I spent nearly 30 hours wandering the upper branches of the Haligtree before I stumbled on where winds meet mending loom, tucked between a cluster of wind-bent silver birches and a half-collapsed stone arch covered in glowing lichen. Most players walk right past it, even if they’re actively hunting for all of the game’s hidden mending runes to unlock alternate endings. This spot doesn’t show up on default maps, and the only hint you’ll get is a throwaway line from a ghost NPC near the Haligtree Roots site of grace, so it’s no surprise so few people find it on their first playthrough. I wrote this guide to break down exactly how to get there, what you’ll find, and how to avoid the surprisingly tough enemies guarding the area’s best loot.
How to Reach Where Winds Meet Mending Loom Without Wasting Time
If you’ve already cleared most of the Haligtree, getting to where winds meet mending loom takes less than 10 minutes, even if you stop to loot all the items along the path. Start at the Haligtree Town Plaza site of grace, and make sure you’ve defeated Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree first, otherwise the path north will be blocked. Head past the first group of Albinauric archers, and take the narrow dirt path behind the broken Miquella statue half-hidden behind ivy. You don’t need any special items to unlock the entrance—the entrance is an illusory wall tucked behind a mossy boulder to the left of three patrolling Cleanrot Knights.
Once you step through the illusory wall, you’ll immediately know you’ve found the right spot. The air smells like pine and honey, and the constant howl of the Haligtree’s upper winds fades to a soft hum. There’s a small, unmarked site of grace just inside the entrance, so activate that first before you explore further so you don’t have to fight your way back if you die. I forgot to do this on my first visit, and I had to redo the entire path three times after getting one-shot by a hidden enemy.
Top Loot and Lore Finds in the Area
The centerpiece of where winds meet mending loom is the weathered oak mending loom itself, carved with Miquella’s signature lily symbols along its legs. But before you interact with it, take time to loot the rest of the small cave to grab all the rare items hidden around the space. All the lore you find in this spot fills in a lot of the gaps in Miquella’s backstory that the main story never covers, including his plans to fix the Elden Ring without erasing the flaws of the Lands Between or punishing people for being born outside the Golden Order’s rules.
The most valuable item here is the secret Mending Rune of the Unbroken, which unlocks the rare “Age of Unbroken Bonds” ending. You’ll find it tucked under the loom itself, so you have to crouch to interact with it—most players miss it entirely because they never think to look under the furniture. You’ll also find 5 Somber Smithing Stone 9s, enough to fully upgrade two unique weapons, and a full set of Haligtree Weave armor that boosts holy damage resistance by 22% when worn as a full set. I’ve used this armor set for every Malenia fight since I found it, and it cuts her holy attack damage almost in half.
Enemies to Watch Out For When Exploring
All the enemies guarding where winds meet mending loom are designed to catch distracted players off guard, so move slowly and check every corner as you walk the path. The biggest threat is the invisible Wind Wraiths that patrol the short path from the illusory wall to the cave entrance. They only show up when you get within 10 feet of them, and they hit hard with fast slashing attacks that can stun lock low and mid-level players before you can heal. If you hear a soft rustling sound that doesn’t match the background wind, stop moving and swing your weapon in front of you—you’ll hit the wraith even if you can’t see it.
Inside the cave, a single elite Cleanrot Knight guards the mending loom. She has a unique holy spear attack that can one-shot players with less than 40 vigor, so don’t rush in without a plan. If you’re comfortable parrying, her heavy spear attacks are easy to parry, and you can take her down in three or four ripostes. If you prefer ranged play, stand in the cave entrance and use magic or incantations to take her down slowly, since she won’t follow you outside the cave. I’ve put together a few quick tips to make clearing the area much easier:
Hidden Mechanics You Can Unlock at the Mending Loom
Most players never even realize the unique mechanics tied to where winds meet mending loom, since the game gives you zero tutorials for what you can do there. The first and most useful mechanic is free legendary weapon repairs. You can repair broken legendary weapons here for free, no smithing stones required, as long as you have the weapon in your inventory. I tested this with a broken Sword of Night and Flame on my first playthrough, and it worked instantly, saving me 12 Somber Smithing Stones I had been hoarding for other upgrades.
The loom also lets you combine any two mending runes you’ve already collected to create custom rune effects, which change how your ending plays out. For example, combining the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince with the Rune of the Unbroken gives you an ending where Those Who Live in Death are accepted into the new order without breaking existing bonds between people. If you wear the Haligtree Helm when you first interact with the loom, you also get a permanent 5% boost to holy damage resistance that stays with your character for the rest of the playthrough. The permanent holy resistance buff you can get here is especially useful if you plan to fight Malenia right after, since most of her attacks deal holy damage.
If you’re the type of player who loves hunting down every last secret in the Lands Between, adding where winds meet mending loom to your exploration list is well worth the 20 or so minutes it takes to find and clear the area. The unique ending, free weapon repairs, and hidden lore bits add so much depth to an already rich game, and it’s a fun break from fighting nonstop bosses in the late game. I’ve gone back to this spot on every one of my playthroughs over the last two years, and I still find small new details every time I visit, from hidden lore notes tucked in wall crevices to rare crafting materials that only spawn here during certain in-game weather. Don’t forget to turn up your volume when you’re searching for the entrance, the soft wind chime sound that plays near the illusory wall is the easiest way to find it if you don’t want to follow a step-by-step path.
