Night clung to the forest like wet cloth, the only light a faint silver glow seeping through the fog. Renkai and Thalanir sat near a small fire they'd struggled to light, its smoke curling up and vanishing into the mist.
Renkai tossed a twig into the flames. "You've noticed, haven't you? Lira's not that little girl anymore. By the time she comes back from that fancy academy, she'll be nearly a woman."
Thalanir poked the fire with a stick, eyes narrowed. "I've noticed. She's learning faster than any of us thought. Her power… it's growing."
"That's not what I mean." Renkai leaned back on his elbows. "I mean… marriage age is close. She'll start looking at men differently."
Thalanir gave him a side glance. "And you're hoping she looks at you?"
Renkai grinned, teeth flashing in the firelight. "Why wouldn't she? I'm strong, handsome, I've protected her since she was little—"
