Marked by the Four Beast Lords After Transmigration

Ayari had apparently decided that a picnic required enough cloth to furnish a small household.

Nia stopped halfway down the middle terrace when she saw Bram coming toward her with two rolled mats beneath one arm, a stack of cushions tied against his back, and a broad food basket hanging from his other hand.

Ayari walked beside him carrying nothing except her own cup.

Sareth followed several steps behind with another covered basket and a wrapped pot tucked securely against his hip.

Nia looked at the load again.

“I thought we were eating outside.”

“We are.”

Bram shifted the mats higher. “She removed one cushion before we left.”

Ayari glanced at him. “Because you told me the basket was already full.”

“It was.”

Nia laughed as Bram continued past them toward the lower path.

Ayari touched his arm. “Ignore him. He believes sitting on bare stone is a reasonable choice.”

Bram did not answer.

Nia turned toward Shen.

He had come down with her from their home, carrying a water flask and the lighter outer wrap he had insisted she take after the rain cooled the shaded corridors. His silver eyes moved over Bram’s load before settling on Ayari.

“Where are you taking her?”

“The south-facing shelf beneath our terrace. Aurel checked it this morning. The upper half is dry, the outer grass is still wet, and Bram put a cord across the part I am not supposed to step on.”

“I put the cord there because the edge is soft after yesterday’s rain,” Bram said.

Ayari nodded. “Which is why I am not supposed to step on it.”

Shen looked at Nia.

She smiled. “I heard him.”

He adjusted the wrap over her forearm anyway.

Sareth came close enough to offer Shen the smaller basket. “This one has the cups.”

Shen took it and looked inside before falling into step beside Nia.

The picnic shelf lay only a short distance beyond Ayari’s household terrace, reached by a broad path that curved around the mountain instead of descending toward the work districts. Spring growth had thickened along the stone edges since Nia last came through this level. Low green plants spread between cracks, and tiny white flowers had opened where runoff no longer covered the soil.

They passed two women sorting dyed cord beneath an overhang. One raised a hand toward Ayari without stopping her work.

“You escaped for a while.”

“For one meal.”

“Tovin helped?”

“He packed the berry jar before he left.”

The older woman laughed and went back to sorting cord.

Ayari continued walking as though the exchange needed no further explanation.

Nia looked at her. “Where is Tovin?”

“Below. A seller from the eastern road changed three delivery cords after Garrick had already marked them, so Tovin went to discover whether the man is confused or hoping no one notices.”

“And Garrick?”

“With the original marks.”

“Sensible.”

“Very. That is why neither of them is here.”

Bram gave Ayari a sidelong glance.

She noticed. “I did not say I wanted all five of you sitting around me at midday.”

“You asked all five who was free.”

“I wanted to know.”

The path curved onto the shelf before Bram answered.

It was wider than Nia expected, a natural stretch of grass and flat stone beneath an overhanging section of mountain. Sunlight reached most of the inner ground, warming it without exposing the space to the steep outer edge. Bram’s cord ran between two short stakes several strides away, marking where the grass darkened from the previous day’s rain.

Beyond it, Hearthfang fell away in layers of spring green and gray stone.

Nia slowed.

She had seen the territory from Kael’s upper slope only days ago, but this view sat lower and closer to daily life. Smoke rose from work areas beneath them. People crossed open paths in small moving groups. Two workers guided a cart along one dry section of the lower road.

Ayari watched her face.

“I thought you would like this one.”

“I do.”

“Aurel uses the higher ledge when he wants to see roads. I like this one because I can see people without being expected to solve anything they are doing.”

Bram dropped the rolled mats onto the dry grass.

“You still try.”

“I only solve the interesting problems.”

Sareth stepped over the edge of the first mat and crouched to untie the wrapped pot.

Ayari immediately pointed to a patch of sun. “Not there. I will be hot before we finish eating.”

He moved it toward the shade without comment.

Bram spread the larger mat, then set two cushions near the stone wall. He placed a third beside them before looking at Nia.

“You can move it wherever you want.”

Nia sat and tested the angle. “Here is good.”

