Back at The Respite, the evening debrief was more somber.
"Master Riku," Elder Borin reported, his face etched with worry, "We have to do something. The demand is… overwhelming."
"What happened, Elder Borin?" RIku asked, curious.
"Today, when Thrain and I visited the Weaver's Quarter, we helped one family. Within minutes, their neighbors heard. Then their neighbors. We were surrounded. People were begging, offering their last coppers. It was… difficult to leave. We only had two talismans with us at that time."
Durnik nodded grimly. "Same in the Dock Ward. We had to almost fight our way out. They weren't hostile, just… desperate. It felt like we were dangling a single drop of water before a parched crowd."
Elara, who had been out with one of the human volunteers, added, "They started following us, asking when we would return, if we could stay longer. It's becoming hard to manage, and we're attracting more attention than we intended."
