The beast stared the girl down, beady eyes hidden behind mounds of matted fur regarding her in a cold, impassive gaze as steam erupted from its flaring nostrils. It towered over her, its sheer mass making the girl feel smaller than she already was. Her hands trembled at the site of it, and she remained frozen in place as she could not read the beast’s intent. Her eyes fell to its horns, their sharpness almost gleaming in the morning sun, and a dark part of her wondered if those would be the tools that it would use to deliver the end. She shook her head at such thoughts and pulled her gaze to the beast’s maw, the rhythm of its chewing almost entrancing, the crunch of its most recent food letting out a pulpy squelchy as its jaw continued to work. Still, the girl remained frozen in place, the fear of a hopeless escape locking her feet in place as a pair of hands pushed her forward.

“It’s alright,” Leaf said, “Bessie wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

The archer’s voice was soft compared to the usual harsh tone it carried when he spoke with his companions. His hands tapped her back gently, but to the girl it was as if he was kicking her forward.

Still, she would not move.

Leaf let out a breath, a mix of a sigh and a snort, as he patted the girl on the shoulders. He let her go and approached the beast casually, walking up to it as he placed his hand on its head, running a hand through its fur.

“Gods, you are due for a good brush,” he said in an apologetic tone, “sorry girl, I’ve been distracted as of late but I’ll try and do it more often.”

Leaf reached behind one of the beast’s horns and scratched. It let out a soft bellow and pressed against the archer, rubbing against him affectionately. With a smile Leaf produced a comb from his pocket and ran it through the beast fur. It glided through the beast’s pelt, catching occasionally when it encountered a particularly tangled spot. Leaf pulled at each snag gently, loosening the fur until the comb ran through the spot with each, whispering softly to the beast as he did so. It let out the occasional snort of discomfort, especially from the more stubborn knots, but the beast remained docile as the archer continued to work.

The girl stood there in awe, wondering how Leaf could approach, let alone touch and brush such an animal, and when he was finally done running the comb through the beast’s fur he put it back in his pocket. He pulled a brush out afterwards, but rather than continue his work he held it out to the girl.

“Your turn,” he said with a smile.

The girl stood in place for a moment, unsure of what to do. Leaf did not say anything, and continued to hold the brush out, petting the beast as it chewed on the feed that was placed at its feet.

Eventually, she stepped forward, and when the beast did not react to her movement she hurried to Leaf’s side, wondering if the man had some sort of magic that made it docile in his presence. She took the brush, and Leaf guided her hands to the beast’s.

“Bessie here loves a good brushing,” he said, “you just have to do it the right way, so you just have to move like this-”

Leaf guided the girl’s hands, making sure that she was doing gentle strokes with the brush as its bristles ran through the beast’s fur. It did not move as the brush continued to move, and after a while Leaf let go of the girl’s hands. She continued to brush, an almost meditative focus overtaking her as she smoothed out the beast’s pelt. Her eyes wandered up to one of its horns, and, remembering how Leaf scratched behind it, she reached out and did the same out of a powerful curiosity. As she did, the beast pressed against the girl, its freshly brushed fur soft against her skin. The beast let out a soft bellow and the girl was lost to the bea- Bessie’s softness. She kept scratching her behind the horn, giggling as Bessie nuzzled against her.

The tavern’s back door opened as Helbram, Elly, and Jahora emerged. The smaller woman had a plate of fresh bread and a steaming bowl of porridge in her hands, ready to approach, but stopped as she saw the girl was lost to Bessie’s fur.

She smirked, “She’s fallen victim too I see.”

Leaf grinned, “Of course, no can resist the softness when they get a taste,” his voice ringed with pride,” he patted the girl on the shoulder and stepped away to meet his companions, letting her continue her meditative task. He snatched a small piece of bread from the plate and nibbled on it absentmindedly, “She’s a quick learner and Bessie’s taken to her quick nicely I say.”

“That she has,” Helbram said. The large man was without his armor today, sporting his coat in the brisk morning air as he sipped at the steaming mug in his hand, “tis good to see.”

“It is most likely related to her origins as a Shade,” Elly said as she sipped at her own mug, “her intuition may be innate but she also possesses a knowledge that is far beyond the scope of someone that has lived in her condition,” she observed, “her ability to understand us, and, though slight, read would be the most obvious example, for no one - in this life - has ever taught her such things.”

The scholar’s words passed through the girl’s ears, but she did not question them. It was not the first time that they had such observations about her, and she could not detect any sort of trepidation or fear from Elly’s tone. It was pure curiosity, something that she understood completely.

The girl’s hands continued to move the brush, recalling that she’d often heard the townsfolk humming as they set about their tasks. She mimicked the behavior, a soft tune escaping from her lips as she brushed Bessie. It was a soft melody, one that she did not hear from the townsfolk, but for some reason felt the most familiar to her. 

As the tune continued, a haze overtook her vision once again, and she saw that her hands had grown bigger, the brush that they held more ornate than the simple tool she’d be given. Her fingers were long, but slender, and there was a thin silver band on her finger, a soft blue gem set into it. The fur that she brushed had transitioned to a brilliant white hide, and while the song she hummed remained the same, her voice no longer carried the lightness of childhood to it. There was a soft, relaxed quality to it, soothing both the beast that she brushed and her own mind as the melody continued. She looked up, seeing that she was now brushing a horse, but the vision faded soon as she saw it turn its head, replaced by Bessie as she looked at her with her beady eyes. Jahora and the others were looking at her, expressions curious.

“That was beautiful,” Jahora said, a smile beaming from her face.

“It was,” Elly agreed. She walked up to the girl and wiped her eyes.

The girl was not even aware that she’d been crying.

