Eldric left Hollowfen behind, the marsh fading into the mist as the road narrowed and twisted toward the distant hills. Lanterns glowed at intervals, their amber light cutting through the fog, marking the path for travelers who would never know the Keeper's presence. He walked with the same deliberate steps he had taken for decades, centuries, perhaps millennia, the rhythm of the road etched into his very being.
By the first lantern past the marsh, an elderly woman tended her small garden. She straightened when she saw him, her hands clasped over the soil-streaked apron.
"Evening, Keeper." she said, voice soft with age. "The lanterns still burn because of you."
"They do." Eldric replied quietly. "And so long as I walk, they will continue."
The woman smiled, eyes misting.
"You've been watching over us longer than I've been alive. Some nights, I think the road itself carries you."
Eldric inclined his head.
"Perhaps it does or perhaps the road simply waits for its Keeper."
They stood together for a moment, the glow of the lantern warming the mist around them. Then Eldric continued on, leaving her to her garden, the subtle echoes of centuries of vigilance clinging to his steps.
Further along, a merchant's cart sat abandoned at the edge of the road. The driver, a young man in a soiled tunic, struggled to right it, cursing softly as the wheels sank into soft earth.
"Need a hand?" Eldric asked.
The merchant looked up, startled.
"... I think I can manage.."
"Stand aside." Eldric said calmly, planting his staff near the lantern beside the cart. With a deliberate slam, the tip flared, lighting the nearby lamp. The amber glow spread along the road, illuminating hidden ruts and roots.
The merchant breathed a sigh of relief, shoving the cart upright. "Thank you... I didn't realize how dark it was beyond the lamps."
Eldric inclined his head.
"The road is safest when its light is tended. Walk from flame to flame, and you will not lose your way."
The merchant nodded, bowing before continuing down the lanterned path. Eldric watched him go, noting how the road seemed to embrace travelers in its gentle glow. He had guided countless lives in this way, yet each one felt fleeting, like sparks against the steady fire of time he carried in his chest.
Callen emerged at the edge of the next village, clutching his small wooden lantern. His eyes widened when he saw Eldric pause at the street's first lamp.
"You're still walking." the boy whispered. "Even after all the villages..."
Eldric glanced down at him, expression calm.
"The road does not end and neither does the lantern. Some things are older than any one lifetime."
Callen's gaze followed the Keeper's hands as he inspected the lamp, oiling the wick, scraping away soot, adjusting the glass. Each movement precise, patient, deliberate, like a ritual older than the village itself.
"I... I want to follow it someday."
Callen said quietly, though he knew it was too early. Eldric only nodded, allowing the boy to witness the quiet devotion of centuries without yet offering more.
By the time Eldric reached Ashwell, the village streets were silent.
Lanterns glimmered along narrow alleys, the scent of coal and woodsmoke drifting faintly on the wind. He checked each post carefully, ensuring the wicks were trimmed, oil replenished and glass clean.
Centuries of walking this road had taught him patience. One misstep, one flame left untended, and the darkness could creep closer. But tonight, the lanterns burned steady, a reassuring warmth against the cool night air.
The Keeper raised his staff one final time to the lamp at the village's edge. Its glow pulsed faintly in response, steady, eternal, a quiet acknowledgment of promise kept.
Callen lingered a short distance behind, eyes reflecting the amber light. Eldric felt a faint, unusual pull of hope. One day, perhaps, the boy would understand the weight of the road, the rhythm of lanterns and the quiet, endless work of a Keeper.
For now, though, the boy simply watched. And the road stretched on, endless, patient and always alive.