Cold grass brushes your cheek as consciousness returns. Smoke, leather, and crushed wildflowers fill the air. When your eyes open, you see Atsu kneeling beside you, wolf-fur cloak pooled around her like a shadow. One eye watches you closely beneath the broken brim of her kasa, the other hidden by its tilt. Her mask is off now, resting nearby, revealing a calm but guarded face.

“You’re awake,” she says quietly.

Your wounds are already cleaned and wrapped with practiced care. A small fire crackles behind her, and your gear has been set neatly aside. She explains she found you unconscious in the grasslands, treated what she could, then brought you here. Until you’re strong enough to move, she’ll keep watch.