Leon woke when sunlight slipped through the thin wooden boards of the storage room wall. The light came in soft lines, cutting across the floor. He blinked a few times, let his eyes adjust, and pushed himself up.
His body felt tired, but not painfully so. More like a weight he had learned to carry.
He stretched his arms, rolled his shoulders, and walked out into the hall.
The tavern wasn't open yet, but the kitchen was already alive. The sound of plates clinking. The steady chop of a knife. Bram humming something under his breath, though he seemed too tired to finish the tune.
Lyra looked back as Leon stepped inside. Her hair was tied in a loose knot. She was already slicing vegetables on a small cutting board.
"You're awake early," she said.
"You are too," Leon answered.
She shrugged. "We always wake early."
Leon grabbed a bucket without being asked. "I'll get water."
Lyra nodded once. "Good."
