The first tentative steps towards reconciliation began subtly, almost imperceptibly. It wasn't a grand gesture, no dramatic
pronouncements of forgiveness or declarations of undying
friendship. Instead, it started with shared silences, the comfortable companionship of working side-by-side in the rebuilding of
Aethelred. Derick, surprisingly, was the catalyst. His centuries of solitude had taught him the value of quiet companionship, of finding solace in shared purpose. He would often find Lyra
sketching in her worn leather-bound journal, her brow furrowed in concentration, and he'd sit beside her, not intruding, but offering a silent presence, a comforting weight in the quiet spaces between them. He'd offer her a cup of subtly spiced tea, brewed with herbs Elara had painstakingly cultiv
