The early rays of sunlight filtered through, casting golden stripes across the wooden floor of the inn room. The air inside was still, filled only with the soft crackle of the dying hearth fire.
Tessa stirred.
Her body ached, but not the same deep, burning way it had the day before. Her head still throbbed, but it was dull now, bearable. The heat behind her eyes had lessened, and her breathing came easier.
She blinked blearily, then looked down.
Liora was curled up on the floor beside the cot, her cloak draped loosely over her shoulders, head resting against the edge of the bed.
Tessa blinked, touched by the sight.
"…Liora?" Her voice was hoarse and dry, but steady.
Liora stirred.
Tessa reached out, gently placing her hand on her shoulder. "Hey… wake up."
Liora's eyes opened slowly, blinking a few times as she took in the light, the voice, and then the girl sitting upright in bed.
"You're awake?"
"Yeah… I think the fever's going away."
Liora sat up quickly, all traces of sleep wiped from her eyes. She pressed a hand gently to Tessa's forehead, then her own. Relief flooded her face.
"It's going down," she breathed. "Finally."
For a long moment, Liora just sat beside her, shoulders dropping from tension she hadn't realized she'd been holding all night. "You scared me," she said, her voice quiet. "You really scared me."
Tessa looked down, guilty. "Sorry."
Liora shook her head and gave a small, tired smile. "Don't be. Just… glad you're okay."
They stayed in the silence for a moment longer, the weight of care and recovery settling gently between them.
From the far corner of the room, the blanket on the smaller bed rustled. Aria sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Mommy…?"
She blinked when she saw Tessa sitting up in bed.
"Tessa!" Aria scrambled over, hopping down and rushing to the bedside.
"You're better!" she said, voice still full of morning drowsiness and happiness all the same.
"A little," Tessa said with a chuckle. "Thanks for taking care of me."
"I tried really hard," Aria said proudly. "I gave you the cold cloth like Mommy showed me."
Tessa smiled, and her arms reached out to gently hug Aria. "You did amazing."
Liora stifled a yawn, blinking hard. Aria noticed.
"You didn't sleep at all last night, Mommy."
Liora shook her head, already moving to change the poultice.
Tessa sat up straighter. "You should rest a little. I'll be fine now."
"She's right," Aria chimed in. "I can watch her now."
Liora looked between the two girls, one recently burning with fever, the other barely taller than the bed, and gave a soft laugh.
"All right… But only for a little while."
As Liora lay down in the nearby bed, the tension in her shoulders melting away, she heard soft voices beside her. Aria pulled up a stool again, carefully handing Tessa a cup of water. Tessa smiled, her voice low.
The sound of the two girls' laughter was quiet, fragile, but real. It carried through the room like sunlight.
Liora drifted to sleep, the exhaustion finally catching up to her, but this time, her heart was light.