Once the night had arisen and the household, as far as Rayadell could tell, asleep, she dared to creep outside, her cloak fastened loosely about her and pack abandoned in the small, quaint room Thea had given her for the night. Though she knew she would need her rest, her wings were aching for relief.
	Leaving her pack hidden beneath the bed in the bedroom, she crept from the house. The only sound made in her wake was that of the gentle [i]click[/i] of the front door’s latch as it open and shut. Outside, the celestial light of the stars and partial moon granted all the light she would need. She paused to inhale the cool night’s air. A hint of rain drifted on the breeze.
	With a quick glance to the darkened home, she hurried over the property to behind a barn where she would be hidden from the main house. There, she removed her cloak, the chill of the night caressing the skin of her back. But she did not mind it. She stretched her wings to their full impressive span, the scales of them, her tail, and those winding down the bare portion of her back glittering slightly in the moonlight. She gave a relieved sigh as she worked out the kinks in her wing joints.
	She cast another quick glance around the farm, looking for any sign of onlookers. Not even the animals stirred, her presence too far for them to detect. She looked longingly to the sky. It had been such a long time since she had dared fly, and the edge of a sleepy little village was the perfect place for that.
	Though she knew she could not be long, with a few strong beats of her leathery wings, she rose into the air. She landed lightly atop the barn, looked about the vast portion of land in contemplation, then dove off the side of the outbuilding. Her wings caught her, and she glided over the expanse of field before rising toward the sky. She spent nearly the next hour swooping through the air, suspended somewhere between earth and sky. Though still careful to not get too close to where she could be easily spotted, she was all but drunk on the exhilaration the leisurely flight brought with it, diving through the air faster than a speeding arrow only to come to an abrupt stop mid-dive then rise once more. Only once did her skills fail her as she returned to the Carishes quaint home, a misplaced wingbeat and a sudden updraft shifting her off balance and sending her spiraling toward the ground, her heart beating in a panicked frenzy before she righted herself.
	Back at the house with her cloak once more draped over her shoulders, she stole into her room, pausing only to listen to be sure the household still slumbered. She quickly locked the door, draped her cloak within reach of the bed, then sunk into the bed and quickly fell into the most contented slumber she had experienced in weeks.

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	The warm, inviting scent of freshly baked bread and cooking eggs aroused Rayadell from her sleep. She could hear movement coming from the room beside hers, Calanon’s room. The chill of the night had rolled over into morning and clung to the corners of the house, the scent of rain passed in the night.
	She rose quickly, if not a bit groggily, and set about preparing for the day. She heard Calanon’s door open and shut as she went to her own, her well-used cloak once more in its usual place. She waited a couple moments with her hand on the doorknob before following his example, making no effort to make known her presence a distance behind him.
	Humming came from the kitchen, along with the satisfying [i]sizzle[/i] of scrambling eggs.
	When Calanon reached the kitchen, Thea turned and cast him her own friendly smile. 
	“Good morning, hon!” she greeted, removing a pan from the stovetop. “It seems you’re in time for breakfast.” She set to work dividing the food evenly among four plates, leaving enough for another helping in the pan. “Merek should be here shortly. The work of a farmer’s never done.” She quickly sliced a loaf of bread sitting on the counter and placed one on each plate. “Would you like some jam? The Bayberries down the road made it. They make some of the best jam in the kingdom!”