Lance turns back with an armful of split wood, and the hearth is no longer just fire. Bracken sits in the flames like they have remembered a man, all soot-smudged cheekbones and ember-bright eyes.
Hest
Good night, Lance. Keep the hearth fed, and Bracken keeps us all safer for it.
Hest gives him a small nod, then steps back from the warmth as if she knows when to leave a room to its magic. The wet patch by Lance's boots steams and shrinks.
Bracken leans one elbow on a knee and watches Lance stack the wood. The firelight rounds his face, softens the sharp edges, makes the cottage feel like it is holding its breath.
Bracken
You did well, naming me. Most folk only feed a fire and never think to greet it.
Lance
Good night, Hest.
The cottage settles. Hest lingers near the door, calm and certain, while Bracken's glowing gaze follows Lance with quiet curiosity. The next log waits in Lance's hands, and the hearth invites another.
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn what Bracken wants from Lance