THE MOMENT
A glance at the indoor scene would've clearly communicated the weather outside for anyone. Two young girls sat at the bar with steaming bowls in front of them and several stools between. They were strangers to each other and the rest of the guests, but the innkeeper ensured a friendly atmosphere. Several other guests and adventurers sat closer to the door in various states of bundling themselves up. And a crackling fire kept the space comfortable.
Over the course of half an hour, the guests ventured out into the cold, eventually leaving only the two girls alone with the innkeeper tending to busywork. Neither one of them had touched their soup, but the hearty servings continued to steam as if freshly served. Finally, after realizing they were alone, the younger girl with chestnut brown hair turned and smiled at the older one.
"Hi, I'm Six," she said, and tilted her head toward the bowl. "Are you here for the soup?"
"Hi, Six," the teen with dark hair nodded with a smile. "I am, do you mind if I join you? I'm Davina," she said.
"That's not a problem," Six nodded. "We get the same recipe, so might as well save the time." As she answered, she moved closer to Davina and sat so there was only a single empty stool between them. Then, she turned and called the innkeeper over to them.
"Hey, Mr.!" she blurted it out, and he wandered over with a smile. He was a rotund bald man with a silver beard and a leather apron.
"What is it, sweetie?" he asked.
"*AHEM*," she cleared her throat in an exaggerated fashion, then winked at Davina as she spoke to the innkeeper. "This soup is DELICIOUS. It's good enough for THE KING!"
The door flew open, and a young prince stumbled through the door with a flurry. He was shivering from the cold as he turned and forced the door closed again. He took a moment to gather himself once the door was shut again, then he strode over to the bar with confidence.
"Are you Innkeeper Ramsey?" he asked the man while ignoring the girls completely.
"That would be me," the innkeeper nodded.
"My mother, the Queen, is ill. I've heard tales of your chicken soup nourishing the soul, and I wish to learn its preparation," he moved and dropped a hefty velvet sack of coins on the counter with a jingling thud.
The jovial innkeeper's smile faded as he appraised the royal heir. He was scrawny, but obviously fastidious. Every golden stitch of his purple cloak shone like new. His face and hands were soft, never exposed to an ounce of work in his life. But, his blue eyes burned with determination. He was someone who made the decision to change.
"It's not something you can learn in a day or two, lad. YOU," he pointed at the prince. "Have to master the basics before I can teach you the soup. If you're in a rush to save your mother, this is not the method...," he said.
"We have Royal Healers tending to her. I want to do my part; do something they won't."
"It won't be like playing in the kitchen. You have to work harder than you can imagine," the innkeeper added.
"I'm ready," the Prince nodded and after a few quiet moments, the innkeeper nodded and waved him to the back. "Excuse me for a moment, ladies," he smiled at the girls and led the Prince to the back.
"Thanks, see you around," Davina nodded and moved to leave the stool, but Six stopped her.
"Wait, where are you going?" she asked. At the same time she presented the question to Davina, she also sent a Whisper to her sister.
[Need time stuff. - Six]
"Gotta wait a month... did you know that part?" she asked the girl. Six seemed intelligent, but maybe she didn't read the quest text.
"My sister can control time," she said. As she answered, a portal opened next to them. A girl who looked like Six with dusty blonde hair stepped out of the portal and smiled at Davina first, before asking Six for details.
"Hi," she said. "Forward or back? How long?" she asked.
"Hey, you're twins!" Davina giggled.
"Forward a month," Six answered her sister first, then nodded at Davina. "Her name's 23," she said.
"I'm a twin too," Davina nodded. Time sped up around them as people blurred by and the sun oscillated up and down. Then, it slowed down to normal speed again. They were alone, and the Prince was wiping down the counter in front of them. He was wearing a leather apron and a rugged five o'clock shadow. The steaming bowls they once ordered were long gone.
"A month, good?" 23 asked. And, she was gone through a portal as soon as Six nodded.
"Sorry, she's usually friendlier," Six nodded.
"No need to apologize, my sister's kind of the same," Davina said, and both girls shared a laugh.
"I want to order the Special Chicken Soup," Six said to the Prince.
"Me too, please," Davina added.
"Coming right up ladies," he said. "You'll have to let me know if it's as good as usual. Today's the first batch I made myself," his chest swelled with pride as he headed to the kitchen.
"Are you doing any other Princess quests?" Six asked. The quest to learn the recipe would be completed as soon as he returned with their bowls, and she was already planning her next goal.
"I want to pick up any skills I can," Davina nodded. "But, I didn't expect to finish this one today," she shrugged.
"I'm going to chase some more tradeskills and recipes," Six said. "You can come with me if you want; two Princesses are better than one."
"Sure, that sounds fun," Davina said. "So, how old are you girls?" she finally asked. Six and her sister looked about 10 years old.
"Not that old," Six said, "I was born two weeks ago."
".. Two??" Davina was genuinely surprised. She was new to the multiverse, and had seen a lot of unusual things already. She thought she was used to everything. Six made it worse by elaborating.
"It's not fair," she sighed. "23 was born a whole month before me."