When was the last time she had stopped to take a rest? Were it anyone else, the answer would have been a mystery. Memory tends to muddy and fade away under the waves of monotony. But for Tuki Fletcher, she remembered as clearly as if it were yesterday, although it had been nearly two years ago. Such was her curse, she supposed. As a krauven, a black-feathered ravenfolk, she had the advantage — and the burden — of carrying every memory she ever made with perfect, unfaltering clarity.

In retrospect, she saw the opportunities she’d had to stop and take her ease. There were many. But not once had she taken them when they’d crossed her path. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to. It was that she couldn’t. And as her weary, road-blistered talons carried her over the next rocky ridge on the long road, she did not imagine that this occasion would be any different.

A small town lay ahead of her, a squat and humble spread of low-roofed stone houses with a single tower in the center. A cursory glance at the town indicated a population of less than a thousand. Not that Tuki was surprised. The Tranwon Gap was little more than a wide valley straddled on either side by the foothills of the competing Barenfel and Maeral mountains. The rocky terrain was not well suited to agriculture.

She paused at the top of the hill to take in the town's layout, committing every turn and landmark to memory, a process that only took her a few seconds. Of particular note was the tower she had seen prior, but also a much larger mansion surrounded by high walls that stood out from the rest of the town, bold and proud, like a golden star on a bed of coals. The home of the mayor or landlord, if she had to guess.

The directionless tugging in her core returned. Tuki winced in discomfort, already walking before she even thought to do so. With every step, her legs burned, begging her to stop and give them a break. But she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. The pain in her muscles was preferable to the torment of an ignored Yearning.

As she approached, Tuki’s eyes caught sight of a sign at the edge of town. ‘Welcome to Idonyr!’ it read. Tuki did not know this town, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to be staying.

The town was a remarkably dull and grey affair. The streets were quiet but occupied, with scattered groups of men and women going about their day. Most of them were humans, but Tuki spied a handful of dwarves among them. They eyed her curiously as she walked past. It wasn’t anything new to her. Krauven often received side-eyes when they passed through. So she shrugged off their stares and carried on.

She rounded a bend, coming out onto the widest street in town. The central tower loomed ahead of her, the home of a modest militia if she were to guess. A notice board was set up near the tower, a humble array of notes pinned up to it. Many of the buildings surrounding that tower sported signs that advertised them as businesses. A candlemaker, a shoemaker, a carpenter, a mason, a baker, and other essentials. Tuki’s eyes stopped roaming when they landed on the bakery.

She clacked her beak, and her stomach twisted in her belly, emitting a guttural growl. The tell-tale sound was accompanied by a dull, deep ache. She hadn’t eaten in a long while. She could do worse than a few slices of bread. Allowing her beak to lead the way, she started toward the door.

She came up short when she heard voices shouting on the other side, muffled and fierce.

“You’re making excuses, Diana. I don’t care for excuses!” The first voice, a man’s, snapped. Tuki pulled her hand back from the door, her neck feathers rising in a display of agitation.

A second voice answered the first, that of a woman with a thick accent. “You asked me why I’m late paying. I told ya why I’m late. If you don’t want my excuses, maybe don’t ask for ‘em!”

“Don’t backtalk to me. You forget who you’re speaking to!”

“About half a man with half a beard and less than half a clue how to run a town?”

Tuki’s cheeks lifted in the krauven equivalent of a smile. She didn’t know who this ‘Diana’ was, but she seemed to be standing up to a bully — and quite well at that.

The man’s voice raised into an angry roar. “How dare you-!”

“Tobias, shut up. You’re annoying my customers, and even worse, you’re annoying me. I couldn’t care less if you had the blood of Anuuna themself pumping through your veins. When you’re in my shop, you’re not my governor, you’re my customer, and I couldn’t care less how important you feel. You ain’t your daddy. If you annoy my patrons, you get the boot. So get out. You’ll get your damn pay when I have the coin for it. Not sooner, not later.”

Diana was either extremely confident or unfathomably stupid. Maybe both. Tuki didn’t have a chance to ponder which, however. She heard the man, Tobias, spluttering incoherently for a moment, then stomping feet rapidly approaching the door. Tuki took a step back, but not fast enough. 

The door swung open, and a short, squat man in far nicer clothes than the other civilians came surging out, his young freckled face flushed red with indignant rage and embarrassment. Tuki immediately spotted a fine rapier belted at his hip, and her throat tightened on instinct. 

The man paused momentarily when he saw her. Then he growled and kept walking. “Out of my way, outsider,” he spat, his hand grabbing Tuki by the shoulder and forcefully shoving her aside.

She staggered with a caw of alarm. She scrambled to catch her balance, only for her talon to catch on a loose stone on the cobbled street. The world pivoted around her, her stomach flopped in her belly, and she cursed. She threw her hands out to try and catch herself, but her angle was odd, awkward. Her left wrist twisted painfully, and a sharp, searing pain made itself known.

Tuki shrieked, clutching her wrist to her chest as she hit the ground, some of the contents of her pack spilling out beside her. The man who shoved her, Tobias, gave her an annoyed glare before storming off without even a word of apology.

Someone came rushing out after him, a woman, Diana presumably. She looked down at Tuki, her freckled face paling in shock. Then she spun to Tobias and threw her arms up in the air. “Are you fuckin’ serious?!” she shouted after the man. “Really?! Get back here and help this woman back up!”

Tobias did not look back.

Diana released a string of colorful expletives before turning back to Tuki. Her brown eyes softened with concern, and her face, only slightly wrinkled with the first signs of age, broke into an awkward, strained smile. “Gah. You okay, miss?”

Tuki had stopped screaming, but she wasn’t quite sure she could talk yet. Physical injury was nothing new to her, the road housing the dangers it did, but that didn’t make a dislocated wrist any less of a problem. She sucked in a slow, deep breath to calm her nerves, steadied herself, and offered a shallow nod. “I’ll be fine,” she said, trying to stand. She made the mistake of putting even a little bit of weight on her injured wrist, causing her to crumple to the ground with another cry of pain.

“Woah there, lemme help you,” Diana said, kneeling beside Tuki to steady her. Tuki tried to fend her off, not keen on a stranger taking pity on her, but she was in no position to dissuade the baker. The moment Diana’s hands found Tuki, she blinked, inhaling quietly. “Juna’s jumpin’ jugs, girl, you’re skinny as a twig! And you’re shaking, too!”

Tuki said nothing.

“Well, that explains why you were hangin’ around outside my bakery,” Diana deduced under her breath. “Alright, c’mon now. On your feet. I’ll get your things.”

Tuki allowed herself to be pulled back up, wincing only slightly when her injured wrist bumped her side. Once she was up and steady, she gave Diana a grateful nod. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

Diana quirked a brow. “Funky accent ya got. Not from around these parts, I guess?” she asked, bending down to pick up the rolled leather-bound kit that had spilled from Tuki’s pack. “Bah, who am I kidding? None of you krauven ever are. Probably from some far-away corner of who knows where, ain’t ya?”

Tuki let off a chuckle at that, though her eyes never left the bundle of leather. “I suppose you could say that,” she admitted, her thoughts briefly wandering back to her home city. Vivid images of crowded streets bustling with featherless folk that passed her and her family by flickered through her mind’s eye. She winced, her heart tugging momentarily in that direction before she shook her head to dispel the feeling. “I just arrived in town.”

Diana sighed and handed Tuki her fallen kit, thankfully without looking inside. “Well, on behalf of the rest of us, I’m sorry that your first experience here was such shite.”

“It’s okay,” Tuki tried to assure her, tucking the old, unused tools away in her pack once more. “I wasn’t planning on sticking around.”

“That’s no excuse for our little lordling to be a bag of dicks,” Diana rebuked before stepping back and pushing open the door to her bakery. “Now c’mon, get in and outta the cold. I’ll get you some warm bread. I have someone who can look at your wrist, too.”

Tuki had been wanting some food. “Okay. What will the bread cost me?” she asked, reaching for her distressingly light coin pouch.

To her surprise, Diana waved a hand dismissively. “Nothin. This time. I don’t make a habit of charity, gods know I can’t afford it, but after what you just went through, I think you’ve paid enough already.”

Tuki’s eyes widened. “Free?” she asked involuntarily before catching herself. “That’s kind of you, but I cannot—”

Diana jerked her head toward the open door. “Girl, did ya perceive a question mark at the end of that sentence?” she asked with a grin. “Get your feathered keister in a chair and take the bloody gift, will ya?”

“Well, when you put it like that,” Tuki laughed and allowed herself to relax. She could already tell she wouldn’t out-argue Diana, especially not after the verbal beatdown she heard a minute ago. And so, with no more protests left to offer, she stepped into the quiet bakery, the door swinging shut behind her.

It was a simple affair inside. She entered a wide room with two tall windows in the front wall that let in shafts of the gloomy valley cloud light. A counter ran from one wall to the next on the far side of the room, with wooden display shelves showing off various fresh baked goods. Mostly loaves of bread, but there were a select few pastries here and there. Tuki’s eyes in particular landed on a muffin with ground-up berries showing through the dough, and her stomach rumbled. Off to either side of the door, round wooden tables sat next to the windows, each one host to a handful of chairs, some of which were occupied. The faint smell of baking and something bitter tickled Tuki’s nose.

Diana was close at Tuki’s heels, bellowing loudly at the door in the wall behind the counter. “Patrick! Grab your kit! I got a customer with a hurt wrist!” Then she turned to Tuki and poked her on the shoulder. “Find an empty table and sit down. You look about ready to keel over.”

