Taylor blinked, impressed despite himself.
*That's a really ambitious dream.*
He thought.
"Sorry."
Lennie added, scratching the side of his head like she said too much.
"Sorry, for boring you with all that."
"No, not at all."
He shook his head quickly.
"If anything… that's an amazing dream!"
The tarven light seemed to dim around them. Outside night pressed closer.
"It's getting late now."
She sat in a nearby chair, leaning her elbows on the counter.
"So, you never told me how you got here all by yourself."
Lennie said.
Taylor felt a giant weight press against him.
"Sigh…"
After a short sigh Taylor settled in his sit.
Then he proceeded to tell her everything from the festival to his mother's death.
After a couple of minutes, the room went silent.
"…"
Lennie couldn't utter a word.
The only think she could think about, was how much this kid in front of her has went through.
Before Taylor could even look at her in the eyes.
She beat him to it.
Lennie enveloped him in a tight hug.
It was only form of comfort she could offer at the moment.
"The world… really… is… unfair…"
She said as droplets formed.
Taylor was still at moment.
He wasn't used to this type of warmth.
Only Lalia had acted like this in-front of him.
She wanted to push her away.
But how could he bring himself to.
This stranger he had never met before, had been kind to him, offered him a meal and even protected him.
It took him a while to relies it.
But tears were sliding on his cheeks.
*Why am I crying?*
Maybe it was the lighting of the room, or the pirates from earlier, or maybe, just maybe…
"I-It's… okay… to… cry…"
The women in-front of him truly did care for him.
After a minutes of sobbing the two finally separated.
You can stay with me tonight… or as long as you want... even."
She said.
"Thank you very much."
Taylor said bowing hard—to hard—like he was trying to show gratitude with his whole body.
"There's no need for that."
She said, waving her hand like she was brushing off the gesture.
"We're practically family."
She continued.
"Okay, this tarven is also an inn The Railway Fleece. So you can go upstairs, there'll be a lot of rooms, but you'll see a passageway. Follow it. You'll find the one when you head straight."
She said, pointing toward the idea of comfort more than the directions themselves.
"There's also a bath, so you can help yourself. Anymore questions?"
Taylor leisurely shook his head.
"Good. In the meantime I'll finish up cleaning here."
"So… see yo then."
He added quietly.
"Okay."
She replied.
Taylor ran off climbing the wooden stairs.
The hallway was a bit bigger than he imagined.
Doors lined both sides, each one silent.
***
"Haaa…"
He exhaled.
Steam curled up and left him in a haze of warmth.
Above him the slime was sleeping lazily on the edge of his black hair like it belonged there.
"Finally… a real bath."
A cloud of smoke came out as he spoke.
His eyes drifted shut for a moment.
*Maybe I should own a tarven too.*
He joked in his head.
*If it meant I get food, safety, hot water… than that dream didn't sound half bad.*
And for the first time since everything fell apart, he let himself enjoy the moment—because even monsters needed rest.
"Maybe in another life…"
He quitely chuckled.
*I have to get stronger… and eventually… kill those bastards.*
He slowly raised his hand to cover himself, from the bright candle light.
"But where do I start?"
He asked himself.
*I can't even use magic. All I had was a useless slingshot. The book had said: everyone has potential for mana even if it was small… than that chalice should have glowed even if it was faint. But it didn't glow or anything, maybe it had something to do with the disease the original Taylor had.*
He suddenly recalled the fight with Garin.
The way everything felt new… impossible… like I was standing on the edge of a world he didn't belong in.
Swordmasters and magic.
All of it was unfamiliar to him.
*Maybe those two books could help. I read the second one but not first, I still don't see what was so special about them. It kinda felt like a self insert romance novel. Maybe I'm missing the point of why the old man had sacrificed everything for those books.*
"Haaa…"
He exhaled again, defeated by his own thoughts.
"I should go to bed."
He mumbled to himself.
It was getting late.
Taylor finally got up from the bath and grabbed a white towel.
Hewrapped it around his lower waist.
Then he took another one from the towel rack, and used it to dart the slime.
It was harder than it seemed.
He much preferred to keep it a secret from Lennie.
It would only lead to questions…and explaining.
And he really didn't want to get into that.
***
Then he made his way to the room.
Taylor had already put some clothes on the bed.
He had found them from the lost and found.
They were clean, but slight too big for his size.
Temporary.
That was all they were at the moment.
He slipped them on any way.
Downstairs, Lennie's voice carried up the stairs.
"Taylor are you done?"
"Yeah, I am."
I called back.
"I'm just about to sleep."
"Okay, good."
She answered.
He thought for a moment… there was only one bed.
*Oh well.*
He told himself.
*Visitors sleep on the floor. It's only natural.*
Just as he was about pull the blankets together—
"What are you doing?"
Lennie stood in the doorway, lookin at him with concern like she had caught him in the act.
"Oh. I'm just setting up my bed."
"No, it's fine you can sleep on the bed."
She said without a hint of hesitation.
"Really?"
He blinked.
"Yeah, it fine?"
"But where are you going to sleep?"
She thought for a moment.
Then she answered.
"Then we'll just have to share it."
Taylor froze for a second, nervously swallowing.
"Okay…"
Taylor answered or be it nervous.
He quickly got into to the right side of the bed.
He could feel the moment stretching.
Awkward and quiet—like the room itself was listening.
Taylor decided to break the silence.
"Are you planning on taking a bath Lennie?"
He asked, before immediately regretting.
"Nope."
She replied.
"Already took one this morning."
"Ah… okay."
He lay his head on the cool, yet fluffy pillow.
It had been so long since he had settled in a bed.
For a few minutes, he listened the building outside.
It was silent again, and Taylor preferred it that way.
Because all he wanted to do at the moment was just rest.
Then he heard it.
Soft rustling.
She was getting changed.
He stared at the ceiling, trying not to think about how close she was, how close it all felt… it was his first time in a sleeping with a woman… Aside from his little sister.
*She used to have bad dreams, and she'd sleep on my bed, she'd sleep on my bed. But after moving in with my grandparents she stayed with my parents, I never go to say goodbye to her… I didn't know what to say to her. I miss her so much.*
She was one of the reasons he wanted to go back home.
He thought.
After a few more minutes the room went silent.
*Is she done?*
She immediately put out all the candles one by one—leaving only the dim light from the hall.
Then the bed dipped as she settled.
Softly, almost reluctantly—she slipped under the covers.
"Goodnight, Taylor."
She leaned in, planting a kiss on his forehead.
And then—
Snore.
Her breathing turned steady immediately, like she'd been asleep for hours already.
Taylor lay there in the dark, staring, blinking slowly.
Before saying:
"Goodnight, Lennie."
So… he let himself follow her lead.
With that, he finally drifted off too—promising himself that he'd figure out where to start… and how to get stronger.
***
A/N:
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