Night

Author: Seth

"I can think of worse fates than travelling the world with my family." 


"I'd still sleep a lot more soundly if you just dyed your hair black or something."

This exasperated pseudo-request tumbled from the hood of a fairly non-descript, if travel worn, poncho; one of three that were traveling along the muddy road that cut through the middle of the village. The wearer of an almost identical poncho, though smaller than the other two by a good margin, on the right of the group hunched defensively.

"No, no, and for the third time no! I am not dying my hair, period!" Aurora retorted heatedly. "Besides, Inferno isn't hiding his marks, and they're just as distinctive as my hair."

"Yes, but Inferno isn't the one who will get mauled at the slightest hint of blue hair or green eyes," Blitz, who had originally brought up the subject, sighed.

Honestly, ask Aurora to do just about anything else and she'd come through spectacularly, but the moment her hair was brought up she acted as if someone had woken her at 3 in the morning and asked her to kill a kitten.

"Besides," the young panthryan continued, "I've got the markings covered this time."

Reaching into one of his pockets Blitz withdrew a flat, circular container and passed it to Inferno.

"…Makeup?" the marksman asked.

Blitz shrugged. "It gets the job done."

"You were saving that for this moment, weren't you?" Aurora fumed as she reached up to give the amnesiac a whack upside the head.

"Maybe~" Blitz sang as he playfully took the hit. "We can argue about this later though, we're here." The blue-eyed boy said as he raised the hood of his poncho, peering out at the inn they had chosen to stay at some hours earlier.

Lowering his hood again, Blitz turned to Aurora and quietly held out his palm. The wandering roujin retrieved a pouch from her hip, counting out a few pieces of silver and gold from the small bag before handing them to the blonde panthryan. Smiling a silent thanks, Blitz entered the tavern alone.

Trudging through fugue of smoke and alcohol fumes, Blitz made his way towards the bar and plopped down on one of the numerous stools littered about. It only took a few minutes before the barman came up to him, polishing a glass.

"What's yours?" the middle aged man asked, putting his glass and rag to the side and returning a stray hair, one of his last, to its proper place.

"A room for the night if you've got one." Blitz smiled easily, leaning on the counter.

"So happens I do." The balding proprietor replied, reaching into the pocket of his apron and withdrew a key attached to a wooden tag which bore the number 2 on it. "Four gold and it's yours for the night."

"I should be getting it for a month at that price." Blitz laughed. "I'll give you five pieces of silver and I'll be out by six tomorrow."

"Just checkin', just checkin'," the barman said placatingly. "Can't have some little lamb coming in here and leaving an arm or two shorter the next day cuz he don't know better, s'bad for business. Two gold and I don't come barging into your room at the crack of dawn tomorrow."

"You're a regular good samaritan aren't you?" Blitz grinned wryly. "I'll give you one gold, and I'm sure I could get the night, and dinner for that over at 'The Blustering Batbit.'" He said, placing a fat yellow coin on the counter.

"You drive a hard bargain kid." The aging man laughed robustly, quickly sweeping the golden coin into one of his apron pockets. "Though if you're feelin' generous, I can guarantee that you're the only one staying here tonight." The barman added with a sly smile and a nod towards the pub door.

Blitz turned towards the door only to see both Inferno and Aurora sidling through it. He'd taken too long.

"No clue what you're talking about my good man," Blitz laughed with a false confidence as he spun back towards the barman who was rooting for something under the counter.

The middle aged innkeeper looked up, eying first Inferno's, Aurora's, and finally Blitz's identical ponchos. Transferring his gaze back to the young panthryan's face the older man simply raised an eyebrow.

"We got a good deal on them." Blitz admitted ruefully as he tossed a silver coin across the counter.

The barkeep smiled at the coin, amused before looking back at Blitz and surreptitiously drawing two fingers across his right cheek.

Another silver piece joined the first.

Apparently not done, the aging proprietor tugged a lock of his thinning hair and tapped the corner of one of his eyes.

"Whoever told me that your eyesight's one of the first to go was obviously a liar." Blitz muttered exasperatedly as he spun one more silver coin across the lacquered surface of the bar counter.

"Pays for someone in my profession to be observant." The barman grinned mock-conspiratorially.

"So I see," Blitz admitted grudgingly as he watched the silver disappear into the man's hand, "So, about that room…" the blue-eyed mercenary stretched out his hand expectantly.

"Hold your forsches kid, patience will get you everywhere." The innkeeper admonished sagely.

"Yeah, including the grave." Blitz joked before a hefty tarp landed on his outstretched palm, followed shortly by the room key.

"Let's just say I'm also feeling a little generous tonight." The barkeep responded to Blitz's enquiring gaze, nodding further down along the counter to where a spirited drinking contest was taking place.

Watching the boisterous congregation, Blitz quickly picked out five particular participants that had outstripped the rest with a certain relish. Wincing sympathetically, the wandering panthryan hefted the tarp and key, jokingly doffed an imaginary cap to the barman and moved off to meet his companions.

"You guys cost us an extra three silvers." Blitz grumbled good naturedly as he handed the tarp to Inferno

"Says the guy who promised to get us a room in under five minutes." Aurora needled her friend, not unkindly as she quirked an eyebrow at the bundle of waterproof fabric in Inferno's arms.

Noticing Aurora's gaze, Blitz jerked his head toward the bar. Following his motion, both Inferno and Aurora copied his earlier wince almost verbatim as a look of understanding dawned on their faces.

---

"Not bad…" Aurora commented as they walked into their room, the space lit by a small flame dancing along Inferno's fingertips. The room wasn't all that large, but it wasn't cramped either. There were only two beds, but that was a problem easily solved as they picked one up and moved it up against the other to create a comfortably large sleeping surface.

Unfolding the tarp revealed little metal hoops sewn along its edge which corresponded with several hooks that ran along the walls. A quick investigation of the room revealed four poles stashed behind the dresser.

Apparently the old man had been at this for quite a while.

Placing one of the poles into a custom indentation in the middle of the room, the three mercenaries quickly erected a waterproof covering over their corner of the room.

Quickly placing all their gear under the protected quarter of their room, the trio clambered onto the bed. Inferno lay in the centre, and the other two took up positions on either side of him, forgoing blankets for the abundance of heat the outcast's body produced.

Blitz let out a relaxed sigh as Inferno let the tiny flame die, and the room plunged into darkness.

"So, about that hair dye…"

A sphere of water splashed against his face, and he laughed before settling down for the night.