When Lawrence awoke, he found his head on something soft... His sight and hearing were still slowly returning, and he thought he heard his name, though he could not tell who it was... He could feel someone shaking him...

"-wrence! Lawrence, wake up!"

"Nnh... H-Holo...?"

"Lawrence, you're okay!"

A head fell onto his chest, and Lawrence instinctively put his arms around the woman holding herself close to him. He gave a low sigh and carefully sat up, the brown-haired head drifting to his lap. He and Holo sat like that for a while before Cole showed up, carrying a bowl of water, which Lawrence promptly took from him and drank. After he was feeling a bit better, he gently pushed Holo off him, the wolf deity's ears twitching in response.

"Holo... Why... Why did you come to look for me?"

"I-I knew you couldn't be dead... Not you... Not after everything we've been through..."

"W-What do you-"

"Miss Holo, do you need water too?"

"N-No, little one... I only need Lawrence now..."

This brought some redness to the merchant's cheeks as he glanced away, rubbing the side of his head. After a few more minutes of awkward discussion, Lawrence convinced them to head back to town, where he may as well have been tackled by a giant group of people, praising his escaping the beast. Lawrence still wasn't quite sure what this "monster" of theirs was, but apparently it doesn't enjoy the taste of merchant. He later found out that Holo had actually bought the scale, to which Lawrence sighed in annoyance

"Holo, what have I told you about spending money that I-"

"That you didn't specifically allow me to use, I know... I just thought that, well, maybe it has importance. Like those bones we heard about in Gerube."

"...Speaking of wolf deitys... Have you still any interest to return to Yoitsu?"

"Of course, but... Not alone. I refuse to be alone anymore."

"What, was my getting thrown in the lake too traumatizing for you?"

Lawrence couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the thought and smile at the woman clinging to his arm. Holo promptly let go and brought her hand up to slap him, when Cole latched onto her arm, stopping her. There was something strange about how they'd been acting lately, but Lawrence couldn't put his finger on it... He simply shrugged and continued on towards the inn they had payed for... Earlier today? Yesterday? Lawrence couldn't tell, and no one had told him... He supposed he'd find out when they got there. In the meantime though, he sent Cole off with a few Trenni silver coins to buy fish in bulk. He had not expected Cole to be returning not only with fish, but with a second cart...

"Cole? What did you..."

"It was only a couple bronze coins per pound of fish. It was enough to rent a cart as well."

"Well, I suppose we weren't-"

Just then, the cart shuddered and snapped, the giant pile of fish hitting the ground.

"-swindled... Can nothing go right for me here? I realize Rhiannone isn't the best place around, but surely it can do better..."

Lawrence's gaze went to the ground with a sigh, and it stayed there until Holo grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside to the inn and up to their room.

"You need sleep. Badly. You're shivering, even."

Lawrence hadn't noticed it before, but indeed he was shivering. Perhaps it was the brisk lake breeze, or maybe because he was still rather wet. Likely both, if he's to be honest. Regardless he stripped himself of his soggy clothes long enough to dry them, before putting his trousers back on and climbing back into the bed to sleep.