Kei rose languidly from bed, long after the sun had done the same. That felt a bit odd, she’d grown used to waking to the light in her time on the sea, but the soft mattress was like paradise after so long on the road.

Still, she couldn’t lounge about, even if she had nothing to do; she didn’t want to be that type of person. So, she got to her feet and started her day.

The inn room was on the small side, but it was distinctly cozy, with a soft rug to match the mattress, and an antique dresser with a chair where she’d placed her trunk of belongings. There was even—much to her surprise—a small glass mirror, something that even her inn room in Precipice hadn’t had, despite being far more luxurious. Then again, inns were often a reflection of their innkeepers just as much as they were resting places for guests.

She dressed in the dim light filtering through the curtains, choosing to wear a simple tunic under a warm blue coat, lined with fur. After dressing, she pulled the curtains aside, flooding the room with the cool light of late fall.

Atop the desk was a piece of parchment, with only two words written at the top. After receiving the letter from her brother, she’d wanted to send him one in response, but even after almost a month, she still couldn’t bring herself to do so. It wasn’t easy to say that she’d failed, and it was even harder to relay everything that had happened since then. There was plenty of bad—the attack on the caravan, her failure to find Pelior, and of course, Cidus’s death. But at the same time, meeting Wyn and Corrin, crossing The Grass Sea, and reaching Precipice were things she couldn’t wait to tell him about.

But each time she sat down to write it, she couldn’t bring her hand to move. She wasn’t sure if it was fear or shame, or even something else entirely, but no matter the reason, the words just wouldn’t come out.

That wasn’t yet going to change either, so she brushed the paper aside and pulled a small box out of her trunk, setting it on the dresser. The box was wooden, but trimmed with gold, and it had a small red gemstone on the front where the seam was. There was no keyhole, but when she pressed her thumb against it, it clicked and the box popped open—unlatched. There were a few items within, sewing needles and thread, a small knife, and a couple pieces of jewelry, but she was reaching for something much simpler.

She removed a small wooden comb from the box, running her fingers over the smooth finish. It had been a gift from her mother on her eighth birthday. Perhaps if she’d been a proper daughter of Taravast, it would’ve been silver, but a Nladian concubine could only manage so much.

She sighed, that wasn’t a fair thought. Oliver’s mother had been generous when she’d been alive, treating her almost like a real daughter at times. Thanks to her, she’d always been able to play the part of a refined young woman, fit with elegant dresses, jewelry, and manners to match. No, she used the wooden comb for obvious reasons, it was a gift from her birth mother, why wouldn’t she?

One of the benefits of having cut her hair shorter was that it was much more manageable on the journey, but it still needed to be combed every day, even more so because Kei hated tangles. Of course, that was probably a universal experience, but she really hated them. She’d heard that the worst tantrum she’d ever thrown was at age six when she’d gotten a particularly bad knot in her hair. Kei couldn’t remember it herself—but she remembered her father’s reaction to it.

She hadn’t thrown any more tantrums after that.

After a short time, she set down the comb and stood by the window, watching the town move outside the inn. Ven had said they would likely be staying a day or two while they recharted their route, which meant she didn’t have anything to do until then. It wasn’t like Precipice—cities always had far more going on than towns—and while Estin was certainly busy, she wasn’t exactly interested in military activities.

Perhaps she’d spend time with the two boys while they waited. Surely they’d be up to something fun as always, just the thought almost flipped her mood back around.

Unless they’re with him.

It came crashing back down as she remembered what the two had been doing the night before. If they were training with the spirit knight again today…

Still, I can at least go watch right? Surely just watching wouldn’t cause any trouble. She got to her feet. Yeah, I can go watch. It’ll be fun.

Outside the window, a cart rolled by, manned by a group of about twelve soldiers. The soldiers looked rough around the edges, likely part of a newly formed unit, but the man leading them wore a crisp Taravastian uniform, white with a golden trim—an officer from the east. It was almost certain he'd have fought in the war. If she went outside, without the protection of the Ameas family, nothing would happen right?

He barked an order, loud and gruff, she heard it through the window, and the yelling was all it took.

Memories crept into her mind—old memories, old nightmares—she stumbled back from the window and tripped on the edge of her bed. She curled up as she hit the ground, her body moving instinctively.

But of course, no blows ever came. As the initial panic faded, disgust blossomed in her chest, and she clenched her fist hard enough that it hurt. She took a few deep breaths, calming herself, and then she got to her feet.

“I’ll go check at the strider. If they’re not there, I’ll check the skiff.” Even as she said it to herself though, she didn’t think she believed it.

Heading downstairs, she walked through the main room of the inn—crowded with people—in a hurry. The streets were similarly crowded, even more than the previous night, so it took a while to reach the strider. As she approached she was treated to an interesting sight.

