fresh and warm after baking by the fire for a few hours, but I'm reluctant to change into them to sleep. I'm still wearing Vian's shift dress, which is made of a papery, thin material that itches. I can't wear it to bed, either. I consider for a moment, and then pull on one of my backup tunics as a nightgown. No panties, though.
I'd give a kingdom for panties right about now. No one on this planet seems to wear them.
Yawning, I crawl into bed as Aron sharpens his knives, and I'm just about to drift off to sleep when the lumpy hay mattress sinks in on one side, and then a big body crawls into bed next to me.
"For real?" I groan as Aron promptly shoves his way onto the narrow mattress and proceeds to take up most of the bed. "You don't even have to sleep."
“You know this is how I protect you best.”
"What's going to attack me while I sleep?" I ask, yawning.
"A wizard could send poisonous snakes to rise up from the floor, creep into bed and kill you."
Jesus. I'm awake now. I roll onto my back and stare up at the ceiling as Aron shifts next to me, trying to get comfortable. "So undead, snakes from the floor, gods wandering the earth…anything else I should know about in this world of yours so I can never sleep again? Dragons? Killer mermen?"
"Don't be foolish. Mermen are long dead."
"You didn't say dragons were."
"Do not go looking for dragons, then," he says, and I don't know if he's joking or not.
"I'm not a big fan of this whole place, just so you know."
"Neither am I. Which is why we are doing our best to return to our respective homes." He thumps in and then pushes an elbow against my side. "Turn over. It is more comfortable when I cup my body against yours."
"You mean when we spoon?" I obediently turn onto my side, hugging the pillow to my head. Aron molds his body against mine and slings his arm over my hips, and I hate that he's right; it does feel way more comfortable like this. I fight back another yawn, because I'm tired. All the food I have to shove into my mouth makes a girl sleepy. At least I'm not gaining weight, even though I'm pretty sure I'm eating triple what I normally do. "So what's the plan for tomorrow?"
"Get the lay of the land from the farmer. He will know where all these roads lead to and the safest way to head. Take a mount, get supplies, and be on our way. We cannot stay here for long like we did with Omos. They are not nearly remote enough."
"I figured." I think of Omos, that kind, sweet man who opened his home and offered everything to us. His letter to his goddess is still in my pack, and I wonder if he worries over it. I hope he's doing well. He's the only person on this planet I'd wish good things for. Well, no, I guess that's not true. I want to help Vian and her poor, worried husband.
And I guess Aron is okay, too.
I think for a moment of the two farmers. "Are we really going to take their supplies?"
"You would rather starve?"
"Well, no, but I would feel really, really guilty if we stole all their stuff and left. They have a little baby. One on the way, too."
"Your heart is too soft, Faith." Aron pats my shoulder. "We will leave them coins if that will ease your fears."
Oh. We do have some money. "That's a great idea. Thanks, Aron."
"They will do us no good where we are going, unless you are fond of chewing on coins instead of food."
I should have guessed that Aron wouldn't be totally selfless. Still, he's thinking of others at least, even if it's only to shut me up. "I'll talk with Vian in the morning and see how much it would cost them to replace the supplies we take." The farmer's wife will probably try not to take the money, but I can push it on her. She has mouths to feed. Of course, thinking of Vian makes me also think about our conversation we had earlier.
I put my hand under the pillow, feeling around, and sure enough, there's a tiny pouch. Deathwort. For preventing pregnancy, she'd said. Good lord.
"You realize they think we're sleeping together?" I point out to Aron.