Chapter 27:Uncertain Dawn
Peter opened the door and saw a small, rectangular room — just big enough to fit two people, though clearly designed to save as much space as possible on the upper floor.
There was a single window directly opposite the door, probably facing the street, currently covered by a shutter that let in enough light to see around the room.
Two single beds were placed inside: one against the right wall, the other against the left. Each had a small nightstand with a candle on it.
Beside the window stood a larger table with two chairs, likely intended for eating meals. To the left of the entrance was a small wardrobe, most likely for clothing, though its worn-out state suggested it had seen better days.
Without wasting another moment, Peter chose the bed on the right, tossed his bag onto the floor, and lay down. He didn't have to worry about dirtying the sheets with his boots — there were no sheets.
Nor was there a pillow. In its place lay a thin blanket, likely meant for covering oneself at night.
After a moment of thought, Peter concluded that such conditions could be justified by the fact that Ether likely had no access to any material resembling wool. And if it did, it was probably absurdly expensive.
The only other explanation for acquiring something like the blanket under his head was that someone had arrived in Ether already wrapped in it. There was also the possibility of utility relics — like an endless spool of yarn or something similar.
But such things would be rare, and thus expensive. Still, Peter was satisfied with the conditions. If he needed more cover at night, he had a cloak he had taken from a dead bandit. His bag could once again serve as a makeshift pillow.
Meanwhile, Selene was walking slowly around the room, looking around. After a moment, she approached the other bed and dropped her belongings there as well.
She sat down on the edge and asked:
"No bathroom? Do you think there's a shared one on this floor, or not?"
It wasn't such a bad question. Based on the innkeeper's earlier words, the bath — or more likely, the outhouse — was probably located near the bathhouse behind the building. That would require walking across the entire upper floor, down the stairs, through the dining area, and finally outside. After a moment of consideration, Peter shared his thoughts.
"Most likely, the outhouse is behind the tavern, next to the bathhouse. But we should ask the innkeeper to be sure. Who knows — maybe he forgot to mention a smaller one on this floor."
After his response, Peter closed his eyes and recalled the path from the gate to the tavern. He remembered perfectly every discreet glance, every whisper at their presence. A few times, he even encountered open hostility in someone's gaze.
He also remembered the locations of several important buildings he had seen along the way. Judging by Selene's behavior so far, it was clear she hadn't noticed even half the stares that Peter had caught.
He clearly remembered her fascination — even admiration — for the buildings and surroundings. The only times she seemed to register unfriendly looks were in front of the tavern and again with the man at the table as they headed upstairs.
Peter had sensed Selene's movement behind him even without eye contact. Considering the man's vile stare and how Selene shuddered the moment she looked back, it was easy to guess that she had noticed it too.
Peter sighed inwardly. All things considered, their entry into the town hadn't gone so badly. They could have been stopped at the gate, or attacked just after crossing it. Instead, they'd only received a few nasty looks and hushed whispers.
Now the question was: what next?
Peter didn't have a concrete plan. The issue of money could be solved, perhaps by selling the bandit's sword to the blacksmith, or through some form of work.
But what troubled him more was not knowing what to do next to bring them closer to returning home.
Sure, he'd planned to ask the ship's captain for a ride—assuming they could find one at the port—but Peter couldn't shake the feeling that there was a good chance no one would want to help them.
Or worse — what if such a journey wasn't even possible?
He couldn't get rid of the unpleasant tightness in his chest at the thought that returning to the human world might be impossible.
It was the first thing in a long while that made him feel uneasy — even afraid.
Peter pushed the thoughts away and focused on more immediate concerns. A plan was forming in his mind for the next few hours — or even days.
The first thing he had to do was gather more information about the area from the townsfolk.And who would be more informed than someone like the innkeeper or the blacksmith?
After a moment's reflection, Peter decided the blacksmith was the better option. For one, if he accidentally angered him during the conversation, at least he wouldn't be sleeping under the same roof with him — unlike the innkeeper.
Secondly, there was the possibility of selling the extra sword he had taken from the bandits, earning some money in the process.
He might even be able to buy some gear or armor. A simple cloak, after all, offered virtually no protection beyond rain or wind.
Mentally noting his list of tasks, Peter stood up and began pulling the remaining pieces of smoked meat and some dried fruit from his bag.
Seeing this, Selene asked in surprise:
"Are you preparing a meal? We could just order something from the innkeeper."
Still pulling out the ingredients, Peter replied:
"True. But we don't know if meals are included with the room — which, I remind you, we got for free for one night. And we can't afford to waste money we don't actually have."
Hearing this obvious answer, Selene looked embarrassed — clearly irritated that she hadn't thought of it herself — and muttered:
"Ah... right, good point."
Then she stood up and, unsure what to do with herself, began pacing aimlessly around the room.
Eventually, she reached the window. Though it was covered by a shutter, plenty of light and wind slipped through the cracks. After a moment, she opened it and leaned out.
The window faced the main street, offering a view of the buildings on the opposite side and the people passing by.
After watching Selene leaning out the window for a moment, Peter spoke in a mildly sarcastic tone:
"Is the view from that window really worth giving away our room's location to strangers?"
Selene flinched and immediately stepped back from the window, glancing nervously at Peter — who concealed his amusement by looking down. Then, placing a portion of meat and fruit on the chair closest to her, he said:
"Alright, now eat. We've got a long day ahead of us… and maybe an even longer night."