As the festivities die down, Cricket makes her way back to the Grotto for the third time. It's a short walk from Ebonhide, so she doesn't worry about waiting around for a companion. Half way to the Grotto, the wind changes and she's overwhelmed by the thick scent of pine, too dense to be natural. She distinctly remembers the way her journal smelled two moons ago—pine paired with a warning. She stops in her tracks and spins on her heel, before hesitating. Back to the safety of her cabin or forward to her brother?

She throws her head back in frustration and shakes out the tension from her fingers. Just then, a shooting star streaks overhead. She doesn't intend to make a wish, but her thoughts are so persistent and pounding that she can't help but voice them out loud. "I wish I had a way to know he'd be safe next year," she sighs, glaring off into the woods.

Forward to her brother.