She really was, but Tuki didn’t say as such. She just offered a grateful smile and took the nearest available seat. She did not let her feet remain still as she settled into the wooden backrest, however. Her talons clicked anxiously as they tapped against the floor, her thighs shifting slightly from side to side to keep the muscles warmed up and ready to go. It wouldn’t do for her muscles to stiffen up, thinking they were done when she still had hours of daylight left to burn before nightfall. 

Diana patted her comfortingly on the shoulder, then stepped through the door behind the counter. Tuki could just hear muffled voices on the other side, one being Diana’s, and the other belonging to someone she did not know, presumably Patrick. The door swung open again a minute later, and a human man, maybe in his early twenties, poked his head out. His eyes, matching Diana’s in hue, landed on Tuki, and he gasped in shock. “Woah. Mother wasn’t kidding. You’re a krauven,” he said a bit too loudly.

Diana appeared in the doorway behind him. She thumped a hand into his back, sending him staggering forward. “Aye, she’s a krauven. She’s also a woman with an injured wrist,” she scolded.

Patrick yelped at Diana’s tone like a scolded puppy and came barreling out. He had a small leather haversack slung over his shoulder, which he quickly pulled off and flipped open. He patted his hands off on his brown trousers, then offered a hand to Tuki for a shake. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Patrick. I practice medicine. What’s your name?”

Tuki took it, grateful he hadn’t tried to shake her wounded hand. “I’m Tuki Fletcher,” she said. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Patrick said before gingerly taking Tuki’s injured wrist in his hands. He glanced at the other customers, two men, and a woman. “Pardon me, but would you mind steppin’ out, please? I’d rather not have any distractions and there’s nowhere else with room in the building.”

The trio of diners were not at all pleased to be shooed away, but none of them did much more than grumble under their breath in protest. Their goods were already paid for, so they took up the remnants of their snacks and left, leaving Tuki alone with Diana and Patrick.

Once they were alone, Patrick turned his attention down to Tuki’s wrist. “How did this happen?” he asked.

Tuki winced at the contact, especially as Patrick rolled up the sleeve of her worn leather travel jacket to get a better look. The flesh was swollen and decidedly painful. She clacked her beak. “I had a bad fall,” she said. “Landed awkwardly on my wrist. Came down too hard.”

Patrick hummed in thought. “How bad does it hurt?”

“It’s not the worst I’ve ever had,” Tuki assured him. “But it’s still bad.”

Patrick glanced at her for a moment, then gingerly felt the swollen flesh with the tips of his thumbs. She sucked in a hiss of air as a sharp pain raced up and down her arm, making her tense involuntarily. After a moment, Patrick seemed to relax. “It’s not as bad as it could be. Feels like a simple dislocation, nothing else broken or out of line… but then again, I’ve never treated a krauven before. Do you know if your skeletons are any different to a human’s or a dwarf’s?”

Tuki shrugged helplessly.

“Right, improvising it is,” Patrick said before carefully aligning his hands. He started counting down from ten. Tuki, of course, already knew what he was doing, and braced. At six, he pushed on her wrist, and with a loud crack, the bone snapped back into alignment. She opened her beak wide and released a pained shriek, then quickly clamped it shut and forced herself into silence.

Patrick felt at the flesh for a few more seconds to ensure all was well. “Right, it feels fine now,” he said. “But it’s going to be sore. Very sore. Here, I have some things to help with that,” he said before digging into his pack. “And you said you had a bad fall?”

Diana let off an agitated groan. “That’s puttin’ it lightly. Nah, she was shoved,” she clarified as she set a loaf of bread down on the table next to Tuki. “By our illustrious leader.”

Patrick’s eyes widened. “He didn’t…” he breathed.

“I take it we’re talking about Tobias?” Tuki asked, her scalp prickling and neck feathers flaring at the name. “He’s in charge?”

“For the moment, aye,” Diana said, settling down on the other chair at the table. “While his father’s away.”

“He’s a spoiled ass,” Patrick grunted. “His mother doted on him like he was a prophet of the Five while she was still with us, and his father, Donarus, ain’t much better, never punishing the man enough when he steps out of line.”

“A pity, too,” Diana grunted, glancing out the door. “Bad parenting aside, Donarus is a good man.”

Tuki hummed, then winced as Patrick began to apply a thin layer of some kind of ointment to her wound. Even to her dulled sense of smell, it was a potent aroma. She distracted herself with a bite of bread. “How so?” she asked, hoping to keep her mind from the discomfort in her arm.

“He’s clever as shit, for one,” Diana said. “D’ya ever hear about that mess with the self-titled Boulder Lord?”

“I cannot say that I have heard of that, no,” Tuki said. “I’m not from around here, remember.”

Diana nodded. “Right. Short version, then. He was some old soldier trying to stir up trouble between Parvora and Valriv. Never got very far, and got kicked outta both kingdoms for it. So he set up shop up here in the Gap. Had a handful of lackeys followin’ him around and generally bein’ a nuisance to all us honest folk. Typical bandit leader shenanigans. Then in comes Donarus with two farmers, a donkey, and a pound of sugar. And with those things alone he made the Boulder Lord look like the biggest fool for leagues, got him arrested, and spared the rest of us in the Gap from any more of his raids.”

Patrick picked up the story from there. “It’s a custom in Valriv that anyone who performs a suitably large service in the name of a town or community be granted a minor title and some land as a reward. Donarus got Idonyr.”

“Yup. And he’s done right by us so far,” Diana wrapped up the tale with a nod. “If only his son weren’t a half-formed lump of soggy pig shit.”

Patrick laughed and shook his head in exasperation. He glanced up at Tuki. “Sorry ‘bout her. She’s not the sort to mind her tongue no matter who she talks to.”

Tuki laughed and shook her head. “I noticed. But it’s fine, I don’t mind,” she said before her smile faded. She glanced out the window, thinking. She took another bite of her bread, then winced as she felt Patrick beginning to tie bandages around her aching wrist. Seeking another distraction, she spoke. “So where is Donarus? If he’s such a good leader, why would he leave you all with his son? I imagine it must have been important.”

“Political bullshit is what,” Diana grunted. “See, the Gap’s contested territory. Parvora and Valriv are always arguing over who should be allowed to do things in the area. There’s a lot to gain from havin’ control of all the mines in the mountains, so naturally, both powers want the whole pie to themselves. Idonyr’s sittin’ smack dab in the middle of that. Technically we’re part of Valriv, but every couple of years Parvora tries to buy us up. It’s a whole headache, people gotta travel, meetings have to happen, and blady blady blah.”

“Normally, Donarus would just send a messenger,” Patrick added. “But the Parvorans are being particularly pushy this time. When he announced he was going, he told us he hoped him goin’ in person would send a stronger message. We ain’t for sale. We all figured he’d only be gone for a few weeks.”

Diana grumbled irritably. “But he’s been gone for months.”

Tuki blinked. “Do you think something happened to him?”

Diana shook her head. “Nah. He’s just gotten bogged down. He’s sent word back on occasion. I dunno which Parvoran lord’s makin’ the lunge this time, but he’s exploitin’ every single loophole and delayin’ tactic in the book. So all he can do is wait and try to send us good news when he can.”

“And that leaves you at the mercy of Tobias,” Tuki concluded with a grim nod. Then she turned to Diana and smiled at her. “Well, at least he isn’t bullying you.”

Diana winced but said nothing.

Patrick, on the other hand…

“Mother makes him tuck his tail, but we’re still bleeding coins,” he said sadly, tying off the last of the bandages. “We can smack talk him all we want… but we still have to pay his raised ‘taxes’.”

Tuki’s smile disappeared, and her heart shriveled in her chest. “Oh. I see… What does he want the money for?” she asked, glancing out the window again, this time toward the mansion.

“No idea,” Diana grunted. “Booze? Whores? A fancy new sword? Kid’s got a fetish for swords, I swear.”

“Maybe he just wants to bribe his fencing instructor to tell everyone he’s the best swordsman in Valriv,” Patrick said jokingly, but Tuki got the impression he was only half joking.

Diana suddenly seemed to realize something, and she let off an apologetic laugh. “Ah, fuck. Look at us. Here you are with a broken wrist, and yet all we can do is complain about our problems. Sorry, girl.”

Tuki shook her head. “No, it’s fine. Again, I don’t mind. It’s… good to have some context. If I had to have my wrist hurt, better to at least know why, no?”

“You didn’t have to have an injured wrist,” Patrick said firmly.

“Well, no. But still. As long as I do…”

Patrick had to concede that point. He poured some sort of clear, strong-smelling liquid from one of his vials over Tuki’s bandaged wrist. As the moisture soaked in, Tuki felt the flesh rapidly numbing. Patrick smiled in satisfaction and gave a proud nod. He handed Tuki the vial. “And there we go. Baby that wrist for a few weeks, and pour some of this on it every morning. It’ll numb any pain and encourage blood flow to the region, promoting healing. You can use it if you have to, but light work only.”

Tuki took the vile with a grateful nod. “Curious that a baker’s boy would be so adept at the healing arts,” she mused, quirking a brow. “I do not wish to pry, but I am dreadfully curious.”

Patrick laughed awkwardly as he put away his supplies. “Oh, there’s not much to tell. I’ve never been good in the kitchen. My passions pulled me toward healing is all. We have an apothecary in town. I’m apprenticing under him.”

Tuki nodded one more time and pocketed the vial. “Well, thank you for the help and the bread. But I should probably get a move on,” she said before going to stand.

Her legs had other ideas. She hadn’t realized it, as engrossed in the discussion as she was, but she had allowed herself to fully relax. Now that she was at rest, her legs were in no mood to obey her commands. They gave out under her immediately, sending her toppling forward with an alarmed caw. 

