Morning sunlight filtered through the window, striping the inn room in gold. The air was quiet, warm, still filled with the soft rhythm of a child's sleep.
Liora stretched slowly, careful not to jostle the bedroll where Aria remained curled like a cat beneath the thin blanket. Her small hand still clutched the hem of Liora's cloak.
Liora smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair from Aria's face before standing.
She crept across the room and opened the food chest near the corner.
There was not much left inside…
Half a loaf of bread, two apples, a wedge of hard cheese, and half a jar of dried meat. Enough for today, maybe part of tomorrow. After that, the chest would echo.
Liora sighed.
They needed supplies. But that required coin.
Which meant work.
Aria blinked awake while Liora was rolling up their bedding.
"Mmh… morning," she murmured, rubbing her eyes with the back of one hand.
"Morning, sleepy," Liora said, ruffling her hair. "We've got a chore to do. Come on, I'll make it fun."
Aria gave a sleepy smile.
They shared a light breakfast of warm water and thin apple slices, then made their way to the village market.
The stalls were lively even this early, filled with voices and smells, roasting chestnuts, sun-dried herbs, freshly cut wood.
Liora bought what she could, root vegetables, flour, salt, and a few eggs. Nothing fancy. It was just enough to keep them fed.
And it cost her nearly the last of her coin.
She stared at the pouch, turning it in her palm as if more silver might appear.
Aria looked up at her.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
Liora tucked the pouch away. "Just thinking."
They returned to the inn with the food, and while Aria sorted the vegetables like it was a game, Liora stepped aside to think.
She needed a job. A good one, with a payout big enough to cover more than a meal or two. But…
The last time she brought Aria on a quest, the girl had clung to her, shaking. She'd called her Mommy through tears.
Liora didn't want to see that look in her eyes again.
She didn't want to put her through that again.
But she also couldn't feed her on sentiment alone.
A few minutes later, Liora found the innkeeper's wife, Marna, in the kitchen, kneading dough.
"Marna," she said, hesitating. "I need a favor."
The woman glanced over her shoulder. "Hmm?"
"I've got to stop by the guild. I might take on a quest. Could you watch Aria while I'm gone?"
Marna gave her a long look, then nodded. "Course I can. She's a sweet girl. Gets a little fussy when you're not in the room, though."
"I know," Liora said, running a hand through her hair.
Telling Aria, however, didn't go as smoothly.
When Liora knelt beside her and explained the plan, Aria's lower lip pushed out.
"You're going alone?" she asked, hugging her doll tightly.
"Just for a little while. I'm not going far," Liora said. "I'll be back before sundown."
Aria looked at the floor. "But what if something bad happens again?"
Liora reached out and gently cupped Aria's cheek.
"Nothing bad is going to happen. And I wouldn't go if I didn't need to. You like eating, right?"
Aria gave a weak nod.
"You want your own blanket and warm soup this week?"
Another nod.
"Then let me go find a way to make sure you have those things. I'll be back before you know it."
Aria was quiet for a moment longer, then, in a small voice, she said:
"…Promise?"
Liora pressed her forehead gently to Aria's.
"Promise."
Still, as she stood to leave, Aria clung to her cloak one last time.
"Okay," she whispered. "But you better come back."
Liora gave her a crooked smile. "Wouldn't dream of doing anything else."
And with that, she stepped out the door and onto the road to the guild hall, her hand brushing the hilt of her sword, her mind full of coin, quests…
…and the little girl waiting back at home.