The morning air bit at their faces as they gathered in the inn's cramped dining area. Saanvi wrapped her fingers around her wooden cup, letting the warmth seep into her palms. The others sat in comfortable silence, the kind that comes after shared hardship.
*We can't stay here forever,* she thought, watching steam rise from her tea. *But God, I'm tired of running.*
"We should move on today," she said finally, setting down her cup. "The next village is maybe six hours if we keep a good pace."
Vihaan's fork paused halfway to his mouth. He glanced at her, and she caught something in his expression—concern? Reluctance? Before she could decipher it, he nodded and returned to his breakfast.
*Why does he always look at me like that?* The thought flickered through her mind before she pushed it away.
Tianlan groaned, slumping forward dramatically. "More walking. Perfect. My feet are still screaming from yesterday."
"Your feet have been screaming since we left the temple," Devran said, not looking up from his meal. "Maybe if you didn't insist on wearing those ridiculous boots—"
"These boots," Tianlan interrupted, lifting one foot to display the worn leather, "have carried me through three kingdoms and saved my life twice. Show some respect."
Wei Zhan snorted. "Saved your life? How exactly do boots save—"
"You'd be surprised what good footwear can do in a pinch," Tianlan shot back, his morning irritability in full swing. "Not that you'd know, walking around in those flimsy things."
*Here we go again,* Saanvi thought, suppressing a smile. *At least some things never change.*
Xie Lian cleared his throat gently. "Perhaps we should focus on what we need before we leave? I'd rather not discover we've forgotten something important when we're miles from civilization."
They spent the next hour gathering their belongings, the familiar routine of packing and checking supplies. Saanvi found herself stealing glances at each of them—Vihaan's methodical way of folding his clothes, Tianlan's habit of triple-checking his weapons, Devran's casual efficiency that masked careful attention to detail.
*These people... when did they become so important to me?*
The morning sun felt warm on their backs as they stepped onto the road. For the first hour, they walked in companionable quiet, boots crunching on fallen leaves. Saanvi let her mind wander, half-listening to the forest sounds around them.
A loud crash shattered the peace.
Devran's hand flew to his sword hilt. "What the hell—"
Something large tumbled from the canopy above, branches snapping as it fell. It hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud, followed by a string of creative curses that made even Tianlan raise an eyebrow.
"Ow. Ow. Definitely should have grabbed that other branch." A figure emerged from the pile of leaves and broken twigs, brushing debris from wild black hair. "Well, that could have gone better."
*Great. Just what we need. A lunatic.* Saanvi's hand moved instinctively to her weapon.
The stranger looked up at them with startling green eyes and a grin that seemed entirely too cheerful for someone who'd just fallen thirty feet. "Oh, hello there! You folks look like you've seen a ghost. Or a crazy person falling from a tree. Which, fair enough, I suppose."
"Who are you?" Devran demanded, his voice carrying the edge it got when he was deciding whether to fight or flee.
"Riku," the stranger said, as if that explained everything. He held up a bundle of herbs and roots, somehow still intact despite his dramatic entrance. "And before you ask, yes, I meant to do that. Sort of. The falling part was unplanned, but the tree-climbing was absolutely intentional."
Tianlan stared at him. "You climbed a tree. To fall out of it."
"I climbed a tree to gather these," Riku corrected, shaking his bundle. "The falling was more of a... miscalculation. But hey, it got your attention, didn't it?"
*This man is either completely insane or the most confident person I've ever met,* Saanvi thought. *Maybe both.*
"What do you want?" Wei Zhan asked bluntly.
*At least someone's asking the right questions.*
Riku's grin widened. "Want? Well, that's a loaded question. World peace? A decent meal? Someone to appreciate my collection of rare medicinal herbs?" He gestured to his bundle again. "But right now? I'm thinking you could use some help, and I could use some company."
"Help?" Devran's skepticism was written across his face. "From someone who can't even stay in a tree?"
"Hey, trees are tricky. People skills, on the other hand—those I've got down pat." Riku winked. "Plus, I know this forest like I know my own name. And I've got herbs that'll cure whatever ails you, food that'll keep you going, and stories that'll make you forget you're tired."
*Stories. Right. Just what we need—more complications.*
Saanvi found herself studying the stranger more carefully. Beneath the cheerful exterior, she caught glimpses of something else. The way his eyes flicked between each of them, assessing. The careful way he held himself despite his casual demeanor.
