Arden awoke to the sound of creaking wood. Someone’s at the door. The cobwebs were purged from his thoughts in an instant as hard-learned lessons about what happened to those caught sleeping flashed through his head. He sat up straight upon the divan he’d fallen asleep on and made sure his dagger was still at his side where he’d left it. An agonizing moment passed as the rusty doorknob on the front door grated in the silence.
Lyara stepped smiling into the shop-turned flat they shared with their accomplices, Anya and Lendin. “He’s nearly well and coming home tomorrow,” The dark-haired half-elf said, nearly skipping as she came to plop down next to him on the couch.
“We’ll have to throw him a party,” Arden said, the tense moment evaporated by the good news and the return of his beautiful companion.
“We can even afford to get wine that comes with a label!” Lyara said, her eyes going to the safe hidden behind a false panel in the wall.
“Many a thief has been caught by flashing the rewards of their labor.”
“The job was three weeks ago,” Lyara protested as she leaned against him with her eyes pleading.