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The full moon illuminated the small clearing like a chandelier to a grand ballroom, providing a metaphorical oasis among the dark and foreboding forest around them.
Scratch lifted his staff, letting the red gem going on the rowan wood shine for a bit before sighing. "No monsters around. This looks like as good as spot to camp as any."
Within the hour, they unloaded their wagon, set up a few tents, and prepared what meagre provisions they had.
Spike sighed as she looked at the dismal soup, tail slumping to the ground. "I'm sorry guys, if I had just aimed for the head...Some barbarian I turned out to be."
"Hey," Queenie put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We'd never fought a bugbear before and the guild master should've warned us about it. You'll get em next time."
Spike gave a soft smile. "Would'a been nice to at least get paid half..."
"Or anything." Rattie took a sip, tail twitching. "When was the last time we finished a job that paid well?"
"Or found any treasure more than a few copper?" asked Wormo as they tongue sipped their meal.
"We're just in a bit of a slump." Kinger said. "It happens to every adventuring party. We just gotta keep going and ride it out! I've got a feeling our luck is going to change any day now!"
"Think it could change before we get sick of soup?" Bizco asked.
"He's right." Queenie stood by her husband's side. "We'll get through this. Who knows, maybe we'll find a treasure right here in this forest!"
Scratch narrowed his eyes. 'Why do you two always say things like that? Now it feels like something is definitely going to happen now."
"Great!" Kinger exclaimed cheerfully.
Kinger and Queenie both took the second watch. She wanted to look at and document the night bugs she found while he fiddles with his lute and enjoyed the stars.
In truth, neither could stand doing watch without the other.
"Kinger, look at this!" On Queenie's finger sat a glowing white mother. "A lunar moth! They're only found in this part of the country and they glow because of the lunar flowers they feed on which absorb the moonlight! It's incredible how one thing leads to another!"
Kinger's eyes widened as the moth flew around him and away into the night.
Queenie looked at him for a minute, eyes softening. "Do you really think our luck's going to turn around soon?"
"I'm sure it will!" He said with full confidence. "We just need the right quest and then-"
Queenie pressed a hand to his...er, where his mouth would've been, silencing him. "Shh. Listen."
Kinger did. First it was silence.
Then the rustling of leaves, and the patter of footsteps.
Kinger set his lute down and unsheathed his sword as he and Queenie slowly made their way to the wagon where they found...
"Our bread!" Kinger gasped, looking at the empty bag. "We got a good bargain on that too..."
Queenie pointed to the ground, specifically at the crumbs that formed a trail leading to a bush.
They looked at each other and nodded in understanding that only couples truly connected achieve. Kinger lead, sword raised, she followed close behind with a healing spell at the ready.
The sound of munching.
Kinger took a deep breath before leaping over the bush, holding his sword high and giving a battle scream, ready to strike down an enemy-
-and was met with a small child with he biggest eyes he had ever seen, taking a bite of the stolen loaf.
"Kinger what....oh..." Queenie blinked down at the unusual sight as the sounds of the others awakening drifted over.
The child, after looking at them for a minute and, assuming they were not going to strike her down where she sat, continued eating her bread in peace.
"Kinger! Queenie!" Scratch dove through the bush, staff in hand. "What happened? Where's-"
Queenie motioned him to stay back and slowly approached the little girl. "Hi sweetheart."
The child eyed her as she chewed and swallowed. "Hi." She didn't seem shocked or scared of her potential attackers.
"What are you doing out here so late at night?"
The child held up the bread. "I hungy." She explained as though it should be obvious.
Kinger sheathed his sword and approached slowly. "Where are your parents?"
The little girl shrugged, then continued eating.
Spike awkwardly held her battle-axe."Uhh...What's she doing here?"
"I don't know." Queenie shook her head. "Scratch can you give us some light?" Was the little girl a runaway? Was she hurt?
Scratch held up his staff as it gave off a gentle white light.
Queenie gasped.
