I spilled broth on the new pass before the meal had properly begun.
Ren moved it out of reach while I tried to recover the spoon with my left hand. The pass survived. My sleeve did not escape as neatly.
"Silver washes out, doesn't it?" Liora asked.
"I haven't read the privileges closely enough."
She passed me a cloth and went back to her bread.
The small dining room beside the residence had two tables available that evening. I had asked who wanted to eat there, given the time, and left the answer open. It had felt strangely difficult not to improve the invitation with a reason each person ought to accept.
Ren had finished his paid work and stayed for the meal. Liora arrived hungry. Elara brought a question about the garden's replacement pots, then told me it wasn't a request for money. Seraphina came after her final check at the Healing Hall, with a firm intention to sit down before anyone asked her to examine something.
