Chapter 25: "Inn"

Theodore was in a sour mood the whole ride. Karina could feel the tension building between them, but she didn’t know what to say to ease it.

They ate on horseback and she helped Theodore down a few times to go to the bathroom, but otherwise, the ride was silent. She did her best to enjoy the scenery, but by the end of the day, her stomach churned with worry. Their pace was slower than she expected and by dinnertime, they were still a good six hours away.

“I don’t think we’ll make it by tonight,” Karina said.

Theodore grumbled something. His mood was even darker than before.

“I think maybe we should stop for the night.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“There’s a small town with a stable and an inn about twenty minutes from here. There’s a doctor in town. He should have a look at your leg.”

Theodore grumbled an affirmative. Karina steered Zag in that direction. She would have to be careful in the town. She was carting a lot of gold and would be in huge trouble if she lost any of it. She preferred Theodore's bad mood to her Mother’s wrath.

When they reached the inn, Karina helped Theodore off the horse and handed him ten gold.

His eyes went a little wide at the amount. “What’s this for?”

“Get us two rooms, dinner, and two stalls. I’ll take care of the horses and see you in the morning.”

“Ten gold seems like a lot. Are you just carrying this gold around like that?”

Karina avoided his gaze. “Just tell them you are traveling with Ky Lam, they’ll take good care of you.”

“With this amount of gold, they should,” he called after her as she left him.

She led the horses to the stable. She took a long time grooming them and preparing their food.

“Hey, Ky!” A friendly voice popped up at the door to Cherry’s stall.

“Hey, Graysen,” Kaina said the young groom.

“Go on any adventures lately?”

“Just a few,” she said. “Did you see my friend?” “

“The one with the broken leg?”

“Yeah, he just broke it on my last adventure.”

“Whoa, really? Can I go with you next time?”

“Do you want to break your leg, too?”

“Maybe! I’d do anything to go with you.”

Karina laughed. “How about just not break your leg. Besides, who would watch the horses if you left? Your mother can’t tend the inn and the stables all by herself.”

Graysen looked down. “You sound just like her.”

“That’s because your mother is smart, just like me.”

Grayson gave her a funny look then shrugged.

“Your friend seems cranky.”

“He is. He’s had a pretty bad couple of days. I hope some food and a good night’s sleep will make him feel better. Do you think you can get the doctor over here first thing in the morning?”

Grayson bobbed his head.

Karina finished grooming and gave Cherry one final pat. “Take good care of her.” She flipped him a silver coin.

“I will.”

Karina left Grayson in the stables and walked to the Inn.

“Hello, Ky!” A middle-aged woman with sandy blonde hair greeted when Karina pushed the front door open.

“Good evening, Mrs. Markus. Did you see where my friend went?”

“He’s upstairs in room two.” She handed her a key. “Sorry, I only have one room open. You and your friend will have to share. But you boys should be fine. You’re both so skinny.”

Karina gave a tight-lipped smile. “Maybe if he was in a better mood. I think he’s a little sick of me right now. Do you think I can have my dinner down here? I’ll bring his up when I’m finished.”

Mrs. Markus nodded. “Of course. Just have a seat and I’ll bring it right out.”

Karina sat. Mrs. Marcus returned quickly and set the food in front of her. She left her in peace. Karina ate the delicious dinner of pot roast, potatoes, and broccoli.

Just as she finished, a fresh plate of dinner appeared in front of her with a lid on it. Mrs. Markus gave her a wink and left. Karina left three silver coins on the table and took the plate upstairs. She slowly walked down the hall with her bag over her shoulder and plate in hand. She knocked on the door to room two.

The door unlocked and swung open. “Come in,” Theodore said. His hair was wet and he wore clean clothing.

“I brought your dinner up.” Karina ducked her eyes and entered the room. She set the plate on the table and her bag on the floor.

“How’s your leg?”

“It feels a little better. The bath felt pretty nice.”

“That’s good.” Karina pulled her jacket and boots off then started peeling back the covers on the bed.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

She looked up in surprise. “Going to bed.”

“Without a bath?”

“But I’m tired.”

“And you’re dirty. Go shower,” he ordered.

His tone surprised her. “Umm… Okay.”

Karina hauled her pack over her shoulder and went into the bathroom. The door closed with a click behind her. She took a long time showering, hoping he would go to sleep first. She didn’t want to do anything to upset him more.

When she was finally cleaned and dressed in night clothes, she peeked her head out the door. Theodore lay in the bed, spread out across the blankets. She crept towards the bed and looked down at him. With one hand, she brushed back the messy locks of his hair. Pain etched his face even in his sleep. Before she realized she was doing it, she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. She pulled back quickly. He didn’t move and she released a breath. She had to be more careful. Her feelings for him were going to get the best of her.

She walked to the other side of the bed and crawled in. She curled up at the very edge of the bed then tried to pull the covers over herself but gave up. After a while, she finally fell asleep.

Copyright 2019 Ava Altair

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