For War (continued) - Eighty Days

The door closed behind them with a soft click. The tavern was quiet, except for the low murmur of distant conversations and the crackle of the dying tavern fireplace.

Eryn stood by the door, his eyes on the grain of the wood. He didn't speak.

Roan rubbed his temple. His face twisted with pain. "Didn't see that coming."

Nia shook her head, slow and deliberate. "No one did. They came too late. A little sooner—"

"They came to help," Liora said, cutting her off. Her voice was even. "But they weren't fast enough. That's all there is to it."

Eryn's gaze stayed on the door, his voice quiet. "They must have had their reasons."

Nia looked at him sharply. "And if we'd been the ones lying there? Just bodies on the floor?"

Liora didn't answer right away. Her eyes were on the door too. "Then they'd pick up where we left off. That's how it works."

Roan looked at her. His voice was steady but low. "We'll follow your lead, Liora."

She nodded once. "We need to know why they came. And we need to find Val." Her voice dropped further. "And Eight."

Eryn stepped closer to her. His words came out soft, like a promise. "We will."

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Nia broke the silence. "Do you think they're after something?"

Liora didn't answer. She didn't shake her head or nod. She stood still, watching the fire flicker in the corner.

Roan pushed himself up from the chair. He winced at the effort. "Val and Eight. That's the only connection."

Liora turned to him then. Her gaze was calm but firm. "Then this is just the start."

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. The light from the fire danced across her face. "We lost the first battle. The first war over powers like ours, and we were the ones caught off guard."

Roan's voice was stronger now. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

Nia looked at Liora, her brow furrowed. "So what's next?"

Liora paused. She let the silence stretch before speaking. "Same as yesterday. We find Val."

"For what?" Nia asked. Her voice rose, tight with frustration.

Eryn answered, his tone low, almost to himself. "For the right moment to attack."

Roan paced the length of the room, the floor creaking under his boots. He exhaled, loud and heavy. "This cat and mouse game will kill us all."

Eryn didn't look at him. His voice was steady, without emotion. "Will this be the first time we die?"

Liora grabbed a few mugs of ale from the table. She handed them out, one by one. Her words were measured. "We drink, we fight. This doesn't stop here. If we don't move fast, it'll grow too big to stop."

Nia took her mug, nodding once. "We lost our healer. The two of us will rest tonight," she said, draining the drink in one long pull before grabbing Roan by the arm.

"We'll meet with the thieves' den tomorrow. Get the information."

She stopped in the doorway, turning back to Eryn and Liora. Her eyes were sharp, her voice certain. "The two of you should infiltrate their ranks. It's the only way to stay ahead."

Liora nodded. "When we know what we're up against, Eryn and I will go beyond their lines. Get what we need." She glanced at him then. He was staring into his empty mug, his face unreadable.

"Get us moving," she said to Nia, her voice clipped.

Nia and Roan left for the night, their steps heavy on the stairs. The tavern settled into silence again. Liora and Eryn stayed where they were, the fire burning low. Neither of them spoke. They drank quietly, the weight of the next move sitting between them.

The fire had burned down to embers. Eryn stared at it, his mug still in his hand, though it had been empty for some time. Liora sat across from him, her fingers tapping the side of her glass in a slow, deliberate rhythm.

"You think we'll find Val?" His voice broke the silence like a stone dropped into a still pond.

Liora swirled the ale in her mug, her gaze fixed on the faint reflection in the dark liquid. "Doesn't matter. We have to."

Eryn leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking under his weight. He studied her for a moment. "It's not just about Val."

She didn't answer right away. When she spoke, her tone was flat. "No. It's not."

Outside, the wind picked up, rattling the shutters. Liora turned her head slightly, listening, but her expression didn't change.

Eryn set his mug down, the thud muted against the heavy wood of the table. "You've been quiet. Even for you."

Liora looked at him then, her eyes sharpened, searching. "You've been loud. Even for you."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it didn't reach his eyes. He reached for the bottle, pouring another drink. "Fair."

The minutes passed, marked only by the occasional crack of the embers and the low sigh of the wind.

When Liora finally spoke again, her voice was softer, less certain. "Nia's right. This thing's bigger than us. It always has been."

Eryn nodded, almost imperceptibly. "Doesn't mean we don't try to steer it."

She looked at him, her expression softening. "Maybe."

He didn't reply. He just tipped his mug back and drained it.

Upstairs, Nia lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was small, the walls close, but it felt safer than the open air. Roan sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.

"We're running in circles," Nia said quietly.

Roan didn't look up. "Circles still keep you moving."

She frowned, turning her head toward him. "We need more than movement. We need direction."

He let out a short laugh, humorless and dry. "You think I don't know that?"

The silence between them stretched thin.

"You think Liora can do it?" Nia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Roan finally looked at her, his expression unreadable. "She has to. We don't have anyone else."

Nia turned back to the ceiling, her jaw tight. "I hope she knows what she's doing."

"She does," Roan said, his tone firm. "More than any of us."

They didn't speak after that. Roan stayed where he was, and Nia closed her eyes, though sleep didn't come easily.

When morning broke, gray and cold, the group gathered again. Nia and Roan looked better, though the exhaustion lingered in their eyes. Liora stood by the window, arms crossed, while Eryn sat at the table, sharpening a blade.

Roan stretched, wincing slightly. "Thieves' den first, then. We'll bring back what we can."

Liora nodded without looking at him. "Be careful."

"We always are," Nia said, though the words sounded more like a challenge than reassurance.

Eryn looked up from his blade. "And if you're not?"

Roan smirked faintly. "Then you'll have to clean up after us."

Liora didn't smile. She didn't move from the window. "Don't give us that job."

The two left shortly after, stepping out into the frost-bitten morning. Liora stayed by the window, watching until they were out of sight.

Eryn spoke without looking up. "You think they'll find anything useful?"

She didn't answer at first. When she did, her voice was distant. "They'll find what they're meant to."

"And us?"

Her gaze didn't waver from the window. "We'll find what we need."

Eryn nodded, though her words hung heavy in the air. They stayed like that for a while, the silence between them familiar and uneasy, waiting for whatever would come next.