After walking for about an hour, Cara and the Mord'Sith came across a small inn. As they drew closer, the sound of talking and laughing became audible. Cara followed Dahlia through the door, the other's close behind her. The noise quickly died out when the people inside saw the four Mord'Sith. Some of them gave Cara a confused glance, clearly wondering what she was doing with these women.
Cara ignored the looks people were giving them and walked up to the innkeeper, who was standing behind the counter. He eyed her warily as she approached. Cara thought that he probably wouldn't be too comfortable around her because of her companions.
"Hi," she greeted him.
"Hello, miss," he returned her greeting.
"We'd like three rooms for the night, if it's not too much trouble," she said, smiling sweetly.
"I only have two vacant rooms," he said, "but I can give you them if that's okay." Her smile seemed to make him a little more comfortable.
"That will be fine," she answered, still smiling.
He went to the wall behind the counter and retrieved the remaining two keys hanging there. When he returned to the counter, he cast the Mord'Sith, who were still standing by the door, another wary glance.
"They're not going to cause any trouble, are they?" he asked, nodding toward Dahlia, Hally, Berdine, and Raina.
"No, they won't," Cara assured him. "I'll make sure of it," she added, winking at him.
He handed Cara the keys, and she handed him some money to pay for the rooms. "Sorry to be so apprehensive," he said. "It's just not often that I get Mord'Sith here."
"It's okay," Cara said, smiling again. "I understand."
"Okay," he said. "Well, dinner and breakfast are included in the price of the rooms," he informed her. "Have a nice night."
"Thank you," she said. "We will."
She gave him another smile before she walked back to Dahlia and the others.
"There are only two empty rooms," she informed them, handing Raina one of the keys. "I'm assuming you and Berdine will want to be alone," she added, smirking at them. "Hally, you can stay with Dahlia and I."
"What makes you think we want to be alone," Berdine said, her hand on her hip, glaring at Cara in mock anger.
"I'm not blind," Cara answered. "I see how you two are around each other." She smirked again, earning a small smile from Hally.
As they sat down at a nearby empty table, Cara wondered at how quickly Hally, Berdine, and Raina had accepted her as one of them, even though she was not a Mord'Sith yet. She was glad that she had become friends with them over such a short time.
The people around them soon resumed their conversations, seeming to forget about the Mord'Sith. Hally and Dahlia discussed the route they should take the next day, while the other three ate in silence. Cara hadn't realized how hungry she was until she smelled the food in front of her. She ate quickly, then found herself very thirsty from the salty food. Raina was obviously thinking the same thing, as she soon got up, announcing that she was going to get drinks for everyone. Cara watched as she paid for the drinks, and somehow managed to carry all five of them back to the table without spilling any.
"Thank you," Cara said as Raina handed her a drink.
She looked into the cup, and saw a clear liquid, which she assumed was water. She took a big gulp, and quickly realized that it was most definitely not water. She coughed as the liquid burned her throat. Hally and Berdine smiled, while Raina giggled. Dahlia looked slightly concerned.
"Cara, are you okay?" she asked, while the others continued to smile.
Cara nodded, still coughing.
"You've never had alcohol before, have you?" Hally asked.
Cara shook her head.
"Well, there's a first time for everything," Berdine said. "Here have another drink." She pushed the cup toward Cara, grinning.
When Cara stopped coughing, she picked up the cup again and took a smaller drink. The taste was actually quite pleasant, and the burning didn't seem quite as bad as before. As she drank more, she started to become accustomed to the burn, and eventually began to enjoy it. She had barely finished the first drink when Raina brought her another. This one was different then the first one. It had a citrus-like flavour, and didn't burn quite as much. The sweet taste allowed Cara to finish it much faster than the first, and no sooner was it gone than Berdine brought her yet another drink, different from either of the previous ones. It went on like this for quite a while. Whenever anyone finished a drink, either Berdine or Raina would bring them another.
After a few more drinks, Cara began to feel a bit lightheaded. Lightheaded turned to dizzy, and soon she was giggling uncontrollably with Hally, who didn't seem able to sit without falling off the bench.
Raina and Berdine soon forgot about bringing everyone drinks, and instead began dancing to the music that a few musicians in the corner were providing. They soon had many of the other people in the inn dancing as well. After a short time Hally stood up, pulling Cara up with her, and the two began to dance. Cara looked around for Dahlia, but didn't see her anywhere, so she continued dancing with Hally.
It wasn't long before Cara had an idea. In her current state, it seemed like a very good idea. She gave Hally a smirk, then climbed up onto the table. She turned around and held out her hand to Hally, who quickly joined her up on the table. She smiled seductively at the Mord'Sith. Hally grinned back, then put her hands on Cara's hips, pulling her close as the two began dancing again. This earned cheers from many of the men in the inn, as well as from Berdine and Raina.
