[Intro — fire crackling, wind has stopped]
We made camp where we could still see it The Cook said it was a good spot
[cello]
[Verse 1] The Witch sat away from the rest Listening to something we couldn’t hear The Farmer cleaned his blade A farmer’s hands — but he knew how to hold it The Banker counted the distance with his eyes Math in his head, no paper The Herder fed his wolves by name I never learned their names I should have asked
Kael wrote something and put it in his boot Maren sharpened her blade in silence That is how she prays Corvus watched the Tower He had not looked away since we arrived
And the First Knight sat at the edge of the fire Quiet
[Pre-Chorus 1] I counted Then I counted again Then the Cook asked if I wanted more And I said yes Because it was the last kind thing within reach
[Chorus] This is the eye of the storm Where everything goes quiet before the last thing comes This is the place before the place The breath before the word I am looking at the door to the north And asking the only question left — Is this enough? Are we enough? For whatever is on the other side of that
[Verse 2 — the Tower] The Tower is not the north I know that now The north begins past it The Tower is the frame The door And whatever the north is It is pressing against the other side Slowly
The darkness at the base does not move like shadow moves It breathes The Witch looked at it once Then looked away and did not look again The wolves lay in a circle, facing out The Herder did not ask them to
[Pre-Chorus 2] The Banker started the numbers And stopped The Farmer said he’d harvested worse odds Which was almost certainly not true But I wrote it in my head Because I needed it
[Chorus 2] This is the eye of the storm Where everything goes quiet before the last thing comes This is the place before the place The breath before the word I am looking at the door to the north And asking the only question left — Is this enough? Are we enough? For whatever is on the other side of that
[Bridge] The Witch felt it before she spoke Something knew we were there
The Farmer said it could watch us come The Banker had walked worse rooms
The Herder said nothing The wolves stood up on their own
Maren said we ride as our names Kael said we carry what remains Corvus said the truth goes through with us
The First Knight said — I’ll be right behind you
I did not look at him I should have looked at him
[Outro — ] The Cook put the fire out Which meant morning
I stood at the edge of camp And looked at the darkness breathing At the base of the door
And I said it to no one And I said it to all of them And I said it to whatever was on the other side:
We leave at first light.