Mara and Icarus played with the kids for a while and had a fun time. They kicked a ball around and performed a bit of swordplay with a bunch of sticks. The sun had begun to set until it was just on the horizon when the mother opened the door and shouted, "Dinner's ready!"
The kids cheered and rushed inside for their meal, slowly followed by Mara and Icarus. Then, everyone began to sit down as they prepared to eat their potato stew. Mara was unsure of the stew because she'd never eaten food from a village before, but she decided to try it anyway. After she took a bite, her eyes sparkled, and her face lit up.
"This stew is amazing!" Mara exclaimed as she dove in for more.
"We only use the freshest ingredients around," the mother replied.
"The villagers love our recipe," the grandmother humbly added. "They won't eat any other stew."
"It's the yummiest!" the children chanted.
Some time passed as the group engaged in more conversation as they ate the potato stew. Once the stew was finished, the adults began cleaning up while the children marched upstairs to prepare for bed. After they finished cleaning up, the adults carried themselves upstairs to prepare for bed as well. Mara was unsure of where to sleep until the mother suggested sleeping in the guest bedroom with Icarus. Henceforth, Mara marched into the guest bedroom and removed her armor as she prepared her nightgown.
After she put on the nightgown, Mara stepped out of the room and told Icarus that it was okay to enter. Icarus then changed into a tank top and shorts, and the children came out to say goodnight to the adults.
"Good night, Uncle Icky," the children said in unison.
"Good night, children," Icarus replied as he hugged them.
Mara told her goodnight to everyone in the house as the children marched into their bedroom. "What a day," she sighed as she slipped under the covers. Icarus smiled as he said goodnight to Mara and dimmed the light.
An hour or two had passed since the house became still, yet Mara had been tossing and turning. Eventually, she got out of bed and walked out to the balcony, soon to be followed by Icarus, who was awoken by the sudden movements.
Mara had stared up at the stars for a few minutes before she noticed Icarus by her side.
"What's keeping you up?" Icarus asked in a calm tone.
"I keep thinking about...her," Mara answered as she tilted her head down.
"You mean that dark wizard?" Icarus questioned with a worried look on his face.
"Yes," Mara nodded, "I've also been told that she's Castlian."
"Ugh, Castlians," Icarus scoffed. "They think they're so special just because they have their own armor and weapons."
"I-I can't imagine why," Mara stammered as she darted her eyes to Icarus then away from him.
Icarus then turned to Mara and jeered, "If you ask me, any Castlian is a selfish snob."
How is that supposed to make me feel better? Mara thought. I hope he changes his mind about my people.
"Anyway," Icarus continued, "we'd better get some sleep. Tomorrow's another big day."
"You're right," Mara answered. "I'll follow soon."
Icarus left the balcony and returned to bed, while Mara continued to look at the stars once more and prayed for their guidance and protection. After she finished, Mara marched from the balcony to the bedroom and slipped under the covers once more before finally closing her eyes.
