We approached Aenn's house, and Olivia knocked sharply on the door. There was a faint shuffle of footsteps from within, but instead of drawing closer, they receded, fading further into the shadows inside. Seeing her mother wasn't coming to the door, she exhaled through her nose, shaking her head before knocking again, harder this time.
"She can't hear very well," Olivia murmured.
"Oh," I said. "Sorry to hear that."
She turned to me with a raised brow. "Was that a joke?"
"What?" I blinked, caught off guard. "Of course not."
"Calm down," she said, knocking even louder, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "I was just joking."
I glanced at her, deadpan. "Oh. Guess I'm just deaf to your humor."
Her eyes widened in mock horror. "You… my gods. So witty." Then, unable to hold it in, she let out a loud laugh.
I smirked slightly. "Yeah, I'm ear-resistible."
Before she could reply, the door creaked open, and Aenn appeared. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Olivia, but when she noticed me standing behind her, her expression shifted into mild surprise. Clearly, she hadn't been expecting a guest, especially this early in the day.
"He found your ring," Olivia said as she stepped inside. "So I invited him to eat with us."
"Really?" Aenn's gaze returned to me, warmth settling in her features. "Thank you, young man! Thank you so much!"
She stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter. I gave a small nod and stepped in, toeing off my shoes and nudging them to the side.
The house was small but well-kept. A simple wooden table with four chairs sat near a corner, close to a brick hearth where a pot hung, faint wisps of steam curling from its rim. A shelf above the hearth held neatly stacked wooden bowls and utensils, while a single worn curtain separated what I assumed to be her sleeping area from the rest of the home.
Aenn pointed to the table, smiling warmly. "Come, come. Sit."
"Thank you, ma'am," I said, walking over. "Appreciate it."
The old woman shuffled back to the pot, her steps slow but steady, and began ladling soup into a wooden bowl. The rich aroma filled the room—warm vegetables, a hint of herbs. When she placed the bowl in front of me, steam curled into the air. Smelled delicious.
"Thank you," I said with a small nod of appreciation.
The hunger in my stomach stirred as I picked up the wooden spoon and gave the soup a slow stir. It smelled way too good for me to pretend like I wasn't starving. I could've easily downed two bowls, maybe even more.
A moment later, Olivia sank into the chair beside me with a relieved sigh, her scent brushing past—strawberry. Perfume, probably. She leaned back and stretched slightly, rolling her shoulders.
"Did he make you work again?" Aenn asked, placing another steaming bowl in front of her daughter.
"Yes," Olivia groaned, taking her spoon. "I don't know if he's my uncle or my sworn enemy."
"Well… he is a hard man," Aenn said, chuckling softly as she returned to the pot to serve herself.
"Hey," Olivia said, turning to me as she blew lightly on her soup. "School starts soon. You should hurry up."
"Y-yeah." I coughed gently, realizing I needed to steer the conversation away from myself. "Who's your uncle, anyway? Sounds like you're not his biggest fan."
"Nah," she replied with a shrug. "We're fine. It's just… he's a little—"
"Like I said," Aenn interrupted, easing down into the chair next to mine. "A little hard man."
"Right… hard man," Olivia muttered, shaking her head with a tired smile.
The mood dipped a little. I kept quiet and took a sip of the soup. Olivia was just stirring hers now, her expression distracted, eyes fixed on nothing in particular.
"I know you'll be delivering it to the Guild," Aenn said, turning to me. "But may I see the ring now?"
"Sure," I replied, swallowing my mouthful. I reached into my pocket, pulled out the ring, and placed it gently on the table. "There it is."
Her hands, weathered and careful, picked it up. "Ah… yes. Perfect condition." Her voice softened. "Was it stolen?"
I hesitated. "I… found it on the ground. Just got lucky."
She examined it for another second, then let out a short sigh and set it back on the table. "And here I was thinking it was stolen. I even suspected some people. How awful of me."
My eyes met Olivia's. She gave me the faintest nod. We both knew the truth would only hurt her.
I looked down and took the last spoonful of my soup, the warmth sitting heavy in my stomach. Outside, faint laughter and the calls of vendors drifted in through the closed windows, but inside the house, everything felt still. Quiet. Safe… and old-timey.
"I delivered twelve weapons today," Olivia groaned as she stretched her arms above her head. "And now I have to be back in five minutes. Great."
"Hard work pays the best," Aenn replied, smiling over her bowl. "It always does." She glanced at my empty plate. "Oh, Axel. You're finished—would you like another bowl?"
"Thank you, ma'am," I said, shifting slightly in my chair. "But I'm full."
"You sure? There's plenty left."
"Positive. But really, thank you."
"Well," she said kindly, "if you change your mind, just ask. The pot's still hot."
Silence settled over the room as Aenn and Olivia sipped their soups, the only sound the quiet clink of spoon against bowl. After a few moments, Olivia suddenly swallowed too quickly, her face flushing slightly, as though a thought had caught her off guard.
"They killed an elf," she said, her voice low and tense. "I heard they killed him right in the middle of the street."
Aenn's brow furrowed, and she set her spoon down slowly. "Cruel," she muttered, her tone dark. "They shouldn't judge an entire race for the mistakes of the past."
Olivia's eyes flickered briefly to the side, her expression hardening. "The Queen says otherwise," she replied, her voice edged with a quiet bitterness. "We live in strange times."
Aenn sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Yes…" she murmured, almost to herself. "Yes, we do… by the two brothers, we do."
"Two brothers?" I asked.
"Orithaos and Nyamara." Olivia said. "You don't know who they are? Orithaos, God of Stroms and the Sea. Nyamara, God of Nature and the Wild."
"Oh… yeah, I knew that."
Not wanting to overstay, I got up, my chair scraping softly against the wooden floor. I had to leave before more questions came up—before someone realized I wasn't a Redwood student at all.
"I should get going," I said, heading toward the door. "Can't be late to school."
"Of course," Aenn said, getting up with me. "I wish you didn't have to rush off."
"Yeah…" I reached for my boots. "But the soup was perfect. Thank you again."
"Oh, no trouble at all," she said warmly, walking with me to the door.
I pulled on my boots, tightening the laces quickly. Olivia gave me a tired little wave from her seat, and Aenn offered a gentle smile as I stepped outside.
The crowd was still there, still loud and chaotic. I slipped one hand into my pocket, gripping the ring tightly. I wasn't letting this one out of my sight. Especially not in this district.
"Come back again," Aenn said, her voice warm.
I nodded slowly, forcing a smile. "Hmm. Thank you again, ma'am."
She gave me a soft smile as she started to close the door. "Have fun in school."
I paused, watching the door inch shut, my heart heavy. "Yeah… have fun, huh..." My words trailed off, barely a whisper in the air.