“Woah, there!” Diana yelped as she and Patrick caught her before she could break something else. “Shakin’ again. You, Tuki, need some rest.”

Tuki’s heart seized. Rest. Her Yearning flared at the mere concept, and she almost felt physically yanked toward the door, but her legs refused to cooperate. She shook her head. “N-no, that’s fine. Really. I’m okay. This is nothing new. I just need—”

“Nothing new!” Diana echoed in disbelief. “Girl, I don’t wanna force anything, but I also cannot in good conscience let you go wandering off when you can barely stand! Oh, look at you, you’re exhausted!”

“It’s okay, I’m fine, really,” Tuki lied.

“Mother’s right,” Patrick said, ganging up on her in a truly unfair manner. “I’m no expert on krauven, but you don’t look well.”

“You’ve already done me a kindness with the medicine and the bread,” Tuki protested. “I don’t want to be a burden on you or take advantage of you. You’re strangers!”

Diana smirked. “Oh, trust me. Take advantage of my family’s hospitality and it’ll dry up faster than a puddle of piss in the desert. But I mean it, hon. You’re in bad shape. It ain’t no trouble to give you a spot to catch your breath for a night.”

Tuki wanted to argue further, but the words died in her throat. She could tell this was not a debate she could win, and she didn’t want it to become an argument. Even if only for one night, she wasn’t going to be in their lives for very long. She’d rather not be the stubborn one who ruined a good thing. Besides, now that she had food in her belly, her physical exhaustion seemed to override everything else. With a lump in her throat, she nodded. “Okay. You win,” she relented. “Thank you.”

“Good! That’s settled!” Diana said before clapping Patrick on the back. “Right, get ‘er back to the house, would ya? Your dad’s gonna wanna know ‘bout this, and I still got a shop to run.”

Patrick stood upright, his back popping a couple of times on the way. “I can do that. I’ll see you at the house, Mother.”

“Yep, yep,” Diana shooed him off, taking her place behind the counter. “And tell hubby to cook up something nice for dinner, yeah? A loaf of bread ain’t gonna cut it, I fear.”

“You really don’t have to go to such effort,” Tuki tried one last time.

Diana smacked her hand on the table. “Girl, I am being nice. Just take it, would ya?”

Tuki chuckled sheepishly. “Right. Sorry. Thank you,” she muttered before allowing Patrick to help her to her feet. She leaned her weight against him, and together, they walked out of the bakery.

The walk to Diana and Patrick’s home had been a largely quiet and somewhat awkward affair. Thankfully the house was not far, and the silence was broken nearly instantly once the two stepped inside. Galbar, Patrick’s father, had been there to greet them. He was an impressive man, that was for sure. Not in the sense that he was exceptional, but simply in the sense that Tuki doubted she could forget him even without perfect memory.

The man was tall, broad, loud, and more than a little friendly. And his beard. Heavens, it was magnificent. Tuki rarely cared for facial hair, finding it a bizarre physical quirk of the mammalian races, but this one she could appreciate if only because it was immense. She had to wonder about the amount of effort it took to groom the thing.

He listened intently as Patrick relayed the situation to him. He’d been understandably reluctant when he first saw Tuki, a complete stranger, walking into his home. But after hearing her story — what little of it Patrick knew — he warmed to her at once. He apologized profusely on behalf of the whole town before insisting that Tuki make herself at home. He pointed out a few rooms of importance, such as their guest room and a washroom she could use to bathe if she wished. He then dragged a protesting Patrick into the house’s kitchen to prepare a dinner for that night. 

This left Tuki largely to her own devices. With nothing else to do, she wandered the house for a few minutes, familiarizing herself with the layout. It was a humble affair, but far from the cramped environment she had grown up in. A second floor housed three bedrooms, while all of the other essentials were on the ground floor. It wasn’t decorated much, but there was an undeniable touch of ‘home’ to it. 

And these strangers were willing to share any of it with her. A wandering, sickly krauven.

“If only kindness like this existed back home,” she muttered, sliding her clawed fingers along the cool grey stone of the wall. Her mind wandered back to her home, to the suspicious glares of men and women who’d been raised to believe the krauven were little more than wandering scavengers and thieves. She recalled no small number of times she’d tried to explain to others that it wasn’t their choice to wander, but no one cared to listen. No one cared to understand. Not that she could blame them. They didn’t suffer the Yearning.

Her feet itched to get back to the road and put this town behind her, but the legs they supported refused to take her anywhere past the front door. And she couldn’t well slip out when these people were already preparing food for her, now could she? That would just be rude.

And so, eventually, Tuki made her way to the guest room she’d been offered. It was small, but comfortable enough. A single bed, undisturbed, hugged the wall to her right, while an empty desk and chair cuddled the opposite wall. This left a narrow corridor of space down the length of the room toward a window that afforded a respectable view of Idonyr.

She took what rest she could, though her feet rarely stopped moving. Her toes flexed involuntarily, and she had to keep her feet propped up on the bed to keep from tearing ugly gouges into the wooden panels of the floor. Time slowly ticked by, and her aching muscles began to relax. At least, as much as they reasonably could, given how much abuse they endured.

Several hours ticked by, and Tuki allowed her mind to wander. As she waited and rested, she spotted something on the headrest of the bed. Curious, she rolled onto her belly to get a better look. A word had been scratched into the wood, old and faded over time. Lucia. A former occupant of this room perhaps? A family member who didn’t live here anymore? Tuki frowned, her thoughts momentarily wandering to dark places before shaking her head. 

Eventually, the solitude was broken when a knock came to the door. Tuki rolled over and gave an avian chirp to announce it was open, and Diana, freshly changed out of her apron, poked her head in. “Ah, and there you are. Making yourself a little nest?” she asked lightly.

Tuki rolled her eyes. “Just trying not to move too much.”

Diana smiled, pushing the door open a little more. She hesitated a moment, her smile fading. She looked around the room before leaning against the frame. “Hey, uh… I know this probably goes without sayin’, but take care of the room as long as you’re usin’ it, will ya?”

Tuki nodded. “Don’t worry. It’ll be in good shape for Lucia when she comes back.”

Diana blinked. “Wha- how do you… ah. My husband probably blagged ‘bout her, didn’t he?”

Tuki shook her head and pointed at the name. “No. But she left her name on the headboard.”

Diana strode over and knelt to look at the engraving. Then she laughed in exasperation. “For the love of— She really did that? How’d I not notice?”

“Is she another child of yours?” Tuki said, before quickly adding. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

Diana nodded, a small, fond smile crossing her lips. “Aye. My oldest. She’s off in the Academy City learnin’ to be a magi.”

Tuki hummed quietly and sat up as Diana withdrew. “A good opportunity, I hope?”

Diana smiled wider. “A bigger one than any family of bakers and chefs has any right to,” she said, her voice lowering considerably. “It ain’t easy, though. Having her so far away from home. And if Tobias doesn’t get reigned in soon, I worry she might not have a home to come back to…” Then she shook her head and stepped back. “Bah, there I go again, ramblin’ at you about my life.”

“It’s okay,” Tuki assured her. “I did ask, this time.”

Diana shrugged and turned to go. “Well, I came up here to let ya know supper’s ready. Hubby’s made stew. Come on down whenever you’re ready.”

Tuki’s stomach, still distressingly empty, gurgled at her emphatically. She put on a sheepish smile and rose from the bed. “I could eat a horse. Lead on.”

Diana quirked a brow. “Your folk eat horses?” she asked skeptically. “I thought that was a ry’thar thing.”

Tuki just laughed.

----------------------------------------

Dinner was a pleasant affair, one that reminded Tuki of when she was younger. Diana, Patrick, and Galbar were a talkative bunch, and Diana’s sass was met in force by Galbar’s own. Their back-and-forth bickering, all with good-natured smiles and plentiful laughter when one of them made a particularly scathing remark, made Tuki increasingly glad that she had decided to stick around. She felt dreadfully out of place among them. They smiled so brightly even as a dour situation hovered above their heads like an ominous black cloud.

This was how a family should be, she thought. Happy, loving, loud about it, and proud of it.

“Hey, Tuki,” Galbar eventually asked as they were nearing the end of their repast. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something if you don’t mind?”

Tuki swallowed down a mouthful of the hearty stew — as Diana had promised, some of the best she’d ever eaten — and blinked at the man. “I suppose it depends on the question,” she said before offering a tentative shrug. “I’m listening.”

“What exactly brought you to our little corner of the world?” Galbar asked, dabbing some broth out of his beard with a cloth.

Tuki hesitated, her beak clamping shut. That was by no means an easy question to answer. She looked off to one side, frowning. “...Truth be told, I never planned on stopping here for anything more than lunch,” she admitted. “I was just going to pass through.”

“Heading anywhere in particular?” Galbar pressed curiously.

Tuki shook her head. “No. Just wherever my feet take me.”

“Is this that Yearnin’ thing I hear about sometimes?” Diana questioned, leaning over the table somewhat.

Tuki looked down at her reflection in the soup. Only now did she truly realize just how raggedy she appeared. The others hadn’t been kidding. She looked horrible. The wear and tear she’d accumulated from all her months of wandering. She idly brushed over a cut of meat into her reflection, dispelling it amid a series of shallow ripples. “Yes. Mine’s… extremely severe,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve stopped moving for more than a day since I became an adult.”

“Oh, gods,” Patrick breathed. “Is it really that bad?”

“We can’t ignore it,” Tuki assured him. “Believe me. I would if I could.”

