[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SfiukUq.png[/img][/center][hr][sub][color=lemonchiffon]Location:[/color] The Sun Temple[/sub][hr][hr]
Alone again in the temple, it took longer than Tia would ever admit to pull herself back together. But eventually, her heartbeat had slowed and her cheeks had cooled enough that she could no longer justify the way she sank into the bench, eyes wide as she stared at the fire and held Ranni’s gecko tight to her chest. 

There were priorities. Tasks to accomplish. 

A dozen different ways to smile. 

Dancing hazel eyes.

[color=98a869][i]Anytime, [b]Tia[/b].[/i][/color]

Tia shot to her feet and [i]did not trip on her robe[/i] as she all but fled back to her room.

She busied herself, trying to distract her frantic thoughts. It worked well enough – there was certainly enough to do. One by one, she carefully gathered the mess of papers that covered the floor of her room. She blinked, finding a page that she hadn’t written. It was a short note from Ranni by the door, explaining that she’d headed into town this morning to check in with the Princess after a difficult healing session yesterday.

Pride mixed with worry as Tia looked down at the bubbly handwriting. As taxing – both emotionally and magically – the Princess’ healing had clearly been, Tia’s apprentice was still seeing it through. There was that guilt again, that Tia had left the twins to fend for themselves yesterday. But there was nothing to do about it now – only ways to make sure she didn’t make the same mistake twice. Whenever the twins got back, they would… talk. Properly. Tia would try to find the words to make it up to them.

Her frantic to-do list was the last page Tia collected from the ground. She scanned the list, with its crossed out words and evident panic-spiral she’d sent herself down. Maybe she’d just burn this page.

She paused though, when her eyes found something listed that… somehow, she might’ve actually [i]accomplished.[/i]

[quote][color=lemonchiffon][i][list][list][list][list][*]Give gem to… someone?[list][*]Eris[/list][/list][/list][/list][/list][/i][/color][/quote]
A smile grew on Tia’s face. It was hesitant, like she didn’t know if she could [i]trust[/i] that she might’ve found a solution to one of the monumental tasks piled on her narrow shoulders. It was premature, she knew. Maybe something would come up. Maybe the guard wouldn’t be able to get the gem to Eris. But…

Tia thought of his smirking, freckled face. 

[color=98a869][i]Consider it done.[/i][/color]

Tia picked up her worn pencil from the floor and drew a little check mark on her list. Her smile grew.

It turned into a frown though, as she continued reading her list.

[quote][color=lemonchiffon][i][list][list][*]Learn Guard’s name[/list][/list][/i][/color][/quote]
She drew a series of stars next to that one.

Floor finally clear, Tia piled her stack of pages back into the drawer of her bedside table. Then she sighed and tried to force her sore body through a series of stretches to try and at least dampen the pain in her muscles. Everything still hurt, but at least she could manage to move [i]somewhat[/i] normally by the end. Her hand was still the worst, but Tia bent her fingers this way and that, trying to shake her hand out every so often and flex it into a fist.

She dressed for the day, finally changing out of her too-long sleeping room and into something that actually [i]fit[/i]. Her priestess attire, intricately embroidered with white and gold, was a familiar weight that wrapped around her, its own form of armor against the uncertainty of her life. She arranged her scarf more carefully – it’d slipped somehow around her neck, she realized. The edges of her scar had peaked out over the top of the fabric. For how long? Tia bit her lip at the thought of it being on display for the guard during their conversation.

Tia looked at her dirty sleepwear that she’d laid on her bed. Screwing her mouth to the side, she examined the dirty bottom hem. The whole piece wasn’t ruined at least, like her clothes from yesterday had been. The stains were faint – this could be salvaged. The length had proven to be an issue though – on multiple occasions. Tia had tripped over herself in front of no less than four people since arriving in Dawnhaven. 

It wasn’t like she’d ever expected to [i]see[/i] people in her sleepwear. Besides, it was the most comfortable set she had – and Lunarian winter severely limited her wardrobe when she’d spent her entire life under the sun.

It would’ve been a shame to let the robe go to waste. Ranni was taller than her – maybe she’d like it. They needed to get her properly outfitted anyway, since the twins had arrived in Dawnhaven with next to nothing. If not Ranni, then… maybe Tia could just take the hem in a bit. Frowning, she held the fabric in her hands. It was much thicker than she was used to, made for the frigid north. She wasn’t looking forward to pushing a thick needle and thread through it over and over again. A last resort, she decided. If nothing else, she’d just be more careful about changing [i]before[/i] she left her room each morning.

