As Jack and S'haar stumbled into the inn, Jack couldn't help but be pleased with how everything was going. True, there are still a few complications on the horizon, but, on the whole, he's accomplished all of his primary objectives. Though admittedly, they had come at a higher cost than he'd been hoping to pay.

The inn was a familiar combination of sounds and smells. The air had finally grown cold enough that the villagers were forced to spend most of their time indoors. At the same time, the villagers hadn't settled in yet and still had the energy to burn. As a result, most of the males were shouting or even wrestling with each other. The latter were usually younger males trying to prove their superiority while the village's young ladies looked on and whispered to each other in varying degrees of amusement.

The smells came from various assortments of meats and drinks that were being devoured or sloshed on the floor respectively. Through all of the chaos flittered the ever-energetic innkeeper, Sur'ruin. Dodging between combatants and drunks alike, she was quick with a laugh or a smile for whoever caught her fancy at the moment. This particular moment belonged to Jack and S'haar.

Seeing her new guests looking around for a place to sit, Sur'ruin marched right up with a mug for each of them, her smile speaking louder than the din of the room. "If it isn't my favorite human, Jack! Are you looking for food, bed, or both?"

S'haar, remembering Angela's directives regarding argu'n alcohol, accepted both mugs on their behalf. "We'll be needing both, and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Jack, the only human you know?"

The innkeeper flashed Jack one of those smiles unique to the argu'n that somehow seemed to double the amount of teeth in their mouths. "He can be the only human I know and be my favorite at the same time!"

She winked at Jack before turning back to S'haar. "Follow me. I've got a table away from the worst of the ruckus. The meal is covered by the food you supplied, the room will cost you a story, or you could clean some dishes, whichever you prefer."

Jack tilted his head for a moment, thinking of a story good enough to tell that might be worth the room's price. As he sat down at the table, Jack finally made up his mind. "Alright, I think I have a story you might enjoy. When you are ready, come on back, and I'll tell you the ancient human tale of Hades and Persephone."

Sur'ruin looked at Jack with a face torn by indecision. "I was thinking of a story about yourself, but I suppose I could give a human story a try, just this once... All right, it's a deal, but if it's not a good enough story, I'm expecting some kind of follow-up!"

-

S'haar could tell Sur'ruin was hooked by Jack's tale. S'haar also couldn't help but be annoyed at the looks the innkeeper was directing toward Jack, despite the innkeeper's inability to understand him without S'haar's translations. "But because she ate the four pomegranate seeds, Persephone was doomed to have to return and spend four months of every year with Hades until the end of time. That is why summer must come to an end, and fall fades into winter. However, when Persephone returns to the world of the living, she brings the promise of spring along with her."

As the night passed, the room had emptied as the villagers returned to their homes. Now the inn was strangely quiet, with the few patrons remaining getting lost in their drinks or passing out by the fire.

Sur'ruin sat up and blinked a few times before speaking. "Well, I don't know about Persephone being doomed, but Hades seems like a decent enough guy. Setting aside the whole 'god' thing, there are worse fates in life than a devoted male who will risk the wrath of a goddess for you!"

Jack shrugged. "Well, among the Greek gods, Hades was about as close to decent as they came. However, there is the whole issue of that kidnapping thing. These days that's one of the worst crimes a person can commit."

Sur'ruin tilted her head in confusion. "Maybe where you come from it is, but around here, it's common enough. Why I've had two attempted kidnappings myself!"

Jack turned to S'haar with a look of confusion. S'haar merely shrugged. "Don't look at me. No one's ever tried to kidnap me. Though I did get sacrificed to a dragon once."

Given the subject of kidnappings, Jack couldn't help but think of Em'brel, and his face visibly darkened. "Well, I'm not ok with it. A man has to be pretty pathetic to try and force himself on a woman who doesn't return his affections."

The innkeeper took a look around the room and sighed. "Regardless, I suppose that story was good enough for a night. With only a few tweaks, I'll be able to entertain a good-sized crowd with it from time to time. Now, I've got some cleaning to do before I'm done for the night, so why don't you two head upstairs and get some rest. You've got a long journey ahead of you in the morning!"

Then Sur'ruin was gone, leaving S'haar to wonder why it bothered her so much when the innkeeper smiled at Jack so persistently throughout the night.

-

Jack realized on an intellectual level that he'd shared a bed with S'haar once before. However, he had also been drugged out of his mind at the time. He couldn't really remember anything except a rather... uncomfortable morning. This time Jack was sane and sober, and his mind was racing in circles.

If Jack didn't know that S'haar was cold-blooded, he'd swear he could feel the heat radiating from her side of the bed. Was it just because he was in bed with a woman, or was it S'haar herself that invoked this reaction?

Jack had certainly enjoyed the flirtatious attentions of Sur'ruin, but ultimately she'd been too...intimidating to invoke any feelings other than a small bit of an ego boost. Though she did behave in a manner that at least somewhat resembled women back home. In comparison, S'haar was that much more intimidating. She was both physically larger and more intense than the friendly innkeeper.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

On the other hand, S'haar was closer to Jack than anyone other than Angela had been since... well, in a very long time. She was always at his side, and when push came to shove, neither of them hesitated to place their lives into the other's hands. The two of them had come to trust each other implicitly, which was surprising given how little time had passed since their first meeting. Admittedly, it had been a rather intense month, or had it been a month and a half?

With a mostly subvocal grumble, Jack turned onto his side. These thoughts were far too confusing for... whatever hour it was. He just needed to close his eyes and get to sleep. He'd need his energy for the long walk home. Any minute now, he'd finally get that feeling of comfort that always came just before sleep. Aaaany minute...

