If Trent starts complaining about how we spent our money, we’d just have to invite him next time.

I was convinced there was no better use for it.

We left the building, stumbling and struggling to keep our balance. A lot of the girls from my room waved and called out endearing names, but my head was too cloudy to capitalize on it. So instead, we untied the horses and fumbled aboard the seat, Elfindor taking the reins and I taking a seat in the back. We must’ve taken a few hours in the brothel because the sun was going down.

Come to think of it, anyone could’ve easily stolen our cart and horses. Especially with this many shady characters around. Next time, we’d leave the cart at the guild and just walk here.

Eflindor could barely see straight. He nearly led the horses into a bunch of trees instead of the road.

“Alright, you’re too drunk to drive. Give me the reins.”

I told him to take a seat in the back and let me handle it. It felt weird guiding the two animals at first. But the clop clop sound of their hooves against the dirt street made the evening atmosphere a little calmer for me. But soon, they stopped and refused to move further. I figured they were tired and hungry.

Fuck. I don’t know the first thing about taking care of horses. Are we just stuck here?

I got off and pushed the horses to move.

[NEIGHHHH]

“Move, you damn Arthurs!”

The best insult for calling someone lazy was calling them the most useless tub of lard I knew. Still, the horses didn’t move.

“Having trouble?” a soft voice called out to me. I turned my head about ninety degrees and saw a gorgeous girl in a pair of overalls, her light hair tied in a bun, staring at me with laughing eyes.

“Uh, yeah.”

I squinted. She seemed familiar. I’d seen her before. “Do I know you?”

“No. But I know you, Mr. money bags. That’s what Hilie called you.”

“Oh! You worked at the—”

“Mhm. I’m a part-timer. The rest of the time I work at an inn. Right over there. My father owns it,” she pointed at a small-looking house. Was it one of those tiny bed-and-breakfast types? “We also own some horses. So I know a famished horse when I see one. Wait here.”

She ran across the street and went inside the inn, emerging about a minute later with two apples and coming back to me. She laid each one on the ground for the two horses.

“It’ll get them through the night at least.”

“Ugh,” I said, scratching my head. “I need them to move. We have a long way home. At this rate, we’ll be stuck here.”

“Um, how about a thank you?”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Oh, and if you need a place to stay for the night, our inn is open.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

She said that last part with a lingering hum, as if cashing in on a favor.

I see. She lured us there with those apples. Well, no matter. We can’t go home with Elfindor drunk off his ass.

I accepted.

As if a higher being decided to take a piss at that moment, a torrent of rain began to pour. We hurried across the street to the inn. The horses eagerly complied and finally moved. Behind the house was a wide canopy fit to park at least three carts. Despite our best efforts to cover them, the rain was coming down at an angle so the horses were still getting soaked. Better than nothing.

“This way. Hurry,” she said, motioning me. I had to drag Elfindor out from underneath the tarp and walk with him on my shoulder to the front door of the inn. A bell rang when the door swung open. Inside, there was a small reception area with a desk and a stack of keys. A plump middle-aged man with a graying beard smoking a pipe sat on a wooden chair behind the counter, reading a newspaper. Our sudden entry let in a puddle of water that started seeping into the floorboards.

“Close that damn door, Fretta. I just wiped the floor.”

“Papa, I brought you new customers.”

“Oh?” he raised a brow. He put down the newspaper and we walked to the counter. He extended a hand. “Welcome to Davie’s inn. I’m Davie, proud proprietor. Each room is six copper a night.”

I shook his hand. “Put us in for a room.”

“Your friend there okay?” he pointed to Elfindor.

“He’ll be fine. Say, you wouldn’t happen to sell horse food, would you?”

“I could part with some. But it’ll cost ‘ya.”

I nodded and took out six copper from the bag. He handed me the keys.

“Upstairs, first room to the right. Check out by noon unless you’re staying another night.”

I casually invited Fretta to join us once we’d made it to our room but she politely declined. Too bad. I helped Elfindor to the only bed in the room. He was wide enough to fully occupy it, so I had to settle for a wooden rocking chair.

The room was cramped, with barely enough space to get any pacing done. Once you walked in, a bed with white covers was almost immediately in front of you. There were a few paintings of farmsteads and meadows on the walls, and a small desk and chair on the other side of the bed. A coat rack and a small round table next to the bed was all there was to it.

Elfindor quickly knocked out, but I was restless. We’d told Trent and the other assistants we’d be back before sundown. I hoped the weather would be nice the next morning… and that Fretta could get our horses to move again. But that was a problem for tomorrow. For now, I had a few hours to myself to think.

With my sexual angst put to rest, it was insane to me that we’d both just spent ninety percent of what we’d risked our lives to earn at a brothel. Was there any hope of doing it again? I let my mind wander, imagining returning to the desert and getting surrounded by another pack of horned wolves. I flinched.

If only we had more powerful cards. Then we could take on the adults, I bet. Each one sells for fourty copper!

At some point, my thoughts began to run in circles, so I stopped thinking. I settled deeper into the rocking chair and imagined all the Holy Knights getting rained on.

* * *

I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I did know when I woke up. A sharp pain in my back and neck reminded me never to sleep in a rocking chair again. The first thing I saw was Elfindor on the ground doing pushups.

“Ninety-one!”

“Ninety-two!”

He was blasting through each rep like it was nothing.

“Feeling better?” I called out.

He stopped and looked up. “Joey. Yeah. I feel great.”

“A trip to a brothel leaves you good as new. Let’s get going before Trent kills us.”

We left the room, went downstairs to check out and requested Fretta’s help. I explained the situation of our horses to her dad, and he said he could take a look. At the parking area, he caressed one of their manes, saying they were just a bit tired and hungry. He had piles of hay he’d bought for his own horses and let us have one for two copper.

“Give them a half hour before moving and you’ll be fine.”

When we finally got on the road, it was smooth sailing. The sun was out and about, bringing hotness to the world. I felt sorry for the poor dregs on Arthur’s farm right now. We got onto the main street and not long after, arrived at the gates. The guards didn’t do an inspection this time around and just let us pass.

Guess they only do that coming in.

We hurried to the tree marked with a + and looked around for our soil-covered hole. We found it and quickly dug out the cards. Each one was accounted for. I created a small water ball to test them, gave Elfindor his card, then stuffed mine in my crotch. I wished we’d stopped at a clothes shop for new pants, but I forgot. And now we were out of time.

We set our sights on the path to Little Rock and whipped the horses to go faster.