"Mirza, probably." Pari said around an orange slice, not glancing up from her book. Mirza, delighted, flexed his arm to show off the little muscle there.

"Which means nothing in the face of Mirza's sheer dynamism."
"It's true," Mirza said. "I'm very dynamic."

She pursed her lips. "... no. Roo said that they were... leftovers. Apparently there was some village near this forest a long time ago and it got demolished overnight. So sometimes kids turn up here, except they're ghosts of the kids from that village. Though she was very adamant that they're not ghosts."

"I would think that echoes would just, you know, repeat actions or whatever, but those kids talked to us." she laced her fingers together, setting her chin upon them. "Talked to you. And they reacted to things. And they seemed content enough. I don't think they knew they were dead."

"Hey," Sparrow looked slightly offended, but just on principle. She knew it was probably true.
"I don't think so. I don't think you'd have the balls to punch Feo." Pari pointed out. "Like he said, he's decked a royal. I don't remember you decking anyone outside of your sparring sessions with Rommer, and even then you only ever land a hit on him when he lets you."

She exhaled silently, eyes fluttering shut. The world felt still, the drift of snow having finally settled, the moon peeking out from above spindly, dead trees. The only thing moving out there in the silent world was the goat Roo and Giovanni had ridden on, though it looked less like a goat and more like some elven creature of fairy tale, complete with big blue eyes and glowing fur. It chuffed warm steam into the air and leaned down to lick the snow.
"They didn't know anything and we sat them next to the fire and fed them hot chocolate." she said. "And if they turn up, we'll just do it again. Roo said that they're harmless. They just want a warm home to stop by for some time."

"What, one demon sneaks into the house and you chicken out?" Pari teased, but her heart wasn't in it.

"Are we fighting each other, or are we fighting someone else?" Sparrow added. "I don't want to fight any of you."
"That's weird, because you and I fight all the time." Pari said. Sparrow frowned. "Hey, that's not fighting. That's old-grandma-couple bickering."

"You did what you could. I didn't think mine would work at all." she confessed. "... it was a fluke."

"You'd have done the same." she said.