That evening, they encountered Perin. The trader they had met on their journey out, who had given them advice about Redstone territory. He was delighted to see them and eager to hear about their travels.
"You have become something of a legend," Perin said over dinner. "The young healer who travels teaching restoration. People talk about you in trading posts across three regions."
"That is unsettling," Aria admitted. "I am just doing the work that needs doing."
"That is what legends are," Perin said with a grin. "People who do necessary work without making it about themselves. The stories spread because the work matters, not because you are seeking attention."
"I will be glad to get home and be just the Pack Healer again," Aria said. "Not a traveling legend."
"You will always be both now," Perin said. "You cannot unbecome who you have grown into. But home will ground you in the familiar while you integrate the new."