“Is there anything we can do?” he pressed.

“No. There isn’t. Until I find what my Yearning’s looking for, It’s going to be a part of me. That’s just how it is.”

There was a pause, a moment of heavy quiet as it settled on everyone that they had just touched on a sensitive topic. Galbar awkwardly cleared his throat. “Sorry. I’ll stop probing,” he said.

Tuki offered a comforting smile. “No, it’s fine. You’ve all shared so much about your family with me. It’s only fair I do the same.”

“Maybe, but y’see,” Diana pat Tuki on the shoulder. “We’re happy to share. Or we just dunno when to shut up.”

Galbar held a mug of mead up to his face to hide his lips. “She said it, not me,” he muttered.

Diana stomped his foot under the table, making him yelp and laugh at the same time. She rolled her eyes and went on. “But we also don’t got any heavy baggage we’re carryin’ around. But it ain’t proper of us as yer hosts to go pickin’ at yer scabs.”

“Well… thank you for that,” she said softly. “You’ve been far too kind to me. Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

Diana shook her head. “You can get a good night’s sleep and eat hubby’s stew,” she said while nodding at Tuki’s half-empty bowl. “Go on, eat up. Put some meat on those hollow bones.”

Galbar blinked. “Wait, krauven bones are hollow?” he asked incredulously. “I thought that was a myth!”

Tuki held up her injured wrist. “Oh, they’re hollow alright,” she said with a smirk. “And very breakable.”

“That’s stupid!” Galbar exclaimed.

Tuki shrugged. “Hey, it wasn’t my idea. Take it up with the gods. Or whoever cursed us to be like this.”

“Anuuna, what the fuck?”

“I think she was jokin’, hon,” Diana laughed.

“Well, I’m not!”

Tuki laughed. She could see why Diana fell in love with the man. He was delightfully earnest in a sort of dopey way. A fact that was proven as the conversation turned away from Tuki and to other, more mundane matters. Like a new bread recipe Diana was working on, or Patrick’s studies of medicine. Tuki listened to them, felt the warmth of the soup settling in her belly, and felt a different kind of glow accompany it. And she relished it.

For as long as she was able.

----------------------------------------

Tuki couldn’t sleep that night, try as she might. She lay in bed, tossing and turning and staring blankly up at the ceiling, barely visible as shafts of midnight ringlight spilled in through the drapes over the window. Her talons curled and uncurled, her beak occasionally clacked in frustration, and her thoughts spiraled and spun about in a maelstrom of chaos she was powerless to control. And the whole time, a specific string of thoughts returned to her again and again.

‘Just get a good night’s sleep,’ Diana had told her. ‘And enjoy the soup.’ That was it. That was all she wanted of Tuki. That was all she had to do to repay her debt to this family and consider it even. It was such a trivial thing to ask of someone. It was kind. It was generous. It was the sort of compassion Tuki’s family had dearly needed more of as she was growing up.

And it was insufficient.

Tuki rolled over in bed, her brow furrowing and her eyes narrowing in frustration. She wasn’t normally one to get sentimental. She rarely had the chance to. She did her best to be kind to people, yes, to make their fleeting encounters positive and worthwhile. But she rarely felt a need to ask for more than was offered or do more than was expected of her. She wasn’t capable of anything beyond that. But as she turned her thoughts to the coming dawn and her inevitable departure from Idonyr, the usual anticipation of hitting the road was missing. She couldn’t imagine going. Not quite yet, at least.

It wasn’t that the Yearning was gone, either. Far from it. She could never be free from that over something like this. But for this one moment, it wasn’t so insistent that she get up and go. It was pointing somewhere else. It had changed what it wanted of her, and she hated it when it did that. 

Sighing in agitation, Tuki rose from her bed and approached the window. The clouds had cleared during dinner, leaving the silvery arch of the pale ring plain and visible for all to see. She idly traced its lazy slope for the horizon while her thoughts wandered. Diana and her family considered her debt to them repaid if she was rested, but they were wrong. The whole town was suffering. Silently, invisibly, but undeniably. And after the kindness they had shown her, how could she walk away and leave things in such a dire state?

“But what can I do?” she asked of herself in a whisper. “Something. Anything. Inspire me. Give me an idea… Let me do something for them. Please.”

Her eyes followed the ring down, down, down… until it passed behind the distant peaks of the mountains. Her eyes lowered still. Until, at last, they alighted on her inspiration.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The mansion she had seen when she had first arrived in town. The domain of Tobias’ family.

Tuki took a deep breath, her fingers itching. All at once, her Yearning refocused, found direction, tangible direction, pulling her harshly and unquestionably toward the mansion. Ideas and inspiration flocked to her like a murder of crows.

“Tobias has been taking more and more taxes from the people for a while, now,” Tuki whispered to herself, her eyes narrowing. “But nobody’s seen any benefit from it, near as I can tell. But he needs that money for something…”

She turned away from the window, knelt by her bed, and retrieved her pack from underneath it. Reaching in, she pulled out the bundle of leather Diana had picked up earlier and unrolled it across her bed, revealing the array of tools she carried with her. A small file, needles of various lengths and girths, a tiny hammer, scissors, pliers, and more.

“...And I think it’s time someone found out what,” Tuki decided. She made a quick count to ensure she had everything she needed, packed up her gear, and opened the window. She was about to jump out but paused for a moment. She glanced back at the room, wincing guiltily. This is going to be dangerous, she admitted to herself. And I might not be coming back.

Deciding it would not do to vanish entirely, she took the time to extract a single feather from her tail, almost a foot long, and left it on the pillow. Then she was gone out the window, silent as a shadow, and began the journey to Tobias’ mansion.

----------------------------------------

As far as upper-class abodes went, the home of Tobias’ family was on the humble side when compared to some of the lavish mansions Tuki had seen in her travels. Shaped like a particularly embellished brick, the walls of the two-story structure were lined with tall windows. No lights shone from within, as all the fires had been put out, and the drapes were drawn anyway. Not that Tuki could make out any details from here anyway, as a brickwork wall surrounded the entire property. If that wasn’t enough, the faintly audible sound of armored feet shuffling through trimmed grass or over polished cobbles told her the domain had guards on patrol. 

“On any other occasion, I might respect solid security. Tonight, though, it’s just annoying…” she whispered to herself, pressed close to the wall to hide from any sentries who might have been on the roof. She hadn’t seen any, but she wasn’t willing to discount the possibility.

She had done her best to examine the home from a distance, looking for weaknesses or gaps in the defenses. Thankfully, there was a break in the wall along the northern side. Less thankfully, she’d still have to climb up and over, and the stones there looked loose and prone to collapse. The last thing she needed was to make a misstep and draw the entire night staff down on her head.

So instead she pulled out one of the tools in her kit. A grappling hook and a length of fifty feet of rope. Wanting to ensure silence, she took a spare roll of cloth out of her pack and tied strips around the metal prongs to muffle any impacts. It was easier said than done with her wrist as it was, but she could manage. Then she waited, listening carefully to the passage of feet. She waited for the patrol to pass her several times, spending almost fifteen minutes in one place, just to make sure she had the timing of their passage memorized. 

When at last she was confident she had a window of opportunity, Tuki gave her grappling hook a few swings, then threw it up at the top of the wall. She flinched at the slight scrape made by the base of the hook, but no one else seemed to hear it. Tugging it to ensure it was secure, she began her ascent, as quickly and quietly as she could.

The climb was hard on her thighs and shoulders, but the real trouble was in her wrist. She wasn’t exactly heavy, between malnourishment and hollow bones she was fairly light. But even so, trying to lift her weight without being able to make full use of one of her arms made the ascent a slow and cumbersome affair. And that wasn’t the last problem. Once she reached the top of the wall and and put her hook and rope away in her pack, there was the lengthy drop to the other side. It was nothing to clack her beak at, and she was fragile enough as it was. Nor did she have the time to waste on climbing down. Another patrol could cross her path, and failing that, someone up on the roof might look down and spot her. 

Internally resigning herself to the fact this was going to hurt, she lowered herself and dropped as soon as her arms were pulled taut. She bent her knees to soften the impact, and only made a moderate thump, as opposed to a cacophonous one. For once my hollow bones work in my favor, she thought. Her calves and shins burned in protest from the drop, and her wrist was burning in protest. She wouldn’t be using it anymore tonight, she had a feeling. She didn’t allow herself a chance to rest, though. She cast her eyes about quickly to ensure she was in the clear. 

The inside of the fenced-in area was largely as she had expected. A path of cobbled stones encircled the house, framed on either side by neatly maintained grass, shrubbery, and garden flowers. A walk around the mansion would not lack color. Tuki had the good fortune of landing between two such bushes. She tucked herself behind one of them and waited for the next patrol to pass.

The pattern held as she had expected it to, and as soon as the guard had wandered past her, she broke silently from her cover and approached the nearest window. She held an eye up to the narrow gap in the drapes, but in the darkness, she couldn’t see much besides vague shapes. She swore silently and crept along behind the guard, maintaining a constant distance from him while peeking into each window she passed. Each one was the same, and she found she had no confidence to brave any room unless she knew what awaited her.

As the guard rounded to the front of the building, Tuki had to stop. Two guards were stationed in front of the mansion’s entrance. They were bored and sleepy, but Tuki still didn’t want to try sneaking by under their noses. The lit lanterns on their belts would make any such effort a waste of time — and probably a waste of her life. So she doubled back, sacrificing her stable and safe position in exchange for navigational freedom.

