Next time, Just be careful

"Nightfall"

"So, I heard you caused a bit of trouble out there," Meara said, washing dishes as the trio sat at a nearby table in the back of the Tavern, Lena leaning against the door as she slightly glared at Oreon. "What happened to being discreet and not drawing attention?"

Oreon shifted uncomfortably in his seat, scratching the back of his neck. "Well… It's not like I went looking for a fight," Oreon said, avoiding Lena's gaze. Even with her back turned, he could feel Meara's stern attention. "Things just sort of…got out of hand."

"You mean your temper got the better of you." Without turning, Meara dried a plate, set it on the counter, and reached for another. "I heard it was Grog," she added. "Back after the stunt he pulled last night."

Oreon nodded slowly, bracing himself for Meara's scolding.

Meara sighed and stacked the plate atop the last one. "The whole town is talking," she said. "They're saying those two also stood up to him." She gestured toward Celestia and Sylvanie. "Even Gretta had praising words about what happened out there." Oreon gulped, already sensing what was coming.

"Damn right we did," Sylvanie added, leaning back in her seat. "That overgrown pile of waste had it coming," Sylvanie added, crossing one leg over the other.

"... You're not helping." Celestia looked over at her sister, who just rolled her eyes in response. "But yes, we did have a part in this as well." Celestia turned to Meara as she stacked another plate atop the others.

"Gretta also told me what led to it." She added as Oreon slowly nodded again.

"He was about to say something about Mom," Oreon murmured, staring at the floor. Meara paused with a plate above the stack, then gently set it down and returned to the last few dishes.

A heavy silence settled over the room. Even Lena's expression softened as Meara slowed her work at the basin. "...I see," she said quietly. "That explains it." She put away another plate. "That man never knew when to keep his mouth shut. He's always causing trouble in this town." After setting aside the final plate, Meara picked up a nearby cloth and dried her hands. "It's a good thing he didn't say anything about Alice, or else… We'd probably be having a different conversation." She turned to face them.

His sister?" Lena asked, glancing up at her grandmother. Meara answered with a nod, her gaze settling on Oreon for another moment before releasing a deep sigh.

"Did you get your clothes from Silas?" She asked as she turned her back.

"Yeah." Oreon gestured to the bundle beside him on the table. "He gave us everything, including everyday clothes and clothes to sleep in."

"Good." Meara gave her hands one last wipe, then slung the cloth over her shoulder. "Then you three should head upstairs and get cleaned up. It's been a long day, and I imagine you're all exhausted."

The three exchanged glances before Celestia rose gracefully. "I'm sorry if we caused you any trou—"

"None of that now, go on ahead upstairs," Meara suggested, almost as if she was shooing them away.

Celestia paused mid-sentence, then nodded gracefully. "…Of course. Thank you again for having us."

Sylvanie stood up as well, stretching her arms above her head with a satisfied groan. "Finally. I thought we'd never get out of here." She grabbed her bundle of clothes. "Come on, sister. Let's go before the old lady changes her mind and makes us clean the tables or something."

"Sylvanie," Celestia sighed softly as she followed behind her sister.

Oreon grabbed his own bundle of clothes and stood, but before he could follow, Meara's voice stopped him.

"Oreon."

He froze, glancing back at her. "…Yeah?"

Meara turned just enough for him to glimpse her profile. Her expression had softened. "What you did today…" She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Just be careful next time."

Oreon's shoulders relaxed slightly, and he gave a small nod. "I will." He hesitated for a moment, then added quietly. "Thanks, Meara."

With a one-handed wave, she dismissed him, a subtle smile gracing her lips. "Go on now, get some rest."

Oreon headed upstairs and caught up with Celestia and Sylvanie on the second floor. Lena watched him leave, arms crossed.

"Grandmother…" Lena started quietly once Oreon was out of earshot. "You're being awfully lenient with him…I thought you were going to yell your head off at him when you heard about it."