*He's not what he seems. None of us are, I suppose.*
"We don't need—" Devran started.
"Actually," Saanvi interrupted, surprising herself. "If you really know this forest, we could use a guide. The next village—how far is it really?"
Riku's expression shifted, becoming more serious. "Three hours if you know the shortcuts. Six if you stick to the main path. But the shortcuts..." He paused, something flickering in his eyes. "They're not dangerous, just... hidden. Most people don't know they exist."
*Hidden paths. Of course. Because our lives weren't complicated enough already.*
"And you'd show us these shortcuts out of the goodness of your heart?" Wei Zhan's tone suggested he'd believe in flying pigs first.
"Well, no," Riku admitted with refreshing honesty. "I'd do it because walking alone gets boring, and you all look like you've got interesting stories. Plus, I haven't had a decent conversation in weeks."
Tianlan muttered something that sounded like "wonder why" under his breath.
Riku heard him and laughed. "I like you already. Grumpy, but honest. I can work with that."
*He's going to fit right in,* Saanvi thought, torn between amusement and exasperation.
---
Two hours later, Saanvi had to admit Riku knew what he was talking about. The hidden path he'd led them onto was well-maintained but completely invisible from the main road. They'd already covered more ground than she'd expected.
"How do you know about these paths?" Xie Lian asked, his natural curiosity getting the better of him.
Riku was quiet for a moment, his usual cheerful chatter interrupted. "I've been traveling these woods for... a while. You learn things when you spend enough time in one place."
*Evasive. Just like the rest of us.*
"A while?" Tianlan pressed. "How long is a while?"
"Long enough to know where to find the best herbs, the safest camping spots, and which streams won't give you a stomach ache." Riku's tone was light, but Saanvi caught the deflection.
*He's running from something too. Or someone.*
"Speaking of stomach aches," Devran said, "please tell me you're not planning to feed us whatever you've got in that bundle."
"Oh, this?" Riku held up his herbs with mock offense. "This is premium medicinal flora, my friend. I'll have you know I've saved lives with these plants."
"Saved lives or ended them?" Wei Zhan asked dryly.
"Both, technically. But mostly saved." Riku's grin was unrepentant. "Though I did accidentally poison a tax collector once. But in my defense, he was being particularly unpleasant about the whole 'pay your taxes' thing."
*Did he just admit to poisoning a government official?* Saanvi exchanged glances with Vihaan, who looked equally concerned.
"You poisoned a tax collector?" Tianlan asked, his voice caught between horror and admiration.
"Accidentally," Riku emphasized. "I was trying to make him a remedy for his persistent cough. It wasn't my fault he had an unusual reaction to moonflower root."
"Moonflower root is a mild sedative," Xie Lian said slowly. "It shouldn't cause... what exactly happened to him?"
"Well, he turned blue. Temporarily. And he may have hallucinated that he was a chicken for a few hours." Riku looked sheepish. "But he got better! Eventually."
*This man is a walking disaster,* Saanvi thought. *Why am I not more worried about that?*
"And you just... left him there?" Devran asked.
"I left him clucking happily in a field, under the watchful eye of a very confused farmer," Riku said defensively. "He was fine. Probably. I heard he recovered completely and developed a strange fondness for grain."
The absurdity of it all hit Saanvi suddenly, and she found herself laughing. Actually laughing, for the first time in days. The sound seemed to surprise everyone, including herself.
*When did I become so serious? When did everything become so heavy?*
"I'm sorry," she said, still chuckling. "It's just... we're having a conversation about accidentally turning a tax collector into a chicken, and somehow this feels like the most normal thing that's happened to us in weeks."
Riku beamed. "See? I told you I'd make good company. Wait until you hear about the time I accidentally started a small war between two villages over a recipe for honey cakes."
"You what?" Tianlan's voice cracked.
"It's a long story," Riku said cheerfully. "I'll save it for tonight's campfire. Along with the tale of how I once convinced a duchess that I was a foreign prince by using nothing but a fake accent and a really impressive hat."
*This man is going to be the death of us,* Saanvi thought. *And I'm not even sorry about it.*
---
They made camp as the sun began to set, the easy camaraderie of the day settling into something more comfortable. Riku had insisted on cooking, despite everyone's protests, and was now stirring something that smelled surprisingly good over the fire.
"I don't trust anything that looks that... colorful," Wei Zhan said, eyeing the stew suspiciously.