Approaching the back of the mansion, she caught sight of something she had not been expecting. A well-maintained patio sprawled out before her, a pair of neat double doors leading into the house. Chairs covered in cloth, presumably nailed to their spot on the ground, were scattered around in clumps of twos and threes. But that wasn’t what had Tuki’s attention. No, it was the square-shaped pit in the center of the patio. It looked decidedly newer than the stone around it, not at all matching the carefully crafted patterns of the floor around it. It was also full of steaming water… and it was glowing.

Curious, Tuki ensured there was no one else in the yard, then darted to the side of the steaming pit. Peaking into the water, her eyes widened.

Magic? She thought as she beheld the unmistakable glow of a ringstone embedded in the bottom of the pit, and arcane runes all along the floor in a neat circle. An eternally warm outdoor bathtub, large enough to comfortably house half a dozen people, and twice that many if they favored intimacy. There was even a step of additional stones that provided seating.

Tuki did not have long to contemplate the strange addition to the property, however. Light fell over her, muted but sharply contrasting with the darkness of the night. Her heart jumped into her throat, and she looked back. Firelight was shining through the drapes of the windows surrounding the back door. Someone was coming. 

Cursing, Tuki rose and sprinted for the nearest cover she could find, a line of flowering shrubs. She threw herself behind them. She had to bite her tongue to keep from hollering as her wrist caught some of the fall, sending lances of fire rolling up and down her arm. She quickly rolled onto her side and curled into a ball to make herself as small as possible. And just in time, too.

The doors opened, and two pairs of footsteps entered the patio. A voice spoke, one Tuki didn’t recognize. That of a woman. “Did you hear something?”

Another voice answered her. Tobias. “Must’ve been one of the guards. You saw them maintaining the grounds, yes?”

The woman hummed. “I… suppose.”

“Come now, there is no need for idle distractions,” Tobias said in a jovial tone that harshly contrasted with the snarling, sputtering brat Tuki had encountered in Diana’s bakery. “Come, Shaela! Come this way, I’ve something to show you.”

The woman, Shaela, let off a weary sigh, and Tuki had the impression she did not care for Tobias but followed along with him regardless. More footsteps, and Tuki estimated they came to a stop by the everwarm bath. “What is this?”

“I had some work done,” Tobias explained. “We had an enchanter in town a few weeks back, didn’t you know? I had him add this to the patio. Look! It never gets cold. A perfect way to warm oneself when the winter snows roll in, hm?”

Shaela hummed softly. “I imagine such an arrangement was costly.”

“Very,” Tobias agreed witlessly. “But very worth it. If it pleases you, my lady, I’d be glad to show you how it works…”

Shaela sighed again. Tuki heard a soft thump and a grunt. “Tobias, are you asking me to strip naked? In your backyard?”

“What? Afraid someone will see you? I suppose that is a fair point. Perhaps inside, then? No prying eyes to behold you, there…” Tobias suggested, and Tuki felt the urge to vomit.

“I… that would be extremely inappropriate, sir,” Shaela said back in a tense voice. “It is late already, and I must be getting home. Your new tub is… intriguing, but my cat will get lonely.”

“So will I, but I suppose I see your point,” Tobias relented. “Still, if I may present you with something before you depart…”

Tuki blinked. Was this man seriously this inept? And oblivious? Why was Shaela even here? She clearly wasn’t interested in the man’s advances. Although Tobias is in a position of power, Tuki considered a moment later, and her features darkened. So she’s either playing along for the benefits involved… or she’s afraid to refuse him outright for fear of the consequences.

Her disdain for Tobias shifted from simple frustration at his ineptitude, to abject disgust.

Tuki heard the rustling of cloth. “Here you are,” Tobias said a moment later. “I am told this comes from the jungles of Orovyr, far to the south. A fine piece of beautiful jewelry to accompany such a pretty face. Do take it, I insist.”

“You are… too kind,” Shaela said haltingly, accepting whatever gift it was Tobias had handed her. “It is beautiful, I will agree.”

“I thought you might,” Tobias said. “Now. May I at least treat you to a glass of wine before you depart?”

“No, thank you. I find I have no stomach for alcohol.”

“A pity. Come, then. I will see you out.”

Tuki held her breath, staying perfectly still as the two walked back inside. Curiously, she heard no click from the door. Shortly after, another patrol passed. And then she was alone. 

Releasing a gasp, Tuki rose from her hiding place and glared at Tobias’ mansion. “What a pig,” she grumbled, making a rude gesture at the home before dusting herself off. Moving quickly, she approached the back door. The lights were still on inside, but she heard no voices. Carefully, she tried the handle. It hadn’t latched.

Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, Tuki slipped a single small needle from her pack into the locking mechanism, then retreated to her hiding place. She didn’t want to be creeping through the mansion while Tobias was still up and about. She waited until the lights were snuffed, then waited for at least three more passes of the patrol. She checked the door to ensure her needle had done the job. It had. If Tobias had tried to lock the door, it had failed to latch. Satisfied, Tuki let herself inside and silently shut the door behind her. 

The interior of the mansion was dark and oppressive, but the ringlight gave Tuki enough light to see by. She had stepped into a small dining room. Three doors led out of the room. One to an empty kitchen, one to a washroom, and one to a long corridor that ran the length of the building. Not finding anything of note in the prior rooms, Tuki took a left out into the corridor and began to explore.

Thankfully, the mansion’s security was stationed outside. The halls were quiet and empty, and Tuki saw no signs of a patrol. Still, she elected not to take or light a candle. Someone might notice it was missing, and she had no desire to draw attention to the fact there had been a break-in. And if there were some sparse patrols, she’d rather not give herself away.

Eventually, her explorations led her to a small office room on the southern side of the building. Bookcases lined the walls, filled with various tomes on an array of subjects. Monetary manuals, history books, guides on etiquette, atlases, and other necessities for running a community like this. None of those would be of any value to Tuki, however. If this room had anything she wanted, it would likely be in the desk off to her left.

Closing the door behind her, Tuki padded to the desk. It was polished dark wood, no doubt not native to this region. She idly marveled at how pretty it was, then took a few moments to ensure all was as it seemed. Testing each drawer handle with her pliers, she found no signs of anything harmful, and the lock on the cabinet door would be easy enough to pick. She elected to leave that be for now, though. Someone might notice.

Moving quickly, she rifled through the drawers, casting her eyes over each sheet in turn. Most of it was uninteresting. Just the usual assortment of paperwork associated with the running of a town. Correspondence with neighbors, letters from concerned civilians, an abbreviated list of local laws and policies, and other such mundanities. But when Tuki reached the third drawer, that was when she found the good stuff.

“Monetary records!” she quietly squealed to herself, pulling out a sheet of parchment. Given what she was here to do, this was practically a goldmine of information. She quickly skimmed the contents, taking in the details as quickly as she could.

The first few sheets were of no note. Shipment manifests from trade partners, maintenance costs. Normal things. But the further down she got, the more oddities she found. 

First was a receipt for an order made to someone in a neighboring town. On the sheet were detailed and elaborate sketches of a rapier, along with prices for each component. According to the notes in the margins, the blade was to be made of solid gold — or at least be covered in gold. That is a lot of zeroes, Tuki thought as she beheld the price listed at the bottom.

Next was a receipt for the tub in the backyard. Different formatting, perhaps, but it was unmistakably proof of purchase. Once again, there were many zeroes. Did Tobias even know how to negotiate? There were books on doing good business ten feet away! Did he just not read? If he didn’t it might go some way toward explaining how magnificently careless he was with his people’s hard-earned coin. 

Pressing on, Tuki found a list of smaller expenses. They were not as expensive as the golden rapier or the tub, but they were still adding up. On the list of items was a ‘rare Orovyri ring.’ Gifts for Shaela, possibly.

There were more expenses, but none quite so notable. A shipment of expensive foods from the larger cities farther into Valriv. Tuki didn’t doubt that the landlord of a town would get to enjoy fancier foods than those they governed, but the expenses still seemed higher than was reasonable for one young man just meant to keep the peace. He was a pig in more ways than one, it seemed, stuffing his face with so many delicacies.

All in all, the man’s spending was the definition of irresponsible. Tuki smiled to herself and quickly stuffed the receipts into her pack. Closing the desk up as well as she could, she turned for the door to take her leave. A new sound halted her. Footsteps approaching.

The doorknob turned.

Tuki ducked low and under the desk, clamping her beak shut as the door swung open, and the flickering light of a held candle filled the room. A tired sigh could be heard, and dragging footsteps closed the distance between them. Tuki held perfectly still, clamping a hand around her beak to keep herself quiet.

“Damn it,” the man grumbled, and again, it was Tobias. Tuki’s blood drained from her face, her heart hammering a powerful rhythm against her ribs. She thought he was asleep! Had insomnia taken him, too?

She waited in silent terror for him to take a seat and see the krauven hiding under the desk. He walked around the desk, his legs becoming visible. He was in his pajamas, reaffirming the suspicion that the man had been unable to find sleep. Not that he had been trying for very long. Thankfully, he did not sit in the chair. Instead, he walked behind the desk. He lazily scanned the shelves, running his fingers along the various tomes.

“Damn coward,” he breathed. “Is it so hard to just say it?” It was then that Tuki saw the sheet of parchment in his hand. The writing on it was different and less formal. A letter, perhaps? He held it up to his face, and read from it a few times. He sighed warily. “Mayhap I should take lessons in poetry over fencing… I’ll not win her over with this drivel.”

Tobias cast the note aside, and it fell uselessly to the floor. Then he turned and walked along the walls, again scanning the shelves. “How did you do it, father? How did you win Mother’s heart? Of course, the moment I need such an answer from you is when you are no longer here to tell me… So hurry back, won’t you?”