Ven stood atop the saddle, holding onto a giant, thick brush, and using it to clean Siensa’s shell. As he finished the spot he was working on, he reached back into the saddle and pulled out a bucket of water, pouring it over the side before picking the brush back up and scrubbing again.

“Ven?” She asked as she reached the end of the dock. The captain didn’t respond, so she yelled louder. “Ven!”

The second try got his attention and he turned to look at her. “Ah, Kei, it is good to see you.”

“Where are the other two?” She asked, praying he’d say they were sleeping in the saddle, no matter how impossible she knew that was.

“I could not say,” he shook his head. “They had already left when I awoke this morning. Would you like me to give them a message if they return?”

Her heart sank, but she kept it off her face. “Don’t worry about it. Just have them stop by my inn if you find them.”

Ven adjusted his bandana. “I will be sure to do so.” Then he got back to cleaning, scrubbing over the shell in large strokes.

Kei left him there and resolved to look around town for them. She looked for some time, but was unable to find either one. And she never was able to bring herself to check the skiff.

***

She wandered back into the inn an hour or so later, hungry and a little somber. Unfortunately, it seemed her luck wasn’t going to improve. The inn’s tables had been mostly cleared out. The only people left were those like her, that weren’t involved in the hunt, and an older man polishing a glass up at the bar. The innkeeper was nowhere to be seen, so there likely wouldn’t be any food left.

She didn’t want to go back out though, she was uncomfortable in the streets filled with soldiers, and she’d already been walking around for an hour. Better just to return to her room and wait for the next meal. Their departure from Estin couldn’t come soon enough.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Before she could reach the stairs though, the barkeep met her eyes, pausing for a moment before waving her over.

“Miss Kei. I missed you during breakfast earlier. Did you sleep alright?” His voice was friendly and inviting.

After hesitating a moment, she walked over towards him, blushing. She couldn’t recall his name—or whether he’d even told her. Really the only thing she knew was that he was the innkeeper’s husband.

You can remember how much we earned from salt exports last year, but you can’t remember his name. Kei chided herself. She wasn’t in the mood to talk, earlier that year she would’ve walked straight past him. So she stopped anyway, forcing a faint smile onto her face. That was the type of person she wanted to be.

“Wonderfully. I’m afraid veldstrider travel doesn’t much suit me.”

The man watched her for a moment, then turned and began pouring a drink of some kind. “My wife is quite particular about the mattresses, she’s a picky sleeper herself. Separate beds since the day we were married, can you imagine that? Still, that’s what we’re known for, and we’ve got veldstrider crews that only stay here for the sleep, so maybe she’s onto something.”

He slid a glass across the counter to her filled with what seemed like milk. She wondered where such a drink could have even come from, it didn’t seem to her they could’ve kept cows on the sea. It didn’t look quite like cow’s milk though she supposed, it was faintly yellow, and seemed a bit creamier. She glanced up and saw him looking expectantly.

“It’s on me.”

She paused. “Oh, I—thank you.” Without overthinking it, she hesitantly raised the glass to her lips and took a small sip.

Her eyes widened, and a real smile slipped onto her face. It was warm, and thicker than the milk she was used to, with a sweet and salty taste. “That’s really good.”

“It’s my daughter’s favorite,” he smiled. “She’s only a few years older than you, so I figured you might like it as well. Are you hungry?”

“I couldn’t impose. I missed breakfast after all.” She took another sip of the drink. It was soothing, the heat of the drink spread throughout her body, warming her up as well.

“It’s no trouble, truly. I haven’t eaten yet either, and we have leftovers to tide us over until my wife returns from the market.” He glanced up. “Ah, Brier. Please come join us. I was just going to heat some food.”

Kei turned and saw another man, several years her senior, walk out of the stairwell, rubbing his head groggily. “Lars, you and Helena are too good to me. Could you pour me some water as well? This headache is driving me mad.”

“Of course my boy, have a seat,” he gestured to the chair next to Kei, who watched as the man approached. He was a young man with the look of a soldier, though if he was in here, he must not be one, perhaps an adventurer instead? His hair was brown, and longer on his face than the top of his head. She was pretty sure she’d seen him partying last night, was he the one that had been standing on the table with his shirt off?

He sat with a grunt and held out a hand. “Well aren’t you a lovely flower? It’s well to meet you, my name is Brier.”

She shook it gently. “Kei Hayashi. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“A refined woman!” He smiled. “That’s a rarity out here. We only have ogres in this town, besides Mistress Helena and her daughter of course.”

An agaraberry, about the size of a fist, smacked into the side of his head and he yelped. After recovering a moment later, he growled and shook a fist angrily at the bartender. “Damn you old man! I was trying to compliment your daughter! Would you prefer I said she was an ogre too?”

