[Intro — open road, stillness, then seven figures] There were seven shapes on the road Not moving Just there
[Verse 1] My hand was at the hilt before I thought The riders spread beside me, same instinct Seven figures standing in the middle of the road No weapons drawn No armor No intent I recognized They weren’t the kind of seven I had studied They weren’t the kind of seven I had faced They looked like ordinary strangers Except for their eyes Their eyes were old
[Pre-Chorus 1] I gave the signal — hold Something told me Battle was the wrong answer for once Something in the way they waited Not braced for impact Just patient Just certain
[Chorus] Seven strangers on the road to somewhere I had never been Seven faces carrying a weight I hadn’t learned to read I have faced the kind that breaks you I have faced the kind that burns But I had never faced the kind That simply — Knew.
[Verse 2] One of them stepped forward Not a threat Not a warning Something closer to an offering I asked who they were She said the answer wasn’t simple She told me what I had been fighting was the floor Not the ceiling Not even close
[Pre-Chorus 2] I had burned down cathedrals I had crossed every name off every list I thought I understood the shape of the war I did not know the war had a shape I had never been shown
[Chorus 2] Seven strangers on the road to somewhere I had never been Seven faces with a warning I was not prepared to keep They were not here for what I’d done They were here for what was coming And what was coming Didn’t know my name
[Bridge — harp and angel hymns] Patience named The Watchers Every war recorded — including mine
Humility said angels Was the smallest word they had
Diligence said the Council Had logged it all before it reached the ground
Chastity said what I’ve been fighting Was only the surface of what exists
Then Patience said I was not close And they were not certain I should be
[Outro — Marching beat] They were gone before I could answer No direction I could follow No road back to what I knew before they spoke I stood there with everything I thought I had figured out Suddenly the smallest part Of something I had no name for
We said nothing -
We rode - north.