After their morning, they had to scramble to clean every trace of their indulgences. They were too focused on their lust that they had forgotten that children were nearby. Thankfully, Lily's shopkeeper skills proved invaluable. With a deft hand, her magic scrubbed away every trace of their activities, leaving only a faint rosy scent lingering in the air.
Lily's skills extended to her lovers as well. Each of them was cleaned of their sweat and arousal, their clothes and sheets as well. Her skills were quite convenient, even if they were made for cleaning up potions.
It was perfect timing, too, as there was a sharp knock on their carriage.
Claire, heart racing, glanced back to ensure everyone was decently dressed before opening it. She found Mara with Daren by her side. Claire stifled a yawn, her shoulders relaxing as she confirmed the carriage's immaculate state.
"Good morning, Claire," Mara cheerfully said. "I hope we didn't wake you, but Daren has been pestering me to thank you. He's been bugging me all morning…"
Claire knelt to meet Daren, who had a bright smile. His eyes lit up before he jumped into a hug with Claire. Claire silently thanked Lily again for cleaning her.
"Thank you, Claire!" Daren exclaimed as he held on to her tightly. "I heard how you cured us of that nasty illness."
Claire laughed, returning the hug. "No, that was Lily. She was the one who cured you."
"Still!" Daren exclaimed, pulling away from Claire. "Mom says you were the one to empower her."
"No, Daren, I said her Goddess did." Mara said with an exasperated sigh. "I swear, you only hear what you want to…"
Claire giggled as she exchanged a glance with Mara. "She's right." She turned back to Daren and continued. "My Goddess did. She empowered Lily through me, but really, it was all Lily and Ana.
Daren glanced behind Claire, peaking into the carriage. Claire, again, silently thanked Lily for cleaning. She couldn't imagine letting a kid anywhere near them after their morning.
"Ah! Ursa!" Daren exclaimed. His voice rang painfully close to Claire's ear, leaving a faint ringing. Daren slipped from her grasp and headed towards the warrior.
Thankfully, Ursa was quick. She scooped him up and exited the carriage. Standing beside Claire with an uneasy look that Mara caught.
The older woman tilted her head for a moment. Her eyes darted between Ursa and Claire before clasping her hand to her mouth. Claire heard a faint laugh escape from her.
"Sorry…" She whispered to Claire. "Should have realized you needed space."
Ursa's face reddened, and Claire stood up to meet Mara. Claire rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah that's my bad. Thankfully, Lily was able to clean everything up. Practically bathed us too…"
Mara eyed Claire for a moment. "So all six of you…?"
Claire just nodded. "I should have warned you when I saw Daren…"
"Probably," Mara said with a sigh. "At least you were cleaned. I forgot how adventurers can be after the battles are over. Celebration does tend to happen the next night…"
An awkward silence hung over the three. Or at least, it would have if Daren wasn't there.
"Mom look!" Daren pointed to Ursa. "Her skin turned red!"
Mara hung her head. She held out her hands for Daren. Ursa gave him back, not meeting her gaze.
"I'm truly sorry, I should have realized sooner," Mara said, holding back a smile. "Thankfully, you all are decent. I remember quite a few parties that wouldn't have cared to clean up…"
"We should have waited," Claire responded. Her own face reddened to match Ursa's. "Should have waited to be away from the children at least…"
Mara shook her head. "I get it. Emotions ran high, and you needed an outlet. The gods know I have a few stories…"
Daren squirmed free, landing nimbly. "Adam!" he shouted, racing off to tackle his friend in a hug. Mara watched with a warm smile.
"Thank you," Mara said softly. "Again. You saved us twice. I think I can show leniency for your intimacy… and you were quiet. If you'd woken us, maybe I'd be angrier."
Her laugh eased the tension between the three of them.
"Um, w-we should be apologizing," Ursa finally spoke. "H-had any of the kids seen…"
Mara shook her head. "It's alright. Nothing happened, and nobody saw. Just be mindful next time."
