The streets were darker than usual, shrouded in smoke and mist. Raven's heart was pounding, not from fear — not this time — but from exhilaration. They had done it. A small victory, yes, but a victory nonetheless.
"Did you see his face?" Miro whispered, barely containing a grin as they ducked into the alley. "He didn't even notice! Priceless!"
"Quiet," Kiran hissed, glancing around. "We don't want to be noticed now."
Raven clutched the small satchel they had lifted from a distracted merchant. Her fingers tingled with adrenaline. "That went… smoother than I expected," she said, trying not to sound too proud.
Liora, following closely, rolled her eyes. "You sound like Gavran. Calm down, Shadow Girl. It's just a coin purse."
"It's our coin purse," Raven shot back, smirking. "And I call the first slice of glory."
Selene stuck out her tongue. "Glory? You mean trouble. Gavran's going to chew our ears off when we get back."
"Ha!" Miro grinned. "Let him. He's just jealous we're having fun."
Raven's lips twitched with a laugh, but then she noticed the alley ahead — the tavern's warm light spilling into the street. They were back. Safe. Almost.
Almost.
The door swung open before they could knock. Gavran stood there, bottle in hand, eyebrows raised. "And what have we here?" His voice was calm but held the weight of warning.
Raven froze, satchel still in her hands. "Uh… just… walking?" she mumbled.
"Walking?" Gavran echoed, stepping inside. "With a satchel that's jingling suspiciously, Miro?"
Miro waved innocently. "It jingles naturally, I swear!"
Kiran sighed audibly. "You're never going to believe this excuse…"
"Don't start, Shadow," Gavran said, narrowing one eye at Raven. "Explain. Now."
Raven exchanged glances with her friends. Miro shrugged, Selene rolled her eyes, and Liora crossed her arms with a smirk.
"Fine," Raven said, stepping forward. "We… uh… helped a merchant… who wasn't paying attention. For practice. Learning… street skills."
Gavran's eyes flicked to the coin purse. Then back to Raven. Then to the five of them. Silence stretched for a heartbeat too long.
"Well?" Miro prompted cheekily. "Did we do good or not?"
Gavran sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You're all insane. Absolutely insane."
"But we survived!" Raven said, puffing her chest. "And we learned!"
"Learned?" Gavran's voice dripped with disbelief. "I didn't authorise this, Shadow Girl. You could have been caught! Beaten! Or worse!"
Selene piped up. "We weren't caught. And no one was hurt. That counts as a success, doesn't it?"
"Success in defiance," Gavran muttered. "And it won't stay successful for long if Helvareth patrols catch you. You're lucky I like you children."
Liora grinned. "So… you do like us?"
"I tolerate you," Gavran said, wagging a finger at her. "And that's more than most adults would."
"See?" Miro said, nudging Raven. "Even Gavran admits we're awesome."
Raven snorted. "Awesome and nearly dead."
Gavran shook his head, but a faint smile tugged at his lips. "Come inside. We'll discuss your… lesson. And then you'll all scrub the floors for the next hour. That counts as discipline."
"Floor scrubbing?" Talen groaned. "We just risked our lives!"
"And now you risk blisters," Gavran replied dryly, tossing the coin purse onto the counter. "Consider it part of survival training. Streets and chores."
Miro saluted dramatically. "Yes, sir! Chores are dangerous, too."
Selene muttered, "This is going to be a long night."
Raven laughed, a short, sharp burst of sound that made Gavran glance at her suspiciously. "Careful," he said, "I might start enjoying your antics too much. Then where will I be?"
"In trouble with your own conscience," Liora said with a wink.
The children laughed, the tension of the streets momentarily forgotten. Outside, Helvareth's patrols continued their endless rounds, oblivious to the tiny family hiding in the shadows of The Drunken Hawk. Inside, in that crooked, dimly lit tavern, the five children and their mentor shared a moment of warmth — cheeky, dangerous, and entirely theirs.
Even in a city that had tried to destroy them, they had found a home.
And as Gavran shook his head and muttered curses under his breath, Raven realized something. It wasn't just survival that mattered anymore. It was laughter. It was cunning. It was trust.
It was the fire that would forge them all into something more than victims.
Something unstoppable.