For a moment, Tuki almost felt sorry for the man. Almost. If he hadn’t been so unashamedly creepy about his advances a minute ago, she might have.

Tobias wandered the room in a half-sleeping haze for another few moments, mumbling words incoherently to himself. Eventually, he released a truly magnificent yawn and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Tuki’s heart took a long time to calm down. After who knew how long, she crept out of her hiding place.

Gods, it’s time to leave, she thought, holding a hand to her chest. She allowed herself to breathe, and she gasped as the adrenaline fled her. She had what she was here for, there was no point in staying. But curiosity compelled her to pick up the sheet of parchment Tobias had dropped to the floor. She read it.

It was a love letter.

About Shaela.

And it was awful.

Tuki’s neck feathers began to flare up, her cheeks warming. Not because it was in any way arousing or romantic, but out of sheer pity. And also a little bit of disgust.

Still, the gift horse was serving her well so far.

She took the time to scribble all instances of Shaela’s name off the parchment, then stuffed it into her pack with the receipts. That done, her work here was complete. As quietly as she’d come, she departed, leaving nothing behind to mark her having ever been there besides what she took.

----------------------------------------

When Tuki returned to the room Diana and her family had lent her for the night, she practically flopped into bed. At long last, her exhaustion won out, and she drifted into a fitful but ultimately restful slumber. She awoke when the first rays of morning sunlight cleaved through the foothills only a few hours later. A particularly opinionated rooster decided to air its grievances with the gods themselves somewhere outside, bringing an end to any final hopes of sleeping in.

But Tuki was used to being up bright and early. She rose with the sun and ensured the room was as it had been when it had been given to her, tidying up the bed and clearing away any clues, save one, that might have hinted at her presence. She followed Patrick’s instructions, applying some of the tonic he had given her to her bandaged wrist. The numbing sensation was wondrous, especially after the abuse she had put it through that night. That done, she gathered up her things, including the stolen papers hidden carefully away in her pack, and set off down the stairs.

Diana was up and dressed, drinking a mug of something hot and steaming at the dining table. She glanced up at Tuki and put on a friendly smile. “Mornin’, hon. Sleep well?”

“As well as can be expected, yes,” Tuki said with a smile and a warm nod. She eyed Diana’s apron and tilted her head. “Will you be working at the bakery again today?”

Diana lifted her mug and gave a pointed stare at something up and away from her. “Aye… as soon as a certain son of mine finishes getting dressed!” she said, raising her voice for the end.

“I’m trying!” Patrick’s voice hollered back, muffled by walls and distance. “I can’t find my belt!”

Diana’s face fell into her free hand. She groaned in dismay. “Tuki?”

“Uh, yes?”

“Don’t ever have kids.”

Tuki chuckled weakly. “I don’t know that I’ll ever have the time,” she confessed with a lopsided smile. “But I’ll take it under advisement.”

Diana chuckled and gave Tuki another look. Her smile faltered. “Headin’ out, are ya?”

Tuki glanced down at her traveling attire, then shook her head. “Soon, but not quite yet. I was hoping to buy something from your bakery before I hit the road. And there was something else I wanted to do, too.”

Diana turned to her more fully, it now being her turn to tilt her head. “Oh? And what’d that be then?”

Tuki smiled cryptically at her. “It’s a surprise.”

Diana matched the smile. “Ooh, so that’s how it’s gonna be, is it little Miss Raven?” she asked coyly. “Alright, then, keep your secrets. You can go on ahead to the bakery if ya like. I’ll be along soon.”

Tuki nodded. “Right. And Diana?”

“Mm?”

Tuki’s smile widened. She put a hand to her heart and bowed her head down. “Thank you.”

Diana rolled her eyes and waved a hand dismissively. “Aw, c’mon, now, nonna that fancy gratitude malarky. You’re welcome, but don’t make it weird, ya hear?”

Tuki tittered quietly. “Right. I’ll see you later,” she said before turning and taking her leave.

The day she had arrived in Idonyr, the weather had been grey and gloomy to match the dreary vibe of the town. A fitting backdrop to her mood and the usual discomfort of her usual day. This morning, however, the clouds had parted, and as if to compliment her good mood, she was met by a beautiful day. Resplendent sunshine came from on high, and while Idonyr was still grey, it was no longer quite so gloomy. The stone buildings almost seemed to glow, reflecting warmth that contrasted nicely against the chill of the foothills. Tuki beamed, hefted her pack, and set off for the tower in the center of town, and the notice board beside it.

Only a handful of people were out and about when she arrived. That was good. Finding a space behind a nearby building to wait, she carefully extracted a few nails and the records she had pilfered from Tobias’ mansion. Once she was sure she had everything she needed, she waited until no one was looking, and then marched briskly for the notice board. She looked around to make sure no one had eyes on her, then quietly pinned each sheet to the board in a disorganized, obvious spread. Once she was sure an errant breeze wouldn’t whisk away her work, she nodded in approval and briskly strode for the bakery.

All that remained was to wait.

It was only a few minutes before Diana and Patrick arrived. Tuki had taken up a position by the door, her small pouch of coins in hand. She smiled at the arriving duo and tossed the pouch at Diana as she approached. “Catch!” she called.

Diana caught the coin with both hands, grunting in surprise. Then she looked at Tuki with a quirked brow. “You tryin’ to buy out my entire stock, Fletcher?” she asked with an amused smirk.

“We can call it payment for a night in your guest room if that bothers you,” Tuki shot back with a smile of her own.

“Nah nah, that was free,” Diana countered.

“Then I guess I’m buying a lot of food for the road,” Tuki concluded with a nod. “Something that won’t perish easily, if you have anything like that.”

“Well, not on hand,” Diana muttered, rubbing at her chin. “We talkin’ hard tack?”

“That’s one option.”

Diana nodded. “Right, I’ll see what I can throw together. Patrick?”

The two unlocked the door and strode inside, Tuki following them in. She found a seat by the window and got as comfortable as she could. As she waited, her eyes darted to the noticeboard every so often. It wouldn’t take long for someone to spot the papers, would it? She’d like to see the fruits of her labor before she moved on.

“What’ch’ya lookin’ at?” Diana asked after a few minutes, emerging from the back of the bakery. She carried something wrapped in parchment and set it on the table in front of Tuki.

“Just admiring the tower,” Tuki lied, unwrapping the paper curiously. Her eyes widened when she saw one of those delectable blueberry muffins she had seen the day before. “Woah. I didn’t…”

“We’ll consider it a part of your order. Just take it, would ya? Get it outta my storage before it goes stale,” Diana cut her off with a smirk. “Besides, it's berry. Don’t krauven like berries?”

“That is a stereotype. It also just so happens to be true,” Tuki said while happily ripping some of the muffin away with her beak. 

Diana cackled and sat down across from Tuki. “Business ain’t gonna pick up for a little bit yet. So. What’s this super secret surprise you’re brewin’ up for us?” she asked eagerly.

Tuki glanced at the notice board again, and this time, there was someone there. A middle-aged fellow with a bald head and a strikingly red shirt was reading one of the sheets she had pinned up. Diana followed her gaze and tilted her head. “...Is Rupert somehow involved?” she asked, nodding at the man in question. “Cause uh… He’s an asshole.”

“No, no,” Tuki assured Diana, trying to hide the smirk in her voice. “Give it a minute. It’s cooking.”

“Cooking?” Diana asked. “Oh, now I’m really curious. What is it? C’mon, ya can’t keep jerkin’ me around like this! It’s not fair!”

“The best way I could think of to repay my debt to you,” Tuki finally said, giving Diana another smile.

Diana blinked. “You still on about that?” she asked.

Tuki nibbled on her muffin some more. “Where I came from, I was raised to always repay my debts. My people are often scorned and looked down on in these human-dominated lands. So when one does good by us, we should do good by them in return. So I am still on about that, yes.”

Diana’s smile returned, a more heartfelt and tender version this time. “That’s a good life lesson. Now if only more humans taught it to their young ones. Not whatever crap Tobias had force-fed into his noggin’.”

As if on cue, a loud voice rang out from the notice board, deafening in its volume. “That mother FUCKER!”

Tuki and Diana both turned to look to see Rupert’s shoulder hunched. Even from here, Tuki could see that the man’s flesh was flushing red with uncontrollable fury. 

Diana blinked. “The bloody hell’s gotten up his arse this time?” she asked, rising from her seat.

Tuki smirked. That shout had drawn the attention of a few other passersby, who were starting to approach. One of them, a younger man, called over. “Rupert? What’s wrong?”

Rupert spun, holding the parchment in his hand up high. Even from here, Tuki could recognize it as the receipt for that gaudy golden rapier. “Everyone! Come here and look at this!”

Diana’s brow furrowed. “Right, I gotta bad feelin’,” she said before calling back over her shoulder. “Patrick! Somethin’s goin’ on out front! I’m gonna check it out! You and Tuki stay put!” she hollered.

Patrick poked his head out of the kitchen door. “What’s happening?”

“Dunno yet,” Diana said before stepping out. Tuki rose and strode to the door as well. Not to step outside, but to listen in on what was happening more easily.

The crowd was growing as more and more people came to see what all the fuss was about. As more eyes looked over the stolen receipts, more voices rose in unabashed fury. 

“He spent how much?! On a sword?!”

“Are we certain it’s him?”

“That’s his bloody signature, ain’t it?”

“The handwriting’s all the same…”

“And look at this! Look at all of this food! Bloody hell, I could feed my entire family for a month with half of this gock!”

“The hell’s a hot tub?”

