The smell of something warm and toasty drifted through the air, nudging you from sleep before the sunlight even had a chance. Your eyes cracked open slowly, greeted by the soft golden glow spilling in through your bedroom window. For a few seconds, you let yourself stay nestled beneath the blanket, not quite ready to face what today was.

Your first day… at the forge.

You let out a sigh and stared up at the wooden ceiling, ears twitching at the faint clinks of pottery in the kitchen. The sounds of breakfast being made.

Rain Shine must already be up.

Dragging yourself from the bed took more effort than it should’ve. You ran a brush through your messy mane and washed your face, trying to ignore the pit in your stomach. You’d faced scary things before, severe memory loss, magical fire, even Emberforge’s shouting, but this felt different. This was going to be every day now.

And Emberforge… wasn’t exactly friendly.

When you finally padded into the kitchen, Rain Shine was already setting out two small plates. She looked up with a warm smile.

“Good morning, my little kirin. Slept well?”

You gave her a tired nod, easing yourself onto the floor pillow across from her. “Yeah. Sort of.”

She passed you a small plate of honeyed bread and a bowl of stewed fruit. “Eat up. You’ll need your strength.”

You nibbled quietly for a few moments, your thoughts swirling too fast to hold down. Rain Shine, of course, noticed.

“You’re quiet,” she said gently, pouring you some tea. “Is it the forge?”

You hesitated, ears folding back. “...Yeah.”

Rain Shine didn’t respond right away. Instead, she scooted closer and gently touched your hoof with hers. “It’s alright to feel nervous, Anon. Emberforge is… a difficult kirin, even on his best days. But you’re not alone in this.”

“I just…” You stared down at your tea. “I don’t want to mess up. Or make him hate me even more.”

Rain Shine chuckled softly. “If Emberforge didn’t grumble about something, I’d think he was ill.”

You smiled faintly, the tension in your chest easing just a little.

Just then, a knock tapped at the front door.

Rain Shine rose gracefully. “That’ll be Autumn.”

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Autumn Blaze peeked into the kitchen with a bright smile on her face. “Rise and shine, blacksmith-in-training!”

You blinked. “You’re walking me to the forge?”

“Of course!” she beamed, bouncing slightly. “I wanted to see if you survived your last night of freedom.”

Rain Shine hid a smirk behind her tea. “Don’t let him scare you too much, Anon.”

You stood, slipping the small lunch Rain Shine had packed for you onto your back. Your hooves felt a little heavier than usual, but… with Autumn here, and Rain Shine’s gentle smile behind you, you felt just a little more steady.

“All right,” you muttered. “Let’s get this over with.”