Present
The woman everyone had been watching over finally woke as the glow of recovery magic faded from the room. She rose without confusion or fear, silver hair sliding over her shoulders like moonlight spilling free, golden eyes sharp even in weakness. There was no softness in her gaze, no hesitation. She took in the room, the people, and then Eira, as if measuring him in silence.
"Thank you," she said simply.
Her voice was steady. Sincere. No embellishment, no reverence. She bowed her head just enough to acknowledge him, not as a savior, but as an equal. It caught Eira completely off guard.
Everyone else had smiled at him, whispered gratitude, offered food, warmth, even confessions that left him flustered and searching for escape. But she did none of that. She stood tall despite her exhaustion, lean and composed, strength woven into every movement. The difference struck him harder than any praise ever had.
Eira felt it before he understood it—his heartbeat stumbling, his thoughts scattering. When she met his eyes again, he looked away too quickly, nearly tripping over his own feet as he stepped back. He muttered something incoherent, then knocked into a chair, earning a few suppressed laughs from the room. She watched him with faint curiosity, the corner of her lips lifting—not quite a smile, but close enough to ruin him entirely.
Later, when the noise settled, she joined him outside.
Snow crunched softly beneath their steps as they walked, the village quiet under a pale sky. She spoke little, asking clear questions, listening without interruption. When she thanked him again, it was not for saving her life, but for protecting the people while she slept. That mattered to her more.
Eira swallowed and told her about the guild—about joining, about rebuilding, about a place that wasn't perfect but was honest. He expected her to decline. Strong people like her didn't need invitations.
"I was going to ask you," she said instead.
He stopped walking, stunned. She turned to face him, golden eyes calm, resolute.
"If you'll have me," she continued, "I'd like to join."
Eira nodded too quickly. "Y—yeah. I mean. Yes. Of course."
She inclined her head again, this time with something warmer behind it.
And as they resumed walking, Eira realized his hands were still shaking—not from battle, but from the quiet certainty that meeting her had changed something he couldn't name yet.