384 Frowning Frey

A mouthwatering scent crawled into Elero's tent and pulled her out of bed. Bleary-eyed. Yawning. The cold slapped her awake as she changed. She wished to be back within the four walls of her house, where a warm fireplace would always be burning. The distant memory sent a pang of guilt through her heart. 'How long has it been since I last saw my parents?' she thought.

The increasingly strong smell reminded her that she hadn't had breakfast, and she wandered out into the cold to find Olpi, who stirred the contents of a pot. She kept the flame low to let the others sleep in their tents for longer. She, like Elero, had woken before the sun.

"Good morning," Olpi greeted her.

Elero dragged her sleeping back next to the fire and sat on it. "Morning," she yawned. "Do you always wake up this early?"