“The man’s a bloody leech! This is what he’s blowing all our money on?!”

Patrick stepped up beside Tuki as the crowd grew increasingly incensed. He frowned and glanced sideways at her. He didn’t say anything, though. She just smiled, wider and wider with every new voice.

Even Diana’s voice was joining the outrage. “That pig-slobbering cock!” she roared like an enraged mother bear.

“We can’t let him get away with this!” another voice added. “If the money were goin’ to somehow makin’ our lives better, I might not mind so much! Better granaries or a new schoolhouse or something. But this?!”

“And who knows what other crap he’s blowin’ our money on!”

Diana’s voice came again. “And what the hell is this? Give that here, Rupert.”

“I don’t think you want to—”

“Rupert.”

Rupert shrank away from Diana and sheepishly passed her the sheet of parchment. Tuki tensed. She looked sideways at Patrick. “Brace yourself.”

Patrick looked at her, his jaw falling open. “Huh?”

And then Diana began to read.

“There are words scribbled out. Names, I think. It’s a… love letter? Um… I’ll just skip over the name. Ahem. ‘My dearest. How do I begin to describe the delight I feel in your presence? Nay, mere words could not capture your divine essence. Brown hair, cascading down like a waterfall, but better. But, unlike a waterfall, your hair is not wet, unless you wash it. Which you do, sometimes.”

Tuki was blushing again, and Patrick seemed to be in similar straits. He held a hand up to his mouth. The crowd looked to be suffering just as much, though some of them were snickering.

Diana, sounding increasingly bemused, continued. “Your eyes, like polished marbles. They sparkle when you blink, enchanting and exhilarating. Lashes that flutter like a— fuckin’ — like a horse’s tail’?!” she stopped reading and burst out laughing. “Good gods, I think the bloodline ends with him!”

Patrick doubled over, choking out a snort of laughter. “M-mother!” he chided between wheezes of uncomfortable chuckles.

“Does it say more?!” another man in the crowd asked. “Please tell me there’s more! I can tell my son all the shit you don’t say to a woman!”

“Are you a woman, Murdoch?” Diana called over to him.

“...No.”

“Then let me be the judge!” Diana jeered before adding in a lower voice. “Not that you’d be wrong regardless…”

Tuki chuckled as Diana continued reading Tobias’ truly awful, awful love letter. She didn’t see any sign of Shaela in the crowd, which she counted as a good thing. She could only imagine how humiliating it would be for her to hear such ‘colorful’ prose written about her.

As Diana started to read into Tobias’ musings about how he imagined how best to court her, Tuki cast her eyes about again. Her smile became strained when she saw a certain someone marching down the road for the tower. The author of the letter being read out loud to the entire town.

His footsteps slowed, the color draining from his face. Then it returned, deepened to a truly impressive shade of scarlet, and consumed the whole of his face, neck, and the tips of his ears. Tuki had to imagine steam puffing out of his ears.

“What the hell are you doing?!” he squealed in a most undignified manner, sprinting toward the crowd. “Stop reading that at once!”

“Oh, and here comes the frustrated virgin!” Diana called out to him. “I was just gettin’ to the part about this mystery woman’s—”

“I said stop!” Tobias bellowed, shoving through the crowd and forcefully ripping the letter out of Diana’s hands. He cast his eyes about, swiftly spotting the other sheets, and darted like a frenzied viper, snatching them up. “Who gave you these?! Tell me, I command you!”

“Stuff you and your commands!” one of the men in the crowd snapped, stepping forward to shove Tobias back. “Is this how you’ve been gettin’ your kicks while we’re bleedin’ money and goin’ hungry?! A fancy sword! A magic tub! And this?!”

Tobias’ face was turning redder and redder. “Silence! I am your governor! How dare you speak to me in such a—”

“How dare us?!” Diana snapped, stepping forward and shoving Tobias to the ground. “How dare you! I knew you were a spoiled little brat, Toby, but I never thought you were an idiot and a creep, too! Shame on you! Shame!”

In a matter of seconds, the word ‘shame’ was being loudly and proudly chanted at the sprawled little lordling. His tomato-faced complexion warred admirably with the ashen one trying to take over. His eyes were wide, his jaw working up and down in shock. He looked like a helpless fish suffocating on the dock.

Again, Tuki almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

Tobias looked around in wide-eyed confusion as if he was lost. Until, eventually, his eyes landed on Tuki standing in the doorway of the bakery. They locked onto her, hardened, and suddenly the feathers on the back of Tuki’s neck stood on end.

Tobias rose, his hands clenching into fists. He lifted a finger and pointed it at Tuki. “Look!” he roared like an enraged bear. Several eyes briefly followed his finger, but most kept chanting shame on his head. Tuki still took a step back, however.

“The krauven!” Tobias went on. “The outsider! These— these outlandish records are not real! They are a fabrication! They are falsehoods made by this— this cawker!”

Tuki involuntarily hissed, her feathers flaring in a display of indignant rage. Several voices rose from the crowd, some heaping more shame on his head for daring to drop the old racial slur, others still calling him out far trying to dodge accountability. 

“Oh, sure,” Diana mocked. “Because your red-faced panic at me readin’ your ‘poetry’ was the response of an innocent man!”

“What evidence do you have that these records are true?!” Tobias demanded, spinning to face the rest of them. “Fine, I’ll accept the letter as mine! A letter I never sent because I know it’s awful! But the rest?! The receipts!? Mere words, devoid of substance! Where is the proof?! Where is the other party with whom I supposedly did business who can verify the veracity?! Do you not see that you’ve been duped by an outsider?! A Parvoran agent sent to cause chaos while my father is away were I to guess!”

Diana crossed her arms. “Boy. Stop. If the letter is yours, then all this other shit came from the same place. And the handwritin’s exactly the same. It’s done. We’ve got your number.”

“But it is what krauven do!” Tobias insisted. “They lie and steal and scurry away before anyone even realizes what they’ve done!”

“No, boy,” Diana shot back. “That’s just you. So scurry.”

“Yeah, bugger off back to your mansion!” another voice shouted.

“And drop the taxes while you’re at it!”

“I think we should hang the bastard!”

“His father won’t approve of that. But we can break his knees!”

Tobias took a step back as the crowd grew increasingly agitated, Diana at the head. He looked around frantically, his fingers flexing and curling over and over as if he were hoping for a solution to magically manifest in his palm. 

“You’re a bloody disgrace!” Diana continued, jabbing her finger in Tobias’ nose. “Your father’s a great man, and you’ll never be half of who he is! Never!”

Something in Tobias’ stance changed. He drew back, and in a blur of movement, his fist crashed into Diana’s face. The crowd gasped and backed away as the baker fell to the ground, screaming and cradling her face.

Patrick sprang into motion instantly. “Mother!” he shouted, already fumbling for his medical kit. Tuki was hot on his heels, her gratification at seeing Tobias so thoroughly humiliated immediately replaced with guilt.

“Back! Back!” Tobias yelled, his voice shaking and unhinged as the crowd roared around him. “Get away from me, you savages!”

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Tuki snapped as she and Patrick made it to Diana’s side, no longer able to maintain her silence. 

Tobias spun on her, and the feathers on the back of her neck flared in response to the manic look in his eyes. He pointed at her. “You. You will pay for this!” Then he rushed her. 

Tuki’s heart skipped a beat, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Time seemed to slow as he drew his fist back and threw himself at her. But his punch was slow, clumsy, and telegraphed. She ducked down and darted past him, evading the attack with minimal effort. As she passed, she caught sight of the hilt of his rapier still sheathed on his belt. On instinct, she reached out with her good hand and grabbed the hilt as she passed. There was a jerking motion as her shoulder jostled. Her efforts were rewarded, however, with a sharp scrape, and the satisfying feeling of a weapon in her hand.

She passed Tobias and quickly turned to face him, lifting the stolen rapier’s blade. Tobias spun around with a barbaric roar but drew to a halt just shy of impaling himself between the eyes with his own sword. The crowd gasped, many people flinching in alarm. The fury faded from Tobias’ face, replaced entirely with silent, bone-cold terror.

Tuki didn’t move. She was breathing heavily, but that was more from the remnants of her moment of panic at being charged like that. She hadn’t even been think when she had grabbed his sword. She just did it. Now she had it pressed to his forehead. She could kill him quite easily if such was her intent. But she had no desire to be labeled an outlaw for murdering the son of a popular landlord, and self-defense probably wouldn’t be a sufficient excuse to give her a free pass.

Still, as long as she was in this position… she may as well take advantage of it.

“Confess,” she said, narrowing her eyes.

Tobias blinked. “W-what?”

“Confess to these people,” she pressed, pushing the tip of the rapier slightly forward. Not enough to draw blood, but enough to make sure he felt it. “Admit that you’ve been wasting their money on your own vain pleasures. Admit that you are nothing like your father. Admit that these people deserve better, and walk back every change you’ve made since you took over.”

“W-why?!” Tobias demanded, unable to hide the terrified shivering in his voice. He tried to back away, but Tuki matched his retreat. “W-why do you even care? Y-you’re an outsider!”

“I am an outsider, yes. But I also have friends here. And I’d rather not see them suffer to maintain your fragile ego,” she hissed at him, her feathers flaring again. “Also, you called me a cawker.”

Tobias’ legs were shaking, and his knees slowly gave out. He fell onto them, and Tuki followed him with the rapier. “I can’t,” he whimpered, his eyes watering.

Tuki frowned and pushed the rapier a little closer, creating a shallow dimple in his forehead. “You can,” she stressed. “And you will. Unless, of course, you want me to leave you to an angry mob?”

