Page 48 of The Demon's Delight
“Ah!” He tugged me down a short alley, pausing in front of some leaded glass windows.
“A jeweler?”
“Are you attached to the spoons? I was going to see if they would be interested in buying them for the silver. Maybe that little belt, too, for the gold.”
“Not at all, that’s exactly why I brought them along.”
“Good. Stay where I can see you out the window?”
“Sure.”
He nodded once, resolutely, then walked into the small shop.
I watched people milling about, banners in red and orange strung up on ledges and signposts. Trees were wrapped in ribbons as well, and there seemed to be an unusually high amount of people out and about, given the size of the town.
A woman with a kind face walked by, and I got her attention. “Excuse me? What are the decorations for?”
She smiled. “The Forage Festival! One of the best days of the whole year.” She looked me up and down. “Traveling through, I assume, as you had to ask?”
“Yes, we arrived today.”
“You’re here just in time, then! Everyone is already setting up, but after sunset, things really get going. There’s food and music, street vendors. Enjoy yourself!”
I thanked her as she continued along her way. Seir emerged a few minutes later, jingling heavily with every step. “That was smoother than expected, honestly. All set. What did that woman say to you?”
I appreciated that he’d had his eyes on me. “I wanted to know what the banners are for. There’s some kind of festival,” I said, gesturing to the orange and red fabric.
“In that case, we’d better secure a room. We can come find some sweet treats after, yes?”
He tugged me along again, and I let him, heart lighter and worries far away.
Seir was undeterredin his efforts to find us a room despite the first three inns having none available.
To soothe the frustration, he continued to shop as we made our way down alleys and around blocks and through all the tents and tables that enterprising shopkeepers were setting up on the walks.
In the end, we were able to rent the attic room of the Rusted Rooster. It was at the far end of town, and actually was a preferable location for getting on our way in the morning even if it seemed like a more troublesome spot at first. Besides, the owners were an adorable older couple, and I could tell they didn’t get as much traffic because of their location. They were all too happy to help us out.
We had to climb three flights of stairs to get to our lodging for the evening. Seir even had to duck a bit under areas of the sloped roof as we went down the short hall.
“That last flight of stairs was only a little terrifying,” I complained. The steps had gotten narrower and steeper as we went up, and the door to the attic itself required a special key. Everything creaked and squeaked as we walked, and I wondered if we’d be resting with the house’s ghosts.
“At least there’s a private bath,” he gestured to the dark room across the hall as he unlocked the door. “And the door locks, which is nice.”
“It’s private everything, this is the only room up here,” I countered.
“They should be charging more for such a privilege.” Seir grinned as he strode into the main bedroom, dropping our packs near the little table with two stools without hesitation.
“Oh.” I stopped short in the doorway, looking around to see if there was more to the space I couldn’t see.
“What’s the matter?”
I gestured my arm to the singular—though ample-sized—bed.
Seir shrugged. “I can sleep on the floor by the fireplace like I did at the way-house. No matter to me.”
“It’s… a big bed,” I found myself saying. My cheeks lit up as I realized what it might sound like I was inviting. “Surely we can both fit and get some decent rest. We did just fine last night, after all.”
“Mmm.” Seir crossed to the far side of the mattress and laid his long form down, one eyebrow raised playfully. “Care to test it out with me?” He held his hand out in invitation.
