Tess' bedroom was decorated in shades of blue—the walls, the curtains on the window beside her bed, her pillows... even her quilt had a lot of blue put into the colorfully embroidered patches. Each patch depicted a scene from a different heroic story. Another patch was added each year; they were Sera’s birthday presents to her.

Ayden’s gifts were also the same each year; he always gave her a book, a story that went with Sera’s patch, and a little wooden charm that he carved for her bracelet. It was always a monster or weapon of some sort; this year it was a goblin head. He made charms for Sera as well—though hers were different kinds of flowers, the latest being a water lily—but while Sera always wore her bracelet, Tess didn’t. She was afraid of damaging it during a fight, so it sat on her nightstand instead.

He and Tess entered the room, and while she immediately plopped down on her bed, he picked up a few articles of clothing off the floor and tossed them into her laundry basket. He grabbed the book they were reading off of a small shelf in the corner before sitting next to her. But just as he found their page, someone knocked on the door.

Tess took a deep breath before calling, “Come in.” As expected, it was her mother who entered.

Ayden set the book on the nightstand and excused himself, “I’m gonna... go talk to Sera.”

Julia gave him a smile to say thanks and closed the door behind him.

“Are you mad?” Tess asked.

Julia sighed. “No.” She sat down, taking Ayden’s place on the bed. “I’ve always known, really. Cael said you were a born fighter and wanderer, like him, before you were even two years old. Fighting has always been your passion. I wanted to deny it, but deep down I always knew this day would come.”

Tess held her mother’s hand. “I’m a really good fighter, Mom,” she pointed out. “I was taught by the best. And Ayd’s awesome with his magic.”

“I know, but it doesn’t mean you won’t get hurt. It doesn’t mean I won’t still worry about you both.” She sighed again. “When I first set out on my own quest, I had no idea what was really out there. Your father tried to warn me, but I was so stubborn. No matter what he said, I was determined to go.”

“But if you didn’t go—”

“Hadn’t gone,” Julia corrected automatically.

Tess rolled her eyes. “Hadn’t gone... Dad wouldn’t have gone with you and you might not have ended up together,” she said, knowing the story well. “And then you wouldn’t be blessed with such a wonderful daughter,” she added with a smirk.

Julia chuckled softly. “I won’t say that I regret what I did—it ended up being for the best—but still, in the short amount of time I was out there, so much happened. At one point, I thought I’d lost everyone. And I almost died myself.”

“Except Uncle Cael saved you because his elven speed made him fast enough to get a healing cleric in time,” Tess said proudly.

“He did,” Julia agreed. “But it was close. The poison very nearly had me, and your father had to go through almost losing me. The point is, the pain and worry of that quest was enough to last me a lifetime.”

“But there was so much good, too.”

“Of course. There’s always some good in everything,” Julia told her. “But Kieran torturing your uncle... your aunt on her knees, crying as she helplessly watched... the dead bodies of those children in Hilltop... I won’t ever get those images out of my head. And I won’t ever forget the despair I felt when I thought I’d never see your father again.” She took a steadying breath. “I just want you to know that being a hero... it doesn’t feel good all the time, most the time even. There are healing spells and clerics that cure poison, but there is nothing that will ease the pain of your heart being ripped from your chest.”

“Well technically you’d be dead pretty fast, so you...” Tess trailed off when she was given the mom look.

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, and I hear you,” Tess said seriously. “But this is my destiny. Just as Sera’s is to serve Aryst. Just like you and Dad’s was to stop Kieran.”

Julia shook her head. “I don’t believe in all that fate and destiny nonsense. I don’t care what people in this world think. I say you make your own decisions, choose your own path.”

“Well then, this is the path I choose.”

Julia touched Tess' cheek and smiled sadly. “Had to try, didn’t I?”

Tess smiled, too. “Yeah.”

“Here.” Julia reached back and unclasped the necklace she always wore. “I’ve been meaning to give you this. I got a longer chain for it so you can tuck it under your shirt and it won’t be in your way.”

Tess took the gold locket and ran a thumb over the engraved lotus blossom on the front. “But Dad gave this to you.” She opened it and found a tiny portrait of her family—her mother, father, and brother—instead of just her father as it had been for years.

Julia nodded. “Yes, and Lotus gave it to him... well, to us. And her father gave it to her. Now I’m giving it to you. It’s meant to be a constant reminder that the people inside it love you, no matter what. Someday, you can pass it on, maybe to your own daughter.”

Tess scrunched up her nose.

“Well, if you decide to have kids.”

