Three days of walking brought them to a small trading post nestled at the foot of the mountains.
It wasn't much—a few wooden buildings huddled together, a stable with thin horses, an inn that doubled as a general store. Smoke rose from a single chimney. The road behind them stretched empty. The road ahead climbed toward grey peaks.
Lyra stopped in the middle of the dusty street and dropped her pack.
Lyra: My feet are done. We're buying wheels.
Dorn: We have coins for that?
Leon: We have jars for that.
He'd brought a small supply of the magic grenades—enough to sell, enough to keep. The merchant in the trading post eyed them with suspicion at first, then with interest, then with greed. They left with a pouch of coins and directions to a man selling a used carriage.
The carriage was small. Cramped. Built for four, not five.
Vex circled it slowly, her sharp eyes taking in every detail—the wheels, the axle, the worn seats inside.
Vex: We'll never fit.
Dorn: We'll make it work.
Lyra was already climbing inside, testing the space. She ended up half on Dorn's lap, her grin wide and unapologetic.
Lyra: Cozy.
Dorn said nothing, but his ears reddened. Lyra noticed. Her grin widened.
Vex took the driver's seat without a word, gathering the reins in her hands. She'd mentioned it once, back in Greyhaven—something about her past, about driving carriages through worse roads than this. No one had asked for details. No one did now.
Vex: Someone sit up front with me. Company helps.
Sylas volunteered, settling onto the bench beside her. The carriage lurched forward, wheels creaking, and they left the trading post behind.
---
The first day on the road was awkward.
The carriage bounced over every rock and root. Inside, Lyra and Dorn were pressed together whether they wanted to be or not. Lyra seemed to want to be. Dorn seemed to be trying very hard not to think about it.
Leon sat across from them, using the jostling as an excuse to practice his forging. Small weapons—daggers, mostly—forming and dissolving in his hands as he worked on speed and precision.
Sylas and Vex talked quietly up front, their voices carried away by the wind.
By evening, they'd made good distance. The mountains loomed closer, their peaks catching the last light.
Leon found a flat spot away from the road and raised his hands. Earth answered.
Walls rose from the ground—smooth, solid, forming a small cabin with a low roof. It wasn't large, but it was shelter. The others watched, still not quite used to it.
Lyra: You can just… do that now?
Leon: I'm learning.
Inside, he shaped benches along the walls. A small fire pit in the center. Enough space for all of them to sleep without touching.
Lyra: No bath?
Leon: Tomorrow.
She laughed, genuinely surprised.
Lyra: You were serious about that?
Leon: We have weeks of travel. Might as well be comfortable.
---
The second night, he kept his promise.
A separate enclosure this time, larger than the cabin itself. Inside, he shaped a pool into the earth—wide enough for all of them, deep enough to sit in. He pulled water from the air, slow and steady, until the pool was full. Then he heated it with fire magic, watching steam rise in the cold mountain air.
He stepped back, satisfied.
Leon: Done.
Lyra approached the edge, peering into the steaming water. Then she turned to the others with a look that made Dorn immediately uncomfortable.
Lyra: We should all get in.
Sylas: Excuse me?
Lyra: Come on. We've been traveling for a week. We smell. And it's big enough for everyone.
Vex: That's—
Lyra: We've fought together. We've bled together. We've almost died together. I trust all of you. Don't you trust me?
Silence.
Dorn stared at the ground very intently. Sylas opened her mouth, then closed it. Vex's expression was unreadable, but something flickered in her eyes.
Lyra didn't wait for an answer.
She pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it on the ground. Then her pants. Then the smallclothes beneath. She stood naked in the steam, completely unselfconscious, and stepped into the pool with a satisfied sigh.
Lyra: Oh, that's good. Come on, don't be shy.
---
Sylas was the first to move.
She'd spent years among Dark Elves, where attitudes toward bodies were different than among humans. Practical. Unashamed. She stripped with efficient grace, folding her clothes neatly before slipping into the water. She sat across from Lyra, steam curling around her silver hair.
Sylas: This is surprisingly pleasant.
Lyra grinned at her.
Lyra: Told you.
Vex hesitated longer. Her past had left marks—not just on her skin, but on her sense of privacy. She valued it. Guarded it. But Lyra's words echoed in her mind. I trust all of you.
Slowly, she undressed. Her movements were quick, practical, hiding more than they revealed. She slipped into the water at the far end, keeping her back to the wall, watching.
No one stared. No one commented. Just water and steam and the quiet acceptance of people who'd seen each other bleed.
Dorn hadn't moved.
His face was red. His eyes were fixed on a point in the distance that definitely wasn't the pool.
Lyra: Dorn. Get in here.
Dorn: I'll wait.
Lyra: The water's warm now. You'll freeze out there.
Dorn: I'm fine.
Lyra splashed water in his direction. He flinched.
Lyra: Stop being an idiot and get in. We're all adults.
Leon hid a smile behind his hand. He'd already stripped and entered the water quietly, finding a spot near the middle where he could lean back and stare at the stars through the open roof. The warmth seeped into his muscles, loosening knots he hadn't realized he'd been carrying.
Dorn finally moved.
He kept his eyes on the ground, stripped quickly, and slid into the water so fast it barely registered. He ended up wedged between Lyra and Leon, staring straight ahead, muscles rigid.
Lyra laughed, soft and warm.
Lyra: Relax. No one's looking.
Dorn: I'm relaxed.
He wasn't. But after a few minutes, the warmth worked its magic. His shoulders dropped. His breathing steadied. He even leaned back slightly, though he still avoided looking anywhere but the sky.
---
They sat in comfortable silence for a while. Steam rose around them. The fire pit outside cast flickering light through the open entrance.
Lyra stretched, her arms spreading wide, water rippling around her.
Lyra: This is nice. We should do this more.
Sylas: Every night might be excessive.
Lyra: Not every night. But sometimes. Before big fights. After hard days.
Vex: It's peaceful.
Dorn: Quiet.
Lyra looked over at Leon, who had been silent throughout, just watching the stars.
Lyra: You've been quiet. Everything okay?
Leon: Just thinking.
Sylas: About what?
Leon was quiet for a moment longer. Then he spoke, his voice soft in the steam-filled air.
Leon: About where I come from.
---
End of Chapter 47