Liora stood outside the guild hall, quest slip in hand, a steady wind brushing her silver hair behind her shoulders.
"Merchant escort. Two days, simple route, one overnight stop," she murmured, reviewing the details again.
Beside her, Tessa adjusted the strap of her satchel. "Think Aria will be okay with us being gone that long?"
Liora glanced toward the inn across the square, where a little curtain in the upper window fluttered faintly. She smiled.
"She'll be in good hands."
Back at the inn, Aria sat at the edge of the bed, feet swinging nervously.
"You're really going away for two whole nights?" she asked, eyes wide.
Liora knelt in front of her. "Just two. I promise. It's a simple job, helping a merchant get to the next village safely.
Aria pouted, clutching her stuffed doll. "But I'll miss you."
Liora kissed her forehead. "I'll miss you too, sweetie. But I'll be back before you know it."
Marna stood nearby, hands on her hips but smiling. "She'll be fine. I've raised three of my own, remember? We'll bake something together. Right, Aria?"
Aria nodded shyly.
Tessa stepped forward, giving a playful salute. "Don't worry. I'll make sure your mommy comes back in one piece."
That earned a small giggle, and that eased the tension in the room as Liora and Tessa began to leave.
They met the merchant at the village's southern gate, an older man with a small, mule-drawn cart loaded with dyed fabrics and simple tools. His name was Ordin, and he wore the calm, sun-weathered face of a man who walked many roads.
"Never hurts to have a sword nearby," Ordin said as he handed Liora the escort papers. "Even if it's just for show."
The route wound through gentle hills and forest paths. Tessa walked beside the cart, occasionally chatting with Ordin about trade routes and odd village customs.
Liora stayed alert, but relaxed. As the trees swayed peacefully overhead,
By nightfall, they reached a sleepy roadside village where Ordin had planned to restock and stay the night. He thanked them, handing over a modest pouch of silver coins as an advance payment.
"Rest well. We'll move again at first light."
Liora and Tessa found a small inn on the edge of town. The building was simple, with aged wood and flower boxes under the windows, but it was clean and quiet.
Inside their room, Tessa flopped onto the bed with a sigh.
"Nothing attacked us," she said, voice muffled in the pillow. "Kind of feels weird."
Liora chuckled, sitting down by the window. "We needed an easy one."
After a moment of silence, Tessa sat up. "Do you ever get tired of moving? Always going from one quest to the next?"
Liora thought for a moment. "I used to. But now, with Aria… the idea of coming home to someone changes everything."
Tessa nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think I'm starting to understand that."
Later, as the candlelight flickered low, Tessa lay awake for a while, listening to the soft night sounds outside. She could hear distant tavern music, laughter, and a dog barking somewhere far off.
Then she looked across the room at Liora, who was already asleep, calm and steady even in rest.
This feels right, she thought.
And with that quiet, comforting thought, she finally let herself drift to sleep.