Kire couldn’t help but grin at how paternal Envy was to the newcomers, and even before Envy had explicitly said ‘yes’, she knew the answer. Though she did grimace at his ribbing about her tree-punching temper tantrum. Rab looked delighted. She looked to Gavin, who looked like he didn’t know how to be happy yet at a new opportunity. He raised his head to face Envy, already having felt more warmth within the few minutes of meeting the Kartaian than in the six months of captivity with Akuma, and the years before that with Briar. “I don’t mind work,” Gavin said, realizing more and more how new this all was to him: being welcomed, spoken to as an equal, being given a [i]choice[/i]. “My hands get to do something good, for once.” 

“You brought me back,” Kire said softly. “I’d say you’re off to a good start.” She looked at him, solemn, and Gavin met her look with a smile, his eyes welling up even as he tried to look composed in front of everyone. Kire looked away, giving him his privacy. “Alright. I am terribly happy to be back in—more or less one piece, but if you’ll excuse me, I haven’t eaten in a day, and I still have a lot recuperating to do. We’ll talk another time,” she added to Gavin. The young man watched her nod at Rab, then wave at Aeron, before heading off, presumably to find food. 
Left behind in the main chamber, Gavin cleared his throat, rubbed the tears from his face. “So, uh. Where do I start?” 

Just as she’d said, Kire settled in the kitchen and hunted down some leftovers. Making a note to perhaps ask either Gavin or Rab if they knew how to hunt, and to help replenish the pantry if so, she ate quietly, glad for the meal, glad to be smelling things other than the dank caverns of Cordon, or the blood-stink of taboo magic, or the rotting dolls. She had eaten too fast the first few bites, which hurt her throat, but she didn’t care. Somebody had made a simple soup, and this she slurped down with gusto. She wanted to bathe, but she was still exhausted, and now that she was full, quite sleepy again. Though it wasn’t even evening yet, the moment she found a spot to lay on inside the sleeping chamber, Kire went fast asleep. 

She slept through the night, waking up in the early morning. She rose carefully, checked her torso. It was easier to rise now, and her ribs bothered her less. Wanting to savor the peace of the early morning, she quietly left the chamber, noting that Gavin lay curled in the far corner, and made her way through the kitchen, outside. The dawn looked so beautiful to her then. She remembered the burst of happiness she felt when they had escaped the mines and felt the sun on her face. Then, looking southward at the woods beyond, Kire remembered Ruli. He was the only one she hadn’t spoken to thus far since waking up. Though she recognized that wandering off to be by himself was, by now, par for the course for him, it didn’t stop her from being anxious about his wellbeing. 

Before that, though, she needed to bathe. After what felt to her an agonizingly long time, she managed to get it off. She could devote most of the Ring’s energy to healing her body now, at least. She bathed carefully, shivering in the cold and slightly regretting the decision to do this with a sore torso to worry about, but feeling much better about it afterwards. She looked at her reflection as she dried her hair, cringing at what was left of the head injury. At least her hair had already been very short; getting some of it skinned off would have been more hideous if she had kept her long hair. 

She took her time making her way south, following Ruli’s signature. Without any chores to do or a battle to look forward to, Kire could enjoy the walk and their surroundings better. By the time she found him she felt warm from the exertion and from the morning sun. He was already working, clearing out the forest. It looked like the others already had a headstart on the task, and he was slowly continuing it. To her credit, she didn't interrupt him just yet, observing from the edge. [i]He looks alright,[/i] she noted, relieved.