The Mistwood was quiet.
Sunlight filtered through the trees in thin, golden threads, dancing across moss-covered stones. Birds chirped softly in the trees above, and the gentle crunch of boots on damp earth was the only sound between Liora and Tessa as they moved deeper into the forest.
Liora paused at the base of an old willow, crouching beside a patch of moss. She gently brushed away a few fallen leaves, revealing the pale green roots of the herb they were after.
"Mirafern," she murmured. "Still fresh. Good catch."
Tessa stepped beside her, crouching to help gather it.
"How do you always spot things like that?" she asked.
"Years of looking," Liora replied with a faint smirk. "And a lot of mistakes."
They worked in easy silence for a few minutes, filling a small satchel with gathered herbs. Then, as they started back along the trail to search for more, Tessa glanced sideways at her.
"Can I say something… kind of personal?"
Liora gave a nod. "Go ahead."
"It's about Aria," Tessa began, her voice quiet. "While you were gone yesterday… she said something,"
Liora raised an eyebrow, her pace slowing.
"She called me a 'big sister knight.' Said I wasn't like her mom, but… that I was brave, and nice, and never laughed when she spilled stuff."
Liora blinked, a soft breath leaving her lips. "She said that?"
Tessa nodded. "Yeah. And I didn't know what to say at first, but… I didn't hate hearing it."
There was a pause, not an awkward one, but the kind that gave space for meaning to settle.
"I think she's starting to see us both as family," Liora said, voice gentler than usual.
"I've never really had that," Tessa replied, rubbing the back of her neck. "I mean… I told you before, my folks tossed me out to save coin. No siblings. No goodbyes. Just… 'go find your own way.' So I wandered. Joined the guild. Took quests. Ate bad bread. Got bruised."
Liora listened without interrupting.
"I thought that was how life was supposed to be," Tessa continued, "until I saw you and Aria. You cook. You clean her scrapes. You make her feel safe."
"She's… special," Liora said softly. "And I wasn't sure I could do it either, at first. I still mess up. But she needs someone. And… maybe I do too."
Tessa looked up at her.
"You're not alone anymore," Liora added. "Not in this."
They reached a small stream, sunlight glistening on the water's surface. Tessa knelt to refill a canteen. Liora stood nearby, leaning on her sword, watching the ripples.
"I don't want to mess this up," Tessa said quietly. "Being part of your… team. Your family."
"You won't," Liora replied without hesitation. "You already belong."
Tessa glanced over, eyes wide, and for a moment, the uncertainty faded from her face, replaced by something warm and steady.
"Thanks," she murmured.
As they moved on, deeper into the Mistwood, the forest opened into a sunlit glade. The wind carried the scent of moss and flowers, and somewhere in the distance, a wild deer bolted at the edge of their vision.
Tessa smiled. "This place is kind of beautiful."
Liora nodded. "It is."
"Do you think Aria would like it out here?"
Liora thought for a moment. "Maybe someday, when she's older. Right now… she just needs to feel safe."
Tessa looked down at the full satchel of herbs. "Well, mission accomplished."
"Let's get these turned in, then go home."
They walked side by side, two adventurers, no longer strangers, no longer just guildmates.
In the quiet of the forest, something had settled between them, trust, care, and the beginnings of a bond that could stand the trials ahead.