Meara looked at her Granddaughter, her expression softening a little. "He's been through enough, Lena." She said quietly. "And despite everything, he didn't start that fight today—he ended it." She paused, folding her arms. "Also...Grog had it coming. That man's been a thorn in this town's side for years. Besides, I've let some of the things you've done slide to…Even the things you thought I didn't know about." She smirked at her Granddaughter.

Lena's eyes widened slightly, and she stiffened. "Wait—What things?" She asked carefully, her voice pitching just a little higher. "I—Don't—I didn't—I don't know what you're talking about."

Meara turned fully to face her now, one eyebrow raised, arms still folded. "Oh, you mean like the time you 'borrowed' a few coins from the till to buy that ridiculous hat from that merchant that stopped by last month?" She tilted her head. "Or when Oreon had to save you from that boy who tricked you into coming out with him three nights in a row, just so he could take you to the city gates?"

Lena's face went from pale to bright red in an instant. "I—How did you—That was—" She stammered, waving her hands defensively. "That hat was on sale! And I paid it back!" She crossed her arms tightly. "And that boy was—he seemed nice at first! How was I supposed to know he was trying to—"

"Exactly." Meara interrupted, gentle but firm. "You didn't know. You made a mistake. Just as Oreon did today." She took a steady breath and headed for the door to the tavern's main room. "You're young, a few years younger than Oreon, so you're bound to make mistakes. Both of you are." With that, she walked past Lena.

Lena stood speechless, torn between arguing and admitting her grandmother was right. She huffed and tightened her crossed arms. "That's… different," she muttered weakly.

Meara paused at the doorway, glancing back over her shoulder with a knowing smile. "Is it?" She asked softly. "There's this little thing called emotion that you both acted on. You both made choices without thinking them through completely." She turned her gaze forward again. "The difference is—Oreon's mistakes tend to land him in front of men twice his size who want to break his face."

Lena started to answer, then stopped, conflict crossing her face. She lowered her gaze as her folded arms slowly relaxed. "…I guess," She muttered reluctantly.

Meara's smile softened further. "You're a good girl, Lena. You care about him—I can see that. Just… don't be too hard on him, alright?" She pushed the door open gently. "He's doing his best with what he's got."

Lena nodded slowly, though she still looked a bit flustered. "…Okay, Grandmother."

"Good." Meara stepped through the doorway, then paused once more. "And for the record, that hat was ridiculous. You looked like a colorful bird with multiple feathers."

"Grandmother!" Lena's face turned bright red again as Meara's laughter echoed from the main room.

Upstairs, Oreon, Celestia, and Sylvanie returned to the room they had shared the night before. A few oil lamps dimly lit the hall, casting their shadows across the wooden floor.

With her hands loosely clasped behind her head, Sylvanie entered the bedroom, stepping in after Oreon, and Celestia followed her.

"So, does that girl downstairs like you or what?" She asked bluntly.

Oreon nearly tripped over his own feet as he stepped into the room. "What—No! She doesn't—It's not like that!" He stammered, a faint blush coloring his face as he placed the bundle of clothes on the bed by the window.

Sylvanie's smirk indicated her amusement at his flustered state. "Oh, really? Because the way she was glaring at you earlier—like she wanted to either punch you, hug you, or kiss you. Which one was it, human?" She flopped down onto the bed, stretching out lazily. "Human emotions are so weird; I don't know why she doesn't tell you." Her eyes slit towards Oreon.

With a pensive look, Celestia quietly closed the door and set her bundle on top of the table. "Sylvanie," she said gently, a touch of amusement coloring her voice. "Perhaps you should give him a moment to breathe before interrogating him.

"I'm not interrogating," Sylvanie replied, rolling onto her side to face Oreon, propping her head up with one hand. "I'm just…curious. I mean, she clearly cares about you. The way she acts around you—it was obvious when she was wrapping that sprained ankle of yours when we got here." She paused for a moment, blinking as if she was thinking of something. "So, is she your girlfriend?"

Oreon's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "She's—She's not my girlfriend! We're…friends. That's all." He ran a hand through his hair, avoiding Sylvanie's piercing gaze. "She's just…" He sighs. "She's just upset that I keep getting into trouble and bringing it back to her grandmother."