The little girl was tiny, she couldn't be much older than three or four and covered in scratches and bruises. Her dark brown hair was decorated with leaves and twigs and her outfit only consisted of a white tunic that was too big for her thin frame.
The child blinked at the light, then her blue and red pinwheel eyes became big as dinner plates. "Shiny..."
"What hap-"
A puff of smoke interrupted that question.
"There you are! I found these berries and...oh! You already found something! Good work!"
"Red!" The little girl announced.
The creature couldn't be much taller than the child, with a red dapper suit and a set of dentures where his head should've been with one blue eye and one green eye just....floating in them.
Scratch took a sharp breath. "A faerie."
The faerie finally noticed them. "Oh hello good travelers! Could I and my...uh....companion and I trouble you for a place by your fire?" He asked, patting the girl on the head as she continued to eat.
A heavy silence fell on the party. Faeries were a tricky bunch: either helpful or harmful depending on the mood. Either ready to take your name, drag you off to their realm or aid you in finding treasure at the drop of a hat. It was nearly impossible to predict their next move so it was best to just avoid them.
But to turn down a faerie who had asked for hospitality? That was just asking for disaster to strike.
It was Kinger who had gathered his wits first. "We'd be more than happy to host you both for the night."
"Wonderful!" The faerie clapped his hands and everyone felt like they were facing down a tornado before realizing they were sitting around the unlit firepit. With a snap of his finger, the fire burned even more brightly than it had before.
The little girl blinked before finishing the last bites of bread. Was she used to this? Or was her hunger overriding her fear?
The faerie looked at their empty pot and dwindling supplies. "As thanks for hosting us..." A snap of his fingers and then there was a small mountain of supplies in the wagon.
Rattie immediately began going through everything. "Bread, dried fruit, salted meat...angel food cake!? We won't need to buy any provisions for at least a month!"
"Now, may I have your names?"
This time, Queenie took the lead. "No, but you may know what we are called. I am called Queenie. This is Kinger, Scratch, Rattie, Bizco, Wormo and Spike. We are the Amazing Chaotic Party and welcome you both to our camp. May we know what you both are called?"
The faeire took the offered hand and shook it eagerly. "You can call me Caine! And this little scamp is...hmm..." He looked her over and hummed.
"Does he...not know her name?" Spike whispered to Wormo, who gave the best effort of a shrug as they could manage.
"....Pomni!" He snapped his fingers as though finally solving a puzzle that had long plagued him. "Her names Pomni. You hear that kid? What's your name?"
"Pomni." The little girl repeated nonchalantly, sticking her hands closer to the fire and humming a little song.
"Glad we're all on the same page."
"Um...how old is she?" Kinger asked.
"Uhh...." He leaned down to (loudly) whisper into her ear. "Kid, how old are ya again?"
The litt-Pomni, looked at her fingers, quickly counted out five and held them up for the world to see.
"She's five! You're so good at numbers Pomni!"
"Five!?" Bizco gasped. "I thought she was a toddler?!"
Pomni puffed out her cheeks, clearly understanding and not liking the assumption.
"She's just short for her age." Caine patted her hair again. "I don't think that's really ever going to change." He twirled his cane. "Now that I've found somewhere to settle her for the night, it's time for me to go! By Pomni!"
"Bye Caine."
Kinger reached out. "Wait-"
Another puff of smoke and Kinger was grasping air.
Everyone looked at the child humming by the fire.
"Well..." Wormo observed. "This is quite the pickle."
Queenie sighed. "Why did he...no. Can't focus on that right now." She took a seat near but not too close to Pomni. "Pomni?"
The child eyed her.
"You look a little scratched up."
Pomni looked down at herself. "Branches are sharp."
"They are. And it's important to take care of cuts when they happen. Do you want me to heal those cuts for you?"
Queenie reached out a gentle hand, only for Pomni scoot away, eyeing the woman suspiciously.
