"Do we have anywhere else to visit?" Serena asked when they had gotten to a trot.
Charlotte gave her a passing glance and shook her head. "As far as I am concerned there is nothing more to do today."
Serena hummed in acknowledgment, she still felt the need to do more seeing as the senior healer Sophia did not talk her hear off today. "I would like to discuss our approach with the Dawnbreak wolves."
"I see," Charlotte said.
Serena adjusted her reins slightly, keeping her mare in line with Charlotte’s as the two rode at a steady trot. The wind was light but cool, brushing loose strands of her hair against her cheeks. They had left the bustling center of Longdale behind, and the road was quieter here, winding between patches of wild heather and scrub. The distant hum of town life still lingered, but it was subdued now, traded for the soft clop of hooves and the creak of saddle leather.
Charlotte rode ahead a little, her back straight and posture relaxed in that casual, unshakable way of hers. Serena watched her for a moment, still mulling over the surprisingly terse visit with Healer Sophia. She had expected more, a warm lecture, perhaps, or a friendly word about Ironshade’s changing tide.
Charlotte slowed her pace, glancing over her shoulder. "Take the next right," she said simply. "There’s a place not far."
Serena narrowed her eyes. "A place?"
Too tired to argue and too curious to resist, Serena guided her horse to follow Charlotte’s lead. They veered off the beaten road, heading up a gentle rise that led to a clearing half-shaded by crooked pines. Nestled just beyond was a small timber-framed building with faded blue shutters and a low stone wall enclosing a herb garden gone a bit wild. A wooden sign hung on its post, barely legible: Thistle & Horn.
"A tavern?" Serena blinked.
Charlotte dismounted with ease. "More of a diner, though they’ll call it a public house. It’s quiet at this hour, and I’m in need of something sweet."
Reluctantly, Serena followed. Inside, the scent of honeyed oats and dried thyme greeted them, mingling with the subtle, earthen aroma of steeped tea. Only two other patrons were seated, neither of whom gave the newcomers much attention. The innkeeper, a grey-haired woman with kind eyes, offered them a brief nod before returning to drying tankards. Check latest chapters at n0velfire.net
Charlotte ordered a small pot of bark tea and something called "rosemary bread with plum preserve." Serena declined anything, settling in across from her at a narrow wooden table near the window. Sunlight spilled through the shutters in golden beams, catching the polished buttons on Charlotte’s overcoat.
"I would like your thoughts," Serena began, careful to keep her tone level, "on how best we might navigate the Dawnbreak delegates during their stay."
Charlotte arched a brow. "I thought we were already doing that."
"I meant to say, our approach. Specifically mine. I’ve made some observations, and I wonder if-"
"Serena," Charlotte interrupted, slicing a piece of bread with her butter knife, "did you do your homework before stepping foot into Longdale today?"
Serena stilled. "Pardon?"
"I’m asking whether you studied the Dawnbreak wolves. Their customs, their temperament, their leadership."
"I’ve read the briefings," Serena said, a little frostily. "I have spoken to Darius and Livia, and reviewed the letters."
"Then you ought to know," Charlotte said, lifting her gaze sharply, "that the Crimsonclaw way won’t charm them. We’re not dealing with court hounds wagging for pleasantries. Dawnbreak is ancient and proud but not easily flattered. They respond to strength, not softness."
Serena’s mouth pressed into a line. "And you believe I have been soft."
"I believe you have been cautious. Which is not always wrong," Charlotte conceded, "but in this case, ill-fitted. You wish to extend a hand when you ought to plant a flag."
Serena leaned forward slightly, voice low. "So you suggest I bluff power I do not possess?"
"No," Charlotte said, her tone even. "I suggest you wield the power you do. You are an ambassador of Crimsonclaw, not a wandering diplomat. They must feel the weight of your words. Be gracious, yes, but let them remember that everything you offer comes from a house that has survived its own winter and would not kneel to theirs."
Silence bloomed between them as Serena considered that. She wanted to argue, but the truth stood stark naked in front of her. She had grown used to threading the needle between warmth and persuasion, coaxing favor through charm and poise. But here... perhaps it would not suffice.
"I suppose," Serena began quietly, "I underestimated how terrible my approach would have been."
Charlotte smiled faintly, and for once, the expression did not feel guarded. "Not terribly, just a different approach."
The tea arrived. Charlotte poured them each a cup without asking. Serena accepted it gratefully, letting the steam soften her thoughts.
"I am used to being underestimated," she murmured.
"Then stop inviting it," Charlotte replied.
Serena almost laughed, not out of joy, but out of the strange, crooked comfort of it all. For once, she was not being coddled. She was being told to rise.
Outside, the sky had begun its descent into gold. The hour would pass quickly, and soon they’d be expected back. But for a moment, the diner felt like a place outside time.
Serena sipped her tea and then glanced up. "Tell me, Charlotte... why does no one in Longdale recognize you?"
Charlotte’s hand paused over her plate. She didn’t look up right away, but when she did, her eyes were cool and unreadable. "Because recognition is not always given to those who do the work."
"That is not an answer."
"It is the only one I will give," Charlotte said sharply.
Serena frowned but let it lie. She wondered what sort of work she was referring to, the woman seemed to be around her age perhaps a bit older. So how in the world did no one know of her.
"Come," Charlotte said, standing and reaching for her gloves. "Let us return. You’ll want time to prepare yourself."
Serena followed, heart full of questions but mind sharpened with purpose. If she was to face the Dawnbreak wolves, and this strange game unfolding in Ironshade, she would do it on her own terms.