Tobias’ eyes flicked this way and that, taking in the angry crowd. They were silent, but the rage and contempt in their eyes was evident. If Tuki didn’t kill him, they certainly would. A realization he seemed to come to on his own time. He swallowed heavily and, barely stifling his sobs, screwed his eyes shut. “F-fine!” he blubbered weakly. “I admit it! The receipts are mine. They’re real. I started raising tax money to… treat myself. It was all going to go back to normal when Father returned, I swear! It was just…”

“Just what?” Tuki sneered.

Tobias shuddered. “...Stupid.”

Tuki nodded. “Good answer,” she said. “And the rest?”

Tobias choked on his words a few times. “I w-will speak to my clerks,” he finally relented. “All of the changes I’ve made, the tax increases, will be reverted.”

“Will you be paying these people back for what you stole from them?” Tuki asked.

“B-but,” Tobias began to protest, but a snarl from somewhere in the crowd silenced him. He looked down and nodded his head. “As much as I can. I swear it, in my family’s name. B-but… not all of it is… mine… anymore.”

“Well, then you’d best start working to earn it back,” Tuki said. “And when your father comes home, you throw yourself at his feet, you beg forgiveness for shaming his bloodline, for throwing his town into such financial ruin, and for being the worst courter of women in all of Valriv.”

“I swear it,” Tobias babbled.

“On your honor? No, you don’t have any. On your father’s honor. In his name.”

“Yes! I swear it, in my father’s name and on his honor, I will do what you ask!”

Tuki was quiet a moment longer, letting his declaration settle in with finality. Then she smiled and lifted the rapier away from Tobias. “Then we’re done here.”

Tobias didn’t waste a second. He scrambled away like a frightened cat on a polished surface, tripping over himself time and again as, crying like a scorned child, he went running back to his mansion. Tuki blinked, then reached after him. “Hey, wait! You forgot your… rapier.”

He was gone. Tuki blinked and looked down at the weapon. Then she shrugged. I guess this is mine, now, she thought. 

Then she looked down at Diana. The woman’s nose was bleeding and had an ugly bend in it halfway up, but she otherwise seemed fine. She was staring at Tuki with wide eyes, as was everyone else. Tuki felt her cheeks warming from all the attention and coughed into her hand. Setting the rapier down to free up her good hand, she reached down to help Diana up. “Ahem. Are you okay?”

Diana accepted the hand, helped to her feet by Tuki and Patrick. She stared at the krauven for a long moment, pale-faced. “Was… that the surprise?” she asked.

Tuki flushed a little deeper. “Well… not the violence. Or you getting punched. Or any of the rest of it,” she confessed awkwardly. “But I did want to bring his misdeeds out into the public. Shame him into doing better. I… should’ve realized he’d react violently. Brats often do. I’m sorry.”

Diana shook her head. “No! No, no, darlin’, don’t you dare apologize! I don’t care that I have a broken nose, did you see the look on his face?!” she asked with a wide grin. “And gratification notwithstandin’, you made that bastard walk back everything! How’d you get those things?”

Tuki laughed weakly. “I think that is one secret I will be keeping.”

Diana snorted. “Go figure. Ah, damn, that smarts,” she hissed, holding a hand up to her face.

“I really should examine it more closely, mother,” Patrick stressed worriedly. “Please.”

“Nah, nah, that can wait,” Diana declared before giving Tuki a wide smile. “I think Idonyr just got itself a new hero, eh?”

Tuki blushed and looked away. “I don’t know about that. I just… wanted to repay what I owed you.”

“By holding a rapier to our landlord’s forehead?!” Diana laughed in exasperation.

Tuki’s feathers poofed up. “I didn’t plan for that. And I wasn’t actually going to hurt him.”

Someone in the crowd scoffed. “I would’ve.”

Diana laughed and patted Tuki on the shoulder. “You, girl, are too nice for your own good. But that’s a good thing.”

Tuki smiled. “Thank you.”

Diana shook her head. “Nah. Thank you,” she said before spinning around and raising her voice to address the crowd. “And you all better thank her, too! Three cheers for Tuki Fletcher!”

Tuki stopped, her face getting hot again. “Wait, no—”

Too late.

The cheers had begun.

And there was more than just huzzahs coming her way. Shouted words of gratitude and appreciation for the aid, calls that she’d always be welcome in Idonyr, and more besides. It floored her. Tuki was used to being doubted, scorned, and shunned because of the feathers on her back and the curse of the Yearning in her heart. But here, for this moment, in this place, she was being hailed and cheered as a hero. A small hero, sure, one whose good deed did not extend beyond the confines of a stepping-stone village in the middle of nowhere. But still.

For the first time in what felt like forever, she held still. She didn’t move. She just let it all fall on her. She might not ever come back here, she knew. She was too fragile, and the road was dangerous. She’d be on it again soon. But for that brief instant, she felt no need to press on. A tiny smile crept onto her face. For the moment, at least, her Yearning was satisfied. 

And so was she.

----------------------------------------

As much as Diana would have liked for Tuki to stay in Idonyr, at least for a while, the Yearning did call her away eventually. The krauven spent the remainder of that day in the small town, mostly because the grateful townsfolk were not in any rush to let her leave. A whole host of people wanted the chance to personally express their gratitude, and some even offered to reward her in some capacity. Diana had fought to hold in her laughs as Tuki, humble to a fault, tried and failed to refuse many of the offerings. She was even successful in turning down a few of them. Things she had no use for or could not reasonably carry with her.

Tuki stayed in Diana’s house one more night, at Diana’s insistence, walking back her earlier statement that the room would be free for only one night. Tuki had earned that much in her opinion, if nothing else. And when the sun rose, so too did the announcements come through the town from the mansion. Tobias himself did not advance to speak on the matter, humiliated as he was, but one of his guards. Diana had been half-expecting the man to not honor his word, but he did. All of his obnoxious tax hikes were repealed, or at least heavily decreased. Repayments would take longer to organize, but the soldier had said that Tobias ‘promised to work toward that as well.’

He’d bloody better, Diana thought. Or he’ll have to answer to all of us. And his father.

It wasn’t long after that announcement that Tuki arrived in the bakery. She was dressed in her travel gear, and Diana knew it was time. She smiled softly. “So. Time to say goodbye, is it?” she asked softly.

Tuki nodded. “Yes. I can’t stay put any longer,” she said before looking down. “...even if I’d really like to stay.”

Diana sighed and stepped out from behind the counter to give Tuki a friendly hug. “Hey, now. No regrets, ya hear? You said it yourself, didn’t ya? Ya can’t ignore your Yearnin’.”

Tuki laughed quietly and awkwardly returned the hug. “No. I can’t. Thank you for understanding.”

“I’m not rightly sure I can understand,” Diana replied, pulling out of the hug and giving Tuki an affectionate pat on the shoulder “I ain’t no krauven. But I do know it’d be wrong of me to keep ya here if the road’s callin’. I ain’t your master. Just a friend ya met on your way.”

Tuki looked down for a moment, her beak clacking quietly as she fished for something to say. In the end, she lifted her eyes to meet Diana’s. When she spoke again, it wasn’t in the common tongue. A string of chirps, whistles, and trills filled the bakery, lingering pleasantly in Diana’s ears before fading into silence. 

Diana blinked. “What was that?”

Tuki’s smile grew. “I’ll tell you… the next time I’m passing through,” she said.

Diana stared at her, then gave a large grin. “You cocky little— Ha! I see what you’re doin’. Now, ya gotta pass through again, don’t’cha?”

Tuki nodded. “Something like that, I suppose.”

Diana chuckled heartily and gave Tuki another pat on the shoulder. “Well, you just take care out there, ya hear me? I don’t wanna be hearin’ it some years down the line that you went and got yourself killed.”

Tuki’s smile took on a sad quality. “I’ll do my best.”

“And find whatever it is that blasted Yearnin’ wants from ya, eh?” Diana pressed, this time poking Tuki on the tip of the beak, making her briefly go cross-eyed. “And if ya can, maybe drag it back here. So I can give it a piece of my mind for wearin’ you so thin.”

Tuki giggled and scratched the tip of her beak. “I’m not sure it works like that, but I’ll try.”

“Try hard,” Diana instructed before taking a step back. “Now go on. Get outta here. I’ve never been any good at these long goodbyes. Mostly ‘cause once I get all sappy I can’t shut the hell up, and I’ve held ya long enough.”

Tuki laughed again. Then she stepped into the frame of the exit. “Right… Goodbye, Diana. And thank you.”

“My pleasure, girl,” Diana responded.

Tuki nodded her head into a respectful bow. Then she turned, walked out the door, and was gone.

Diana stared at the empty space where the krauven had been. She took in a deep breath, then returned to her place behind the counter. The day was only just getting started.

----------------------------------------

The hours felt longer than usual. People passed through Idonyr all the time, but it was rare that any of them made much of an impression, or became such quick friends with her. But Tuki had made that impression, and as quickly as she’d come, she was gone. The bittersweet feeling lingered, and Diana wound up closing the bakery early. 

That night, she stepped into the room Tuki had slept in. Just to make sure that everything was where it should be. Tuki had promised to take care of Lucia’s room, but Diana just had to be sure. Pale ringlight and the last vestiges of the sun’s golden glow filtered in through the drapes, leaving everything bathed in an almost dreamlike luminance.

Diana’s eyes roved over the space. All was as it was supposed to be. Nothing was missing, nothing was out of place. But there was one thing that had been added, and Diana had to smile and laugh when she saw it.

A single black tailfeather, resting lightly on the pillow.