The afternoon sun warmed the streets of the village as Liora and Tessa passed through the eastern gate. The scent of baked bread and flower carts mingled in the breeze. The quest had gone well, no injuries, no delays, just a steady march home with full pouches.
Liora's eyes lifted toward the inn.
Her pace quickened.
The moment they stepped through the door, she heard the familiar sound of small feet on wooden stairs.
"Liora!"
Aria dashed down, flinging herself into Liora's arms. She hugged tightly, burying her face in Liora's stomach.
"I missed you," she whispered.
"I missed you, too," Liora said softly, stroking her hair. "Everything alright here?"
Aria hesitated. Her arms loosened, and she looked up, eyes worried.
"…Can we talk upstairs?"
In the quiet of their small room, Liora closed the door behind them. Tessa waited downstairs to give them space.
Aria sat on the bed, fidgeting with her fingers.
"Something happened?"
Aria nodded slowly. "I… I heard some adventurers talking outside. They said being an adventurer without a party is dangerous. Sometimes people don't come back from quests. And they were talking about you."
Liora sat beside her, watching her carefully.
"They said… If something happened, no one would know. Going alone is stupid. That,"
Liora pulled her gently into a hug.
"I'm not mad," Aria mumbled. "But it scared me. I didn't know it could be like that…"
Liora was quiet for a moment, holding her close.
"Aria," she said gently, "you don't need to worry. You're right, it can be dangerous at times. But I've never been reckless. And more importantly…"
She pulled back slightly and smiled.
"I'm not alone anymore."
Aria blinked.
"Come on," Liora said. "I want you to meet someone."
Downstairs, Tessa stood awkwardly by the door, rubbing the back of her neck and pretending not to listen too hard.
When Liora and Aria came down, Aria peeked at her from behind Liora's side.
"Tessa," Liora said, "this is Aria, my daughter."
Tessa smiled nervously. "Hi."
Aria tilted her head. "Are you… Liora's party?"
Liora gave a small laugh. "We just finished our first quest together. We'll be registering at the guild as a team."
Aria's expression shifted, slowly, from worry to surprise.
She stepped forward, looking up at Tessa.
"You look really young, like me."
Tessa laughed. "I get that a lot, but I'm actually fourteen."
Aria gave a small smile, just a little one, but it was enough.
Liora knelt beside her again.
"I'm going to keep doing quests. But now, I'll have someone watching my back too. And I'll always come back to you. That's a promise."
"…Okay," Aria said. "But you have to pinky swear."
Liora held out her pinky. Aria linked hers without hesitation.
And for the first time that day, her smile reached her eyes.