The dark of night descended upon Falken. Leaning back in his chair, Fritz looked over a small gap in the curtain. The bright full moon shone with a lustrous white. Across from him, Ada sat reading a small book.

"Was this really necessary?" Fritz asked Ada.

"What do you mean?"

"Is a necromancer really that dangerous?"

"Neva says so. For what it's worth, I don't think you're working with a necromancer."

"Being in here, your home feels a bit cramped." Fritz said. The flickering flame of a single candle atop her fireplace mantle cast moving shadows across the room. Fritz looked over to the single bed, just large enough for two people to sleep shoulder to shoulder.

"It's cozy. Warm in the winter, and I usually don't spend all day trapped inside either." Ada replied.

"Fair enough." Fritz said. "It's getting late, will I be sleeping at Fran's clinic?"

"No...." Ada said.

"Here then?" Fritz said. He looked at the floor of the cottage. "On the floor?"

"Nope."

"Then what?" Fritz asked.

"You'll sleep on the bed."

"I'll steal your bed?" Ada seemed to fidget a bit, as she brought her book higher as if to mask her face. A faint trace of color touched her nose.

"We'll share the bed. Neva asked me to keep an eye on you. It seems like the best way. I can make sure you don't run away." Ada replied.

"I wouldn't want to intrude. The clinic was fine. I'd rather have a room to myself." Fritz said.

"It's bigger than it looks. We can each take a side!"

"Really, I think I should go take a bed at Fran's." Ada frowned at his answer.

"We'll share the bed." she repeated. "We can't have you running away in the middle of the night."

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"The floor?"

"No. That won't work." Ada responded.

"Why?"

"Because it's important! We need to get comfortable with one another! This is important for building our bonds as adventurers! Bonds! Don't you understand anything about heroes? They always have strong bonds!"

"That's-"

"Genius! It's genius. Drop whatever you were about to say!"

"No, that's kind of stupid, Ada."

"No, it's not. I can memorize your scent in case you get lost, but that requires close contact. What if you get abducted by a body snatcher? How could I notice the changes if we weren't close? What if we're attacked in the middle of the night? What if your dreams are invaded by an evil creature from the fae?"

"Uhhh...." Fritz groaned and started massaging his temples.

"See didn't think of that did you?" Ada taunted. "You're on a quest from..." Ada leaned forward across the small table. Her gray eyes fixated on Fritz. "You know who...." She whispered secretly. "We can't take chances here. The closer we are, the better."

"Ada, I don't think anything like that is going to happen."

"Mark my words, Fritz. Mark my words...."

"Ada, I'd really prefer my own bed."

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Fritz was slowly learning a long and protracted lesson about dealing with Ada. Beside him on the soft bed, Ada snored like a dying animal. Her strong hands grabbed his side with unconscious desperation. Her legs hooked into him like a wrestler. A puddle of drool seeped into the crook of his arm. Her long ears twitched, tickling his face.

She had seemed suspiciously happy to snuggle up next to him. Her nose twitched often, and Fritz knew she was sniffing him. She had fallen asleep quickly, as if Fritz was nothing more than her personal teddy bear. It began soon after that. At first he thought she was dying, yet for each cycle of inhale and exhale worry transformed into sheer annoyance.

It was late in the night. Fritz was staring at the dark ceiling. Rubbing his red eyes he waited and prayed to fall asleep. Yet for all of his prayers, sleep would not come.

The rest of Falken was quiet. Gentle winds swept through the town. Creaking wood protested as Fritz breathed in deeply. The smell of rot drifted into the cabin for a moment. Fritz's nose scrunched up in disgust for a moment.

Grumbling in her sleep, Ada released her hold of Fritz. Turning over on her side, she let go of Fritz. Elation filled him. Freedom at last, and not a moment too soon. Without moving, Fritz waited for the beastkin to settle back down. Slowly, and gently, he began edging his way off of the bed. Standing up in the center of the cottage, Fritz started quietly gathering his stuff as Ada started snoring again. Bending down, he grabbed his boots, and started putting them on.

Fritz was leaving. The decision had been made a long time ago, and now was a good enough time to leave. He couldn't wait forever. The village was a waste of time. He knew the general direction he needed to travel. Supplies wouldn't be an issue for him. He needed to get moving, before he became stuck.

'Would they search for him like an escaped criminal?' He thought. 'Perhaps, but it does not matter. I cannot wait for Ada to beat Neva, and convincing her to let us out is a waste of time. Waiting a month for beastkin hunters to track down a necromancer is foolish. I need to leave tonight.'

Breathing in deeply, Fritz stood up. His eyes drifted to the door. Determination to move forward filled him. Looking back towards Ada, he felt a pang of guilt.