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The sounds of men readying the stables and opening the gates with excited shouts can only mean one thing, Claudia thinks as she looks over the courtyard. Riders are approaching.
She gets down to the courtyard as fast as she can manage, forgetting all about the trade proposals she’d promised Ezran she’d look at, or the letter she was writing to Soren. Sure enough, Claudia doesn’t have to wait long until a group of four riders come in.
Callum is the first one to reach the castle. Claudia understands; he must’ve been anxious to return home after so many moons away. He’s gotten taller since she last saw him, something that becomes apparent instantaneously as soon as he gets off his horse and envelops her in a hug.
“How was your trip?” Claudia asks with a grin as she pulls back. Callum smiles back and wipes his hair out of his eyes. It’s gotten so long that Claudia wonders about whether he could put it up in a ponytail, yet.
“Tedious,” Callum answers. “Long. It’s good to be back home.”
“It’s good to have you back,” Claudia replies. “I know for a fact Ezran has really missed you, even though he’ll never admit to it.” Callum scoffs a laugh.
“That sounds like him,” he says. “I’ll better go see him now, if you don’t mind…?”
“Go,” Claudia says, waving him off. Her eyes are already gliding to the other person she’d had to miss for so long, quickly approaching on the singular road leading into the castle. “I’ve got more catching up to do.” Callum follows her gaze and chuckles.
“Right,” he says, patting her shoulder encouraging. “She never said much about it, but she missed you. I could see it.”
“I know,” Claudia says with a sigh. “I missed her, too.” Callum shoots her a last smile and walks away, right when Rayla and their two escorts arrive in the courtyard. Rayla looks comfortable on her horse and dismounts in a fluid motion, very unlike the way she stumbled off the very first time Claudia had seen her ride. That had been the day before she left with Callum, on their diplomat mission throughout the human kingdoms and Xadia.
Claudia blinks and Rayla’s arms are around her, pulling her close, her face pressed against the side of Rayla’s neck. “Hey,” she speaks into white hair as her arms come around Rayla’s waist, a movement that is still somewhat automatic despite them having been apart for so long. It feels like coming home, despite the fact that Claudia has barely been outside the castle since Rayla left.
“Hey,” Rayla replies, and the sound of her voice could make Claudia cry. Involuntarily, her arms tighten around Rayla’s waist. “It’s so good to see you again.” She pulls back a little and brings one hand up to Claudia’s cheek, fingers gently curling around the wisps of black hair there. “Your hair has gotten longer.”
“It has,” Claudia agrees, thinking back to when she first cut it short and how cleansing it had felt. It’s nearly touching her shoulders, now. “Yours, too. And your horns,” she says as she runs a hand through Rayla’s long, white hair, fingers quickly finding the dark horns and sliding over the ridges in them.
“Yeah,” Rayla says bashfully, ducking her head a little but not removing Claudia’s hand from her head.
“They look good,” Claudia continues, as she slides her hand down and tucks a few strands of white hair behind Rayla’s ear. “Guess that means an increased risk of getting headbutted by you in your sleep?” The blush that appears on Rayla’s cheeks sets off something in Claudia’s chest, makes her feel weightless.
“Probably,” Rayla mutters. She pulls Claudia close again, so close that their noses almost touch. “Good thing I’ll be there to kiss it better.” Claudia grins at the prospect.
It’s been longer than Claudia knows—she’s lost count of the days long ago. But when Rayla leans in to kiss her, it’s as if she never left. The touch of her lips on her own and how she moves is the most familiar thing that Claudia thinks she’ll ever experience, and the way their bodies are pressed together feels like they’re melting into one another. Claudia doesn’t think she’d complain, if that were to happen. It would mean that Rayla could never leave her behind to go on another stupid diplomat mission. She’d always be close enough for Claudia to kiss her like this: deeply, intimately. Like they would stay like this forever if not for their need to breathe.
Like coming home.