Morning settled gently over the village of Velden, a soft gold light filtering through the thin mist that clung to the fields. The houses were small and sturdy, built from timber darkened by years of rain and sun. Smoke curled from chimneys as hearths were stirred awake, and the quiet murmur of early chores drifted through the crisp air. It was the kind of morning that made the world seem peaceful, even if peace was never the whole truth.
Inside a modest cottage at the edge of the village, Raylin Thorne stirred beneath a wool blanket. The warmth of the bed tempted him to stay still, but the sound of small footsteps pattering across the wooden floor pulled him from sleep. He opened his eyes just in time to see a small figure climb onto the mattress with determined effort.
Rena scrambled across the bed and planted herself beside him, her dark curls a tangled halo around her face. She grinned, proud of her successful ambush. "Papa, wake up. The sun is already here."
Raylin groaned softly, though the smile tugging at his mouth betrayed him. "Is it now? I thought I told the sun to sleep in today."
Rena shook her head with great seriousness. "Mama said the chickens will get grumpy if we do not feed them."
From the doorway, Cassandra laughed. She leaned against the frame, her hair tied back with a simple ribbon, her sleeves rolled to her elbows. The morning light caught the faint freckles across her cheeks. "She is right. The chickens are already complaining. And so is the goat."
Raylin pushed himself upright, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "The goat complains even when fed."
"That is because she likes you," Cassandra said, crossing the room to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Now come on. Breakfast will not cook itself."
Rena tugged at his hand, urging him out of bed with the strength of someone far larger. Raylin let himself be pulled, laughing as he stood and stretched. The cottage was small, but it was warm, filled with the scent of dried herbs and the soft crackle of the hearth. It was a home built with care, not wealth, and Raylin cherished every corner of it.
They moved into the main room, where Cassandra had already set a pot over the fire. Rena climbed onto a stool and began stirring with great enthusiasm, even though the spoon was nearly as long as her arm. Cassandra watched her with patient amusement. Raylin stepped behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist for a brief moment before letting go to fetch water from the basin.
Outside, Velden was beginning to stir. Neighbors called greetings across fences. A cart rolled down the dirt path, its wheels creaking. Birds chattered in the trees that bordered the fields. It was a simple life, but a good one, and Raylin felt the familiar warmth of gratitude settle in his chest.
Yet beneath that warmth, a quiet tension lingered. It always did. The Tribunal's reach extended even to small villages like Velden. Their outposts were far away, but their influence was not. Every mage, even those who used their craft only for healing or farming, lived under the Arcane Law. Every family knew someone who had been questioned, inspected, or taken for training. Raylin had learned to keep his head down, to live quietly, to avoid drawing attention.
He glanced at Rena, who was now humming a tuneless melody as she stirred the pot. She had her mother's smile and his stubbornness. She also had something else, something he prayed the Tribunal would never discover.
Cassandra noticed his distant look and touched his arm. "You are thinking again."
"Only about the chores," he said, though they both knew it was not the whole truth.
She held his gaze for a moment, then nodded. "We will face whatever comes. But today is ours. Let us keep it that way."
Raylin breathed in the scent of warm porridge and woodsmoke, letting the moment settle around him. Outside, the world carried its old scars and its quiet fears, but inside this cottage, life felt steady. Safe. Almost untouched.
Rena hopped off the stool and ran to him, arms raised. "Papa, lift me."
He scooped her up, spinning her once before setting her on his hip. She giggled, clinging to his shirt.
Cassandra smiled at them both. "Come on. Eat first, chores after."
Raylin nodded, holding his daughter close as they gathered around the small wooden table. For now, the world outside could wait. For now, the morning belonged to them.
After breakfast, the three of them stepped outside into the cool morning air. The mist had begun to lift, revealing the rolling fields that surrounded Velden. Dew clung to the grass, sparkling like tiny crystals as the sun climbed higher. The scent of damp earth and fresh hay drifted across the yard, familiar and comforting.
Cassandra carried a basket of laundry to the clothesline behind the cottage. She set it down and began pinning shirts and linens to the rope, her movements steady and practiced. The breeze caught the fabric, lifting it gently before letting it fall again. She hummed under her breath, a soft tune that blended with the rustling leaves.
Raylin watched her for a moment, admiring the quiet strength in the way she worked. Then Rena tugged at his sleeve, her eyes bright with excitement.
"Papa, chase me."
Raylin raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you can run faster than me?"
Rena nodded with absolute confidence. "I am the fastest in Velden."
"Is that so?" he said, crouching slightly. "Then you had better start running."
She squealed with delight and took off across the yard, her small boots thumping against the ground. Raylin gave her a few steps of head start before sprinting after her. Rena shrieked with laughter, weaving between the apple trees and glancing back to see how close he was.
"You cannot catch me," she called.
Raylin lunged forward and scooped her up, spinning her in a wide circle. She laughed so hard she could barely breathe, clinging to his shoulders as the world blurred around them. When he set her down, she wobbled, dizzy but delighted.
Cassandra looked over from the clothesline, smiling at the sight. "You two are going to scare the chickens."
Rena ran to her mother and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Papa is too slow."
"Is he now?" Cassandra said, brushing a curl from her daughter's forehead. "Then perhaps he needs more practice."
Raylin walked over, catching his breath. "I will have you know I let her win."
Rena gasped dramatically. "No, you did not."
Cassandra laughed, shaking her head as she pinned the last sheet to the line. The fabric billowed behind her like a pale sail. The morning sun warmed the yard, and for a moment everything felt perfectly still. Peaceful. Whole.
