After a few well-earned hours of rest, the trio gathered in the inn’s common room, where the fire crackled in the hearth and the heavy scent of roast meat filled the air. It was time to face the inevitable: the next part of their journey.
Fai, her mind still buzzing with the events of the past few days, sat at a corner table, a mug of ale clutched in her hands. Her fingers traced the rim absently. There was a flicker of quiet pride in her chest for all she had accomplished. They’d survived the sewers, faced a horde of kobolds, and come out the other side unscathed. In any other world, that would’ve been enough. But Fai knew her adventure had just begun.
Uthern leaned in close, his booming voice breaking her reverie. “Ye ready, lass? I’m thinkin’ of taking the long road to the next town. The bandits there have been makin’ a mess of the trade routes, and the job offers a nice payday. What say ye?”
Fai gave a slow nod. “I’m ready. But, Uthern… can we talk about something first?”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Aye, go on. What’s botherin’ ye?”
Fai hesitated, unsure of how to frame her thoughts. “I… well, I feel like I’ve done well these past few days. But I still feel… unseen, you know? Like, I’ve helped, I’ve fought, but it’s not enough. My family, back home, they don’t see me as anything more than the quiet one. The girl who hides behind books, who never gets noticed at the dinner table.”
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Ari, who had been sharpening her knives across the room, glanced up at Fai’s words, her usual playful grin softening. She stood, moving over to the table and dropping into the seat beside Fai.
“You don’t need their approval, Fai,” Ari said, her voice low but steady. “You’ve earned your place here. With us. And if they can’t see that, then they’re blind.”
Fai smiled gratefully at Ari, but Uthern cut in, shaking his head with a playful grin. “Aye, Ari’s right. But what if the road ahead gave ye a chance to prove yer worth? Not just to them, but to yourself, too? Maybe it’s time for ye to lead a little bit. Take charge, make your own mark.”
Fai’s eyes widened. “Lead?”
“Aye,” Uthern grinned, “I’ve seen the way ye think. The way yer mind works. Ye’ve got the makings of a leader in ye, lass. And I think it’s time to let that part of ye out.”
Fai chewed on his words. Could she do it? Could she really lead them down the long road to the next town? The bandits would be dangerous, there was no question about it. But something stirred inside her—a quiet, growing confidence that perhaps this was her chance. The opportunity to prove to herself that she was more than just the quiet observer.
She took a deep breath, her voice steady when she spoke. “Alright. I’ll lead. But I’ll need your help. All of you. I can’t do this alone.”
Ari’s grin returned in full force. “Of course. You lead, we follow. Simple enough.”
Uthern raised his mug with a grin. “To the next step in yer journey, lass. Let’s make it count.”
Fai smiled, raising her own mug in response. For the first time in a long while, she felt like maybe—just maybe—she could step out of the shadows and into the light.