The Heartwood drifting somewhere between map and maelstrom

Ah. So he was not a recruit, then. Well. There was nothing Grezig could do about that. She dipped her head in acknowledgement when he thanked her for her concern. Her motive had been selfish, but still.

He asked if she planned on settling close to here. “Not so close,” she said. “A ways back, in a forest to the northwest of here. Or perhaps even farther than that. We will see.” Little did she know that she would soon give up on that idea and end up making her way to the ocean—even though she despised the ocean.