Rattie tilted her head. "Kid, do you like people touching you?"
Slowly, the child shook her head.
"Hey," Kinger kneeled down while still keeping a good distance from the girl. "We're not going to hurt you."
The girl eyed him. "Pwomise?"
"Promise! You wanna see something cool?" He clasped his hands together and when he opened them, a golden butterfly emerged.
Pomni was mesmerized. "Oooohhhh...." She held out her hand and the magical butterfly landed on it.
"It's a golden monarch. You can find them everywhere in the west."
Pomni stared at the magical creation in awe. "Wizard?"
"Nope. That's Scratch. I'm a paladin." He pointed to his armor and sword. "Queenie here is one of the best clerics on the continent, which means she's a really good healer."
Pomni looked at the butterfly, the down at her injured body as though just noticing the state she was in. "Hurt?"
"Only a little." Queenie explained, positioning her fingers like so. "But you'll feel a lot better afterward. I'm also going to need to touch you. Is that alright?"
Pomni looked at her, then Kinger, then back. Letting the butterfly go free, she stood and walked over the chess woman. "Okay."
"Are we really doing this?" Scratch demanded, glancing over to where Queenie was healing Pomni while Spike was telling her about their last adventure.
"Doing what?" Kinger asked.
"This! Doesn't anything about this strike you as odd?"
"We are helping a child Scratch." Wormo explained, looking at one of the cloth bags Caine had provided.
"A child who was with a faerie! We don't know who or what she is! She could be a changeling for all we know."
"Already checked, not a changeling." Rattie tossed a cracker into her mouth with her tail. "Can't confirm if she's a mortal or a fae though."
Bizco rolled his eyes. "Way to narrow it down..."
"Hey! You gotta be specific with what yer looking for!"
"Maybe he found her in the woods and just wanted to help her?" Kinger shrugged. "There's a town three hours from here; we'll go in the morning and ask around to see if we can find her family."
"If she has one." Rattie sighed. "Remember how Caine was the one to name her?"
"She might've accidentally offered her old one. She's only five."
"I heard the recent harvests haven't been good." Wormo poured out the bag's contents. "It's not unheard of for poor farmers to abandon their children when times get tough. Especially if they're too small to work or survive."
"Well, at least we'll find them and give them a stern talking to!"
Scratch rubbed his forehead to hold off the headache.
"Hey." Pomni was curled up, sleeping peacefully in Queenie's hands. "Thankfully the cuts were shallow and I managed to get all the bruises. I'm going to take her to our tent."
"I'll take watch until morning." Wormo was searching through their things before dragging out a sewing kit. "Don't be afraid to sleep late, this has been the craziest night we've had in a while."
They left a lot later than they planned to; though considering the circumstances, nobody was complaining.
Pomni rode in the cart, now clean from a prompt bath in a creek and now donning a blue dress Wormo had made that fit perfectly. She had shocked everyone when she gave the monk a tight hug. She still didn't talk much, though her large eyes seemed to observe everything around her.
Scratch made a point to stand as far from her as possible.
There was also no sign of Caine, but she didn't seem concerned about it.
Kinger was walking by the cart, right up to where Pomni sat. He and Queenie had tried to ask the girl about her family and how she met Caine, but the only response of a shrug or a blank stare.
Had she accidentally given Caine her memory as well?
"So, Pomni!" Kinger said, drawing the girl's attention. "Lovely day out, isn't it?"
Pomni looked around as though to confirm Kinger's statement and nodded. "It's warm."
"Yup! Sometimes I wish every day were like this, would make travelling a lot easier. But do you know the problem with that?"
Pomni blinked.
"The world needs rain to water the plants and cool down the earth. People also need water to survive. The world also needs snow to give the earth a rest or just some clouds to cool things down a bit." He shrugged. "So while it's tempting to complain about the weather, just remember it's nature trying to take care of us."
"Caine said the wind is nature singing."
"That sounds lovely."
