Just as Anya said, the inn is quite hospitable and had offered us an extra room–which I appreciate–but that uncomfortable feeling has grown. My gaze goes towards the woman who is entering the inn with her bags in hand. She had waved off Ser Willis when he offered her to carry them. So currently the man is unhooking Tony's saddle along with me.

I don't have to remind him that just because he is helping me with my duties, it doesn't mean that I am no longer angry. I do hope that his guilt for lying to me makes him listen. "Something is wrong, Ser Willis. I have a gut feeling."

He arches a dark brow at me and places Tony's saddle on the rack. "What do you mean?"

I look back towards the inn, "Why don't we just leave Miss Anya and continue camping as planned? We said we'd save the skites."

"She's frightened, Tamen. What are you saying?"

My gut turns and I have to wonder if it's the rabbit we ate when camping, or if I should truly be worried. "She looks pretty independent, Ser Willis," my brown eyes meet his, "Please?"

"Why?"

I frown, knowing I'm going to lose him after my words, "I don't have a good feeling. I just think we should keep going."

He shakes his head, "Feeling, Tamen? On what basis?"

I don't know how to explain it, "Why can't you trust me on this?"

"Because I taught you better than to leave things to your gut alone."

"You taught me the opposite."

"No, Tamen. Before making a decision you need a merit reason, you can't just base things off your gut."

My jaw clenches and I toss Rain's saddle on the rack harshly.

"Boy, do not start with the attitude. Act your age."

I ignore him.

We walk out of the stall and across to the inn, where the sound of music and a fiddle becomes evident. I shift my bag uncomfortably as we enter through the doors, and I sigh in relief to see this inn isn't as boisterous as the last. While there are people drinking and having a good time, no one is causing havoc. The guests are laughing and enjoying their meal as a group of men dance and clap to the beat of the fiddle.

I smile at the sight, finding some ease.

"Need help, Tamen?" I face the owner of the voice and shake my head at Anya, "I'm alright. Are you settled in your room?"

"I am," she smiles charmingly. Her eyes are still somewhat red from the crying she did. Her lower lip still plump and red from wearing it down.

"Are you alright?" Willis questions her.

The woman nods, "Quite tired, but," her expression changes to a suggestive one as she hesitates, "not that much."

My brows scrunch as I spot a look of realization on Willis. Bewildered I shake my head; he just met the woman.

"Well, we do have two rooms."

Anya smiles. "I'll wait," she smiles before running off up the stairs.

The knight's gaze turns to me, "Tamen you don't mind sleeping on your own do you?"

"You're going to sleep with her? Have you gone mad?" I do my best to keep my voice low, but my angry gaze speaks volumes.

Willis pinches the bridge of his nose. "Tamen, I'm not in the mood for this."

"No, Willis," I protest, "Think about this. If anything, you've taught me to think rationally, that a knight should present chivalry at all times. Do you think that it's fine for you to sleep with her after she went through shock? Are you leading by prime example? Are you being a true kn-"

His sheath and sword hit my chest and cut me off. I fumble Nieve in my hands, wide eyes staring in confusion at the other man. I hold the sword in front of me.

"If you think you're such prime example of a knight," he speaks loudly, and I swear the fiddle plays a note out of tune, the clap of the dancing men is no longer heard, "Then why don't you polish that sword as good as I."

He walks past me, not failing to bump my shoulder. I don't dare look up at the people around me. My head whips up as I see the retreating man headed towards the stairs. Anya is in the middle of them, staring at me with a look of pity in her eyes. He grabs her hand and they disappear from my line of vision.

I glance to the side and a few people are still staring at me, while others pretend to have never heard the conversation. The fiddle starts playing on tempo again and the men slowly start their clapping. My cheeks tingle and the tips of my ears grow hot.

I want the ground to swallow me whole.

➵➵➵➵➵➵➵➵

I have tossed and turned the entire night, stomach twisting and chest aching. Thoughts are invading my mind, my brain trying to tell me something I can't catch. My instincts are yelling at me and that uncomfortable feeling is stomping all over my internal organs.

I turn my head to look out the window towards the sky, and the darkness brought upon by the clouds only shadows over me as if it were an omen.

