Homecoming

"Thank you for agreeing to come with me to Old Sharlayan, Y'sila," Tivra said as the pair stepped off the boat. Light, powdery snow fell around them as they walked through Scholar's Harbor.

Y'sila smiled. "Well, it gave me an excuse to come home to visit. It's been a couple years since I've been back here."

"Ah, I remember you told me you were born here. You said your parents own a local tavern?"

Y'sila nodded, her eyes darting around as she took in the sights, sounds, and smells of her homeland. "Mhm. It's the place I worked before I left to become an adventurer. My parents founded it after giving up their life of adventure to settle down."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Tivra's mouth. "I suppose there are worse things than opening a tavern and raising a family. I suppose you would like to stop by and say hello to your parents, then?"

Y'sila nodded, though smiled sheepishly. "Yeah...I have a feeling my mother is going to be quite cross with me. I send her letters all the time, but she's been nagging me to come home to visit for months now. Not too mention she's said she's wanted to meet all my adventuring companions and Kae and Meyu were too busy to join us. I just know I'm going to get an earful from her..."

Tivra tapped her chin, getting an early idea as to what kind of person Y'sila's mother was. "I see. And what about your father?"

Y'sila's eyes fell, the sheepish smile still on her face. "Ah. He...passed away when I was a child. My mother remarried about a decade ago."

"Oh," Tivra replied, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She mentally kicked herself. "I'm sorry. I should not have assumed..."

Y'sila's expression softened as she patted Tivra on the shoulder. "It's okay; you didn't know! My mother and step-mother now run the tavern together, though my step-mother, Hariko, is a lot less strict than my mother. Knowing her, she might be lazing about the tavern if it's not too busy."

Tivra nodded. "Do you want to stop by your parents' tavern first?"

"Let's! My mother has connection with the Studium, so she may be able to get access to the book you're looking for easier than we could."

Tivra's eyes lit up at the proposition. If there was an easier way to get her hands on that tome, than she would take it. "To the tavern, then!"

The pair made their way to Journey's End; Tivra marveled at the grand estates that lined the main road. Not too far from the banks of the sea rested Soulwind Tavern. It was a modest location that stood out amongst the gleaming white estates of Journey's End.

"Here we are!" Y'sila said. "If we're lucky, it won't be too busy so we can have a chat with my mother. If I remember correctly, this time of day is usually the slowest, so we might be in luck."

Tivra nodded. "Lead the way, then."

The pair stepped inside the tavern, a bell above the door announcing their presence. Y'sila took a deep breath, the smells of the tavern bringing a wave of nostalgia washing over the miqo'te. Little had changed in the few years since she had been home; today, only a couple patrons sat around a table, enjoying a meal. The tavern was mostly empty, which was good news for Tivra.

A pink-haired miqo'te stepped out from a back room, her medium-length hair braided close to her head on one side. She had shimmering violet eyes and freckles much like Y'sila's, with a small scar on her right cheek. The miqo'te smiled.

"Welcome, welcome! What can I--" Y'sila's mother's eyes widened as she noticed her daughter standing in the doorway. After a brief moment of shock, her lips curled into a smirk, and she placed her hands on her hips. "Well, well. Look who finally came home to visit!"