Kai's Memories

A present. The thought occurred to her suddenly as Alistair returned from his trip to the shops. She'd made him a cake, but that wasn't exactly a real present. She should give him something.

She paused a moment to rifle through her bag of gemstones. Their pretty facets peered back at her, glimmering as they caught the sunlight. Each held a memory. And that was what made them beautiful to her, not how they looked, but the happy moments they reminded her of. But she could afford to give one away.

"Here." She plucked a pretty red one out from the pile and held it out to Alistair. From the abandoned wizard's tower where they'd all found so many beautiful things. She'd always have her dagger from there. "It's a present."

He took it, examining it. "I'm surprised you're giving this away."

"I can share with you."

He smirks, holding up the gem to the light. "I could get quite a bit of gold for this..."

Her eyes widen and she reaches out for it, but he's too tall. "N-no... Give it back..."

He laughs. "I'm just kidding." Looking over her a moment, he considers. "You don't know when your birthday is, do you?"

She shakes her head. There'd never been a birthday for her, even if she could have tracked the days. No one to celebrate it with anyway.

Pulling something out of his bag, he pressed it into her hand. "Why not today?"

Looking down at the two rings, one a pretty gold with a gleaming ruby to replace the one she's lost, she smiles.

Having a day to call a birthday, even one she shared... It felt like belonging. She couldn't remember when or where she'd been born. But it didn't matter. Her place was here.