"Most of 'em are about bloodshed or raunchy sex songs."
"...To each their own." Kinger sighed and pulled out his lute. Maybe a song or two would help the time pass.
He was in the middle of a classic that he and Queenie loved when he noticed Pomni staring, eyes wider and mouth open enough to catch butterflies.
He choked back a laugh.
'Don't stop!" Pomni begged.
"Did you like the song?" Queenie asked.
Pomni pointed to the lute. "What that?"
Kinger held it up. "It's a lute."
"Magic?"
"Nope! Not this one at least. It lets you play music by plucking the strings." He played a few notes to demonstrate. "I'm not really good, it's just something fun to pass the time but I'm no bard."
"Bard?"
"They play music." Queenie explained. "Or act. They're anyone creative enough to combine their magic with their art to do all sorts of things."
Pomni looked utterly enchanted by the idea.
"Here," Kinger placed the lute in the little girl's arms, almost knocking her out of the wagon before Queenie helped her settle. "I can teach you a few notes while we walk."
The smile on Pomni's face ignited something in both chess pieces hearts.
The village, while small, was far from isolated, seeing a good variety of trade wagons and adventuring parties. It was also linked with many farms and ranches.
Someone here had to know who Pomni was.
While the others went to look for jobs and a place to set up camp, Kinger and Queenie set off for the Inn. Innkeepers typically knew everyone within a fifty mile radius
"Excuse me? Are you the innkeeper?" Queenie asked the frog person manning the desk.
"Yup. How many nights?"
"We're not checking in." Kinger tilted his head to the little girl in his hands who was playing with one of the clasps on his cloak. "We found this little girl in the woods to the east of here last night. Her name's Pomni but it might've been something else. You wouldn't happen to know if her family lives around here, do you?"
The frog looked at Pomni. Pomni observed him in silence. "...Strangest eyes I've ever seen. Nope never seen her before."
"But-"
"Don't know anyone around here missing a girl with eyes like that either."
Queenie sighed. "Thank you for your time. Kinger, maybe someone at the market-"
"Hold on." The frog looked through his ledger. "You wouldn't happen the be," He squinted. "'The Amazing Chaotic Party', would ya?"
"Oh! Yes, we're part of them. Do you have a job?"
"No, but I got three rooms ready for ya."
"I'm sorry, but we can't afford-"
"Already paid for."
Both chess pieces blinked. "What?" They asked in unison.
"Three rooms. Two nights. All paid in advance. Breakfast and dinner included." He tossed three keys on the desk. "Rooms, 301, 302 and 303. Remember to keep all brawling in the dining area."
Kinger looked at the keys like he couldn't believe they were there. "But...how..."
Then the answer hit him and his wife.
"Alright, I'll admit this is starting to look a little sketchy." Wormo looked at the freshly cooked meal in front of them.
Rattie gobbled down her food with a vigor. "'Never look a gift pegasus in the beak', that's what my mum used to say."
"Even if they're from a faerie?" Scratch rubbed his temples.
Pomni, in one of the three booster seats they'd requested, matched Rattie in the way she was scarfing down her meal. Queenie was busy trying to instruct her to slow down and wiping the food that had missed her mouth. Queenie wondered when the last time Pomni had a decent meal was.
"You really going to pass up a nice, comfy bed?" Rattie pointed her spoon at the wizard.
"At least we get to put our feet up." Spike sighed. "We must've combed the town twice today."
Kinger stirred his stew with his spoon. "We must've asked every merchant, guildmaster, farmer, shopkeeper and adventuring party we could find and NONE of them recognized Pomni. They couldn't even think of anyone she might be related to. She didn't recognize anyone either."
"Curiouser and curiouser..." Wormo hummed before licking up their potatoes.
Scratch gave a displeased growl.
Pomni finished her food without a care in the world.
Queenie gave a stern look at the dog person. "We'll keep looking around tomorrow, let's just enjoy this good fortune and get a good nights sleep."
