Nothing, not even the ram’s displeasure, could dampen the otter’s spirits in the face of a new day and what lay ahead, but he was too distracted by Kaveri’s sudden consciousness to immediately reply to Nephys. Eyes closed, he made a quiet noise of contentment as the Dresmondi rubbed the top of his head, belatedly offering a, “Sorry, Kaveri. I forgot.”

When he was set on the floor, he scampered over to Kester, who greeted him with a light scratch on the top of his head even as she ran her other hand down Nephys’s neck. Unlike the other two, she had not forgotten what it was like to wake up with Walnut around and offered a somewhat amused, somewhat commiserating grimace. Lucky you.

“Hey! I resent that remark!” Standing up on his hind legs, Walnut did his best approximation of an affronted human with his hands on his hips. Unfortunately, his forelegs were neither long enough nor did they bend in the right direction for such an action, so they merely ended up by his sides while his expression did all the work. “Is it so horrible to be excited to see a new friend?”

Walnut, he may be friendly, Kester reminded him, reaching to to pat the otter on the head. But that doesn’t make him a friend.

“You know, that’s exactly the reason neither of you have friends,” Walnut pointed out, turning to look at Kaveri, whom he knew agreed with Kester, regardless of whether he’d voiced it or not. “How are you supposed to make new ones if you don’t give anyone a chance?”

Kester looked at him, not really in the mood to be needled at over her reasonable suspicion regarding Bowen. Is this really how you want to start the day off, Walnut? She turned to Kaveri before her dyr could respond and answered his question. Figured we’d grab some food, then see about arranging that meeting. A pause. Then, I don’t know, maybe go exploring, maybe just hang around. Got any suggestions?

“That doesn’t mean I can’t resent it, too!” Walnut said, turning his affronted gaze on Kaveri as the man laughed and stretched, though he soon turned it on Nephys when the ram voiced his agreement with Kester. Then Kaveri joined in as well – perhaps the biggest betrayal of all. “Fine, fine,” The river otter huffed, not quite conceding the point but also reluctant to continue this conversation lest it devolve into an argument.

Kester, for her part, was more than willing to drop the topic. As far as she was concerned, she had already made her point to Walnut many times before, though she appreciated the support from Kaveri and Nephys. While they reinforced what she said, her gaze might have lingered a little longer on Kaveri than strictly necessary as he changed before she, too, turned away to get herself ready for the day. Stretching, she made her way to the bag that had been flung into the corner and left utterly unacknowledged last night, its presence entirely eclipsed by their reunion with the other two. Like the man at her back, she swapped out yesterday’s shirt for a new one before putting on her own shoes, glancing over at him at the sound of his laughter.

Maybe she should have known better than to ask Kaveri such a question. The time that he didn’t spend working on the library was likely occupied by drowning himself in ale at this very tavern, but lulled by the surprising ease of their conversation thus far, she had forgotten. Biting back a pointed remark about that, Kester walked over and offered him a hand to help him off the bed, saying, “The prince, huh? Sounds important.” She would not ask why he was lost in the first place, if the only exploring he’d done had been to the library and back. “What was he like?”

Intending to find breakfast, she turned toward the door and, if Kaveri was ready, she would hold it open for the others to pass through first before stepping into the quiet tavern herself.

Very important. Kester nodded as she stepped through the door and followed Kaveri to the bar. Ignoring the bartender’s wink, she bent down and lifted Walnut onto the seat beside her, where he perched on his hind legs and tapped his hands eagerly on the bar. His small brown head swiveled around as he surveyed the mostly empty room before peering down the length of the bar at the food sitting before the middle aged couple.

Settling down herself, Kester leaned her forearms on the wooden surface in front of her while Kaveri ordered breakfast. She turned to face him as he described his meeting with the prince, eyes flicking down to Nephys when the ram spoke up. They all knew that Walnut thought the best of everyone, so she felt little need to point that out.

I hope you’re right and he’s genuine, Kester said finally, though the skepticism hadn’t faded. But I wouldn’t hold my breath. Although Kaveri had made a good point that the prince had helped him when he didn’t have to, she still thought their position too precarious to truly trust anyone with their well-being other than themselves. The Dresmondi refugees had nothing with which to bargain. It made them vulnerable. But that was nothing new. Shaking her head slightly, she considered instead the curious key that Kaveri had mentioned. I wonder where that key can go—

The arrival of their food cut her off, and picking up her fork, Kester poked at the eggs on the plate in front of her with a sigh. Their food is so different from ours.

At the truth in Kaveri’s words, Kester let out a quiet, bitter chuckle of her own. Between the queen’s inactivity and the loss of the medallion and the Eldouir, their people were a slowly dying breed. And as matters stood now, the two of them could do nothing about it.

Ever the opportunist, Walnut didn’t mind the different food as much, and licking his lips, he eyed the sausage on Kester’s plate in a silent plea. She glanced at him as she punctured the yolk of her own egg with her fork.

Yes, Walnut, you can have it.

Hands pattering excitedly on the bar, the river otter’s grin widened as he reached for the piece of meat and latched on when she brought it within reach. Holding it with both hands, he took a bite of one end and chewed it eagerly, mouth open wide in a manner that would have been rude had he been human. Undeniably fond, Kester watched him for a moment, shook her head, and turned back to her own meal. She didn’t have to warn him about not leaving a mess; Walnut would eat any crumbs he left behind.

However, Kaveri, as he often did, soon reclaimed her attention. Pausing from where she had cut some of the egg white with the side of her fork, she looked over at him with a grin tugging at the corners of her lips. That’s brilliant, Kaveri. In her mind’s eye, a world of possibilities stretched before them, but first: Didn’t— Didn’t they say Kezia went back home? Has she returned?