…Home.
It had been so long since Rayla associated anything with that word. It meant a place to be welcomed, or a place to learn and grow. Home meant Moonberry Surprise and bon-bon fires, or a castle overlooking Katolis with a group of people that actually loved and cared about her.
But ' home ' was also a feeling. And the instant Rayla walked into the sunlit entryway of the inn - trailing being their little Xadian-seeking search party - the warmth of 'home' hit her.
She inhaled, embraced the moment, and reveled in it. After nearly two years on the road, the sight and smell and sensation of something so wonderful and comforting was a rarity.
"You sure this is okay?"
Callum's voice cut through her thoughts. She pulled her eyes away from the windows to meet his gaze - it was a tad more questioning than the doe-eyed face used to sway her only minutes ago.
Just from glancing about the space…the lush fabric, the golden candelabras, the sweet, floral-tinged air…this was a luxury, indeed. But perhaps it was something she needed .
"Yeah," she said, nodding. And then, adding with a distinct gleam in her eye, "It'll be good for a moment of rest." The mage grinned at her response, and enthusiastically went to approach the old man waiting in the corner.
…It could be home because he's here too, she supposed.
As Callum greeted the innkeeper, the elf stepped deeper into the cozy atmosphere. Golden hour was upon them, and the room glowed with a subtle illumination. Little dust specs floated through the air as the dimming sunlight cast shadows upon the furniture about the room - a pair of tables with matching chairs, wooden cases with various collectibles, and cushy chaises on opposite walls, ready for incoming or departing guests.
A laugh caught Rayla's ear, and she ambled towards the oak desk in the corner of the room where Callum was conversing with the innkeeper. Bait was on the surface, harumphing away and changing all sorts of colors while Stella remained perched on the mage's shoulder.
"I've never seen a glowtoad this big," the old man remarked. He gingerly scratched behind Bait's ear, and despite his disgruntled sounds, the creature closed his eyes in contentment. "I reckon the little ones are used for fishing. Makes for a good catch."
At this, the glowtoad's eyes shot open as he let out an exclaimed yelp, his body illuminating bright green. The man snatched his hand away as Bait let out a low growl, and the innkeeper chuckled nervously. "Ha! Well, uh, no need to panic - there isn't an ocean around for miles."
"We would like to stay for the night," Callum requested, neatly changing the subject. Yet upon his words, he picked up Bait and held him just a bit closer. "I know it's late, but - - "
The proprietor gently held up his hand to stop Callum's phrase. "It is no issue to accommodate you…" At this, his face lit up in a knowing smile as he finished with, "Your Majesty."
"Ah - -" the mage started, his face flushed with embarrassment. Again, the innkeeper chuckled, his crooked teeth stark against the low light of the room. "It's a pleasure to serve a member of the Royal Family. Now," he continued, facing the pegged wall behind him and studying the various keys adorning the wall, "How many rooms will you take tonight?"
The innocent question dropped like a pit in Rayla's stomach. "Uhh…" she heard Callum say, and he turned to the elf as if asking for permission. Now Rayla's face erupted in a blush.
"I was - -" he stuttered, tripping over his words, "I, uh - - we need - - I mean - - " At this, he started counting on his fingers as if solving some kind of problem. And then, "One room, I think? Unless - - "
He glanced at Rayla again, eyes darting back and forth as if he didn't want to hear her response.
What a dummy.
The elf put her hand on Callum's forearm, forcing him to look her in the eye. "One room is fine," she said, winking at the innkeeper. "I'll suffer through his snoring for tonight."
The old man guffawed at the joke, and Callum appeared horrified for a second. Then he joined in on the laughter, his body finally at ease now that the proverbial dragon in the room was cleared up.
The hefty door swung open, revealing a small-but-suitable space for the evening.
It was twilight, and Rayla began to make the shapes out of the dim room: a door towards the left (no doubt for a private washroom), a window overlooking the very path they traveled, a long end table against the wall for various personal belongings, and the distinct, dual shadows of two small beds.
Rayla's heart pinged ever so slightly. A part of her - a very, very small part of her that had been hidden these past few days - was disappointed at the sight of the separate sleepers. If there was one bed, well…that would mean the possibility of - - even though it was most unlikely - - because they were still working on fixing whatever it is they were or had or whatever - -
A tug on her pants broke the spiraling thoughts. Stella had finally hopped down from Callum's shoulder, and was impatiently tugging at her trousers. Rayla bent down to scoop the cuddlemonkey up from the floor, and finally broke the silence of the room.
"You know, I've never seen her quite so keen on someone."
Callum, who had located the fire starter kit provided by the inn, gave pause to lighting the candles that dotted the room. "Oh?" was his response, but his face betrayed a mirth that reached the corners of his eyes. He glanced at Rayla with that look - lips upturned in a quiet smile, eyes narrowed - as if to smugly say, " Why wouldn't she love me ?"
Rayla sniggered to herself as the cuddlemonkey burrowed deeper into the folds of her arms. "Well," she said as Callum finished his task. The glow of the candelabras truly revealed the twin beds, and her heart pinged once more. "Your first meeting wasn't…very positive," she finished, thinking back to her first night back in Katolis.
