Nowhere Inn - Room 54 - Ambrose and Carly:

  “Come over here to eat,” Ambrose tried to talk with his mouth full of food.

  “They’re no longer yelling… Ambrose, you think they—you know?” Carly’s eyes lit up as her eyebrows raised.

  Ambrose washed his food down with ale. “Come over here and finish your food, Carly.”

  “I’m good, Ambrose. You never answered my question,” Carly said seductively.

  “I don’t know, to be honest. And stop eavesdropping,” Ambrose chuckles.

  “Oh fine. Gosh, you know I’m a sucker for drama, and those two are filled with it. The sexual tension is at an all-time high with those two,” Carly said.

  “Well, what about us?” Ambrose asked nervously.

  “What about us?” Carly replied, confused.

  “Well, once we get to Ash, are you still going to open up a brothel?” Ambrose said nervously.

  Carly walked over to Ambrose. “My dear, this was always temporary.” Carly sat on the bed as she undressed. “Ambrose, come here.”

  Ambrose approached Carly, undressing as well.

  For a moment, all was quiet. Then, a muffled giggle broke the silence, followed by a low murmur and the creak of bedsprings.

  In the adjacent room, Xander sighed and pulled his pillow over his head.

  A crash, like something falling off a nightstand, echoed through the wall. April stifled a laugh.

  “It’s going to be a long night,” Xander muttered. He tossed and turned, trying to find a position that might somehow block out the sounds from next door. With a mix of frustration and resignation, he glanced briefly at April’s sleeping form before quickly looking away.

  “Damn it, Ambrose,” he whispered to himself, pulling the pillow tighter over his head.

  The sounds from next door eventually quieted, and the inn settled into silence.

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  April’s eyes opened as morning light filtered through the window. She stretched, feeling more rested than she’d expected.

  Xander was already packing. He glanced over with a smile. “You up?”

  April sat up, running a hand through her hair. “Yeah. Had a hell of a dream.”

  Xander paused briefly, then chuckled. “Between you shifting around, and Ambrose next door, it was a long night.”

  April fell back onto the pillow. “Fuck, did I wake you?” she asked, concern in her voice.

  Xander shook his head slightly. “Yes, but I’m a light sleeper. We have to get moving. It’s mid-morning already!”

  “WHAT?!” April swung her legs off the bed. “Right. I’ll be ready in a minute.” She hesitated, then added, “Xander, about last night...”

  Xander’s hands stilled over his pack. He didn’t turn around. “What about it?”

  “Thanks. For telling me everything. I know it wasn’t easy.”

  Xander turned slowly, his expression guarded. He nodded.

  April stood, grabbing her clothes. “I meant what I said. We’re good, yeah?”

  Xander was quiet for a moment. “We’re good,” he said finally, his tone a touch softer. “Just... Be ready soon. Dez will have our heads if we’re late.”

  April chuckled. “Can’t have that. I like my head where it is.”

  A ghost of a smile touched Xander’s lips before he turned back to his packing.

  As they finished preparing, the tension seemed to ease, replaced by a quiet understanding.

  April and Xander made their way downstairs, finding Ambrose, Carly, and Dez already at a table eating breakfast. The smell of fresh bread and eggs already served on silver plates filled the air.

  “Morning, sleepyheads.” Ambrose grinned, pushing a plate of food towards them. “You need this food more than you know,” he added, winking at Xander.

  “Ambrose, nothing happened,” Xander said as he began to eat.

  Carly whispered in April’s ear. “How big is he?”

  April turned red and nearly choked on her food. She took a swig of ale.

  “Carly!” April whispered back.

  “Tell me how much of a man he is,” Carly chuckled.

  “He’s big, okay? Damn, you’re like a hound for sex,” April whispered.

  Ambrose and Xander looked at Carly with disgust on their faces.

  Carly looked over to them. “What? It’s not like you didn’t want to know, Ambrose?”

  Dez sighed, “I’ve secured provisions for the next week. We should be ready to leave within the hour.”

  As they finished their meal quickly, Carly asked, “So, Xander, what should we expect in Ash?”

  “You’ll have to see for yourself, Carly,” he said with a smile.

  “I’m telling you, Carly, his estate takes up most of the mountain bordering the Cruel Ruins,” Ambrose added.

  As they finished their meal, Dez stood. “I’ll bring the horses around. We should get moving.”

  The group gathered their belongings and stepped out of the inn. April glanced back once, then followed the others toward the road to Ash.