Lars’s lips twitched. “I’d prefer you didn’t mention her at all. Miss Kei, I'd suggest you stay far away from this scoundrel. She’s too young for you anyways Brier.”

Kei giggled for a moment, stifling it with her hand. Brier looked at her searchingly. “How old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

“Well that’s marrying age then isn’t it?”

Another fruit impacted his head and he looked like he was about to jump the counter. “I was kidding damn it!”

Kei frowned, knowing he wasn’t entirely wrong. It was common, especially in noble families, to be married by the time they were twenty, and oftentimes much younger. There’d been some protests regarding the practice in recent years, but it was still done all the time. Before he’d fallen ill, she’d heard a terrible rumor that her father had someone in mind for her, but with Oliver taking over the family, there was no chance such a thing would occur.

“Ah look,” Lars said. “You’ve ruined her mood again.”

Brier glanced back over. “Oh well damn, I’m sorry Miss. It was a joke, honest. I prefer older women anyways.”

That hadn’t been the response Kei was expecting, and she almost choked on her drink as he said it. When she stopped coughing, she raised a hand to quiet him. “It is fine, it wasn’t you, I was just reminded of something.”

“Pay him no mind,” Lars said as he slid a plate over with some sliced fruits. “Brier is the good sort, even if he is a bit of a dunce at times. When one of our hunting groups went missing out in the sea last winter, he was the first one out looking for them. Thanks to him, all six made it back alright.”

To his credit, the younger man blushed. “It wasn’t that big a deal.”

A minute later, the sausages were ready, and Lars set down a plate for each of them, eating his own while standing behind the bar. When Kei tried to pay him, he declined. “We’re making money hand over fist with all the travelers in town right now, and you seem like you could use the meal.”

“Ah, thank you sir.” Kei declined her head slightly before she began eating. The sausage was good, seasoned just right and rich in flavor, and eating helped her feel better, even if only a little.

Without anywhere to be, she welcomed the warm atmosphere of the inn, and the two men made for good conversation. She was grateful especially to the fact they seemed happy to talk about themselves rather than ask her questions, though she didn’t know if it was intentional or not.

“So Mister Lars, how long have you been running this inn?” She asked.

The old man chewed thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing. “Oh about thirty years now, neither me nor my wife were in the business beforehand.”

“Really? Why an inn then?”

He chuckled. “Well you see, we both wanted to travel, but neither of us have the stomach for it. Too much danger on the road, and like I said she’s a picky sleeper. Wouldn’t you say an inn is the next best thing?”

“I didn’t know that,” Brier frowned.

“You never asked.”

“So you get to talk to people from all over then? This must be a good time for you, have you gotten many travelers from Taravast before?” Kei asked curiously.

“Once or twice, they’re usually only stopping through though. It’s nice to be the destination for once. I know my wife is happy about it.”

“I’m jealous, it sounds like you have a lovely family.”

Lars looked off to the side. “I’ve been blessed without a doubt.”

“I’ve met your wife but I’m afraid I haven’t seen your daughter. Does she work at the inn or…?”

The barkeep grimaced. “Well, as it happens, she ran off to Precipice about half a year back. Said she wanted to become a weaver, and ‘live in the city, not in some small country town’.”

“I see,” Kei folded her hands. “But it's not as though you won’t see her again right?”

“We got into a big fight before she left, I’m afraid I said some things I shouldn’t have. I’m not sure if she wants anything to do with me anymore. Writes letters to her mother every month, but they hardly ever mention me.”

Brier patted the man on the shoulder. “You’re going to have to accept that she’s old enough to make her own decisions now. You did a good job raising her, don’t complain about it now. I’ve told ya just to write a letter of your own and apologize, she’ll forgive you.”

“I know,” he sighed. “You’re right.”

The mood grew a bit somber after that, and Kei felt her own discontent creeping back, tinging the edge of her thoughts. Thankfully, a moment later, the innkeeper herself burst through the door, hauling a cart filled with meats, vegetables, and grains.

The woman took a deep breath and began to shout. “Lars! Brie—” she paused at the sight of the three of them all at the bar. “Ah, good, you’re already here. Alright chop chop people! The soldiers are about to get their lunch break, and we’d better be ready for the rush!”

The two men scrambled over to help her pull the cart in, and the unpleasant air was swept away as though it never existed. Kei watched in amusement as Helena ordered the two men around as if they were children, directing them towards one task or another, but she felt a slight pain in her chest, knowing that her reprieve had ended.

The inn was soon engulfed in even more chaos as the soldiers arrived soon after. She could hold herself to that standard, and all but one or two she was pretty sure were from the surrounding area anyways. It was fine.

Still, she couldn’t wait to leave. It wouldn’t be long, only another day or two. Then they could leave both Estin and the spirit knight behind.