The End of the Littlest One [Completed]

17. Going to the center of town. Figuratively.

The two of them were walking side by side on the road; each in their own track left by the carriages' wheels. Olivia was only holding her bread. Jamie had offered to carry her bouquet and was now carrying two.

Olivia had become more comfortable around him, now that she knew why he had been following her. They were conversing like they'd known each other for quite some time.

'You're correct,' Jamie said. 'I'm new in town. What made you think that?'

'The fact that you didn't know where the inn was, was a big hint,' Olivia said.

The cold wind made the tall grass on either side of the road rustle. The layer of snow on the ground only covered the shorter strands. The sky was fully covered in white and light gray clouds. The temperature was the lowest it had been yet that winter. Olivia's fingers had turned whiter than the snow, her nose turned red. Jamie's nose matched hers. Fortunately for him, he didn't forget his gloves.

'It is? Why?'

'The inn is usually described as the center of town.'

'But we're walking to the edge of town? We are going to the inn, right?'

'We are, don't worry,' Olivia laughed. 'The inn isn't, like, geographically the center of town. It's the place people meet at our bar. People can have dinners there or borrow books. It's that type of place.'

'The center of the community.'

'Exactly. I couldn't have said it better myself.'

The two approach a bridge. The river's water under it was partly frozen. Some ducks and geese walked over the ice in search for reachable water. Others sat on the bank of the river, in the snow, like they didn't realize they were slowly freezing themselves.

The sound of their feet on the frozen wood echoed under the bridge. After they stepped of the bridge, Olivia resumed the conversation by asking another question.

'So, what are you here for?' Olivia asked.

'Meeting up with someone.'

'That's nice. Friend or family?'

Jamie was reluctant to answer. He wasn't sure how much he could say, since he was still trying to hide his identity. Should he lie or simply avoid her questions?

'Why are you so curious about me?' Jamie asked.

Simply avoid it was.

'Strangers rarely come to this town. They usually pass through to the town nearby, which is bigger and has more accommodations,' Olivia explained.

'Then why have an inn?'

'I thought I was the one asking questions here.'

Olivia gave Jamie a playful look, to let him know she was kidding. Jamie saw her head turning towards him and looked back at her. Upon seeing the look on her face, he laughed.

'You're right, you're right,' he said. 'I apologize.'

'I forgive you. So,' Olivia said. 'What are you and your friend and/or family going to do together? I think it's safe to assume you're not staying here?'

'We might stay here for a day or two, but the plan is to travel further. Maybe visit another country.'

Olivia's eyebrows raised to the middle of her forehead.

'Another country? You guys have the money for that?'

Jamie got nervous.

I should watch what I say and give away as little as possible.

'Just barely. We also planned on travelling by foot a lot, which saves us a lot of money.'

'Smart. Is there a reason behind the trip?'

To survive.

'We've both been working a lot lately,' Jamie said instead. 'You could see it as a holiday.'

'So, to get some rest?'

'Exactly.'

They walk in silence for a while. The wind was still going strong. In the distance, a relatively large building popped up. Within ten minutes, they would arrive at the inn.

'Can I ask you something? I know you're the one asking questions,' Jamie said.

'Of course, you can ask a question,' Olivia laughed. 'What is it?'

'At the flower stall I heard you talk about a dinner reservation made at the inn tonight.'

Olivia hummed to confirm what the young man next to her had said.

'Will it still be possible to order dinner at the inn?' Jamie continued.

'You can,' Olivia nodded. 'There will be less space in the dining room, but you could let your meal be delivered at your room as well. It also might take a while before we've made the meal.'

'That's alright. Good to hear it's still possible.'

After a short pause, the conversation continued.

'Do you have any recommendations?' Jamie asked.

'Recommendations for what?'

'Meals? At the stall, I heard you were one of the chefs.'

'Oh, sure. Well, we actually recently added a new item.'

'Tell me more.'

'It's a pasta dish with, you guessed it, pasta. It also has some corn, carrots, and a red sauce. You could even top it with cheese if you'd like.'

'Sounds good.'

'We have much more than that, though. You'll just have to look at the menu when we get there.'

'I will.'

They continued their walk in silence, and enjoyed their surroundings covered in white.