As she did every evening, Aoife finished her dive and made the swim back to the cove, her gathered treasures stowed safely at her side. Pulling herself up out of the gentle surf, she shook her head to clear her ears and stole a moment to rest her tired muscles. The soft patter of droplets, the soft kisses of the wavelets, and the lingering warmth of the sun beneath the sand all grounded her.

Digging into the pouch at her hip, she searched for a moment before deft hands withdrew a small, glimmering sphere. The single pearl sat in the palm of her hand and glinted with the last rays of sunlight before she closed the pads of her hands carefully around it again. It was small, and the noble market would spurn it for its tiny imperfections, but she knew that there was at least one soul who would cherish it. Eagerness washing away the ache of the day, she rolled to her feet and bounded across the sand towards where she knew Ilse would be waiting for her.

As she always was, as she would always be.