Rattie gave a hearty sigh. "Oh how I've longed for an actual mattress..."
"If we're murdered in the middle of the night, Scratch is still going to tell everyone 'I told you so'." Bizco rolled his eyes.
Later that night, with the moon high in the sky, husband and wife lay in bed with the strange little girl tucked in between them.
She had climbed on the bed, seemed to test it with her weight, patted the pillow a few times before laying her head on it. She was asleep within seconds. The day must've been a lot for her.
"Queenie?" Kinger whispered into the darkness.
"Yes honey?" Looks like she hadn't been the only one unable to sleep.
"What if...Pomni doesn't have any family TO find?"
It had been a question that had plagued her as well. "Let's just keep looking for now and...cross that bridge when we come to it." Pomni mumbled something in her sleep and Queenie gently stroked her hair in comfort. "Shh....Kinger, what if her parents traded her to Caine? We couldn't possibly give her back then."
"The biggest problem is we don't know what happened or how long she was out there. What if he doesn't come back?"
"What if he does? If she was traded to him, why would he..." She sighed in exhaustion. "Goddess, who knows how the fae think? Maybe he just needed a babysitter for a few days."
"Then we take good care of her until then. Or maybe try to find some way to cancel out the contract. Scratch and Rattie could think of something."
"I hope you're right." Caine seemed to care for her but a child with someone like him long term?
Pomni slumbered on, unaware of the uncertainty surrounding her.
The second day was not turning out any better than the first one.
Kinger and Queenie continued their search to no avail: nobody in town knew who Pomni was or anyone who she could be related to. Most of them seemed weirded out by her eyes but didn't seem hostile. Pomni clung to the chess people, apparently not used to or just uncomfortable with the large amount of people around.
They decided to take a break at the fountain when-
"WE GOT A JOB! WE GOT A JOB!" Rattie shouted, darting through the crowd's legs.
"GAH!" Kinger was so startled he fell in the fountain.
Pomni giggled as Queenie helped her husband up. "A job?"
"Yeah! Some merchant heard we were in town and wants us to protect him as he travels to Beantown tomorrow." She leaned close and whispered. "Apparently, he's carrying some weird goods that happen to attract other magical beings."
"Beantown? That's two days from here."
"Not too bad all things considered. And it's good pay! Hope you haven't made plans because the rest of us already agreed."
"But..." Kinger looked down at Pomni, who was swirling her fingers in the water.
"Look, this place was a bust, but maybe somebody there knows who she is?"
"I mean..." Kinger shrugged. "Maybe it's the sign we're looking for? At least it looks like our luck is finally turning around."
"Don't jinx it."
They set out just after sunrise.
Pomni has still been tired but eager to help: carrying items to the wagon and counting the cargo. She could go surprisingly high considering her age.
Scratch and Bizco took the lead while Spike and Rattie covered the rear. Kinger, Wormo and Queenie stuck to the middle so they could be flexible and keep an eye on the cargo and Pomni, who continued to watch the world around her with an intense gaze.
The first day passed by pleasantly, the only issue being Bizco nearly getting carried away by a stream they were crossing.
The second...
"Kingy!" Pomni whispered.
"What is it sweetie?"
"There's somfin in the trees!" Pomni pointed. Kinger looked as hard as he could but he couldn't find anything.
"Where? I don't see anything?"
"It's quiet and furry and had really long legs." She held up her own short leg as reference.
He had a good idea of what she was describing as a chill went down his spine. "Are you sure?"
"It sneaky."
Kinger looked around more and...there! Something dashed near the top of the trees, just out of sight. Then he looked up and saw white threads hanging from the treetops.
"Everyone." Kinger tried to keep his voice calm. "We may be in the territory of a giant people eating spider."
The trees rustled. Too much for any regular animal.
"Pomni, get under the cover." Queenie commanded. The girl followed without question. Kinger drew his sword.
Then they heard a tree fall.
Everyone tensed, ready for something to jump out.