"The weather is but a tide," I whisper to no one. With the end of my palm rubbing my eye, I lay on my side staring out and find some comfort in the distant flash of a lightning spark. With a sigh I wonder what can help turn my mind off. My gaze falls on Nieve's pommel that's leaning against the nightstand. The cloud-shaped structure reminds me of the stories my nan used to say.

My gaze falls to the sky as I recall them. Thunder rumbles and I begin to hear the pitter-patter of rain hitting the window, right before a roar takes over. The room becomes cooler as I inhale and let the breath out.

"Long, long ago in a land past the barrier of the blue mountains, there was a kingdom in the sky." The rain's chant grows and I smile. "Where giants would migrate across the air, their strong and loud steps making thunder for the people below. They made the air quake and shook the water out of the clouds.

Where their companion, a creature not imaginable by man, would play around them. Its excitement and joy sent flashes of white energy all around. Its feathers made of blue and indigo would glisten like waves under the sun..."

I yawn as thunder roars from above and I hear the doorknob being turned behind me. I sit up and wait to see if it's Willis regretting his choices, but the footsteps seem to hurry away when they notice the door is locked.

I lay back down facing the door. My eyes begin to hood as I feel my breath grow heavier. Finally, the nagging feeling is gone.

➵➵➵➵➵➵➵➵

I drop the bucket of hay as I stare at the stall. The only horse present being Rain, and no sight of Tony. Ignoring the horse's stomping hooves for food, my feet carry me back to the inn and up the stairs, where Ser Willis lies bare with the bed sheets draped around his waist.

Asleep and alone.

I run to the stand next to him pulling the drawer open and rummaging for his belongs. The man groans out my name in irritation as I look around the floor for his boots where he keeps his money.

There are no boots...

The man has no clothes...

My breathing grows heavy and I step back, blood rushing to my head too fast as my skin grows cold.

The man has no money...

He only has his sword because he left it with me, and we now have only one horse who is still being trained for battle. My gaze turns to Willis whose arm is extended to the side looking for the thief of the night.

There is no sign of a forced entry, we lock our doors when we sleep. There wasn't a commotion signaling she was kidnapped. It all points to her.

"She's not here," I mumble with a shake of my head.

Ser Willis sits up rubbing at his eye and pushing his brown locks with his large fingers, "Did she go get breakfast?" He looks around and smiles, "Or left to wash my clothes, it seems like her."

My jaw clenches but I feel bottled. My anger grows, but I can't let it out. I stare at the man, "She's gone."

"What?"

"Your things are gone. Tony, is gone."

Now it was Ser Willis who in contrast to myself sits up straighter and looks around maniacally, "Where are my clothes?"

"She took them."

The man stands and looks disheveled as he opens the wardrobe, the drawer, and looks under the bed. He turns to me as he sits on the bed, defeated, the cogs in his mind turning. "At least she left you with clothes."

I pinch the bridge of my nose, "I didn't get robbed, my door was locked last night."

"So you have money?"

I arch a brow, "Yes."

"Excellent, go fetch me some garments."

"Wait, then what?"

"Then we go find the thief and Tony, that horse doesn't listen to anyone but us, she couldn't have gotten far without him kicking her off a few times."

"You're calm about this?"

"Well yes, I have you. You can easily go fetch me some things so we can go."

"And you have nothing to say to me?"

"What is there to say?"

I glower at the man and walk out furiously with a knot in my throat. I walk to my room and unlock the door with my key. With a hand reaching underneath the mattress I take out the leather sack filled with skites and stare.

This is my money. Hard earned from the lords we've served. My gaze then goes to Nieve who still stands leaning against the drawer. My feet lead me to her and before I know it, I am looking at the mirror across the room with the longsword hoisted on my belt. My hand rests on its sheath and I draw the sword.

He's alone.

There are no boots...

The man has no clothes...

The man has no money...

Tony is gone.

He only has his sword... but his sword is with me.

My chest warms up again, my heart races to the point I can hear it as I stare at myself sheathing the sword again. I place my coin pouch on my belt and carry my own sword within my hands as I step out of my room with my bags.

I look down the hall towards Ser Willis' room and turn the opposite way towards the stairs. My heart rate increases as my feet carry me faster. Hurriedly I walk to Rain. I place his saddle and halter on before opening the stall and climbing up.

With a click of my tongue I am leaving the inn. I am leaving Ser Willis, and title myself Knight.