The next morning, Uma made a decision.
She was going to sleep in.
No forge. No buckets. No errands. Just warmth, blankets, and maybe—maybe—waking up to sunlight touching the floor for once.
She rolled deeper under the covers with a satisfied grunt. Her muscles still ached from yesterday, and she was convinced she'd earned at least one morning of peace.
'One day off,' she told herself, adjusting her scarf into a makeshift eye mask. 'That's all. Just one. No guilt, no hammer, no shouting—'
A voice outside shattered the quiet.
"—do you understand what I'm saying, you brainless ceremonial turtleneck—"
Uma blinked.
She didn't move. Didn't breathe.
Was that…?
"—I've got ten guards, three usable spears, one working shield, and you're worried about banners?!"
That was definitely Serosa.
The wall barely muffled her fury. Uma pulled the scarf off her eyes and squinted at the window like it had betrayed her.
"You want a festival?! Sure! Let's light a bonfire, hang some garlands, and maybe the Hollow things will clap before they eat us!"
Uma sat up slowly. The yelling hadn't stopped. It had escalated.
She swung her legs off the bed, shuffled to the window, and peered out through the curtain.
There was a crowd forming at the edge of the street—half the town, probably. Some were dressed like they'd come to ask about festival booths. Others held baskets. One woman still had flour on her apron.
All of them stood in a loose circle around Serosa.
And the mayor.
Who looked like he'd rather be buried alive than endure another sentence.
"I've written reports. I've marked patrol trails. I've shown you teeth marks and you're still asking me if we should repaint the godsdamn stage?!"
A gasp rippled through the crowd.
Serosa wasn't pacing.
She was storming in place.
The mayor made a noise that could've been a response. She didn't let him finish.
"Don't you dare try to pivot this? You have two jobs: sign things and stay out of the way. Pick one!"
Uma leaned her chin on the windowsill and watched, sipping from her water flask like it was the latest episode of something unmissable.
She spotted Hamron in the crowd. He looked impressed.
The baker lady whispered something to her friend and visibly mouthed, "Is she single?"
Uma choked.
The mayor made a final retreat, stammering something about revisiting priorities and needing to speak with his assistant.
Serosa didn't chase him.
She just crossed her arms and turned to the crowd.
No speech. No smile. Just a deadpan: "Town hall's closed until further notice. Send your complaints to a tree."
Then she walked off, coat flaring slightly behind her.
The crowd scattered like startled birds.
Uma pulled the curtain closed slowly. Then fell back onto her bed, arms flopped to the sides, staring at the ceiling like it had answers.
'So much for sleeping in.'
But she wasn't mad.
Not even a little.
Honestly?
It made her morning.
The yelling died down.
The street cleared.
Uma stayed at the window a little longer, watching Serosa march back into the house like a war god returning from the front.
The door slammed. Hard.
Papers shuffled in the kitchen. A mug clattered into the basin like it had personally offended her.
Uma lay flat on her bed, hands folded over her stomach, and whispered in her head, 'She's gonna be in that mood all day, isn't she.'
She sat up. Stretched. Thought about food. Regretted not sneaking a roll from the bakery on the way home yesterday.
Then—three knocks on the front door.
Not urgent.
Not official.
Just solid.
Rhythmic.
Hamron.
Uma padded out of her room, stopping at the corner just as Serosa opened the door.
There he was. Dusty apron. Hair tied back. And in one soot-stained hand?
Chocolate. Wrapped in cloth. A little melted at the edge like he'd carried it too far too fast.
Serosa blinked at it.
Then at him.
"I'm busy."
"You've been busy since last winter," he said, holding the bundle up like a peace offering. "Consider this a ceasefire."
"I don't need cheering up."
"No," he agreed. "But you do need sugar. And maybe to stop threatening elected officials before breakfast."
Uma snorted quietly from the hallway.
Serosa didn't budge. Arms crossed. Shoulders squared like she still expected the mayor to crawl back for round two.
Hamron shrugged. "Fine. I'll leave it. Just thought you could use the company."
He turned slightly, but not all the way.
That was when Uma struck.
She rounded the corner slowly, casual as a cat, eyes locked on the chocolate like it owed her rent.
She made the motion toward it—one hand extending, palm open, the universal sign for if you don't want it, I do.
Serosa's reflexes kicked in instantly. Her hand shot out and caught Uma's wrist before she could make contact.
"Nice try."
Uma gave her the most innocent, exaggerated blink she could muster.
Hamron raised an eyebrow. "So you do want it?"
Serosa hesitated.
Just for a breath.
Then muttered, "Only because she'd eat it all and leave the wrapper under the couch."
Hamron grinned.
"Good choice."
He stepped inside without waiting for another word, already pulling out the second half of the bundle. Two mismatched mugs clinked together in his bag.
Uma backed off slowly, hands raised like she hadn't just committed snack-based war.
Serosa caught her eye.
"Don't think this means I'm sharing."
Uma raised her board and scribbled:
D O N ' T
W A N T
Y O U R
W E A K
C H O C O
Hamron barked a laugh.
Serosa didn't. But the twitch at the corner of her mouth gave her away.
She rolled her eyes, grabbed the mugs, and muttered, "Brat."
Uma just gave her a slow, mocking bow and backed out of the room like a smug little stormcloud.
'Two points on the board for Uma'
She flopped onto her bed again, hands behind her head, and listened as two chairs scraped gently across the kitchen floor.
The voices that followed weren't loud.
But they were softer than the yelling.
