Ka'Lula huddles beneath Pip's arm as the team guides her back to the village inn. She walks barefoot, her tattered dress singed and barely clinging to her. And though her face is stained with soot, and ash clings to her hair, her bright amber eyes sparkle with shy curiosity.
Inside the inn, Penelo quickly spreads a blanket on a bench while Sera brings over a pot of her now-famous stew. Ka'Lula's nose twitches at the aroma, her stomach growls so loudly it startles Pip, and the moment a bowl is placed in front of her, she digs in with reckless abandon.
"Easy there," Vuvi says with a soft chuckle, watching the girl inhale her second helping. "You'll burn your tongue."
"Mmrph! Worth it," Ka'Lula manages to squeak between bites.
Penelo sits beside her, wide-eyed. "She's like a furnace! Look at that appetite!"
Ka'Lula smiles sheepishly, licking her spoon clean. "I haven't eaten properly in days."