With a less subvocal grunt, Jack sat up in bed and rubbed his face. He was no stranger to insomnia and knew that just lying there wasn't going to change anything any time soon. The best thing he could do was to distract himself for a bit. Only after his mind quieted could he try to sleep again.

He wasn't foolish enough to go out and wander the streets without S'haar at his side, but he figured a quick trip to the common room should be safe enough. Regardless, he strapped on his gun just to be safe.

The room was oddly peaceful. The dim glow of a few embers still emanated from the fireplace. Other than that, the dining area was deserted. Jack settled into a corner, turned on and set his headlamp to dim, and pulled out a well-worn book he often traveled with and started to read.

He'd read this particular book so often he could almost recite it from beginning to end, but something was comforting about the old, familiar words. He could practically hear his father reading it aloud from what felt like several lifetimes ago.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

Jack let his mind split in two. One half was wandering down familiar paths, guided by a storyteller who'd lived and died many generations before Jack. The other half was lost in his childhood, sitting by a warm and cheery fire on a cold winter's night, enjoying a mug of hot chocolate while wrapped in a thick quilt. He could almost smell the fire and hear the gentle winds as it snowed just outside the window.

Soon Jack found he couldn't read anymore because the words on the page started to blur. A light tickling sensation alerted him to the fact that tears had started falling at some point, though if anyone had asked him, Jack couldn't say when. A little ashamed of himself, Jack wiped his face with the back of his hand.

Standing, Jack turned to head back upstairs. That was when the light briefly illuminated the feet of some argu'n who'd obviously been standing and watching him for quite some time. She held a sword loosely in her hand.

-

S'haar woke with a start. Something was off, but she was having a hard time focusing on what it was because her brain was still sluggish with sleep and cold. That's when it hit her. The heat source wasn't beside her the way it should be. With a flick of her tongue, she could taste Jack's recent presence. There was no scent of fear in the air, but something was off. There was an unfamiliar... musk to his scent.

Slipping out of bed, S'haar struggled to finish waking herself. She didn't know why Jack had left in the middle of the night, but she'd be damned if she'd let him wander the city without a bodyguard.

It was a sense of duty that caused S'haar to start worrying as she thought of everything that could go wrong. What else could it be? She wouldn't panic at the mere thought of Jack being in danger. That would be absurd. Just to be safe, S'haar grabbed her sword before leaving.

S'haar didn't have to go far to find her charge. Jack was sitting in the common room, reading one of his books. Something in his expression made S'haar hesitate to disturb him as he read. His smile radiated the bittersweet combination of happy memories and deep sadness.

She thought about going back to their room but found that her feet refused to move. Something was different about Jack's expression. He was so open...and vulnerable. Not that Jack was the type to hide behind false bravado like many males seemed to, but there still existed a wall between Jack and the rest of the world. At this moment, his walls were down, and he was just... Jack.

Sometimes S'haar forgot just how small and frail Jack really was. At that moment, sitting in the corner in a chair two sizes too big for him, Jack looked like he needed to be protected. So S'haar stood vigil, watching over her Jack, struggling to understand the unfamiliar feelings of protectiveness she felt toward this strange little man.

S'haar was lost in thought when Jack got up to head upstairs. When his light illuminated her feet, S'haar saw the look of panic that took over his face. Of greater concern was the fact that his hand flew to his holster.

She knew Jack was unlikely to shoot before getting a better look at his target. On the other hand, she had seen first hand what that gun was capable of. S'haar wasn't going to give him the chance to make the kind of mistake they'd both regret.

S'haar dropped her sword and launched herself forward, quickly grabbing Jack's hand, preventing him from drawing his gun. Her other hand clamped over his mouth to prevent him from shouting out and waking everyone in the inn up. "It's me you idiot! Calm down! You're safe!"

Jack's face flashed between panic and confusion, then relief, before eventually settling on embarrassment.

That was when the creak of a hinge behind S'haar let her know the two of them were no longer entirely alone.

Turning to assess the possible threat, S'haar forgot to release Jack. Leaving them in quite the interesting entanglement as Sur'ruin poked her head out of her door while holding a candle.

Sur'ruin gave the two a knowing look as her face spread into quite the mischievous grin. "I heard a noise, but now I see it's just my two favorite love birds! Usually, our guests prefer to play these kinds of games in the privacy of their own rooms... Or is this is your way of inviting anyone interested to join in the fun?"

At the same moment, both Jack and S'haar realized what Sur'ruin was implying. Jack's eyebrows shot up in surprise while S'haars eye ridges narrowed into an intimidating glare. Since Jack's mouth was still covered, S'haar responded on both their behalfs. "No, I think we'd both prefer to keep this moment between the two of us. Thank you for your concern, but we'll be fine."

Sur'ruin shrugged in a way that seemed to say 'your loss,' then retreated back into her room and closed the door.

S'haar gave Jack with a look usually reserved for intimidating veteran warriors. After a moment, she spoke. "When I remove my hand from your mouth, I don't want to hear one word about what just happened. Your life will be happier and healthier if you heed my warning. Do you understand?"

Jack nodded emphatically, his eyes wide. As S'haar slowly removed her hands from his mouth, he took a moment to rub his wrist before looking up with a grin that told S'haar he was about to regret his next words. "Sooo... she seems nice!"

Without hesitation, S'haar reached out and grabbed the nearest partially full mug and upended the contents over Jack's head. It was troubling that his grin told S'haar that he didn't regret it nearly as much as she would have thought.