of Dareena. She spoke and he rose to his feet again. More words went back and forth, the innkeeper smiling the entire time. Dareena turned to me, smiled, then lowered herself to her knees in front of me, reaching for one of my boots. She tugged at my foot.
I gave her the foot, and she began pulling my boot off. I almost fell over, but one of the sailors stepped up and steadied me. Dareena pulled off the boot and I put my foot down on the cobblestones of the street. I gave her the other foot, and she removed that boot. She set both boots on the ground, then stood up and looked at me pointedly, then down at her feet.
I knelt down in front of her and helped her remove her boots, then picked up both pairs of boots before standing up. One of the sailors stepped forward and took both pairs from me, and Dareena took my hand again, pulling me into the inn. We left wet footprints behind.
The innkeeper led the way and we proceeded up the stairs and to a lavish room at the back of the inn. The two sailors carried my chest behind us and set it down in the room before departing. I didn't see what became of the rest.
Dareena and the innkeeper spoke some more then he departed, leaving Dareena and I in the room together. She dropped my hand but stepped close to me so she could speak quietly in my ear.
"We'll have baths shortly. Are you all right?"
I nodded. "Water."
"It's coming. A meal after the baths."
"What will we wear?"
"Your chest is here."
"I think all that is there is my dress. I can't travel in that. And it is distinctly of Norinian design. "
"Your original tunic and breeches are there, too."
"What about you?"
"The innkeeper promised something, and Nuron promised more for both of us."
"Nuron is the old man?"
"Not so old, but yes. He is the port master here. He will check to see whether the Kilda More is sailing south soon. That's the merchant ship we saw. Otherwise he'll arrange horses or a coach. Ship would be faster."
"Will the sailors tell everyone who I am?"
"No," she said. "Everyone on the Ysura Martani was hand-picked, and they all know I need to get you to Rendarin."
"They were kind at the end," I said.
"They also know you saved my life when you didn't have to, and that you built the boat when you didn't have to."
"The could feel I did it to save my own life."
"They know you believe you are going to your own execution. They are impressed with devotion to duty. They aren't going to watch you torn apart by a mob when you could be torn apart when drawn and quartered instead."
I pulled away from her.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, chasing after me. "That was in poor taste."
"I can make jokes about it, but it's extremely cruel for you to do so."
"I know," she said. "I'm sorry."
"We are not friends. I am your prisoner, nothing more." I pulled away from her again and went to the chest, kneeling down in front of it. I opened it and was surprised that everything still looked clean and dry. I withdrew tunic, breeches, and under clothing , then closed the lid again. Then I examined the room.
There was one large, ornate bed, with a beautiful blue bedspread. At the other end of the room was a sitting arrangement with a sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table between them. The sofa looked comfortable. The chairs did not. Along one wall was a wash stand with a bowl and a pitcher, but when I looked into them, they were empty. There was a dresser and a door that led to a closet. I looked out the windows into an attractive courtyard in the back of the inn. It looked like it was set up for a few couples to have a meal and others to go for a stroll.
"This is an expensive inn," I said.
Dareena hushed me and walked over. "Someone is going to hear you. The maid is going to be along any moment."
"Sorry," I said quietly. "I won't make another mistake like that. What story are you giving about me?"
"We have a wager going that requires you to remain silent to win. You are allowed to talk only to me and only when no one else
I gave her the foot, and she began pulling my boot off. I almost fell over, but one of the sailors stepped up and steadied me. Dareena pulled off the boot and I put my foot down on the cobblestones of the street. I gave her the other foot, and she removed that boot. She set both boots on the ground, then stood up and looked at me pointedly, then down at her feet.
I knelt down in front of her and helped her remove her boots, then picked up both pairs of boots before standing up. One of the sailors stepped forward and took both pairs from me, and Dareena took my hand again, pulling me into the inn. We left wet footprints behind.
The innkeeper led the way and we proceeded up the stairs and to a lavish room at the back of the inn. The two sailors carried my chest behind us and set it down in the room before departing. I didn't see what became of the rest.
Dareena and the innkeeper spoke some more then he departed, leaving Dareena and I in the room together. She dropped my hand but stepped close to me so she could speak quietly in my ear.
"We'll have baths shortly. Are you all right?"
I nodded. "Water."
"It's coming. A meal after the baths."
"What will we wear?"
"Your chest is here."
"I think all that is there is my dress. I can't travel in that. And it is distinctly of Norinian design. "
"Your original tunic and breeches are there, too."
"What about you?"
"The innkeeper promised something, and Nuron promised more for both of us."
"Nuron is the old man?"
"Not so old, but yes. He is the port master here. He will check to see whether the Kilda More is sailing south soon. That's the merchant ship we saw. Otherwise he'll arrange horses or a coach. Ship would be faster."
"Will the sailors tell everyone who I am?"
"No," she said. "Everyone on the Ysura Martani was hand-picked, and they all know I need to get you to Rendarin."
"They were kind at the end," I said.
"They also know you saved my life when you didn't have to, and that you built the boat when you didn't have to."
"The could feel I did it to save my own life."
"They know you believe you are going to your own execution. They are impressed with devotion to duty. They aren't going to watch you torn apart by a mob when you could be torn apart when drawn and quartered instead."
I pulled away from her.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, chasing after me. "That was in poor taste."
"I can make jokes about it, but it's extremely cruel for you to do so."
"I know," she said. "I'm sorry."
"We are not friends. I am your prisoner, nothing more." I pulled away from her again and went to the chest, kneeling down in front of it. I opened it and was surprised that everything still looked clean and dry. I withdrew tunic, breeches, and under clothing , then closed the lid again. Then I examined the room.
There was one large, ornate bed, with a beautiful blue bedspread. At the other end of the room was a sitting arrangement with a sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table between them. The sofa looked comfortable. The chairs did not. Along one wall was a wash stand with a bowl and a pitcher, but when I looked into them, they were empty. There was a dresser and a door that led to a closet. I looked out the windows into an attractive courtyard in the back of the inn. It looked like it was set up for a few couples to have a meal and others to go for a stroll.
"This is an expensive inn," I said.
Dareena hushed me and walked over. "Someone is going to hear you. The maid is going to be along any moment."
"Sorry," I said quietly. "I won't make another mistake like that. What story are you giving about me?"
"We have a wager going that requires you to remain silent to win. You are allowed to talk only to me and only when no one else
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