Renasha Aida's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Renasha stood outside the boarding house, rolling her shoulders against the weight of sleeplessness. She'd pinned notices at three taverns and the market square, each one blunt: *Rune carver seeks traveling companion. Northern cursed lands. Pay negotiable. Serious inquiries only.* The man who found her wore silk the color of wine and moved like he'd rehearsed his entrance. He leaned against a wooden post near the boarding house steps, smiling as though they'd already met. "You're the one looking for a guide north," he said. He produced a carved bone token from his coat, dangling it from a leather cord. The etchings were intricate, looping in patterns she recognized as protective symbols. "I've crossed the boundary twelve times. I know the way past the stag." Renasha glanced at the token, then at his face. "Why?" she asked. He blinked, smile flickering. "Why help me," she clarified. "You don't know me. You don't know what I'm doing there." He twirled the token between his fingers. "Let's say I have an interest in what lies beyond the ice. And you're clearly desperate enough to pay well." The word *desperate* landed wrong. She thought of the fourteen pages on her wall, the rune that bled, the vision that woke her in the dark. She stepped back. "I'll find someone else," she said. He straightened, the smile gone. "You won't," he said. "No one goes north unless they're running from something worse. Or they're fools." He pocketed the token. "But suit yourself. When you change your mind, ask for me at the eastern inn. Everyone knows where to find me." He walked away without looking back. Renasha watched him go, her jaw tight. She had no guide, no time, and the frozen stag marking the cursed region's edge was three days' walk from here. She turned back toward the boarding house, already planning her next move.