I woke up the next morning with the children already stirring around me. Lila had climbed onto my chest during the night and was now poking at my shoulder with one small finger. Thorne and Elara crawled across the furs, their knees and elbows working in determined little circles as they chased a leather ball I had rolled toward them. Their laughter filled the chamber, bright and unfiltered, the kind of sound that cut through every shadow the east tried to cast.
I sat up and pulled all three of them into my lap. Lila immediately demanded to be lifted so she could see out the window. Thorne grabbed my braid and tugged, his new teeth flashing when he grinned. Elara leaned against my side and babbled a string of sounds that almost sounded like words. I held them close, breathing in the scent of milk and clean furs, and let the moment steady me before the day began.