Raylin knelt beside Rena and pointed toward the edge of the field. "Look. The wildflowers are blooming early this year."
Rena's eyes widened. "Can we pick some for Mama?"
"I think she would like that."
They walked hand in hand toward the field, the grass brushing against their boots. Cassandra watched them go, her smile softening. She folded her arms, letting the breeze cool her skin as she took in the sight of her family moving through the tall grass.
Raylin lifted Rena so she could reach a cluster of blue blossoms. She plucked them carefully, holding them as if they were precious jewels. Raylin guided her from flower to flower, helping her gather a small bouquet. The sun warmed their backs. Birds sang from the branches overhead. It was the kind of morning that felt like it could last forever.
But Raylin felt it again, that faint prickle at the back of his neck. A sense that the world beyond Velden was shifting. That something unseen was drawing closer.
He pushed the thought away and lifted Rena onto his shoulders. She held her flowers high, triumphant.
"Papa," she said, "do you think the goat will like these too?"
Raylin laughed. "The goat likes everything."
Cassandra called to them from the yard. "Bring those here, you two. I want to see what you found."
Raylin turned back toward the cottage, Rena perched happily above him, the flowers bright in her hands. The laundry fluttered behind Cassandra like white wings. The morning sun glowed warm across the fields.
It was a perfect moment.
Raylin carried Rena back toward the cottage, her small hands resting on his head as she hummed to herself. Cassandra waited for them near the clothesline, the last of the laundry fluttering softly behind her. She knelt as they approached, accepting the bouquet of wildflowers with a smile that warmed the entire yard.
"They are beautiful," she said, brushing her fingers over the petals. "Thank you, my little gatherer."
Rena beamed, proud of her work. Raylin set her down, and she immediately ran to chase a butterfly drifting lazily above the grass. Cassandra stepped closer to him, slipping her hand into his. For a moment they simply stood together, watching their daughter dance through the sunlight.
The breeze carried the scent of blooming fields and distant pine. Birds called from the treetops. The world felt still, as if holding its breath not in fear, but in contentment. Velden's quiet rhythm wrapped around them like a familiar blanket, soft and steady.
Cassandra leaned her head against his shoulder. "It is a good morning."
Raylin nodded. "It is."
They watched Rena laugh as she tried to catch the butterfly, her small feet kicking up tiny puffs of dust. The laundry swayed gently behind them. The sun warmed their backs. The day stretched ahead, full of chores and simple joys, the kind that made life feel whole.
For now, nothing pressed at the edges of their peace. No shadows crept across the fields. No distant bells sounded warnings. Only the soft rustle of leaves and the quiet heartbeat of a village waking to another ordinary day.
Raylin breathed in the calm and let it settle deep within him. Whatever the world held beyond Velden, whatever storms might one day rise, none of it touched this moment.
Here, with Cassandra's hand in his and Rena's laughter drifting through the air, the morning remained gentle.
As the sun dipped behind the hills, Velden softened into evening. The fields turned amber, the air cooled, and the sounds of the village faded into the steady chorus of crickets. Raylin and Cassandra finished the last of the chores while Rena chased fireflies in the yard, her laughter drifting through the twilight like a small, bright lantern.
When the first stars appeared, Cassandra called her inside. Rena came running, cupping her hands around a single firefly she had managed to catch. She opened her palms just enough to let the tiny light glow through her fingers.
"Look, Papa. It likes me."
Raylin knelt and smiled. "Of course it does. Everything likes you."
Rena released the firefly, watching it drift upward before she followed her mother into the cottage. The hearth crackled softly, filling the room with a warm glow. Cassandra helped Rena change into her nightclothes while Raylin prepared her small bed near the window. The blanket was patched in places, but it was soft and warm, and Rena loved it.
She climbed into bed and pulled the blanket to her chin. "Papa, will you tell me a story?"
Raylin sat beside her, brushing a curl from her forehead. "Which one?"
"The one about the fox who stole the moon."
He chuckled. "Again?"
"It is my favorite."
Raylin settled in, his voice low and gentle. "Long ago, before Velden was here, the moon shone so brightly that no one could sleep. It kept the whole forest awake. The animals grew tired and cranky, especially the fox, who loved to nap more than anything."
Rena giggled, already half sleepy.
"So one night, the fox climbed the tallest hill and reached up with all his might. And do you know what happened?"
Rena whispered, "He caught it."
"He did," Raylin said. "He tucked the moon under his tail and carried it deep into the forest. But the moon was heavier than he expected, and it kept slipping away. Every time it rolled from his paws, it lit up the trees and woke the owls."
Rena's eyes drooped, her breathing slowing.
"In the end," Raylin continued, "the fox realized the moon was not meant to be kept. So he pushed it back into the sky, where it belonged. And from that night on, the moon shone just softly enough for everyone to sleep."
Rena's eyes closed fully. Her small hand reached out, finding his fingers. "Papa," she murmured, barely awake, "the fox was kind."
Raylin squeezed her hand gently. "Yes. He was."
She drifted into sleep, her breaths steady and peaceful. Raylin watched her for a long moment, letting the quiet settle around him. Cassandra stood in the doorway, her smile soft and tired.
"She loves your stories," she whispered.
Raylin rose carefully, tucking the blanket around Rena one last time. "I love telling them."
They stepped away from the bed, leaving the window open just enough for the night breeze to carry the scent of the fields inside. The moon hung low and gentle above Velden, casting a silver glow across the cottage floor.
Raylin paused, looking back at his sleeping daughter. For now, the world was calm. For now, their home was safe.