Morning sunlight filtered lazily through my bedroom windows, casting gentle gold over the rich velvet curtains, pooling onto the lush carpet in soft, glowing patches. Outside, birds sang their annoyingly cheerful songs, oblivious to the fact that some of us had recently survived a kidnapping. Rude of them, honestly.
I stretched beneath my sheets, letting out a sigh that felt like it came from the bottom of my soul. Smaug still slept curled up at the foot of my bed, snoring softly with intermittent bursts of smoke, entirely undisturbed by morning's arrival.
My door swung open gently, revealing Sylvithra's serene face.
"Darling, you have visitors," she said lightly, a faint smile twitching the corner of her mouth. "I think they've waited long enough."
Before I could ask who she meant, two familiar figures hurried past her into the room, practically tripping over each other.