Then eight limbs surrounded them and a hiss filled the air.
Kinger raised his sword. "ATTACK!"
"Go for the legs!" Scratch threw a fireball at one as the giant spider let out a stream of webbing.
It took over an hour, but soon the spider was nothing more than a a hissing head and torso.
Then Kinger cut it's head off and the hissing stopped.
"That's odd." Queenie hummed as she healed Spike's arm. "Giant spiders rarely venture this far north this time of year. Based on the loose webbing it doesn't look like it fully claimed this territory yet."
"At least someone saw it before we became its meal." Kinger went to the wagon. "Pomni, it's safe!"
The girl's head popped up over the side like a tavern game. She looked around and wrinkled he nose at the spider's body. "Ew."
Laughing, he picks her up and spun her around. "Pomni, you might have just saved our lives today!"
Pomni blinked at him. "I did good?"
"You did VERY good!" He pulled her in for a tight hug.
She returned it with a smile.
The merchant was grateful for the protection of his goods and added a bonus for taking care of the spider so quickly. The local Adventuring guild was also grateful for the spider head, paid a bounty and set up a warning for other adventurers.
Bizco and Rattie counted their earnings with smiles. "Looks like we're staying at the inn tonight!" Rattie cheered.
Turns out, job completed or not, the same thing happened again: they found rooms prebooked and prepaid waiting for them.
"This is getting ridiculous." Spike sighed as Spike let Pomni ride on her back.
They continued their search; but they bore the same fruit they did previously.
That is to say: none.
Nobody could place the little girl with the strange eyes.
At least their quest prospects were looking up: Kinger and Spike were hired to take care of some wood wolves at a nearby ranch, Queenie to help at the local clinic and Rattie to take care of a small curse at the local sorcerer's.
Bizco, Wormo and Scratch stayed behind to watch Pomni.
"This is ridiculous." Scratch said.
Bizco was currently trying to teach Pomni how to play poker. "Hey, I'm the one who volunteered for babysitting duty. You can go look for your own job."
"No-I mean....are we just letting her stay with us?"
Pomni looked up from her cards.
"Uhh....hey kid, look!" Bizco pointed to the fountain where a small band was playing.
Pomni perked up.
Wormo let her hold their tail. "Let's go take a closer look." They gave Scratch a stern look before leaving.
Bizco crossed their arms. "What is your problem?"
"My 'problem' is that we have a fae watching us while we looking after it's probably not verity child! This whole situation is....don't you feel like something is wrong?"
"Look, I get it. This whole thing is weird, even for us. But don't take it out on the kid. You think she gets a say in any of it?"
Scratch didn't respond.
"Maybe this whole thing is some kind of trap, but we'll find a way out of it. But to be honest, I don't see how watching some fae's kid is going to lead to the end of the world. Do you?"
No response.
"Let's just see where this takes us, ok? And don't say anything to Kinger and Queenie. You know how they were after..."
A heavy pause landed on them.
"...I know you were thinking of it, but don't. Maybe there is some big conspiracy behind this, but if anything it's better we keep her out of all that. It wouldn't kill you to be nicer to her."
Scratch just watched the girl enjoy the band.
By the third town, they had pretty given up all hope of learning anything about Pomni's past.
"How is it that nobody knows you?" Queenie asked in a tired voice.
Pomni looked down. "I'm sorry. I dunno them too."
"Oh I didn't mean...It's not your fault sweetheart." Queenie hugged her close. "We're just...a little confused about where you come from. Do you remember anything before Caine?"
Pomni furrowed her brow in a way that was utterly adorable. "I was in a room eating boring slop. What Worm had."
"Porridge?"
Pomni nodded.
That...wasn't a lot to go on and it explained nothing.
That evening, it was just Queenie, Kinger and Pomni at the tavern dining hall. The others had found minor work or had gone to bed early.
The waitress gushed at Pomni as she delivered their food. "Your daughter is adorable! Are you traveling for the summer fair?"
