When A Life Is Lost (NaNoWriMo 2013)

Chapter 13

 Chapter 13

They spent the rest of the day around Alykana’s cart, helping out when she needed it – which wasn’t very often. Fresh flowers sold well, especially Alykana’s flowers. They were always the freshest and most beautiful, even if they had been cut before. As Alykana was half faerie (as she had cheerfully informed a stunned Ania), her plants always flourished, as good gardening was part of her nature.

Needless to say, the flowers almost sold out. There were barely any competitors with the fresh flowers, as Alykana almost never sold out, so people always went there.

Ania almost felt herself smiling at times – Alykana had the habit of giving flowers to the small pauper children that always watched her cart. She seemed to know which children wanted a flower, and what kind they loved. She knew the children which would take a bunch home for their siblings, and the ones who would treasure them the most. She even knew the troublemakers – the ones who came back for more and act as though they’d never had one before. Some she even greeted by name.

Malus chatted to various people and went to various stalls, but he never kept out of sight from Ania. Even when he was talking to someone, she could feel his eyes on the back of her head, watching her.

He’s ridiculously overprotective.

By the time they had all finished, it was very dark outside.

“We can’t go back now,” Alykana explained, “Telkus needs some rest, and it’s dark. It’ll be safer to stay at the inn tonight and travel tomorrow.”

They all agreed – Malus very enthusiastically – and made their way over to the inn. Alykana gave the cart and Telkus over to the stable hand and they all walked to the reception.

There was a middle-aged man at the desk, who looked exhausted. He did not smile when they approached, just sighed and sat up from his slump on the desk.

“Yes?” he said, in a bored, monotone voice.

“Can we book a room please?” Alykana asked the man, looking over to Malus for confirmation. He nodded.

“There are only two beds in a room,” the man told her, “You will not be able to fit three people in.”

“Okay, two rooms please,” Alykana smiled, but was interrupted from continuing.

“We’ll manage with one.” Malus stated, giving the man a sarcastic grin, causing Ania to punch his arm.

“You’re being rude.” She muttered to him, giving him a glare of his own – shutting him up.

“Just the one room then, please.” Alykana repeated, apologising mutely to the man for her friend’s behaviour.

The man nodded and gave her three keys, before telling her that he would call someone to bring their bags (although only Alykana had one).

“Eoius!” he called, repeating the bag handler’s name when he did not reply immediately, “Eoius!”

“I’m coming!” a voice came from the other room.

Soon after, a young man came rushing into the room. He was around her age and hid his face when he first arrived. As he looked up, Ania realised that it was the man that she had bumped into in the market.

They followed Eoius – as that was the man’s name – upstairs to their room. When they got to the door, Malus thanked Eoius – although begrudgingly – and took Alykana’s bag from him, unlocking the door with the other hand.

The room was simple. Wardrobe, chest of drawers, television and two single beds, one on either side of the room. Further inspection of the extra door revealed it to be a bathroom.

They looked around, dazed for a moment. Ania was the first one to snap out of it.

“You fool!” she said, whacking Malus on the arm with her palm, “Where are you going to sleep?”

She looked around angrily, as if searching for a place where he could sleep.

As if a bed would appear out of thin air!

“Why didn’t you let us get two rooms?” she snapped, hitting Malus once again when she saw that there was nowhere for him to sleep – other than the floor, “You could have gotten a bed!”

Malus just smiled, chuckling after a moment.

“I didn’t know you cared Ania,” he said with a smirk, “Anyway, I couldn’t let you sleep in a room on your own. It’s better for us all to be in the same place, in case we need to leave quickly.”

Ania grew even angrier, stuttering as she struggled to think of a response. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alykana standing there with an awkward smile, before she tiptoed into the bathroom.

They continued to argue for a while longer before Ania finally snapped.

“I’m going to get a drink.” She told Malus angrily, marching towards the door.

“I’m coming with you,” Malus told her in return, grabbing a set of keys from the table where they had put them.

“No,” she retorted, grabbing the keys from his hands, “You’re not.”

And with an angry slam of the door, she was gone.