As nice as it was to get to wash up with the nearby river water, I couldn’t help but regret actually doing so as I shiver while sitting in the yurt tent. Syrion, Nalik, and I bundled up as best we could as we tried to dry off. I envied how Faelix and Denlen didn’t seem to be so much as bothered by the chill and felt especially bad for how Syrion had bundled themself up to try to fight off the cold, shaking like a leaf under a thick towel and blanket. Their fur likely still trapping some moisture that just kept they cold.

“Gods, it’s so cold! This is awful!” They whine pitifully.

“At least we warmed up the water before using it.” Denlen shrugs before stepping outside.

“You need to dry off with the towel more, your fur is still pretty wet, Sy.” Nalik sighs, grabbing the last dry towel left to hand to the poor shivering Syrion, who quickly snatched it, tossed aside the one they had previously, and started rubbing themself down furiously to dry themself off as much as they could. Their fur fluffing out like it was back at the palace once it was as close to dry as it could get. They let at a huff and tossed that towel aside too before wrapping their blanket back around themself tightly.

I crawl over to them with a blanket around my shoulders after making sure Aryones was sound asleep and warm, wrapping them up in the blanket with me once I was close enough. “Hopefully it will warm up in here soon.”

“I don’t think I can handle this much longer.” Syrion’s teeth chatter as they speak, snuggling into my arms to better feel my warmth. “I haven’t felt this cold in years.” They whine, still shivering so hard that I worried they’d hurt themself.

“You’ll be okay, Sy. We’re setting up the warming pots now and the fire’s still going strong outside, so it should warm up in here soon.” Faelix says, setting a warming pot of still burning charcoal near us. I mouth a thank you at him and earn a small nod.

The cold after our bathing was awful, but being able to bathe after days of traveling was still nice, all the grime from those days of traveling finally being cleansed was a wonderful feeling.

Being at the river and hearing its water flowing also meant we were closer to the safety of the small safe house and a possible ship we could take to find elsewhere for the six of us to live. Somewhere that we won’t have to worry for each other’s safety and can raise the sweet baby boy we have in peace. We were getting closer finding somewhere that we could actually call our home.

The little safe house was certainly in a bit of rough shape from lack of use, but it was still nice and spacious and thankfully did have a ship that Denlen and Faelix said would be easy enough to fix up. Though may still take a few weeks to do so, it is just the two of them doing all that work while us three take care of hunting and gathering and cooking and taking care of the thankfully not very fussy baby. They got straight to work the moment they wake up the next morning after our arrival, while Nalik take the time to set up the traps for any small creatures that could get caught up in them while Syrion and I followed and watched.

“So that’s how you set up that trap? It looks a lot easier than I thought it would be.”

“Yes, I thought so too. Then Denlen actually showed me, and I couldn’t really believe how easy it was. And with a little bait we can check them later in the day and see if we’ve caught anything.”

I stifle a laugh behind my hand, earning a little side glare from a blushing Nalik, “What? We all know what you two do while out there. All on your own. And it’s not just setting up traps together.” I tease, laughing and shielding a very confused Aryones from the small pebbles Nalik starts to pelt me with.

“Oh, leave him be, you and Faelix are no better. You two were very active in the mornings heading up here, quite literally every morning, might I add, including this morning.” Nalik snickers and stops his little attack after hearing Syrion call out my hypocrisy through light laughter.

I couldn’t help the heat the flushed my cheeks, stammering out my defense, “Well, could you blame us? We hadn’t been able to do much since he had brought Aryones to the palace, he was so badly hurt and it’s not like we were able to get someone to watch him without there being bad consequences either.” I stammer, the both of them quieting down and sheepishly nodding in agreement, giving little apologies while they were at it. Apologies I immediately said weren’t necessary.

It wasn’t their fault that Aryones had to be held up in our room, nor was it their fault that Faelix was so badly hurt. Technically, it was all his father’s fault. After all, none of what’s happened so far would have actually happened had he not been so hell-bent on punishing a world for no good reason. Those actions are something I hope he pays for someday and I know all of us in our little group are hoping for the same thing in different ways.

“You have a point there. You two have probably been very pent up from all that stress. At least now you can spend all your time making up for that lost time.” Syrion somehow manages tease, laughing when I playfully shoved them away from me.

“I am heading back to the safe house!” I huff and turn away from them to hide my burning red face, ignoring their giggles as I hurry away.

Upon my arrival back at the safe house, I couldn’t help the smile that made its way on my face at the sight of Faelix with our little Aryones strapped to his chest. He had our sweet, grumpy baby facing the ship he and Denlen were working on and keeping a strong hold on a couple of Faelix’s fingers from his only free hand while watching everything Faelix was doing with adorable intensity. Faelix’s other three hands were either holding a tool for later use, planted on the ship to hold something still, or using a tool I couldn’t name. They were such a precious sight that I wished I had some way to take a picture, it warmed my heart to see them that way. Faelix so hard at work, while Aryones was so fascinated by the large fingers in his tiny hands and what his father was doing in front of him.

It was so pleasantly domestic, something I never really thought we’d be able to have at the palace. I couldn’t help but hope that we’ll be able to keep this lovely domestic life together, for as long as we possibly can. But I know it likely won’t last forever, especially if Faelix’s father had anything to say about it… so I’ll just have to savor these lovely moments, even the rude ones where Syrion and Nalik were teasing me.