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In this moment, you are not worried. For one, this pastry is delicious. But secondly, it doesn't matter that you are thousands of miles away from home. You exchange more tales with Ireena and the Vistani. You dance, and you tell jokes, and Ireena laughs. It's almost like you are back in your home village again. You barely even realize that you are already halfway through the whole pastry, even though there is enough food there to last for multiple days.
A strange feeling begins to come over you as the night grows late and you take another bite of the odd mincemeat pie. At first it feels unnatural, but it quickly becomes pleasurable: a smothering warmth, nostalgic, like being in your mother's arms as a child. For a moment, you can see your mother standing beside you. "Go to sleep," she says. "Have wonderful dreams. Your sister is here today, you can spend the day with her."
You smile. "I'm going to sleep," you say. Ireena looks at you quizzically, but doesn't intervene. You head to your tent.
You're very glad to spend time with your sister as your mother told you. It feels like you have been spending every day with Joannus these past few weeks, but it's so nice to finally have some downtime and to hear so many stories about her adventures across the Sword Coast. The months where she is away feel far too long.
You can smell something cooking in the kitchen - bread and stew, lightly seasoned. Is it morning already? Sunlight is shining thruogh your window, so it must be. You wander to the kitchen. Your sister is already there eating. "Hey!" you say to your mom, who stands at the stove. "She always wakes up before me. You better not have given her the good bits of the stew."
Your mother smiles. She knows you are just teasing. But for some reason, she says "Aranuel, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," you reply. "I'm doing fine!" You turn to your sister. "Mom says you will be staying today."
"I will be!" she says. "Do you want to go for a walk in the grove today?" You love walking with your sister. It's pretty much your favorite thing in the world to do. You imagine adventuring alongside her in a dark forest, facing unknown dangers. You look up to her a lot. You hope to be like her when you are her age.
"Yes," you reply to her, without hesitation. "Let me just finish my stew."
(cont.)
