Sunlight disturbed her rest, and she let out a groan. The blanket fell to the floor. Her eyes blinked several times before she looked to the other half of the bed. Empty. Of course. A sigh escaped, and after she fixed her appearance, the woman headed to the library. Stacked times and organized papers had not changed since. She greeted Kero with a wave of her hand as she started some morning stretches.
"It's nice to see you're still the same as always," he said. "Oh, and Mery is doing fine with your familiar." Kero began to scribble something on a piece of parchment.
"You think so? It feels more like everything left me behind, and I'm the one who changed."
The young man paused in his work and frowned. "...What makes you say that?"
"Hm. 'Dunno. I really can't describe it."
He started to write again. "Have you talked to Ezarel about it?"
"Ah, he doesn't need to be bothered with it. I mean"—she saw Kero's creasing his eyebrows—"I know he won't mind listening...but it'd be a waste of time if I can't express it well. And..."
Approaching, hurried footsteps caused her attention to shift elsewhere. When the door creaked open, Yhkar appeared.
"Miiko needs you to..." She stopped to catch her breath.
The woman nodded, waved at Kero, then headed toward the crystal room. Her eyes widened for a brief moment when she saw more than two people.
"You decided to include the boys this time?"
Nevra frowned. "We talked it out." He then gestured for her to come closer; when she did, he leaned toward her ear. "Not to mention myself and a particular elf here have our own reasons."
"Ahem..." The kistune tapped the ground with the end of her staff. "Now, considering you only have four days here, give or take, when can we expect the next time of contact?"
"Not for a while...They've been getting stricter because some members have started to desert. Worse case scenario it'll be more than a few years."
"Can you send messages? It's possible we can devise a specific code to write in," Leiftan said.
Valkyon crossed his arms. "Wait, what are you doing exactly as you're undercover?"
"Scouting. Inventory checking. Reporting. Keeping the others in check. More of the housekeeping jobs than the actual destroying sanctuaries and whatnot," the woman said.
"Ah, yes. That. Are you confident the map in your report is an accurate prediction?"
"Unless they change the plans. Which I doubt since there's a food shortage. My concern is the possibility of a merge with the bigger organizations. The leader is thinking about it and has went through some talks..."
The discussion continued, and they reached a final decision. Miiko dismissed them; the boys and the woman strolled through the halfway.
"So, are you going to join us for drinks later?"
"Thanks, but I'll decline the invitation, Nevra," she said.
"Aw...And what about you, Ezarel?"
"I have business to take care of."
The vampire blinked, but in a quick moment, a wide grin plastered itself on his face. He hooked his arm around Valkyon's and began to drag him in another direction.
"C'mon Papi Valky, let us leave them."
She smiled and waved, and Ezarel noted the ends of her mouth twitched. Once the duo were out of hearing range, the elf let out a sigh.
"You can laugh now."
"Pfft...Hahahahahahahahahahahahah...He still calls him that? What the heck..."
The elf shrugged in response. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before she left him. The woman took her weapons from her room and headed outside the building. When she found an isolated area, the woman resumed her training from yesterday. Her sword hit the air in a flurry of strikes. In between that and breaks, she practiced unsheathing or parrying with her dagger. Dusk settled in the wide sky as cold winds swirled past leaves and grass. Goosebumps covered her exposed skin, but she still continued to swing. The woman soon lowered her sword and readjusted her grip. Her ears caught the sound of footsteps, but before she reacted, a thick shawl covered the woman. She looked up and met the elf's gaze while he retained a firm grip on her shoulders.
"At least have the decency to not look stupid in public."
She tilted her head. "I thought I locked the door."
"Guess who decided to give me the spare key before leaving for some time."
"Oh."
He took the sword from her and analyzed the blade as she readjusted the shawl.
"It's dull."
She wiped the sweat off her brow. "Mm, haven't had the time."
The elf then pointed the sword at her, and she brought out the parrying dagger.
"It's not a rapier."
"Close enough," he said.
He thrust the blade at her, but she used the dagger to change the direction. The woman parried with succession but frowned as she was forced to step back while his strikes continued with increased relentlessness. When she opted to move out of the sword's range instead of blocking, Ezarel stopped.
"Tired?"
"Well, y'know, I was taught it's not about winning. It only matters whether you can escape."
"You actually quoted him."
"He's not that questionable, and both of us know that."
The two continued their conversation as they ambled to the headquarters. She and the elf reached the hallway, and the woman took back her sword.
"Thanks."
"I know. I'm also going to stay in your room for tonight."
"...Should I even ask?"
He beamed. "I demand compensation for your prior, unneeded intrusion."
"Why am I not surprised," she said.
The elf started to lean toward her, and she stood still; however, he blew a puff of air against her forehead. She forced out a laugh.
"Every time... Every. Time."
He patted her head before he strolled away with a chuckle. The woman returned to her room, placed her sword and dagger away, then took a shower. She let out a sigh of relief as the water washed away the sweat and dirt. When she finished and dried herself, the woman changed into a silk nightgown; as she squeezed the last droplets of water from her hair, she heard the door unlock followed by the soft creaking of her bed. Her head shook. She left the bathroom, and the sight of Ezarel's reading a book as he rested greeted her. The woman approached but stopped near the edge of the bed, and he turned another page.
"You're usually so excited to see me waiting in your bed."
She said, "Honey, today's just not that day."
He closed the book and set it aside. "Do you want some incentive?"
"'Dunno."
The elf made a small, come-hither gesture. "I'll love you some more so come closer."
She blinked for a few moments and let out a defeated sigh. "Why am I an idiot to not decline?" The bed shifted.
"It's a privilege to be my idiot, dear."
At this point, they almost touched with little space between them. He pulled her closer, and the suddenness caused her to flinch in his embrace.
"Hm?"
"Nothing." The woman placed her head on his shoulder.
She would have closed her eyes, but the sensation of his fingertips against her bare back caught her attention.
"So."
"What?" His hands moved elsewhere but continued to caress her skin slow, deliberate strokes. "I did say I wanted compensation. Don't disappoint me."
She woke up to the sound of knocking, but the woman stared at the door. Drowsiness clouded her mind; the knocking continued. The woman squinted as her arm reached to find her nightgown. When her fingers grasped only air, she winced as someone shouted from the other side of the door.
"Hey, are you awake?! I need you to..."
She stopped listening and tried to get up. Her legs ached as she grabbed the table to steady herself. Soft snickering ensued, and she sent a glare toward the elf while he retied his hair. The woman judged the distance between her and the door before she climbed back onto the bed.
Meanwhile, Nevra tapped his foot and waited. Maybe she was somewhere else. When he raised his hand to knock again, he heard a particular sound from the other side of the door, the vampire tried to stifle a laugh.
"I'll just come back later."