"It's fine," Mara reassured, patting Ursa's head with a knowing look. "Daren's stumbled on worse, believe me. I've spun enough lies to cover for careless villagers.
Ursa nodded, leaning into the pat more than she meant to. "O-okay… I'm glad h-he didn't though…"
"You'll learn when you become a mother." Mara said with a shrug. "Try as we might, we can't shield them from everything."
Claire's gaze moved to Daren and Adam. She watched Daren as he excitedly talked to Adam, reminding her of her own brother. Nostalgia tugged at her heart as Mara sighed again.
"We'll be fine for the coming month," Mara said. "Our fighters can take care of the smugglers if anything goes wrong with your mage's plan… It's what will come after that that scares me."
"Pressuring a noble to do something seems futile." Claire muttered as she watched the two boys. "But if their reputation is on the line, they'll act. At least in the short term."
Mara nodded. "Hailey stayed up all night. She has an… article? Whatever she called it. It's ready to be sent out."
"Good morning." Elsie said as she emerged from the carriage, stretching lightly as she joined the three. "Hailey has an article already written? Impressive. I'll have to give it a read."
"She's in the office…" Mara said, eyeing Elsie with a smirk. She leaned in and whispered to the older twin. "You may want to cover up… seems one of you enjoys making lovebites."
Elsie yanked her collar up and stared at her wide-eyed. Mara chuckled at her reaction. Elsie glanced at Claire.
"She guessed within minutes…" Claire shrugged.
"Sorry, we sho-" Elsie stated, but Mara interrupted her.
"No need. I already explained to these two." Mara said, grinning. "No one saw, you didn't wake anyone. Water under the bridge."
"Okay…" Elsie hesitantly nodded. "Um, I'll meet up with Hailey to discuss publication."
"Sounds good," Mara said, her smile lingering. "What are your plans? Are you leaving today or tomorrow?"
Claire hesitated. Every fiber of her being urged her to stay and protect Amora. But their next mission loomed over her. They need to eliminate human traffickers. Any time wasted here would create more victims.
Mara noticed and rested her hand on Claire's shoulder. "Like I said, our fighters can handle things for now… We might have been able to handle the bandits, but Samira was captured. It's okay to leave."
"I-I don't want to…" Claire admitted. "You need help. And if things get wor-"
"We have a fortress," Mara said. "It's fairly easy to defend. Honestly, I wonder how those bandits got so far. They gave up every advantage to face you in the open field…"
"I know, but you'll be even stronger with us." Claire insisted.
"My tribe is sending capable warriors." Ursa interjected. "They just need to hold out until they get here. Claire, I get it. I don't want to leave the children either, but our next target…"
Ursa's voice trailed off, cautious not to say too much. She knew better now than to bring up the subject in front of Claire. Claire let out a sigh, then nodded. "Okay, I'll talk it over with my party members."
Mara pulled Claire into a warm embrace, her voice soft. "Thank you again. We'll never forget what you've done. I hope to hear of your Goddess and your party's deeds in the future."
Claire embraced her, she was reminded of her mothers back home. "The bandits we're tasked with eliminating… they're traffickers."
"Mmm," Mara pursed her lips as the two pulled away from each other. "I'm grateful that we are a remote village. Don't have to deal with those… monsters."
"Yeah," Clare said, her gaze falling to the ground. "My brother… he wasn't trafficked but kidnapped by our Lady's guard… Both deserve what's coming for them."
Anger flared within her. A deep, burning resolve. Ursa's hand found hers, fingers intertwining in quiet support.
"We'll bring them justice," Ursa whispered.
"I hope so," Mara glanced back at Daren. "My mother dreamed of a world where Daren could roam freely. She didn't get to see it, but… you've renewed my hope in that dream."
"That's our Goddess's goal, too," Claire added. "But for me… I just want my brother back."