It Takes a Wolf

Chapter 24: Consequence of Youth

Light peered in through a window as the bright warmth of the late sun tried to creep its way into tightly crammed lids. Tomlen shifted and moaned under the blankets, slowly opening his eyes to see an unfamiliar room. He lurched forward alarmed when he gasped, holding his head as it throbbed mercilessly. He groaned, attempting to peek through his eyelids and study his whereabouts. Able to force them open, he saw the room stood tall like a tower but small and confined. He was sitting on a red pillowed bench that wrapped around most of the room like a bay window. The bench was lined with blue cylinder pillows decorated with gold brocade. He looked up at the large windows, there were seven, standing from floor to ceiling, letting in way to much light. He would consider it warm and inviting on any other day, however, at this moment it was causing him extreme discomfort.

He pushed the blanket away from him and sat up placing his feet on the floor. Right as he was about to attempt to stand Sera entered, tiptoeing through the door with a tray. She placed it down quietly and turned around to see him sitting up. "AH! Maker shits! You scared the piss outta me!"

He squeezed his eyes shut, shoving his hands over his ears. "Could you please keep it down?" He moaned.

"Oh, yea, sorry little tit. Here take this." She grabbed a cup from the tray and handed it to him. It felt warm in his hands as the steam rose, filling his nose with the herbal aroma of tea, but it had a peculiar smell to it, something he couldn't quite place. He looked to her cautiously. "Don't worry little tit, it will help with your head, so drink up." He was seriously dehydrated, he wanted something he could drink quickly, but he didn't want to be rude.

He took a sip, immediately making a sour face. "What in Andraste's saving grace is this?"

"Don't be such a puss! Shut up and drink it down, I have some water her for when you're done." She snipped, placing her hands on her hips.

He quickly gulped it down, trying not to choke on the horrid concoction. Once finished, he handed the cup back to her. "Good job little tit, See? It's not so bad, give it a few minutes and your headache will disappear, I swear it!" She said, handing him a tall glass of water.

"Thank you." He took the water, chugging it down as if his life depended on it. "AH! That hit the spot." He smiled, handing her the empty glass.

"Yeah, you'd know about hitting the right spot 'ey?" She chortled.

Tomlen looked at her curiously, hitting the right spot? What is she talking about? He thought to himself quietly when suddenly a horrid possibility hit him like a blow to the stomach. He became nauseous, his heart began beating rapidly in his chest. How could I be so stupid! He frantically ran his fingers through his hair. "Are you alright little tit?" Sera asked worriedly.

"Miss Sera, I am so sorry for anything I may have done to you last night. Just know that I will take full responsibility if anything were to...form...from my foolish predisposition. I am a weak stupid man and you deserve better." He bowed deeply. Sera stared at him, her eyes were so big he felt if he hugged her they might pop right out of her head. "Miss Sera?"

After the longest pause of silence he'd ever experienced she suddenly burst into a roaring laughter. She hunched over, grabbing her stomach, laughing so hard she fell over on her side hitting the floor with a thud. Her face was redder than a cherry as tears leaked in constant streams down her cheeks. He was afraid she'd pass out if she didn't start taking adequate breaths. As time stretched she finally began to breathe deeply and got back up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You really are a daft little tit, aren't you?" He stared back at her, tilting his head. "Nothing happened between us idiot! Not that you're not a nice boy, but that's the problem isn't it, so nothing would ever, ever happen between us!" He continued to stare vacantly as she tried to explain. "Listen, I must've forgot to tell you, but something we both have in common is our love of peaches!"