"Ah," agreed Callum, his recognition short and quick. His eyes flitted to the side, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, closed it, and then opened it again, deciding to be brave. "But…" and now he approached Rayla with a gentleness that made her own heart flutter. He closed the gap between them in the room, and the elf could only stare back, rooted on the spot. "We've…come a long way since then." The young man reached a finger down to where Stella was cozied up, and the little creature instantly responded to his presence. She scooted from Rayla's embrace and grabbed Callum's finger, sweetly nibbling on the digit. "Haven't we?"
His olive irises caught hers, and a familiar warmth trickled down to the tips of her toes at the double entendre. "Yeah," the elf agreed, her response breathier than intended. But as she meant to continue, a yawn suddenly caught her mouth. Callum instinctually scooped Stella up from Rayla's arms as the elf stretched. "It is late, and we should be off early tomorrow."
Callum approached one of the quaint-looking beds, the cuddlemonkey securely in his arms. The quilted pattern seemed to dance under the flickering flames of the pillows.
"Let's enjoy our life of luxury for toni—-IIIIIGHT!"
As the mage went to sit - err, more like flop - himself upon the mattress, there was an instant CRACK. The notion must have been too much for the old bed, as half the furniture collapsed against the floor with a decisive snap .
Stella screeched and jumped from Callum's arms safely onto the floor, hissing at the now-broken bed. Bait grumped in alarm from his little corner of the endtable, watching the whole exchange with his usual quiet resolution. Callum picked himself up from the floor, rubbing his rear from the fall.
"I thought this place was supposed to be fancy . Ow," he muttered, gritting his teeth from the unexpected plop on his bum. He shot an accusing glare at the bedframe, which was now leaning heavily to one side - so much so that the pillow was sliding down the incline.
For a moment, Rayla only gawked at the mage now clumsily picking himself up. And then - -
"HAAA!"
The elf burst out in laughter, unable to help herself. "You look so - so - " She clutched her sides as a ripple of giggles erupted from her person. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle them, the dejected look on Callum's face enough to make her feel only slightly bad.
"I'd like to see that happen to you ," he said, but his tone was light. Rayla controlled her merriment just as a sobering thought hit her - with one of the two beds broken, that would mean they would have to - -
" SCREEEECH !"
Not one to be ignored, Stella suddenly chitted her teeth and flounced over to something small and round on the floor. She picked it up in her little paws and gave it a precarious sniff, only to sneeze in response. Then the creature abandoned Callum and scuttled up to her mammy, crawling up the fabric of the elf's clothing as she eventually perched on her shoulders.
She presented Rayla with her newfound token by placing it in front of the elf's nose. "Eh? What's this?"
Rayla sniffed, mimicking her companion's actions, and her nostrils were instantly met with a strong, tingly odor. She recoiled at the smell. " Ugh . Is this medicine ?"
"Medicine?" retorted Callum, who had recovered from his embarrassment. Now it was his turn to chuckle. "It's a mint."
"A mint? Like...you eat this?" She looked down at the floor, inspecting the place where Stella picked it up. "Where did it come from, I wonder?"
"From…my pillow?" Callum answered simply, as if this was the most obvious fact in the whole world. His head nodded in the direction of the other bed. "You have one, too."
"I do?" Indeed, sitting innocently upon Rayla's pillow was a small, round object exactly like the one she was holding. Stella bounced off the elf's shoulder and on to the mattress, tiptoeing up the sheets until she came to the little thing. Much like with the previous mint, the cuddlemonkey picked it up in her other paw, sniffed, and sneezed.
"Huh," said Rayla as Stella pilfered the mint, opened a little portal, and dropped it in. "Humans put candy on pillows? Moonshadow Elves would never…"
"Only at inns, really," said Callum. His eyes followed Stella as she zoomed across the room and up the endtable, where Bait had started to doze. She shoved the first mint under the glowtoad's nose, and Bait instantly woke with a croak, fiercely glowing a shade of deep teal. "And only at the really nice ones, too," he added. Then he looked back towards the bed. "You think this place would have better beds that could hold the mints on these pillows, though…"
Oh, right. Rayla realized she faced a very real and very obvious problem. "Your bed! It's late, I don't know if there is enough time to switch rooms - -"
"It's fine," Callum quipped, but Rayla only gawked at his ridiculous suggestion. He went on, "Besides, I think sleeping on the floor gives an air of…ex-cite- mint , eh?"
The elf rolled her eyes at the terrible joke - still, she tried to reason with the young man. "Enough with the puns, you truly aren't serious? You can't - -"
"I'll pull the mattress off the frame and sleep on the floor," he replied, already tugging at the floofy furniture and reassembling it. "I'll be okay. I used to sleep like this in Ez's room all the time as a kid. Besides," the mage added, eyeing Rayla from his place on the floorboards, " You need this little break more than me. You can use a night of luxury, and that should include a nice bed." Callum smiled as he finished, sitting himself upon the low mattress and bouncing, as if to test it. "See? All good here."
Gratitude, relief, appreciation…the emotions flood through Rayla's veins as she searches for the words to form a proper response. Another feeling creeps in too…one that tickles her tongue and heats her all the way through, from the depths of her mind to the tips of her fingers.
"I…" she began, pushing the words down because it's just not the right time. Not yet. "I…thank you, Callum."
Fearing she may let those very words out, Rayla took herself to the washroom, smiling as she closed the door behind her.
A/N:
Greetings, readers!
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