huddled inside.

Everyone here was scared and on edge. He had to take that into account when they treated him like an enemy.

But he could save them. The thought straightened his spine. He could protect them all.

Teris turned off a smaller side street, and Lindon stopped. “Are we not going to the Hall of Elders?”

“The First Elder isn’t there today. He’s consulting with the Eighth Elder about the earth aura.”

Lindon brightened at that. If the clan still had the same Eighth Elder as before, he had watched over Lindon in the clan archive. Lindon looked forward to seeing him again. He suspected Eithan and the Eighth Elder would get along well.

Teris marched on with no further explanation, but the tension was uncomfortable. When they left the main thoroughfare behind, they mostly passed isolated home complexes, most family homes surrounded by walls.

Families in the Wei clan had lots of space, and Lindon found himself staring into the patches of long grass and purple-leafed orus trees between the compounds and feeling pangs of nostalgia as he recognized certain sights. Or failed to recognize others.

Somewhere in this area was the Mon family home, and the thought gave Lindon an idea of how to push through the awkwardness. “Is your family well, cousin Teris?”

Teris shot a glance back at him. “Eri was accepted into the Holy Wind School. They say she’ll be Jade one day.”

He said it with a somewhat challenging tone, but Lindon was strangely happy to hear it. Eri had disturbed him, but he was glad to hear she was doing well.

Although the Holy Wind School was heading out of the valley already. Did Teris know that?

If he didn’t, it wasn’t really any of Lindon’s business. At least Eri would be safer outside Sacred Valley than in it.

“And your father?” Lindon asked. There were more members of the Mon family, but he didn’t know them well.

“Fine.”

[I’m sure he’s had a wonderful career as a warrior as long as he got over the humiliation of being defeated by a child.]

Dross had fortunately spoken only to Lindon.

They turned a corner to see a long grass path up a hill, to a walled compound that Lindon didn’t remember. Teris held out a hand toward it.

“Is this the Eighth Elder’s home?” Lindon asked.

“Did you forget?”

Lindon had. He was sure he must have seen the Eighth Elder’s house as a child at some point, but he mostly saw the man at the library.

Do you remember? Lindon asked Dross.

[If you don’t remember, I don’t. Except for all the things I know that you don’t. And all my secret plans.]

Lindon nodded, bracing himself, and walked toward the hill.

White Fox madra lit up behind him, and he closed his eyes. So Teris was betraying him after all.

He scanned thoroughly for scripts. There had to be more to this trap.

“Who are you?” Teris demanded. “Did you teach him that Enforcer technique?”

Slowly, Lindon turned around to see Teris holding a knife in front of Yerin.

For about half a second.

Then he was on the ground, his knife spinning off into the air, Yerin’s foot pushing his face into the grassy earth.

Lindon understood his line of logic, if it could be called logic.

From Teris’ perspective, Lindon was just Unsouled, so Yerin had to be the one in charge. And she had faltered in the script-circle earlier, so obviously something had weakened her. She must have been the one who had kept Lindon alive and taught him powerful new sacred arts, and now she was vulnerable.

An easy target.

Yerin’s foot pressed down on the back of Teris’ skull. “You’re a spineless pack of rotten rat leavings, aren’t you?”

Teris thrashed, trying to free himself.

[Can he breathe?] Dross wondered. [It doesn’t look like he can breathe.]

Lindon crouched next to the Iron, speaking into his ear. “Do you feel the ground shaking?”

The Iron’s scream was muffled by dirt.

“That means we don’t have much time,” Lindon went on. “I don’t want to have to continually prove myself to everyone who sees my badge, so here’s what I would prefer. Would you like to be my guide?”

Yerin eased up on his head, and Teris’ muddy face came up into a gasp. “Yes! Yes! I’ll do it!”

“Gratitude. I would be grateful if you could lead me to the First Elder, and if anyone else stops us, you can explain to them what a bad idea that would be. Do you agree?”

Teris nodded furiously.

“Perfect.”

Yerin moved her foot off, and Lindon pulled him to his feet. He helped brush dirt from Teris’ outer robe. “Now, where is the Elder?”

Teris shakily pointed up the hill to the house right in front of them.

“…really? He’s really in there?”

“I told you, ah, this one told you, honored…guests. The First Elder is visiting the Eighth.”

Yerin looked more offended now than when he’d pulled a weapon on her. “You pulled blades on us in bright sunlight ten steps from your clan elder’s house?”

“Do not harm this one,” Teris pleaded, bowing in half. “This one has a little girl.”

Yerin turned to Lindon. “Did you get the only spine in your whole clan?”

Lindon wasn’t listening.

“You have a daughter?” he asked.

Teris’ eyes bounced around, but he answered warily, “This one is honored to have a daughter that will soon see her second year.”

That was a bigger surprise to Lindon than when Teris had betrayed them. Teris was a year younger than Lindon himself.

A girl of eleven or twelve peeked her head out of the gate and saw them, shouting back inside that there was a fight going on outside. Yerin slapped Teris on the back.

“Your turn to guide.”

Teris preceded them through the gate, and Lindon and Yerin followed. As soon as they crossed through the compound wall, Lindon knew something was wrong.

The script around the outer wall had blocked his spiritual perception, which was already weaker here in Sacred Valley, so he hadn’t sensed much. But the outer courtyard of the Eighth Elder’s property was packed with people.

Wei clan members wearing iron or copper badges milled around in small groups, chatting nervously. They all turned to watch Lindon and Yerin enter, but they didn’t seem too interested.

As an Underlord, Lindon’s hearing was second only to Yerin’s. He caught snatches of conversation without trying.