Finally looking like a proper Priestess of Aelios, Tia emerged from her room. A quick stop at the twins’ bedroom to deposit the gecko gently on Ranni’s bed, and then Tia made her way back towards the side door to the hot springs. She hesitated, nerves building as she held the doorknob. 

She desperately hoped that man had left. 

But even if he hadn’t, Tia had a job to do. 

Biting her lip, small bucket in hand, Tia opened the door slightly and poked her head out to find…

An empty spring. 

Tia breathed a sigh of relief. Then she felt bad about that. Then she worried a little – she probably shouldn’t have left that woman with him. Tia didn’t doubt that she could likely handle him better than Tia would’ve been able to, but… something about him had just made her so unsteady. There’d been something almost predatory about him. Even if the other woman stood with all the confidence in the world, Tia knew better than to think someone didn’t need support against a possible challenge.

Or… [i]threat.[/i]

Tia shook her head. She didn’t like the feel of the thoughts in her mind, the distrust she felt of the man when he hadn’t technically done anything to deserve it. He’d just… been a little [i]much[/i].

Trying to push the thoughts from her mind, Tia focused back on the task at hand. She made her way back down to the water, carefully avoiding the small puddles where blood still stained the stone. The water was warm and comforting as Tia dipped her bucket in and used it to wash away the blood. It splashed into the spring, carried away by the current. The water would replenish itself, and become clean again. It would cleanse itself, as it did all things.

Tia lingered in the warm steam. She squatted down by the edge of the water, careful to keep her robe from getting wet. With a sigh, Tia lowered her aching hand into the spring. 

Its heat enveloped her like an embrace, a gentle press against her cold skin and sore muscles. Tia closed her eyes as she listened to the rippling of the water – the soft brush of wind through the leaves. She tilted her head up. In this warmth, she could almost feel the sun on her face.

She opened her eyes, and only the night greeted her.

But the silver moon was bright in the sky, peeking between a thick blanket of clouds. It was an imperfect circle, gentle, but commanding. Almost defiant, with how starkly it stood against the darkness. And there, between the few holes in the clouds she could find – [i]stars[/i]. Tia thought she could trace their path, even as obscured as they were. A glistening riverbed of color, drawing a path across the sky. [center][color=2e2c2c][sub][sub]…Tiin…gaaa…raaaa…[/sub][/sub][/color][/center]Tia let herself stay there. Snow fell, but never reached her. It turned to steam, mixing with the warm air she breathed. 

When Tia returned to the temple, there was a gentle stillness in her chest. For once, there was no frantic buzz of thoughts and worries. There was just the echo of warmth in her hand – the soft glitter of stars in her eyes.

Tia went back into the main chamber of the temple – and paused, when she saw a new figure standing at attention near the entrance.

A… soldier? 

Tall, dark haired, armored, with his sword sheathed, and a bow and quiver of arrows across his back. Oddly, he didn’t seem to be visiting the church for worship or communion. He seemed… on duty? He stood with his back straight beside the door, like he’d been stationed here. This was the first time a guard had ever been placed at the temple – Tia’s brows drew together. Something didn’t quite sit right with her, the idea that the temple needed to be protected with the unspoken threat of violence.

Of course… there were the Champions. But Dyna was her sister – she didn’t count. And that threat certainly [i]wasn’t[/i] unspoken.

Tia remembered the alarms from yesterday. She still didn’t know what’d happened – was the threat that great, that now there needed to be a soldier stationed here? Was Dyna not enough? Had the twins been told of this new assignment when Tia had been out?

She gathered herself, a polite smile finding her again. Whatever the situation, her unease wasn’t the guard’s fault. He was simply here to do a job – make sure Aelios’ temple remained a sanctuary. Tia tried to push her nerves from her mind as she made her way towards the guard.

[color=lemonchiffon]“Hello,”[/color] she said when she was close enough for her soft voice to reach him. There was that familiar nervousness, the automatic insecurity whenever someone new heard her voice. Still, Tia made herself continue. [color=lemonchiffon]“Welcome.”[/color]

[hr][sub][color=lemonchiffon]Interactions:[/color] Kale Grall [@Theyra][/sub]