A Dawn of Onyx

The next day, Arwen meets the butcher’s son, Jaem, who is infatuated with a young woman named Lucinda. As Arwen Treats Jaem’s mangled fingers, he describes his plan to bring something back from town for Lucinda tomorrow. Arwen learns of his weekly trip to a nearby town to sell the keep’s leftover meat for extra coin. His father is unaware of this practice, so Jaem leaves at midnight. Believing that this is her chance to escape, Arwen plans to sneak onto Jaem’s cart when he leaves tonight.

After a long day of working with Dagan in relative silence, Arwen is grateful when the chipper Mari arrives. In private, Arwen makes a comment about Dagan’s ambivalence toward her, and Mari reveals that he used to be an advisor to a previous king and served in the Onyx army but then retired to the apothecary. Dagan is rumored to be a warlock, but Mari has seen no evidence of magic from him. And as grumpy as he is, he secretly enjoys helping Mari with her research on Fae and witches. Mari suggests having dinner together later, and Arwen feels guilty when she declines.

Later, Arwen is in the infirmary and overhears Lieutenant Bert asking Dagan about her.