The tavern smelled of spilled ale, burned meat, and damp wood. In the far corner, seated alone beneath a crooked lantern, Liora Valestra scraped the last piece of bread across her bowl to catch the final traces of stew. It was thin, mostly water and onion, but warm.
She'd had worse.
Her silver hair shimmered dully in the lantern light, pulled back behind one shoulder. Her old leather armor creaked every time she moved, patched so many times the original brown was nearly gone. Across the room, laughter erupted as a group of younger adventurers celebrated a fresh payday.
Liora didn't look up.
She placed a few copper coins on the table, just enough for the meal and a small tip, and stood, her hand resting on the hilt of her longsword as naturally as someone might rest it on a walking stick. The blade was plain, old, but sharp and reliable like her.
The guild board had a new posting this morning. Another herb-gathering quest. Light monsters in the lower woods, a small risk. Barely worth the pay, but it'd cover two nights at the inn if she stretched it. She adjusted the strap of her travel bag, nodding politely to the innkeeper on the way out.
"Don't work yourself to death, Miss Valestra," he called.
"No promises, Zio," she said dryly, pulling her cloak around her shoulders.
The forest was quiet. Midday light filtered through the trees in golden beams, catching motes of dust in the air. Liora knelt near a patch of blue-leafed moss, carefully cutting what she needed. She paused, ears pricked. A rustle. Not wind.
She turned sharply, sword half-drawn.
More rustling. Then… a small cough.
Not a monster.
A child?
She followed the sound, wary. Through the bramble, past a fallen log, she found her.
A girl, no older than seven, barefoot and trembling beside a hollow tree. Her tunic was torn. Her face was smudged with dirt and dried tears, and the look of hunger on her face, her eyes met Liora's with wordless fear.
"Hey," Liora said softly, lowering her sword.
The girl flinched but didn't run.
"You alone out here?"
No answer. Just a shiver.
Liora sighed, crouching to the child's level. "You hungry?"
The girl nodded slowly.
"I don't have much," Liora admitted, reaching into her satchel for a heel of bread and dried jerky. "But it's yours."
The girl took the food with shaking hands. Ate like she hadn't had anything for days.
Liora watched in silence. This wasn't part of the quest. She should report it to the guards, maybe bring the girl to a church or town hall.
But as she looked at the child, thin, scared, yet still trying to sit up straight, something tugged at her chest.
"…You got a name?"
The girl shook her head.
Of course not. Or maybe she just didn't remember.
Liora exhaled slowly. "Alright then. Come with me. Just until we figure things out."
The girl hesitated.
"I'll keep you safe," Liora said quietly. "Promise."
And for the first time, the child reached out not for food, but for Liora's hand.