“Have you met the new blacksmith yet?”

Lain’s voice broke the quiet as he lounged beside you, utterly at ease. Ethari, the newcomer, had arrived in the Silvergrove not long ago. You’d met him briefly while purchasing a weapon—polite, skilled, nothing to dislike.

“I like him. He’s gotten close with Tiadrin, so if I want her to like me, I kind of have to like him too.”

Lain was an odd one—loyal, quick to laugh, and prone to showing up uninvited. Somehow, he’d let himself into your home again, despite every door and window being locked. You had no idea how, but Lain always found a way.