The dark night finally passed away from the sky outside the windows, and the bright morning sun started to shine its warm light into our quiet bedroom. I woke up to Elphyete and Salphy waking me up in the middle of the soft mattress under the heavy blankets. They shook my shoulders gently with their hands to help me open my eyes and leave my deep sleep after the long journey from the previous night. I opened my eyes slowly, lifted my head from the pillow, and stretched my tired arms out into the warm air of the room. I swung my legs over the side of the wooden bed and stood up on the flat floor, feeling completely rested and ready for the new day. Elphyete and Salphy stood right next to my side, smiling at me because the morning was fully here. We moved toward the wooden door of the bedroom together as a group to start our daily activities.
We opened the door, stepped out into the long hallway, and we went downstairs to eat breakfast in the big dining area of the building. We moved our feet carefully down the wide stone steps, one by one, listening to the quiet sounds of the big house as the morning began. The steps were cool under our boots, but the bright sun was shining through the large glass windows, making the whole staircase look very bright and clean. We reached the bottom of the long stairs and walked straight into the large dining room where the morning food was being served on the big table. As soon as I stepped across the doorway and looked around the bright space, I saw Celdrich and Tokine already here. They were sitting firmly on the wooden chairs near the front part of the long table, waiting for the food to arrive. I was very surprised to see them sitting there so early in the morning because of what had been planned before.
I walked closer to their position at the long table, moving my feet across the polished floor until I was standing right next to Celdrich's wooden chair. I looked directly into his face and asked Celdrich on why he got back so fast when he said that he'll be gone for a week. I spoke my words in a very clear voice because I wanted to understand how he had finished his long travel in such a short amount of time. Celdrich looked up at me and smiled a little bit when he heard my direct question. Before he could open his mouth to answer me, a little girl appeared from his back in the middle of the bright room. She had been hiding quietly behind his large chair, out of our sight, but now she stepped out into the open space so everyone could see her small body. She stood right next to his side, looking at us with curious eyes.
Celdrich reached out his hand to indicate the small child standing next to his seat. Celdrich said, "My sister wanted to come with me without spending a week preparing." He spoke clearly so everyone at the table could hear his explanation about the short journey. He explained that her sudden decision was the exact reason why he had returned to the mansion so quickly instead of staying away for a whole week as he had originally planned. When I heard his clear response, I understood the situation completely and did not ask any more questions about his travel. I just nodded my head up and down to show him that I understood his words perfectly.
I wanted to be very friendly to the new guest who had just arrived at our mansion. I moved my body away from Celdrich's chair and took a step closer to the little girl who was standing in the bright room. I crouched down slowly on my knees so that my face would be at the exact same level as her small head, making it easier for us to talk comfortably. I looked at her kindly and asked what's her name so we could know who she was. The little girl looked at my face for a brief second, and she said that it's Mia. She spoke her name in a very soft and quiet voice, standing perfectly still next to her brother's large wooden chair while she answered me.
Salphy was standing right behind me in the dining area, watching the whole scene with a lot of interest. Salphy saw Mia standing there on the polished floor, and her face became very bright with excitement right away. She took a fast step forward, leaning her body down toward the small child, and introduced herself to the new visitor in a very friendly voice. The two little girls looked at each other for a short moment in the middle of the room, and they seemed to instantly be friends right there on the spot. They did not look shy or worried at all, and a big smile appeared on both of their faces at the exact same time.
Salphy did not wait any longer to start playing with her new companion in the big house. Salphy grabbed Mia by her small hand, holding onto her fingers gently so they could move around together as a team. She guided her around the mansion right away, turning her body toward the exit of the dining room to show her all the different areas of the large building. Mia followed her steps happily, lifting her small feet quickly to keep pace with Salphy as they moved out into the long hallway together. They walked away from our table, leaving the dining area completely behind as they went to explore the high stone walls, the large pillars, and the quiet rooms of the property. I stood up from my crouching position on the floor and watched them go, feeling very happy that they had become such great friends so quickly on this bright morning.
I turned my body back toward the long wooden table where Celdrich and Tokine were still sitting in their places. I pulled out a heavy chair next to Celdrich and sat down slowly to wait for our morning food to be served by the house workers. The dining room was very quiet now that the two little girls had gone out into the main hallway to explore the building. The warm sun continued to pour through the glass windows, heating up the polished stone floor beneath our boots. Elphyete walked over to the table as well, taking a seat right next to my side so we could all eat together as a group. Eufrien and Alea came down the stairs a few moments later, walking into the room with steady steps and joining us at the long table.
We all sat together in a small circle, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the big house before our main task started again. The workers brought out large plates of hot food and set them down on the wooden surface in front of our seats. The food smelled very good, and we began to lift our forks to eat our breakfast after the long night of events. Celdrich picked up his cup and took a slow drink, looking very relaxed now that his sister was happy and playing safely in the mansion with Salphy. Tokine sat quietly next to him, eating her meal with small, neat movements. We did not speak about any complicated history or lore, keeping our minds focused entirely on the simple breakfast before us today.
The sound of distant laughter came from the long hallway outside the dining room, showing us that Salphy and Mia were having a wonderful time exploring the different floors of the property together. They were running past the large windows and looking at the big doors that led to the gardens. We continued to eat our breakfast in the bright room, feeling the heavy exhaustion from the previous day completely disappear from our bodies as the morning went on. The mansion felt very safe and comfortable with everyone gathered inside the stone walls together. We finished our food slowly, one bite after another, until our plates were completely empty and our bodies were full of energy for whatever challenges might come later in the day. Eufrien nodded at me from across the table, and we all sat there peacefully in the warm morning light.
I finished my breakfast and stood up from the long wooden table in the bright dining room. I looked at Eufrien who was sitting across from me and asked, "Where is Chalreth?" I wanted to know where our new companion went on this busy morning. Eufrien looked back at me smoothly, took a slow breath, and answered my question right away. Eufrien said that she is currently training in the basement. He explained that she was downstairs swinging her weapon to prepare for the war . I nodded my head to show him I understood completely.