Shen put the cup basket within reach and lowered himself beside her long enough to pour water.

Ayari settled onto the other cushion. Bram gave her the cup she had carried the entire way, filled it, then tucked another cushion behind her lower back.

She leaned into it without interrupting her conversation.

“Luma told me her husband made the broth again.”

Nia accepted the cup Shen handed her. “The one he tried to fix with more salt?”

“That one.”

“Did he use less?”

“He made Luma taste it before he changed anything.”

Nia smiled. “Progress.”

“Apparently the first bowl was good. Then he added another handful of bitter greens to the second pot because he thought the flavor needed to be stronger.”

Nia winced.

Ayari drank. “Luma let him taste that one himself.”

Shen’s mouth shifted slightly.

Sareth opened the wrapped pot. Warm steam rose from inside.

Nia looked over.

Chunks of meat and softened roots filled the shallow vessel, darkened where they had browned before liquid was added.

Bram opened the larger basket beside it. Folded bread filled most of the space, with Tovin’s berry jar tucked upright between two cloth-wrapped bundles.

Sareth noticed Nia’s attention.

“I did not crowd the first batch.”

“You made this?”

“Ayari asked me to.”

Ayari reached toward the pot. “He has made it three times since you showed him.”

Sareth passed her a small bowl. “Twice.”

“You made the meat yesterday.”

“That was for another dish.”

“You still browned it first.”

Sareth looked toward Nia. “Three times, apparently.”

Nia laughed.

He had not copied one of her full recipes. The roots were cut differently from the way she usually cut them, the broth smelled more strongly of an herb Ayari’s household favored, and the meat looked like the game they already ate regularly.

But the browned surface was there.

Nia took the bowl Sareth passed her and tasted.

The meat had a deeper savory edge than the boiled version he had made before, and the broth carried that flavor without becoming heavy.

“This is good.”

Sareth’s shoulders eased slightly.

Ayari looked at him. “I told you it was.”

“You eat whatever I put in front of you when you are hungry.”

“That does not mean I cannot recognize good food.”

“It means I wanted another opinion.”

Ayari took a second piece of meat from her bowl and ate it slowly.

Then she touched the back of his wrist.

“I still liked it before she said so.”

Sareth glanced at her hand.

Nia looked down at her own bowl before the moment became something she was obviously watching.

Shen’s knee pressed lightly against hers.

Bram distributed folded bread from the larger basket. Ayari opened the berry jar and spooned some across one piece before passing the jar toward Nia.

The berries had softened enough to spread but still kept part of their shape.

Nia added a small amount to her own bread.

Bram stood.

Ayari looked up. “You are leaving already?”

“The support crew sent for the longer pegs before we came down. I told them I would bring the food first.”

“You ate?”

“Sareth gave me bread while we packed.”

Ayari frowned. “Take more with you.”

Bram folded two pieces of bread together. Sareth reached into the pot, added two thick pieces of meat between them, and handed the food back.

Bram wrapped it in a spare cloth.

Ayari watched until he tucked it securely beneath one carrying strap.

“Better.”

He bent and touched his forehead briefly to hers.

“If the repair runs past second bell, I will eat again.”

“Do that.”

Bram picked up the empty carrying straps he would need later and headed back toward the path.

Ayari watched him until he disappeared around the curve.

Nia ate another bite.

“You check on them more now.”

Ayari turned toward her.

“I always checked.”

Nia smiled. “You always noticed when they annoyed you.”

Sareth continued eating.

Ayari looked at him, then toward the path Bram had taken.

“That counts as noticing.”

“It does.”

Sareth reached behind Ayari and adjusted the cushion that had begun slipping sideways.

She leaned back again and rested one hand on his thigh.

The tip of his tail curved closer along the mat.

Shen finished his bowl and set it near the pot.

“I need to go down to the care station before second bell.”

Nia looked at him. “Already?”

“I said I would check the new drying rack before they load the afternoon herbs.”

Ayari lifted her cup. “She can survive one meal without both of you.”

“I know.”

Shen leaned toward Nia. His fingers touched the underside of her chin before he kissed her.

