It's pretty short, but it's still not shorter than the second chapter.

Enjoy!

Wander Over Yonder (c) Craig McCracken

Like Plexia had said, it didn't take much longer than half an hour after exiting the main road before lights could be seen through the forest trees which surrounded the city. Very faint lights, but lights nonetheless.

Wander had fallen asleep on the way. He had tried to stay awake because he didn't want Sylvia to be 'all by her lonesome'. However, it didn't take a lot of convincing on Sylvia's part to tell him that, really, it was quite all right.

Once they reached a clearing, she was met with the sight of a quaint little village. All of the cottages were accompanied by cute little gardens which could only be seen thanks to the illuminating moon. There were still lights on in some of the houses, but by far the most were completely dark.

A little in the distance on the other side of the clearing, Sylvia could barely make out the silhuette of what appeared to be a farm, where, too, all the lights were turned off.

Walking down the path leading to the village, Sylvia was happy to note that the first house was the exact place, she was looking for; that is, if the sign reading 'The Per Family Inn' was anything to go by. Unfortunately, the lights weren't on.

'I just hope they won't get mad that we come barging in at this hour.'

Nearing the front door, Sylvia tentatively knocked, as if she was afraid she'd wake the owners or anyone else sleeping inside. She quickly realised that this approach wouldn't work. Well, duh! The point was to wake them so that she and Wander could get in. Knocking a bit louder with just enough force as to not knock down the door, she soon got the desired effect; lights were turned on inside.

"Who could it be at this darned hour?" a gruff, male voice asked.

"Uh, I dunno. Have you tried the door?" said another voice, this one female and with a kind, albeit sarcastic tone.

The door got unlocked and was opened for Sylvia to receive one of the most terrifying, annoyed glares imaginable.

'Hater should take lessons from this guy.'

"Do you have any idea what time it is!"

"Well, not really," Sylvia said, shrugging. "I mean, I don't have a watch and neither does my friend, so you'd be surpr-"

"That was a rhetorical question!" the man, presumably Mr. Per, took a few breaths to collect himself. Considerably calmed down he resumed talking, "I hope you have a good excuse to come knocking on people's doors in the middle of the night."

"You see, it's complicated, and honestly, you wouldn't be interested in the required backstory. All you need to know is that we need a place to stay, and an acquaintance of ours recommended this place."

The Mr. Per's expression softened and he stepped aside to allow them entrance. As he closed the door behind them, he asked, "An acquaintance? Who?"

"Her name's Plexia."

"PLEXIA?!" the same female voice from before exclaimed out of nowhere. Sylvia almost jumped out of her skin and scales. It didn't make it better that when turning around, she was met with a woman staring her in the face up close.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" the woman, who was standing on her toes to reach Sylvia's height, said. "Please, come in!"

"Um," Sylvia looked back at Mr. Per, asking with her eyes if this was normal behaviour.

He nodded.

"We are already inside."

Mrs. Per lowered herself down to stand on the soles of her feet, and said rather sheepishly, "So you are! How silly of me! So, how do you know Plexia?"

"Listen, it's late and we're tir-"

"Oh, it is late, isn't it? You must be exhausted! Come with me, come with me. I'll show you your room!" Mrs. Per grabbed Sylvia's hand and hurried up the stairs, dragging her with her.

The man sighed and followed after them at a slower pace.

At the top of the stairs were hallways which led in both directions. Mrs. Per dragged Sylvia to the right and stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. "This is where you'll be sleeping!" she said as she opened the door. The inside was simple - a window, a closet and, most importantly, a bed. A double bed at that.

"So, this is for the two of us?" Sylvia asked.

"Oh yes. Do you want to sleep separately?"

Sylvia had to think for a second. She and Wander had travelled together for a long time and had therefore slept together for a long time, too. Heck, he slept on top of her. Somehow, though, the thought of sharing a double bed with him, something which seemed so utterly intimate, made her just a bit uncomfortable. On the other hand, she'd need to be there when Wander woke up. Besides, it wasn't as if Wander would mind.

"No. I was just wondering since a lot of inns and hostels are against having unmarried people of opposite gender share a room."

Mrs. Per chuckled, "Don't be silly! If we can have two boys together in one room and two girls together in another room, you best be sure we can have a boy and a girl together in an entirely different room! We try not to judge."

"Well, that wasn't quite what I-"

"Are the two of you done wasting precious night time? I'd like to get some snoozing done," Mr. Per said as he came up to them.

"Don't mind him," his wife whispered to Sylvia. "He just gets cranky when he's tired."

He patted her on the shoulder. "It's not my fault I barely get any sleep with you snoring as much as you do."

"I do no-"

"Now," he said as he turned to Sylvia. "Do you want to be woken up, and if so, when?"

"Actually, I'd like to sleep in. Besides," she said with a crooked smile and pointing at Wander on her back. "I've got my own personal alarm clock."

The couple laughed at her little remark and after informing her of the whereabouts of the bathroom, they bid her goodnight. Sylvia entered hers and Wander's room, finding the air rather stuffy, and opened the window. She carefully laid Wander down on the bed, making sure that he was lying comfortably. Afterwards, she lay down herself. She was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.