Elly took her hands into her own and brushed away the stray furs that were stuck to them. She looked the girl in the eyes, her smile comforting, “You’ll have to teach me sometime.”

The girl nodded, but didn’t know what to say.

Jahora joined the scholar by her side, steaming bowl of porridge in the smaller woman’s hands, “Let’s get you some breakfast in the meantime.”

A sweet scent wafted from the porridge to the girl’s nose, and she felt herself start to salivate. Though not as frail as before, her hunger only seemed to grow as her frame started to fill out more and more. She nodded and followed Jahora towards the steps that rested against the tavern’s rear entrance. The rest of the party spoke amongst themselves, but her attention was wholly focused on the food, and she started to eat the moment that a spoon was given to her. Her grip on the utensil was not so rough as it was before, and while she ate with fervor no longer did specks of food smear against her cheeks. She did not know when this change occurred, but she did admit that it was nice to eat without Jahora having to wipe her off after every meal. Her bowl of porridge did not last long under her onslaught, and soon she found herself nibbling on a piece of bread while Jahora took the empty dishes from her.

“She needs a name,” she said.

The girl looked up at that, and she could see the group rubbing their chins in unison, something that she could not help but giggle at.

“You are quite right,” Helbram agreed, “Though I must admit I am quite lacking when it comes to such things,” he snorted, “Unless she would like to be saddled with such entracing names like Maude.”

She did not know why, but she shook her head fervently hearing that. Helbram laughed as she did.

“Snow,” Leaf said as he nodded to himself in satisfaction, “because of her hair… and because we found her in the snow.”

The party frowned as they looked at him.

“What?”

“You have inherited your father’s naming sense,” Helbram said in a dull tone, “That is for certain.”

“It’s a good name!” Leaf objected, “let’s see you lot come up with something better.”

He crossed his arms and huffed.

Jahora tapped her chin, “I’m afraid I’m having some trouble as well. It was my idea but for the life of me I cannot think of one suited to her. I’m not one to judge one based on name but with all she’s been through… she is deserving of one that suits her.”

The smaller woman looked at the girl with a smile, “Is there any name that comes to your mind?”

The girl’s eyes narrowed as she attempted to peer inward. Holding the bread in her mouth, she tapped her temples as she tried to think of something, and after a moment an idea started to form in her head. The haze returned to her vision, and she found herself standing in the middle of a field, the grass that surrounded her stretching endlessly around her. It swayed with the wind, almost like it was breathing as tides of dark green washes across its lighter shade. The size of her hands remained small in this vision, and she wore a simple white dress that matched her hair. In the distance, she could hear a far off voice.

“...te…”

She looked around, seeing no one around her, but she leaned in the direction of the voice, hoping to hear it one ag-

“I don’t think that is a wise choice.”

Elly’s voice pulled the girl from her vision, and she found herself facing the party once again. Jahora looked at the scholar, an eyebrow perked up as she regarded the scholar.

“Her thinking of her own name,” Elly explained, “Given that she is a Shade, it is highly likely that she will choose the one that she held in her past life.”

Elly stood up and walked up to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Rather than bind herself to her past in such a way, she should have one that places her on a road that is wholly new, one that she will be free to forge by the ambitions of this life, not her previous one,” she smiled at the girl, “that is what she deserves.”

Jahora smiled with her friend, “You’re right, but I must admit I still have yet to come up with one,” she said with a sigh.

“Aria,” Elly said.

Her companions did not say anything, but leaned in for her explanation.

“A solo,” she said, “vocal, usually, done in the midst of an opera or even a simple play. A melody will accompany it, but it is meant to stand alone.”

“That sounds lonely,” Leaf said.

“Ah but you see, while an aria can be captivating by itself, its brilliance comes from what surrounds it. The build up, the environment, the story that has woven around it,” Elly explained, “should all of that be grand, the aria will shine all the more brightly in contrast, for even in the face of such brilliance, its melody alone will captivate the audience. It will stand on its own, but be raised to even greater heights by those around it.”

She looked at all of her companions, and they all shared a nod with one another. She looked at the girl and smiled again, “Does it suit your liking?”

The name passed through the girl’s mind. As it did, memories started to wash through her. Memories of the shack that she’d spent so much time in, memories of her wandering empty streets, avoiding the gaze that looked upon her with disdain, memories of her tears when her family ignored her, of the ache at her chest when she looked upon the happiness that others had, so far out of reach.

“Aria…” she said

The pain faded as she thought of Erik, of the kindness that he’d shown her when no one else had. Of Cora, who would treat her with the same warmth that she’d only seen from mothers so far away. Of Leaf, who’s seemed so rough with everyone else but so gentle with her. Of Elly, who’s expression was so calculative, but so thoughtful when it came to her. Of Helbram, who’s size intimidated her at first, but always lingered around her, shielding her from all that would harm her. Of Jahora, who’s warmth seemed endless, who’s kindness was boundless.

A haze came over her vision once again, but it was not from an echo of times long past, it was from the tears that had started to form in her eyes. Not tears of pain, of fear, of finding something that she did not know she lacked for so long.

When Aria looked up, she was smiling.

---

Author's Note: This is a shorter chapter and while I originally tried to add some more stuff I felt that dialing in and focusing in on how Aria got her name makes the scene all the more meaningful rather than just an "event". To that extent I also wanted to show her actually bonding with the party as well, so while nothing super "plot forward" happens here I find it crucial for the sake of character development so I will  probably writing up something like this again for this arc so the events that do happen having much more weight to them. However, if you thought this dragged or if you think that more of this would make the pacing too slow please speak out. I'm always interested to see what you all think and while I have reasons for things I don't want to get too stuck in my own head.

Till next time everyone! Have a wonderful week! :)