Herbalists' Cache patience and restraint

he will,
her voice was quiet, but firm—like stone worn smooth by the sea.
morwenna did not look at him as she said it, but instead let her gaze drift toward the sky, where smoke and snow blurred the horizon. whatever weight ridgeback bore, she carried it with him now, wordlessly.
he knows who you are, ksura, she said gently, the old name slipping from her tongue like a thread tying him back to something truer. he knows what you are not.
a pause, then, softer.
you are not a man who turns away from children.
her eyes finally found his. unwavering.
you’ll find your way back to us. when it’s time.