Mist beads on the pier as Tiverus folds Merelia into a quiet embrace. His hand settles over her stomach, careful and reverent.
A tiny kick answers him through her middle. His breath catches, and his face softens into open wonder.
Tiverus
There. I felt that one.
The children hover a few paces off, suddenly very still, their attention drawn from the counting house to the warmth between their parents.
Child 3
Is the baby greeting him?
Tiverus lets out a low laugh, still holding Merelia close, while the harbor mist curls around the group and the stone counting house waits in the background, forgotten for the moment.
Tiverus
Aye. And I think it knows my hand.
“I move my family toward the counting house”
SUCCESS (Superb Diplomacy, rolled -1)
Merelia eases out of the embrace and guides her little cluster toward the counting house, keeping her body between the children and the open pier. Tiverus falls in beside her, and the family moves as one through the damp mist.
The dock boards creak under their steps. Ahead, the stone facade looms larger, its rear stair half-hidden in shadow, exactly where Bram pointed.
A hard crack snaps from inside the building, sharp enough to stop every foot at once.
Merelia
That came from the counting house.
Tiverus shifts instantly, one arm lifting to hold the children back while his other hand drops toward his belt. The children crowd closer to Merelia, wide-eyed and suddenly awake.
A second sound follows, lower and rougher, like something heavy striking wood from within. The rear stair waits in the mist, dark and inviting, while the front of the house gives no sign of who has heard them.
Tiverus
Stay tight. Merelia, tell me if you want the stairs or the door.
“I take the rear stair to the counting house”
SUCCESS (Good Agility, rolled -1)
Merelia breaks from the family line and slips toward the rear stair, keeping low in the mist. Her boot skids on a wet board, and she catches herself on the stone rail, fast enough to stay silent but not fast enough to stay unseen.
She reaches the first steps as the counting house gives another dull thud from within. The rear entrance is dark, the side wall slick with harbor damp, and a brass gull mark flashes once on a loose scrap near the landing.
Merelia
The stair is clear enough to climb.
Tiverus stays below with the children, one hand raised in warning while his gaze tracks Merelia upward. The youngest flinches at the scrape, then stills, listening.
Merelia reaches the top step and finds the rear door shut, but not latched. A thin seam of light leaks through the frame, along with a harsh breath and the drag of furniture inside.
Tiverus
I hear movement. Tell me if it opens.
The family holds in the misty hush behind her, waiting on Merelia's next move while the door shivers once under pressure from the other side.
Quest Complete
Reach the counting house on the south shore
Skill Upgrade: Diplomacy Superb→Legendary