Dahlia, who had been at the bar getting another drink, heard the sudden cheering and turned around. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the table in the center of the room. A large group of people surrounded the table, all of them cheering loudly. Dahlia nearly dropped her drink in shock at the sight of her sweet, innocent Cara dancing very provocatively with Hally on top of the table. She had to admit to herself that while she was incredibly shocked, she was also a bit jealous. She set her drink down on the bar, and made her way through the crowd around the table. When she reached the table, she climbed up and separated Cara and Hally, who immediately started giggling uncontrollably again.
"Hi Dahlia," Cara said, smiling sweetly.
Dahlia glared at them, and they both stopped giggling.
"I think it's time for you two to go to bed," she said sternly.
Cara and Hally exchanged a glance, then started giggling again. Dahlia rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling slightly.
"Come on," Dahlia said. She carefully helped Cara and Hally down off the table, as she wasn't sure if either of them could get down on their own without falling.
Dahlia led Cara and Hally upstairs to the room they were sharing. She held the door open for them, then closed it once they were inside. Cara immediately flopped down on the bed, while Hally wandered dizzily around the room. Dahlia sat down on the bed next to Cara, who gave her a silly smile.
"Dahlia?" she asked.
"Yes, Cara?"
"Your eyes are mesmerizing," Cara slurred.
"Thank you, Cara. So are yours," Dahlia answered.
Cara giggled. Hally heard Cara giggle and was immediately rolling around on the ground, laughing hysterically. Cara gave her a strange look, which almost made Dahlia start laughing as well.
Holding in her laughter, Dahlia got up and walked over to where Hally was laying on the floor. She helped the blonde Mord'Sith stand up, then helped her out of her leathers and into bed. She noticed that Cara was no longer on the bed, but had moved to the floor, where she was sitting curled up in a corner.
"Cara?" Dahlia said, crouching down in front of her.
Cara looked up, her eyes fluttering open. "I'm sleepy," she said.
Dahlia thought she sounded like a small child. She smiled at how adorable Cara was.
"If you're sleepy, come to bed," Hally said, snuggling deeper into the thick blankets. "It's cozy," she said, smiling happily.
Dahlia couldn't help but smile and giggle slightly at this. She looked back at Cara, only to find the blonde glaring at her.
"You have a dirty mind, Dahlia," she admonished, still slurring.
"Why is that?" Dahlia asked.
Cara looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking. "I forgot," she said, looking as though she were trying hard to remember.
"Okay, Cara," Dahlia said. "Bed time." She helped Cara up, supporting her as she stumbled slightly, and led her to the bed. Cara removed her dress and threw it roughly against the wall, then climbed into bed next to Hally.
"Are you mad at your dress?" Hally asked.
"What dress?" Cara asked, confused.
"The one you threw at the wall," Hally answered.
"Oh," Cara hesitated for a moment. "No, I'm not mad at it." She looked confused for a moment before speaking again. "At least I don't think I'm mad at it…I don't remember…" She then spoke to Dahlia. "I'm thirsty," she whined, pouting.
Dahlia smiled. "Okay," she said, "I will go get you some water. I'll be right back. You two stay right where you are," she added. "I don't want you falling out the window or anything." She turned and walked out the door, closing it gently behind her.
Once Dahlia was gone, Hally grinned at Cara. "She didn't say we couldn't jump out the window," she said with a mischievous look on her face.
"I think that's a bad idea, Hally," Cara said. "Besides, Dahlia said to stay where we are. I think it will be hard to jump out the window while staying where we are."
"You're probably right," Hally sighed.
Cara suddenly moved over and gave Hally a big hug. Hally looked surprised, but hugged her back.
"What was that for?" she asked.
"You looked cuddly," Cara slurred, grinning.
Cara laid her head on Hally's stomach, and after a moment, Hally began stroking her hair.
"You're like a puppy," Hally said happily, a big smile on her face.
"I don't feel like a puppy," Cara said. "I feel like a human." She paused. "I think I feel like a human. What does it feel like to be a human?"
Hally giggled. "You don't make any sense," she said.
"I know I don't," Cara said. "I think…I forgot what I was thinking…"
The door opened and Dahlia reentered, carrying a glass of water. She handed it to Cara, who sat up and took it. Dahlia went back to the door and locked it, then put the key down on the bedside table, removed her leathers and got into bed.
After drinking some of the water, Cara offered the glass to Hally, but found her already asleep. She turned the other way and handed the glass back to Dahlia, who put it on the table next to the key. Cara then lay back down and cuddled up closely to Dahlia, who put her arms around her.
"I feel dizzy," Cara said slowly.
"That's what happens when you drink so much," Dahlia said.
"The room is all spinny," she said, giggling. "It's fun."
"I'm sure it is," Dahlia answered, smiling. "But you should really try to sleep."
"Okay," Cara agreed. "Goodnight, Dahlia."
"Goodnight, Cara."
"I love you, Dahlia."
Dahlia smiled and kissed Cara's forehead lightly. "I love you too."