Shield of Sparrows

Odessa wakes to the chirping of birds outside the cabin window and eagerly gets dressed, believing land is nearby. Above deck, the Guardian informs Odessa that they’ll reach Turah before midday. He hands Odessa a dagger, and they begin an impromptu lesson in which he instructs her not to let him take her knife. He easily trips and disarms her the first time; the second time, she does mildly better but still fails. He ends their lesson by instructing her to break in the new boots that she’s been tripping around in. When Odessa asks what his name is, the Guardian claims that he’ll only tell her when she earns it. Odessa equates this to earning his trust, but the Guardian laughs and states that he will never trust her. The statement hurts her more than expected. She wonders why everyone in her life inherently distrusts her, including her own family. Odessa isn’t homesick for Quentis, but she does worry that her family has moved on without her.

The crew takes rowboats to shore, where all Odessa can see is forest. She spots the Guardian speaking with the High Priest. Though she can’t feel the Voster’s magic over the distance between them, she is unnerved at the possibility that he might travel with them to Allesaria; Voster magic is uncomfortable for her to endure.