After passing time in Harvest Den, Stoic Alder invited me north to visit a former homestead of his. Initially, I was surprised by the rundown state in which he'd kept his property. However, the reason soon became painfully clear. It once served as the Claw's family home but was left to fall into disrepair after the passing of Silken Weir, Alder's mate and Poky's mother. Weir joined efforts in the north to halt Jormag's rising, tragically resulting in the loss of her life. Though I've known the Claw and his son for only a brief time, it's difficult to not be moved by their plight. I claim no expertise on matters of the heart, but I do know that a loss of that scale never truly heals. And in regards to Poised Arrow, a loss at a very impressionable age. I admit that, despite his at-times-abrasive antics and lackadaisical attitude toward responsibility, Poised Arrow is remarkably strong. Already life has taken a great deal from him. Still, he holds his head high and brings light to those around him. I put in some overdue maintenance on the homestead to help ease the family's burden. Though I expected nothing in return, Stoic Alder rewarded me with a generosity I was not prepared for. He gifted me the homestead! I recognize that the place likely seems more an emotional burden to him than an asset, but the extravagance of the gift is not to be overlooked. I can't help but wonder if the gesture was in part diplomatically motivated. Regardless... I have my own home! A notion I never thought possible. In fact, the thought of settling in one place had scarce occurred to me. But after years of venturing, having a place to put my feet up sounds quite nice. Now, if only I had something to rest my feet upon... ***