It was brief and familiar.

Nia caught his wrist before he moved away. “Are you coming back here?”

“If you are still here.”

“We will be,” Ayari said. “I brought too many cushions to leave quickly.”

Shen glanced toward the stack Bram had carried. “With that many, I expect you will.”

He kissed Nia once more near her temple, spoke quietly with Sareth about which upper return path had dried since the rain, then left toward the lower corridor.

Ayari waited until he was well beyond hearing.

“Kael checks the path before you step on it. Shen notices your shoe tie has loosened before you do.”

Nia laughed hard enough that she had to put down her bowl.

Sareth exhaled through his nose.

Ayari looked at him. “You know he does.”

Sareth took another bite and kept his attention on his bowl.

Nia covered her mouth and tried to stop laughing.

Tessa had apparently refused to buy a second basket from a seller who kept insisting the uneven rim gave it “character.”

Ayari had been standing behind her.

“He said it three times,” she told Nia. “As though saying it again made the uneven rim worth the price.”

“What did Tessa say?”

“She put it back on his table and asked whether the price had character too.”

Nia laughed.

“That sounds like her.”

“Then she bought one from the woman two tables over while he watched.”

Sareth tore bread and dipped it into the broth. “You left out the part where you almost bought the crooked one.”

“I liked the color.”

“The bottom rocked.”

“I said almost.”

Ayari pushed the larger half of her bread toward him.

Sareth accepted it.

Nia smiled into her cup.

A shadow crossed the outer grass.

Nia looked up as Aurel descended from above.

His wings folded gradually as his feet touched the dry stone well inside Bram’s cord. He carried a narrow route pouch across his chest, and the lower edge of one wing showed damp speckling from the remaining moisture along the higher ledges.

Ayari lifted a cup toward him.

“You came at the correct time.”

“I saw Bram returning without the food basket.”

Aurel sat near the edge of the mat after checking the grass beneath him. Sareth passed him bread and meat without being asked.

Ayari reached out and smoothed one feather that had bent against the route strap.

“You were at the eastern watch?”

“Part of the morning.”

“Anything interesting?”

“Three smaller trader groups reached the lower markers. One is waiting on a wheel repair before coming farther in.”

Ayari nodded and went back to eating.

Aurel took a drink.

“The second group carries spice packets. One broke inside a covered basket. The scent was sweet rather than hot. Bark or dried flower, perhaps.”

Nia looked over.

“Did you recognize it?”

“No.”

She nodded and took another bite of bread.

Aurel continued, “The driver also tied his cart cover too high again.”

Sareth looked at him. “The same man from last summer?”

“Yes.”

“You told him then.”

“I told him this morning too.”

Ayari remembered the driver because he had once tried to sell her a set of cups with two different household marks scraped poorly from the bottoms.

They argued over whether that counted as dishonesty or incompetence until none of them could remember why the subject had started.

By second bell, most of the food was gone.

Sareth began stacking the empty bowls. The berry jar went back into the larger basket with only a little left at the bottom.

Aurel stood when a route runner appeared on the upper path and raised two fingers toward him. He finished his water before leaving, and Ayari reminded him to bring his damp wing guard inside when he returned home.

He nodded once.

Sareth tied the first basket closed.

Ayari made no effort to stand.

Neither did Nia.

The sun had shifted enough that the edge of their mat now lay in light while their shoulders remained beneath the mountain shade.

Below them, the cart Nia had been watching earlier finally reached the lower turn. One worker walked ahead while another kept a hand near the wheel as they guided it through.

Ayari stretched her legs across the mat and rested her head against Nia’s shoulder.

Nia looked down at her.

“You brought all those cushions.”

“I am using you now.”

Nia laughed and settled more comfortably against the stone behind them.

Sareth finished tying the last basket and carried the packed dishes toward the shaded side of the shelf. He set them near the path, then returned with his cup and sat a short distance away.

Ayari stayed against Nia’s shoulder.

Below them, someone called for the cart to slow before the turn, and another voice answered from farther down the road.

Nia shifted her arm so Ayari could settle more comfortably and stayed there with her.

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