-VIII-
Tyche looked at Taiev as they passed into the eaves of a forest untouched in all the ages of the world.
The Keeper had not spoken since they had met. Not that Tyche had expected her to, and to be honest, she was more than a little nervous. The message, signed with that runic symbol, had come unexpectedly and its contents were more unexpected still, if that were at all possible.
It had been simple and very direct. So Tyche had left the city immediately, slipping out into the first hours of the dawn with nothing but the clothes on her back, a weapon, and the letter, clutched like a talisman.
It was strange, passing through the trees in the gathering light. It felt like the beginning of some adventure. Though in truth it was the end of something.
Years later, living in a small, neat lodge in a small, neat garden, in the depths of a trackless forest very far away from anything at all, Tyche learned the truth.
For mother and daughter alike, life really began after that.
The Artefact and the Seals lay on a shelf, under a few gardening tools, and gathered dust.
