The Twelfth Moon || ✔️ [LOTM #1]

49. Swift Moon pt. 2

"Uh," I stammered.

"Don't get your hopes up," Jerr warned playfully as he closed the creaking door behind me. "I will sleep on the floor."

I breathed a small sigh of relief, but then the guilt gnawed at me. He'd like a good night's rest too, surely. But my reaction to seeing one bed had made him decide to sleep on the ground.

"I'll steal some of your pillows," he continued as he grabbed two old, stale pillows before he placed them on the floor, leaving me with one.

"Go ahead," I said. I dropped my bag on the floor, and my back immediately felt relief at the lack of weight dragging it down.

As I sat down on the edge of the bed, the springs underneath the mattress started squeaking immediately.

Jerr and I sighed simultaneously. "Great," I said.

"It's better than spending the night in the forest," Jerr countered.

"Can't argue with that." I lowered my back on the bed, letting the tiredness of my body slowly ebb out of me.

My body needed some rest, but as my stomach started to grumble, I knew it needed food, too.

As if on cue, a knock came at our door. The woman from before spoke through the door in that accent I barely understood. "Your roasted chicks," she hollered.

Jerr jumped up, before he answered in that fake accent, "Coming."

A few moments later, he opened our door and the smell of the roasted chicks filled the room instantly. Unlike the rest of this place, the food smelled good and I jumped up in response, ready to dig in.

"Thanks," he said again, after which the woman handed him the plates and closed the door.

I took my serving from Jerr's hands and crouched opposite him on the floor.

"Dig in," he mused, as he did just that.

I followed him, and the first bite of the hot meal was anxiously welcomed.

The taste didn't compare to that of our cooks in Rahas, but it was better than stale bread.

After we finished, Jerr took our empty plates to bring them back downstairs.

I found myself alone in this strange room, and I slowly realized that I was amid my enemies—Beckett's allies. But that feeling of unsafety never truly came.

I walked over to the small cabinet, made of dark wood, and started rumbling through the drawers. "At least something that doesn't creak in this place," I mumbled to myself.

The upper drawer was empty, but I'd found an extra blanket in the lowest one. I only saw one blanket lying on the bed, so this was a happy find for tonight.

The space was very cramped. Other than the bed, which wasn't that big either, and the cabinet, there was just enough room for Jerr to lie comfortably on the floor.

I sighed as I shut the drawer again, the moaning from the hallway seemingly getting louder now that I was here alone.

Jerr didn't stay away for too long and came back with two large glasses of water.

"You've found an extra blanket," Jerr noticed. "Thanks." His face shot up at me, with a genuine smile of gratitude, the expression softer than his usual grin.

"Wouldn't want you to get cold on the floor," I joked.

It was now Jerr who rolled his eyes at me for once. "It's better for my back anyway."

I laughed a little as I got under my covers.

Which resulted in a frown from Jerr. "You're keeping those clothes on for the night?"