“Never gonna happen, Mom. You’ll have to wait for Gavin to have any grand kids.”

“Ugh. I don’t even want to think of him growing up right now. At least I can keep one of my kids safe at home.”

Tess put the necklace on, then slid her arms around her mother’s waist and hugged her. “I love you.”

Julia smiled and wiped away a few tears before stroking her daughter’s back. “I love you too, honey.”

They sat there for a minute before Julia pulled back and held Tess' face in her hands. “Be careful. Come home or write when you can.”

“I will.”

“Do you need anything? Do you have enough clean clothes and–”

Tess' laugh cut her off. “Yes, Mom. Ayd’s got everything taken care of. Our saddlebags are already packed and waiting at the stable. And Dad gave me some money.”

“Okay, good.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door. “Right on time,” Tess said. “He’s got a knack for that.”

Julia got up to open the door and Ayden was immediately pulled into a tight hug. “You too,” she told him, though he hadn’t heard the rest of the conversation. “You be careful, and take care of my daughter.”

He nodded when she let go. “Yeah well, she’s a great fighter and I—”

“I’m not talking about that. There are lots of ways to take care of each other. For one thing, you can cook and Tess can hardly boil water.”

Ayden smiled. “Yeah, there’s that. I’ll make sure she eats. I’ll even sneak in some vegetables when she’s not looking.”

“You’ll try,” Tess corrected.

Julia sighed as she looked between the two of them. “Well, I’ll let you get some sleep. Big day tomorrow. Will I see you in the morning?”

Tess just shook her head.

“Okay. Then I’ll see you... soon. I love you both,” she said, her eyes starting to fill with tears. She kissed Ayden’s forehead before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Ayden sat on the bed again. “She took it pretty well, huh?”

“Yeah. I hate making her sad, though,” Tess said with a sigh. “So, how’d your grandma take the news?”

He shrugged. “Okay. Oh, I forgot to tell you about the new spell I got yesterday.”

“What is it?”

“Wait. I’ll show you. It’s really cool.” He dug in the brown leather bag near his feet, pulled out a long coil of rope, and laid it down in front of him. He held out his hand and started moving it through the air. One end of the rope rose up and mimicked his movements.

“Awesome.” Tess grabbed the rope and tugged it towards her.

“Hey! Stop it.”

She let go. “I was just seeing what would happen.”

“Generally when you grab a rope, the holding of it is what happens.”

She shoved him lightly. “Shut up, smart ass.”

“Watch out,” he warned, smirking. “I’ll tie you up and then you won’t be so tough.”

“Uh-huh.”

The rope suddenly shot through the air, slid around her arms, and circled her body three times. She gaped in surprise, then struggled as he laughed. But when she realized that it was his closed hand keeping the rope in place, she wiggled a foot out from underneath her and kicked it.

He lost his balance and fell off the bed, landing on the floor with a thud. The ropes fell away. “Ow,” he complained, though he was smiling.

A few seconds later, they heard someone run up the stairs and down the hall, and then Tess' bedroom door flew open. “What was that?” Gavin asked, wide-eyed.

Tess grinned wickedly. “Get him!”

Ayden motioned with his hand again. The rope flew through the air and wrapped around the little boy.

“Cool!” Gavin exclaimed.

“Oh, good,” Falcon said, coming to stand in the doorway, “you’ve captured the little monster. That’ll teach him to try escaping bedtime.”

Ayden opened his hand and, on command, the rope slid snakelike across the floor and coiled itself in front of him.

“That looks useful.”

Ayden smiled. “Yeah, just got it yesterday.”

“And you’re already that good?” Falcon asked as he picked Gavin up and put him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Ayden just shrugged modestly.

“Well, I’m sure it’ll come in handy for more things then tying up my son,” Falcon teased. He pulled his playfully squirming son down and held him under one arm. The small boy looked even scrawnier than usual next to his father’s large frame. Falcon walked over to Tess and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “If you need anything...” he said seriously.

“I know. Thanks.”

He messed Ayden’s hair affectionately, then gave his cheek a pat. “You too.”

Ayden smiled up at him and nodded.

“Okay, say goodnight,” Falcon told his son.

“Goodnight.”

“’Night, Creepy,” Tess and Ayden said in unison.

Falcon went to the door and turned to give Tess one last look. She loved that look, that proud, you’re my girl kind of look. “I love you, Daddy,” she told him sweetly.

“I love you too,” he returned. “Go kick some ass, warrior princess.”

She grinned. “Just try and stop me.”