The sun was beginning to set. The day's warmth lingered in the air, softened by the occasional breeze from the open window. Liora set a small pot over the hearthfire, steam curling up from the simmering stew inside.
"Smells so good," Tessa said from where she sat cross-legged on the floor, peeling a potato.
"You missed the first time she made it," Aria said from her spot at the table, swinging her legs and drawing on a scrap of parchment. "She used too much salt and made a funny face."
"I did not," Liora said with mock offense, glancing over her shoulder. "I just… misjudged the ratio."
Aria giggled. "It was a really funny face."
Tessa grinned. "Now I kinda want to taste that version."
"No, you don't," both Liora and Aria said at once.
The room was small, one room shared between them, but it felt full in the best way. The kind of fullness that had nothing to do with space, and everything to do with warmth.
After dinner, the three of them sat together under the soft glow of the lantern on the table.
Tessa leaned back in her chair, arms crossed behind her head. "You two always do this? Sit around and talk after eating?"
"Sometimes," Liora said. "Sometimes we read. Sometimes we just… rest."
"I never had that," Tessa admitted, her voice softening. "After I got kicked out, it was either sleeping outside or in run-down inns. This is…" She looked around. "Nice."
Aria stood up and gently placed Sir Bramble in Tessa's lap.
"He protects you while you sleep," Aria said shyly.
Tessa blinked, looking down at the little cloth doll. "He's… got a sword made from a twig."
"Exactly," Aria said proudly.
Liora smiled quietly as Tessa gave the doll a tiny salute. "Thanks, Sir Bramble. I'll sleep better knowing you're on duty."
Later, as they all settled in for the night, Tessa on a pallet beside the bed, Aria curled up against Liora, there was a calm stillness in the room.
The fire had burned down to glowing embers.
Tessa whispered from her place on the floor, "Liora?"
"Mm?"
"Thanks for letting me be part of this. It's different from what I thought adventuring would be."
Liora looked toward the ceiling.
"It's different from what I thought life would be like to," she said.
Aria stirred beside her and mumbled in half-sleep, "Good night, Mommy…"
Liora turned her head, brushing a stray hair from the girl's forehead. "Good night, sweetheart."
And for the first time in a long while, Tessa, in a soft bed, under a safe roof, with laughter still echoing in her chest, felt like she belonged somewhere.