And that was enough
After a good couple hours of rotting in bed Uma finally got bored
She sat up
Stretched
'Wonder if Hamron's still here'
She shuffled out the room and down the hall, already hearing Serosa's voice mid-rant
"I'm lacking patrols each day and this bastard has the balls to ask me if there's enough pie for the festival"
Hamron didn't interrupt
Just nodded along
Chuckled quietly like it wasn't funny—but like he was interested in every damn word she said
'God just date already'
Uma peeked around the corner
Then faked a stretch and a yawn to cover her entrance
It worked
Serosa glanced over mid-rant
"Oh hey brat glad you got your beauty rest"
Half tease
Half mom-worry
Uma flopped into the nearest chair
Kicked her feet up on the table just to see if Serosa would react
She didn't
Kept right on ranting
"You know if you're low on weapons and shifts me and this one can pull a few long days"
Hamron said, calm
"I can pick up more patrol shifts"
Uma blinked
'Patrol shifts… Hamron's a guard?'
She leaned back in her chair
'Learn something new every day'
The offer didn't calm Serosa
Made her madder—but not at him
"No no no"
No you're not
"Why should you have to overwork just because the mayor can't send a godsdamn letter to the next village over"
Her hands were moving now
Like she was conducting a choir of pure rage
Then she shoved her chair back
Loud enough to peel paint
"Ughh I need fresh air"
She grabbed her coat
Didn't look back
Only paused at the door long enough to glare at Hamron
"Well? You coming or not"
Hamron jolted up like he forgot how legs worked
"O-oh yeah coming"
"We'll be back in a little Uma"
She said that over her shoulder
Already halfway out
Uma just gave a lazy thumbs up
The door clicked shut. Uma sat there for a second. Then another. Then slumped forward in her chair like a deflated puppet. 'Right. Alone again.'
She wandered the house like a ghost waiting to haunt someone. Did one lap. Two. Found a knife in the kitchen and tried flipping it like she'd seen Hamron do. Nearly lost a toe. Put it back.
Paced again. Tried to beat her pull-up record on the ceiling beam. Got to seven. Barely. Collapsed on the couch. Flipped through an old recipe book like it owed her entertainment. Found a weird pie called Swamp Grit Delight. Made a face. Closed it.
Kicked a broom across the floor just to hear it clatter. Drank water straight from the jug. Got scolded by no one and still looked guilty.
Thirty minutes later she was crouched on the floor using leftover charcoal to draw stick figure battles on the back of old notices. One was winning. One was on fire. One had her scarf.
Then, buried under a stack of town records and old ink-smudged notes, she found it.
A clean paper. Pinned at the top like it was waiting for someone who didn't show.
Mandatory Training Rotation — Guard Development
Requirement: 4 representatives per village minimum
Currently Enrolled:
— Rell
— Juno
— Cress
— [empty]
Uma stared at the blank fourth line like it was daring her. Then looked over her shoulder like Serosa might teleport home early just to stop her.
She grabbed the pen and wrote it quickly.
UMA
Sharp. Crooked. Confident anyway. She capped the pen like nothing had happened and sat back on her heels.
'She needs four. Now she has four. Simple math.'
She stood. Tossed the charcoal drawings in the bin. Poured herself another drink like she hadn't just signed up for military-grade boot camp out of boredom.
Then leaned back against the table, staring at the ceiling.
'Bet I'm gonna regret that later'
Still. She didn't erase it.
Which meant she meant it
After the five-minute high of signing herself up for some fancy village training wore off Uma got bored again
Started knocking on walls
Opening cabinets
Hoping for a secret passage or hidden sword or something actually cool
'Maybe there's like a secret room around here with a trapdoor or a forbidden artifact or a goat'
She passed Serosa's door
Stopped
Tilted her head
It was cracked open
'Huh
She always locks this
Weird'
She tapped the edge with her knuckle
Nothing
Shrugged
Pushed it open with zero hesitation and a full dose of nosy curiosity
'Welp
Her fault not mine'
The room was clean
Too clean
Not like someone who cared about appearances
More like someone who lived like a war was always five minutes away
Papers on the desk
Neat
Sorted
Labeled in a way that made her head hurt just glancing at them
'Nope not touching those that's math or government or death'
Her eyes drifted to the nightstand
There
Next to the bed
A book
Worn edges
Frayed spine
Tabs sticking out of it like someone tried to teach a porcupine how to read
Uma blinked
Picked it up
'Jesus this woman's too organized Bet this is just more reports or like soldier recipes or whatever she eats besides black coffee and hate'
She flipped to the first page
And paused
Hard
"Hamron was working at the forge today without a shirt said it was hot no honey you're the reason"
Uma snorted so hard she slapped her hand over her mouth
'Oh my god did I just hit the jackpot'
She flipped another page
Faster this time
Eyes already wide
"I watched his muscles bulge as he lifted his hammer next thing I knew my knees forgot they were there"
She choked
Coughed into her scarf
Stared at the words like they might catch fire if she looked too hard
'This is unreal'
Another page no hesitation full smirk
"He smiled at me today and I swear the forge got hotter I will die like this and I am fine with it"
Uma sank onto the bed
Book in her lap
Face red
Stomach cramping from holding in laughter
'She wants that cookie bad'
Uma smirked flipping to another entry Another entry
"His hand brushed mine by accident I forgot how speaking worked and I how self control is important"
Uma flopped onto her back
Held the book above her like it was sacred
'Gods bless you Serosa you walking waterfall'
She kept reading
Snacking on the emotional breakdown of a woman who could kill a man with a spoon but not handle her crush doing pullups
And she hadn't even gotten to the juicy part yet