Lys stepped out of the washroom with a towel slung low around his hips, water still dripping from his slightly long hair onto his shoulders. The cool night air from the open window upstairs brushed against his damp skin, raising goosebumps as he padded barefoot on the hall.
The house felt quieter than usual, the usual low hum of voices from the dining hall gone silent. He figured everyone must've already turned in for the night after the long day, Elara probably chasing Mira and Selene upstairs.
He reached the bottom of the stairs and set one foot on the first step, fingers brushing the worn railing, when a sharp knock echoed from the front door, cutting through the quiet like a rock dropped in still water.
Lys paused, then turned back, crossing the short distance in a few strides. He pulled the door open without thinking twice.
Maya stood there under the faint moonlight, her low-cut blouse-like top still on from earlier, and a fresh bandage was wrapped around one of her hands. Drosha lingered just behind her, arms crossed, that same steady, no-bullshit stance she'd had on the road. Both of them looked like they'd come straight from the guild without stopping to change.
Lys blinked, one hand still gripping the door. "Maya? And you…..Drosha..right? What's going on? Did something happen at the guild?"
Maya opened her mouth to answer, then her eyes dropped. Just for a second. Then they snapped back up to his face, her cheeks flushing dark in the low light. She turned her head sharply to the side, jaw tight like she was trying not to stare. "Uh…"
Lys followed her gaze down. There was only a towel covering his body. Nothing else. The cool air suddenly felt a lot more noticeable against his bare chest and legs.
"Shit. Sorry." He stepped halfway behind the door, one hand clutching the edge like it could hide the rest of him. "I just got out of the bath. Wasn't expecting you guys to come this late. Sorry."
Maya cleared her throat, still looking at the doorframe instead of him. "Miss Vessa sent me. She said, you need to be at the main village gate at dawn tomorrow. Before the strike team heads out."
Lys leaned against the door, frowning. "Dawn? And why's she sending you for this errand?"
Maya shrugged, still not meeting his eyes fully. "She didn't say why. Just told me to make sure you knew. I'm not the one making the plans."
Lys rubbed the back of his neck, water still trickling down from his hair. He realised Maya didn't get his question properly, so he left it. After all, what his question was about was why Vessa would ask Maya of all people to come all this way to tell him just this? "Alright. Thanks for coming out here to tell me." He still said it as a courtesy.
Then he paused, glancing at Drosha, then back at Maya, getting a feeling these two must've come for more than this. "Uh….You two want to come in? It's cold out."
Even though Lys asked them to come in, Maya still hesitated, shifting her weight. Drosha, seeing her stall, stepped forward without hesitation. "Well, we just wanted to check on Tresta. That's why we came."
Lys nodded as he finally understood their reason, so he pulled the door wider, stepping aside. "Yeah, of course. Come on in."
He tilted his head toward the stairs and raised his voice just enough. "Miss Tresta? You've got visitors."
Three heads appeared over the banister almost immediately: Mira, Selene, and Tresta, all leaning down to see what the noise was about. Mira's eyes widened when she spotted Lys in just the towel, a smirk already pulling at her lips. Selene raised an eyebrow, then shook her head with a small sigh, as if she were the one feeling embarrassed for him. Tresta just looked curious, a faint smile touching her face for the first time in a while, seeing Maya.
Mira opened her mouth, probably to say something sharp, but Selene elbowed her lightly and pulled her back. "Not now. Let's give them space." The two of them disappeared back toward their rooms, footsteps fading.
Tresta started down the stairs, one hand lightly on the railing. A door creaked open near the bottom step, and Elara stepped out, drawn by the voices.
She took in the scene, two unfamiliar women at the door, and Lys standing there in nothing but a towel, hair dripping with water. Seeing this scene, she almost unknowingly planted her hands on her hips.
"So? Who are these people?" Elara asked, voice carrying that familiar mix of concern and authority. Her eyes narrowed at Lys. "And why exactly are you half-naked in the doorway, young man?"
Lys muttered under his breath, already backing toward the stairs. "Yeah, good question." He gestured quickly toward the guests to evade the topic somehow. "Uh…These are Maya and Drosha. Tresta's friends from the outer settlement. They came to check on her."
He shot Tresta a quick look as he and Tresta were almost on the same level of stairs. "I'll be right back down after I put something on."
He took the stairs two at a time, towel clutched tight, feeling Elara's stare on his back the whole way up. Behind him, he heard Tresta's soft footsteps reach the bottom and the low murmur of introductions starting.
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Up in his room, Lys grabbed a loose shirt and pants from the chair by the bed, pulling them on while water still dripped from his hair onto the floorboards. He could hear the low voices downstairs picking up, Elara's warm tone welcoming them in, the scrape of chairs being pulled out, most likely to let the guests sit on them. A faint smile tugged at his mouth despite everything. Whatever the reasons, the house felt alive again, even with everything going on.
He ran a hand through his wet hair and was about to head back down, but before he could do that, Selene grabbed his hand and forced him to sit on the bed.
"And, where do you think you are going with this wet head?" Selene said with her hand already reaching for a fresh towel beside the bed, lying around.
While she started drying Lys's head with the dry towel, downstairs, Elara was already moving toward the kitchen, sleeves rolled up. "Sit, all of you. I'll make some tea. You guys came so late, so there isn't much we can offer at this late-night." She didn't even let anyone refuse or say anything before going to the kitchen.
But before she could fully go in, Helga appeared from the side room before Elara got two steps in. She gently steered Elara back toward the table instead. "I've got it, Elara. You go sit and talk with them."
Feeling that Helga won't take no for an answer, Elara settled into a chair across from the guests, folding her hands on the table. "Well, Helga is making the tea. Mind if I sit with you all for a bit?"
Maya answered quickly, voice a little stiff but sincere. "Not at all, Miss….?"
"Miss Elara is fine," Elara said, smiling softly.
The table filled slowly with the quiet clink of cups as Helga brought over the tea. Low voices started up again, Drosha asking Tresta how she was settling in, Maya adding a few short comments about the guild's preparations.
All while they were talking, Elara just listened through all of this, without saying anything to interrupt them.