The forge's familiar warmth greeted Sonder as she knocked on the heavy wooden door.
The door creaked open, and Master Lunt appeared, his thick brows furrowing in concern. His eyes swept over her pale face and trembling hands. He rubbed his eyes, as though pulling himself from the fog of interrupted sleep.
"Sonder?" he said, his voice gruff but tinged with worry. "What's wrong?"
"Someone tried to kill me," she blurted. "No—they weren't after me. Vell said they were after him."
Her voice was oddly detached, the fear dulled by a lingering haze—but the panic still gnawed at the edges of her thoughts.
Lunt's eyes widened, and his hand instinctively gripped the edge of the doorframe. "What?"
"There was this… lizard person in my room—Lamina, Vell called them," she continued, speaking quickly. "Vell handled them, but he told me to come here and stay with you."
Lunt's face darkened, the lines of his age seeming deeper in the flickering light of the forge. He stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. Casting a wary glance down the tunnels, he closed the door firmly behind her.
"Lamina," he muttered, his voice heavy with unease. "Perfect assassins. They don't miss unless something—or someone—more powerful stops them." He shook his head, his voice grim. "If Vell's involved, it's no surprise someone's trying to strike. His name alone stirs the kind of trouble most sane folk avoid."
Lunt gestured to a stool by the workbench. "Sit, girl."
Sonder sank onto the stool as he settled across from her. His expression was grim, his eyes flickering toward the forge's glow as though searching for answers there.
"When you tie yourself to someone like Vell, you make enemies—powerful ones," he said slowly. "He's a dangerous ally to have, but an even more dangerous enemy. And now, with me running for Dwarf Lord…" He sighed heavily, dragging a hand through his beard. "There are plenty who'd rather see me fail before I even get started."
Sonder clasped her hands in her lap, her fingers twisting together. "Do you think things like this will keep happening?"
Lunt's shoulders sagged slightly, and he met her gaze. "I hope not," he said, though the conviction in his voice was faint. "But if Vell's taking care of it, I trust him to do what's needed."