"It's supposed to be colorful," Riku protested. "That's how you know it's working. The purple bits are for energy, the green bits are for healing, and the orange bits are for... well, they taste good."
*He's actually not bad at this,* Saanvi realized, watching him work. *Whatever his story is, he's clearly been taking care of himself for a while.*
"What about the blue bits?" Tianlan asked, pointing to something that definitely shouldn't be blue in any normal food.
"Those are... decorative," Riku said after a pause.
"Decorative?" Devran raised an eyebrow.
"Look, not everything needs to have a purpose. Sometimes you add things because they look nice and life is short and why not have blue food once in a while?"
*I can't argue with that logic,* Saanvi thought.
Xie Lian accepted a bowl first, taking a cautious sip. His expression shifted from wariness to surprise. "This is... actually quite good."
"Of course it is," Riku said, looking pleased. "I don't survive this long by accident. Well, mostly not by accident."
One by one, they all tried the stew. It was good—better than good, actually. The flavors were complex and warming, nothing like the simple trail rations they'd been living on.
"Okay," Tianlan admitted grudgingly. "This doesn't suck."
"High praise from our resident pessimist," Riku said, settling down with his own bowl. "I'll take it."
*He fits,* Saanvi realized suddenly. *With us. Like he's supposed to be here.*
The thought should have worried her. Instead, it felt right.
As the fire crackled and the night settled around them, Riku launched into the promised story about the honey cake war. His voice rose and fell with dramatic flair, complete with gestures and sound effects. Even Vihaan cracked a smile.
*This is what I've been missing,* Saanvi thought, watching her companions laugh at Riku's increasingly ridiculous tale. *This feeling. Like we're people, not just... survivors.*
"So there I was," Riku was saying, "standing in the middle of the village square, covered in honey and flour, with two angry bakers throwing rolling pins at my head, trying to explain that I never actually said Mrs. Henderson's recipe was better than Mrs. Peterson's..."
"What did you say?" Devran asked, genuinely curious now.
"I said they were both terrible and I could make better honey cakes with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back." Riku's grin was unrepentant. "Which, in retrospect, was not my most diplomatic moment."
"And that started a war?" Xie Lian asked.
"Well, not immediately. First there was the Great Honey Cake Bake-Off of... well, let's just say it was a memorable summer. The war didn't start until I may have accidentally implied that Mrs. Henderson was using Mrs. Peterson's grandmother's secret recipe without permission."
*This man is a walking disaster,* Saanvi thought again. *And I'm starting to think that's exactly what we need.*
"Did you at least make good honey cakes?" Tianlan asked.
"The best honey cakes in three kingdoms," Riku said proudly. "Though I was politely asked to never return to that particular region."
"Politely asked?" Wei Zhan's skepticism was clear.
"Well, there may have been torches and pitchforks involved. But they said 'please' when they told me to leave, so I'm counting it as polite."
The laughter that followed felt natural, unforced. For a moment, Saanvi could almost forget the weight of their journey, the dangers that waited ahead.
*This is what normal feels like,* she thought. *I'd forgotten.*
As the night deepened and the stories wound down, she found herself studying each of her companions in the firelight. Vihaan, still quiet but relaxed in a way she rarely saw. Tianlan, his usual complaints replaced by genuine amusement. Devran, his guard finally lowered enough to enjoy the moment. Xie Lian, content and peaceful. Wei Zhan, still grumpy but not hostile.
And Riku, who'd somehow fit himself into their group like a missing piece they hadn't known they needed.
*Tomorrow we'll keep moving,* she thought. *Tomorrow there will be new dangers, new complications. But tonight... tonight we're just people sitting around a fire, sharing stories and laughing.*
*I can live with that.*
"So," Riku said, settling back against his pack, "what's your story? And don't tell me you're just ordinary travelers, because ordinary travelers don't move like you do or carry the kind of weapons you're carrying."
The question hung in the air, and Saanvi felt the familiar tension creep back into her shoulders.
*Here we go. The part where everything gets complicated again.*
But looking around at her companions, at the trust that had slowly built between them, she realized maybe that was okay. Maybe complicated wasn't always bad.
Maybe it was just another word for interesting.
"That," she said finally, "is a very long story."
"Good thing we've got time," Riku said, his green eyes bright with curiosity. "I've got nowhere else to be."
*Neither do we,* Saanvi thought. *For better or worse, neither do we.*