Both chess pieces flustered.
"She's not-"
"We just found-"
The waitress walked away without hearing them out.
Strangely that night, the one doing the talking was Pomni, who was going over the little magical tricks Rattie had shown her and how Wormo has taught her about the different flowers and how they could help the sick and every little thing that had caught her interest on their travels.
The chess couple listened until, plate empty and tired after another journey, she curled up in Queenie's lap and went right to sleep.
Queenie petted her head fondly. "What we going to do Kinger?"
"Glad to see you're all getting along!"
"CAINE!?" In Pomni's previous seat now sat the mouth headed faery looking at them eagerly.
"That's my name! Now," He summoned a pair of glasses, a clipboard and a pencil. "You've been together for a while, how would you describe the bonds between the three of you?"
"W-What are you doing here!?" Kinger looked around, but no one seemed to notice the meeting going on. In fact, they seemed to avoid looking at them entirely.
"I'm here to check up on how Pomni's doing. And she's doing great by the look of things."
"But who IS she?" Queenie asked. "Where did she come from? We keep asking around but no one knows who she is!"
'Ah..." Caine tapped his fingers together. "That would relate to why I am here and why I left her with you.
I'm...not really allowed to tell you where she came from. Rules and all that. But she is not from anywhere around here. As to where she was before...she cannot go back, so that part is irrelevant. Hence my job is to find her a new home."
The adults would argue that her past was very relevant, but stayed silent.
"So I thought I'd test you lot out and it looks like things are going very well! So, what do ya say?"
Kinger blinked. "Say to what?"
"Giving her a new home!"
A silence settled. A silence so filled with mixed emotions, awkward questions and uncertainty, silence was the only way to express it.
"B-But we're an adventuring party!" Kinger argued.
"Lots of adventurers bring their kids along for the ride! Ever consider having any of your own before?"
Queenie stilled. "We...we had a little boy once..." She said quietly.
A heavy, grieving cloud settled over them. The couple seemed smaller, older and more tired. Kinger stared down at his empty plate.
"Oh..." Even Caine could understand what the air was saying.
It was Kinger who broke it. "Why did you choose us?"
Caine hummed. "First, because you were the first group I came across. Second, I can just tell you are all superplenduous people! Look how happy she is."
Pomni snored softly in sleep, unaware that her fate was about to change drastically.
Queenie knew, on the surface level, that they should decline. Pomni deserved a more stable, safer home where she could be loved and cherished. Adventuring meant tomorrow was never certain and one never knew what monsters would show up.
But a bigger, possibly more selfish part of her would cry at the idea of letting this little girl go. The idea of no longer hearing the little girl learning the lute or showing her new and different insects or asking specific questions as they travelled made something in her want to break. How was it that this girl that had met over a week ago had buried herself so deeply in their lives? The little girl who sang nonsensical songs in a sweet voice as she did chores, who preferred to make first contact and was eager to learn about the world around her.
The little girl curled up closer in her sleep.
She glanced at her husband and she could tell he was thinking the same thing.
"Well..." She tapped. "I suppose we could make it work."
"If we keep picking up jobs, we shouldn't have to worry about money for a while." Kinger added.
"So you'll do it?" Caine leaned forward.
They responded together. "Yes."
"Wonderful!" Caine snapped his fingers, and a small chest popped up on the table. "For her upkeep."
Kinger opened it slowly and Queenie gasped. It was full of gold and silver coins and with a scattering of small gemstones.
"I woulda brought this up before, but I figured if I had to buy you, you wouldn't be worth the price." He floated over and gently tapped Pomni's head without waking her. He nodded at the trio. "Have a happy life."
With a puff of smoke, he was gone.
Kinger looked at the chest. "Ya know, I'm sure this will go over well with the others."
Twenty years later...
Pomni strums her lute as the party heads into town with the promise of a job.
The bard, grown, happy and content can't wait for this next adventure.