shaking off the nonsensical thoughts.
“Yes, yes, quite,” stated the man, showing them to the door. His face and eyes now held a unique light within them that had been lacking before. He smiled as he pushed them out the door, and Ty thought he saw the other winked at him.
The two lingered outside the door, feeling curiously spent, even with all they had endured thus far. All thoughts left them, and they methodically paced on to the inn that had been pointed out to them. It was only as they reached the inn, that they realized they were missing several things. Backtracking, they found the basket and the bag placed outside the door now just off the step, perhaps exactly where they had left them.
The barkeep and the innkeep greeted them graciously. A slow night was at hand, and they hoped the two would drink and eat plenty. The warmth faded when they only requested a room and two bowls of something warm to go with it. They were shown to a single room with a single bed. Although confronted with a new dilemma, they were too exhausted to argue. Sleep found them very soon.
Shilastar woke first to the bright light streaming in through an unsheltered window. She yawned, wiping the sleep from her eyes and groping about on the bed. She suddenly stopped and froze, her eyes wide and head erect, shuffling into the furthest corner of the bed she could find. Covering her mouth with one hand, she looked down at herself, finding she wore nothing more than a cover shirt. Ty was sprawled out across the bed in his underwear.
She immediately jumped out of bed and ran across the room, coming to a halt just before she entered the adjacent hall. She walked back nonchalantly, moving to the purifier in the corner, checking to see if Ty was still asleep before she removed the shirt and entered its confines. Dirt and sweat were soothed away. She stepped out, hurriedly donning her clothes, again watching to see if Ty stirred.
Finally, she moved to an oversized chair in the corner away from the window. She sat down, stretched back, and closed her eyes, leaning her head up against the fabric of the chair. It wasn’t as if she was tired or needed to rest, but slumber found her again in a few minutes. She awoke some hours later curled up on the seat of the cushioned chair. Chasing away the images of her dreams was a difficult task.
Ty sleepily watched her as she opened her eyes slowly and began to uncurl. He felt guilty for the way he was stretched out on the bed, bringing the covers around himself quickly. “All right, all right,” he grumbled, sitting up. “I’ll help you, but only until we find him, or for as long as it doesn’t interfere with my plans.”
“You will?” exclaimed Shilastar leaping out of the chair.
“Yes, I will, but don’t get so excited about it. It’s just only then...” retorted Ty, trying to maintain a sense of separation.
“Really?” asked Shilastar in disbelief.
“Don’t push it...” spoke Ty seeming angry. In truth, however, he was somewhat intrigued and wondered where all this lead.
Shilastar hid a cunning smile. She had him, or so she hoped. “So you know what we must do next?”
“I think so, well, I’m almost sure. Let’s eat first. I’m starved. What’s that smell?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Shilastar, now noticing the aroma.
Ty moved to step out of bed, but realizing he was only half dressed, he slid back in. Shilastar looked away, she had seen enough before. Ty eyed her twice before he stood and dressed. For his own good, she urged him toward the cleanser, leaving the room under the guise of finding the source of the aroma.
She stepped back in the room a few moments later, realizing that the odor issued from their room and not from the hall. She was inspecting the basket when Ty stepped out of the cubical. Quickly jumping back in, he
“Yes, yes, quite,” stated the man, showing them to the door. His face and eyes now held a unique light within them that had been lacking before. He smiled as he pushed them out the door, and Ty thought he saw the other winked at him.
The two lingered outside the door, feeling curiously spent, even with all they had endured thus far. All thoughts left them, and they methodically paced on to the inn that had been pointed out to them. It was only as they reached the inn, that they realized they were missing several things. Backtracking, they found the basket and the bag placed outside the door now just off the step, perhaps exactly where they had left them.
The barkeep and the innkeep greeted them graciously. A slow night was at hand, and they hoped the two would drink and eat plenty. The warmth faded when they only requested a room and two bowls of something warm to go with it. They were shown to a single room with a single bed. Although confronted with a new dilemma, they were too exhausted to argue. Sleep found them very soon.
Shilastar woke first to the bright light streaming in through an unsheltered window. She yawned, wiping the sleep from her eyes and groping about on the bed. She suddenly stopped and froze, her eyes wide and head erect, shuffling into the furthest corner of the bed she could find. Covering her mouth with one hand, she looked down at herself, finding she wore nothing more than a cover shirt. Ty was sprawled out across the bed in his underwear.
She immediately jumped out of bed and ran across the room, coming to a halt just before she entered the adjacent hall. She walked back nonchalantly, moving to the purifier in the corner, checking to see if Ty was still asleep before she removed the shirt and entered its confines. Dirt and sweat were soothed away. She stepped out, hurriedly donning her clothes, again watching to see if Ty stirred.
Finally, she moved to an oversized chair in the corner away from the window. She sat down, stretched back, and closed her eyes, leaning her head up against the fabric of the chair. It wasn’t as if she was tired or needed to rest, but slumber found her again in a few minutes. She awoke some hours later curled up on the seat of the cushioned chair. Chasing away the images of her dreams was a difficult task.
Ty sleepily watched her as she opened her eyes slowly and began to uncurl. He felt guilty for the way he was stretched out on the bed, bringing the covers around himself quickly. “All right, all right,” he grumbled, sitting up. “I’ll help you, but only until we find him, or for as long as it doesn’t interfere with my plans.”
“You will?” exclaimed Shilastar leaping out of the chair.
“Yes, I will, but don’t get so excited about it. It’s just only then...” retorted Ty, trying to maintain a sense of separation.
“Really?” asked Shilastar in disbelief.
“Don’t push it...” spoke Ty seeming angry. In truth, however, he was somewhat intrigued and wondered where all this lead.
Shilastar hid a cunning smile. She had him, or so she hoped. “So you know what we must do next?”
“I think so, well, I’m almost sure. Let’s eat first. I’m starved. What’s that smell?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Shilastar, now noticing the aroma.
Ty moved to step out of bed, but realizing he was only half dressed, he slid back in. Shilastar looked away, she had seen enough before. Ty eyed her twice before he stood and dressed. For his own good, she urged him toward the cleanser, leaving the room under the guise of finding the source of the aroma.
She stepped back in the room a few moments later, realizing that the odor issued from their room and not from the hall. She was inspecting the basket when Ty stepped out of the cubical. Quickly jumping back in, he
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