Midnight Solitude and Promises

Tressa twisted and turned in her bed. Usually, sleep wasn’t a problem for her, but recently she was becoming more and more restless. Given how everyone was nearing the end of their journeys and the extreme dangers they were going to face, it was starting to take a toll on Tressa mentally. In fact, they were about to finish up Therion’s journey by heading to Northreach. The Frostlands were harsh and unforgiving, so they had to rest at an inn from Stillsnow until the blizzard settled down.

After a few minutes of blankly staring at the wall beside her, Tressa decided to get up on her feet and get some fresh air. It could help her collect her thoughts, and she would get to see beautiful snowy scenery as an added bonus. As she propped herself up on the bed, she glanced at a window in the room. As she predicted, the blizzard had turned into a light snowfall, so it would have been safe for her to venture outside for a bit.

Setting her feet on the floor, she made her way to the door. She grabbed a spare coat and put on her boots from beside her bed, careful not to wake Ophilia.

Once she successfully managed to open and close the door quietly, she started to head to the lobby. Candlelit lanterns faintly lit the lobby, and Tressa managed to make out a door frame. She stepped quietly to the door and grabbed her room keys before realizing that the door was already unlocked. She tilted her head in confusion. She definitely remembered the innkeeper locking the entrance for the night.

Having a sinking feeling in her chest, she opened the door to see if any stragglers or crooks managed to get in here. The cold breeze of Stillsnow hit her face, causing her to shiver. Her boots crunched under the snow as she stepped outside to look for any suspicious figures. Instead, Tressa spotted a certain grumpy thief leaning on the building, his gaze fixed on the sky.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" Therion questioned, not bothering to move his gaze to Tressa.

"I could ask you the same thing!"

He sighed. "If you must know, I'm just collecting my thoughts."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

Tressa gave him a quick pout and glare before directing it to the entrance door. She quickly locked it with her keys before returning back to her original spot. After a few moments, she spoke.

"Next time, make sure to lock the door. We already have one thief," Tressa stated pointedly.

Therion returned her glare for a few moments before sighing into his scarf. "I'm not a thief, I'm just good at acquiring things that aren't mine."

Tressa scoffed.

Silence hovered over the two before Tressa finally gave in.

"...Aren't you going to leave already?"

"What? Do you want me to?" Therion retorted, briefly turning to look at her.

"I mean, since you're always so annoyed by me, I would think that you'd like to not be near me if possible." Tressa looked at the ground and leaned against the wall as well.

"..."

Tressa's relationship with Therion was an odd one.

Since Tressa and Therion were together the longest, they had to deal with each other often. They always bickered and tried to make witty and sarcastic comments to the other if possible. Yet, they always stayed together despite all of that. She didn't want to back down, and neither did Therion.

They met in Bolderfall while she was traveling through the Cliftlands. Out of the goodness in her heart, she decided to help him sneak into the manor. She didn’t agree with his talents, but if it was just to prove something, she could understand. That turned into a quest to find 3 dragon stones that have been lost from its rightful owner. Therion begrudgingly accepted Tressa to help him on his journey as he would eventually need extra protection from the monsters they faced.