In the end, Ria didn't sleep that night, catnapping here and there in between prepping for her journey. Yes, she didn't physically have many belongings but she needed to be as mentally prepared as possible. She spent a good portion of the night studying the map, trying to translate the geography into features that she could recognize. Nerves and excitement gnawed at the pit of her stomach. While she was excited to be going in search of information, she had never been a field researcher before. She knew that there were things that she just wasn't seeing but she needed to prepare to the best of her abilities and pray that it was enough when the time came.

The pre-dawn was just beginning to lighten the sky when she gave up on slumber entirely, double-checking her pack and safely stowing it away in the inventory before dressing in the outfit she had received on the first day. It was by far the sturdiest, most practical set of clothes she currently owned and would endure the wear and tear of travel the best. Pulling her hair back into a simple braid, she decided that she was as ready as she could be and finally left the room that had somehow become hers over the past few weeks.

She descended the stairs quietly, worried that she would wake Faye and Lynne, only to find all three members of the Kiftan family already awake and gathered together in the kitchen. She paused in the doorway for a long moment before Lynne looked up and beamed at her, waving for her to come join them. Ria allowed herself to be drawn into the quiet warmth, Ward passing her a mug of coffee before he returned to going over an impressive assortment of weaponry.

She should probably be horrified by the sheer amount of weapons that he deemed necessary for a circuit but she found herself fascinated by the assortment and amount on display. She made a mental note to ask about them later before moving over and offering to help Faye with breakfast.

The older woman quietly thanked her but shooed her away to sit at the table, saying that she wanted to do one last thing for her before she left. In her mind, Faye had already done more than enough and then some, but Ria wouldn't spit on her kindness, not after all that she had done for her.

Instead, she pulled out the chair next to Lynne, the girl looking mostly asleep while she was chatting with Ward. Which reminded her, she hadn't had a chance to give the gift she had selected to Lynne. She waited until there was a break in the sibling's conversation to say quietly, "Hey, Lynne?"

Lynne turned and offered her a sleepy smile, "Hmmm?"

Ria pulled out the figurine that she had been carrying in her pocket since market day and set it gently on the table. "I found this in the market and got it for you. A memento of our first adventure together, if you will."

Lynne brightened at that, her smile warm as she reached out and gently picked it up and cradled it. "Oooh, it's soooo adorable. Thank you so much, Ria!" She pouted slightly, "I wish you didn't have to go."

Ria's heart melted at the adorableness but she stood firm. "I know, but I have to go. I need to find answers so I can get back to my sister. I miss her very much. However, we still have the guide so we can still talk. You can tell me all about what you're doing and how your day went. Not only that, but I can tell you all the things that I see and discover on the road. It will be a glimpse into your world from a whole new perspective. After all, the world I come from had green trees with brown trunks and branches, just imagine what other differences I might find."

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Lynne giggled at that, "Green and brown trees, that sounds so odd."

Ria offered her a tiny smirk, "Well, maybe it's the purple trees that are odd. Although I do admit that their scents are very pleasant."

Lynne huffed a sigh, "Very well, I'm sure that your Charlotte misses you very much which is the only reason that I am letting you go. But until you leave, you must tell me everything that you see and discover."

Ria nodded, "Of course, I promise. Ward will remind me if I forget, won't you?"

She glanced over at Ward who nodded and gave a quiet hum. "Of course, squirt. Maybe if you're busy bugging her, I'll get some peace for a change."

Lynne gave a small cry of outrage but before she could retaliate or respond, Faye called them to order, "Lynne, let it go. You know that you ask a million and one questions, darling. It's your love language. Ward, put your weapons away, we need the table for breakfast and your items are taking up all the space. Also, don't forget to give Ria a dagger for the road, it's necessary for travel."

Ward obediently started gathering up his weapons and stowing them away. "No need, she got a lovely dalph dagger at market day. It'll be large enough for her to use on the road but not so large as to be cumbersome or unusable where she's unused to wielding weapons. She held a clerk-type position back on her planet, mostly desk and paperwork to the best of my understanding."

Faye gave a quiet hum. "It's good that she thought ahead then. Make sure that you show her some basic self-defense as well. It won't hurt her to have some skills when she returns to her planet."

Ria volunteered softly, "I have had a little bit of self-defense training. Father insisted upon it for both Charlotte and myself in case our guards couldn't protect us. But it has been a few years since I actually practiced it."

Ward nodded, looking pleased. "We'll get a baseline later then and I can fill in any gaps if necessary."

Ria could see from the corner of her eye Lynne opening her mouth to undoubtedly ask about her guard comment but Faye thankfully headed her off. "Lynne, can you please set the table while this finishes up? Then we can all eat before Ria and Ward head out."

The siblings bantered back and forth as they quickly accomplished the tasks for their mother. Ria moved back over to the doorway so that she wouldn't interfere with the process. She couldn't help smiling as she sipped her coffee, they were such a warm, caring family. If she ended up unable to return to Earth, she wouldn't mind being considered part of this family. Of course, that was only if she didn't find any other recourse, but it wasn't as awful a thought as it would've been at the beginning.

It only took a few minutes for the table to be cleared, set, and breakfast served. Ria dug in, trying to burn everything into her memory. There was a very good chance that she wouldn't return here again and she wanted to remember it. Faye told stories of folklore regarding travel in Audrilandre, Lynne gave her a long list of things to remember, and Ward just watched his family with a fond expression as he ate.

However, despite how all of them lingered, breakfast eventually ended and it was time for them to depart. Both Faye and Lynne hugged her tightly and Faye murmured in her ear, "You're always welcome here, no matter what. May you find what you're looking for. Safe travels, may the stars guide you."

Ria hugged her tighter, "Thank you so much for opening your home to me. You made a strange, frightening situation into a learning experience and a safe haven. I can never thank you enough."

Faye pulled back and smiled warmly at her. "I just did what I hoped people would do for my children if they should end up somewhere foreign and frightening. Take care of yourself."

They quickly finished their goodbyes and then Ward was guiding her down the street. As they rounded the corner, she started to look back, only for Ward to guide her forward. He murmured, "Don't look back, you will only break your heart or choose to stay."

She nodded and took a deep breath, falling into step with him and ignoring the stray tear that trickled down her face. She was going to miss them.