"Uh-huh." "Sylvanie replied, turning onto her back. She bent her left knee and swung her right leg over it, letting her foot dangle idly. "So, you're single then. Like, how do you humans say it?" She placed a finger on her chin, still teasing him. "On the market or something."

Oreon's eye twitched. "I—That's not—Why are you even asking me this?!" He threw up his hands in frustration.

Sylvanie's grin widened. "Because it's fun watching you twitch and squirm just to answer a simple question." She stuck one leg out briefly, stretching before letting it drop back over her knee. "Besides, I'm trying to understand how you humans work. You're all so—complicated. One minute you're angry, the next you're blushing like a virgin—oh wait." She paused dramatically, her eyes gleaming as she thought of something else. "Are you a virgin?"

"CUT IT OUT, YOU CRAZY ELF!" Oreon shouted, face burning as he spun away from her.

Celestia could only press her fingers to her forehead, shaking her head slowly. "Sylvanie…Please."

Sylvanie's genuine, carefree laughter filled the room. "Oh, come on! Look at him! He's practically steaming!" She sat up slightly, still grinning like a cat who'd caught a mouse. "I'm just messing around, human. Relax—though I am still curious about the last question." She winked playfully. Oreon groaned, turned away, and covered his face with one hand.

"Someone, please stop her…" Oreon mumbled under his palm.

Celestia sighed softly, a faint smile on her lips. "Alright, Sylvanie, that's enough." She crossed to the bed and gently sat beside her sprawled-out sister. "I think you've tormented him enough for one day. Pull back on your jokes."

Sylvanie rolled her eyes, then sat up, legs crossed. "Fine, fine, I'll dial it back a bit." She glanced at Oreon's back, still grinning. "Do humans always wear their emotions on their sleeves?"

Celestia cocked her head in thought. "Not all of them…but Oreon seems to be more transparent than most." With a gentle smile, she cast a look in his direction. "I think that openness is part of what makes him so genuine."

Oreon lowered his hand at last, though his ears remained red, and turned to face them. "Can we—Can we please just…talk about something else? Anything else?"

Sylvanie stretched her arms above her with a satisfied groan. "You humans are no fun at all," Sylvanie commented before looking back at Oreon. "So, what are we doing tomorrow?" She questioned as she dropped her arms and leaned back on her palms. "Because I don't know about you two, but I'd rather not spend another day getting stared at by half the town."

With a thoughtful nod, Celestia's expression turned serious. "That's a fair point. We need to discuss what our next move will be." Her gaze settled on Oreon. "Despite today's earlier showing, I feel we still haven't won the town's favor. I'm sure that there are still humans here who would rather we leave than stay here."

Positioning himself on the cushioned window seat, he leaned his head back. "You're probably right," he admitted quietly. "Grog might've been the loudest about it, but…he wasn't alone in how he felt. Not to mention, I'm sure it won't be long before the Order storms this place." He sighed. "It's only been a day and a half, and nothing from them yet."

Sylvanie's expression darkened slightly at the mention of the Order. "Yeah… I've been thinking about that too." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "It's strange, isn't it? They should've been here by now, especially since they know you took the dragon shard, and I'm pretty sure they found that traitor elf's body by now. "She leaned back against the headboard, crossing her arms. "I don't like it."

Celestia's brow furrowed slightly as she considered Sylvanie's words. "You're right to be suspicious." She clasped her hands in her lap, concern edging into her calm voice. "The Order doesn't simply…wait. Considering that this town isn't far from their fortress…" She lowered her head slightly, as if she were thinking. "The fact that they haven't arrived yet is—" She paused, searching for the right word." –Concerning."

Oreon shifted onto the window seat, his gaze drifting toward the darkened glass. Beyond it, the town was quiet under the evening sky, lanterns flickering like scattered stars. "You would think with you guys being out of magic, it would be easy pickings for them to come right in, raise the town, and snatch you guys back with the dragon shard and—"

"Who said we're out of magic, human?" Sylvanie glanced over at Oreon nonchalantly.