Arsenic

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  After he was finished writing on the small sheet of paper, he revealed it to Gretilde and Helmut.
  We should be able to arrive nearby Gare de Saint-Pierre-des-Corps by tomorrow and regroup with Eloise and Fred. Afterwards, we shall immediately bike to Poitiers.
  The two read the message and acknowledged the information.
  "This journey certainly will be merciless on our limbs." Helmut remarked, referring to the major aching in his wrists and legs.
  Gretilde nodded in agreement. "What about you, Drystan?"
  Drystan began to write something quickly onto his notepad.
  It is tiring.
  His dull response perplexed Helmut, while Gretilde found its frankness to be amusing. Drystan's silence aroused a sort of unsettling sentiment within Helmut. The fellow Resistance fighter did not know what the agent was thinking as emotion rarely reflected upon his features. Nevertheless, he still acknowledged Drystan as his ally.
  "All of our pains will be worth for the downfall of the beasts." Gretilde articulated with confidence. "It will all be worth it in the end."
  Drystan nodded in agreement, sharing her hatred for the soldiers of Nazi Germany. Perhaps, what Gretilde found amusing- was Drystan's axiomatic loathing for the barbarity of Germans. She had found a sort of kinship with the agent, although she was of the race he utterly detested.
  "That reminds me- we should ask the owner for extra food and water for the upcoming journey." Helmut suggested before he signaled the owner with a hand gesture.
  Once seeing his hand gesture, the owner of the hotel ceased wiping down the countertops of the hotel before scurrying towards Helmut.
  Stopping in front of him, the owner asked him on what he needed with an amicable demeanor. "Yes?"
  "May I ask you to refill our canteens? If you have some food to spare, that would be appreciated as well."
  "Ah yes, I'd be happy to do that for you." she affirmed as the three had given their canteens to her (once they had taken them out).
  "She's quite good for service, don't you agree?" Helmut remarked with a smile.
  "I cannot deny you that, she's quite polite." she agreed.
  Soon after waiting patiently, the owner had returned with fully refilled canteens and a few cheap vegetables. They laid the produce and canteens upon their table.
  "Thank you, miss. You have our utmost gratitude." Helmut necessitated to convey their appreciation.
  "Hopefully, these are enough. I need to make sure I have some for myself- of course." she averred.
  "No worries, this shall do. Thank you again."
  The owner nodded and returned to cleaning the countertops of the dining room. Helmut proceeded to distribute the vegetables equally amongst themselves. With Gretilde taking her canteen and her share of vegetables, she stood up from the table.
  "I believe we should call this a day. I'm sure that we are all exhausted." she proclaimed. "Considering we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, we should get a good night of rest."
  Helmut and Drystan nodded their heads in agreement and stood up as well with their belongings. The three of them proceeded to walk back to their rooms before closing their doors. After closing her door, Gretilde took off her shoes and returned to her washroom. She grabbed the pack of cigarettes she left on the counter inside the washroom and returned to her bedroom. Placing the pack upon the table, she let herself collapse onto her bed. She wearily stared at the packaged cigarettes as her head sunk into the soft pillow. Ultimately, she had closed her eyelids and slept.

  Waking up, Drystan's eyelids had slowly parted. Without his vision being obscured by darkness, his gaze was intently focused on the white ceiling. Feeling obligated to immediately focus on his mission, he sat up on his bed and got up. He walked into the washroom- brushed his teeth and combed his hair to keep up his appearance as a regular French civilian.
  He grabbed his loose tie that he had left on a counter last night. Using the mirror to assist him in adjusting his tie, he blankly stared at himself. Once he was done fixing his tie, he left the washroom. Drystan opened his suitcase and took his belongings in his hotel room before storing them inside. Closing it, he took his coat and hat from his coat rack and put them on. Taking his suitcase and putting on his shoes, he exited his hotel room.
  As usual, he had succeeded in completing a monotonous morning routine before carrying out his obligations. However, regardless of its monotony- he had never expressed complaints, deeming it to be wholly crucial to thwart the vandals of his life. He advanced into the dining room, seeing his comrades eating breakfast. Gretilde, seeing him, invited him over with a welcoming gesture.
  He sat down by their table and placed his suitcase by his chair. His plate had already been served with food, compelling him to pick up his utensils to eat. Drystan silently ate as he heard Gretilde and Helmut's conversation- although, he did not give heed to it.
  He pondered on the possibilities of the possession of a voice as he listened to their voices. He had one long ago, yet he could not envision himself engaged in a verbal conversation. The idea was almost foreign to him.
  "Drystan." Gretilde called out.
  He immediately was released from the grasp of his own mind and came back to reality. He turned his attention towards her.
  "You haven't picked up your fork for a few minutes. Are you alright?"
  Helmut had also stared at him in slight concern. Drystan nodded his head, reassuring them that he was in a state of stability. He picked up his fork and stabbed a piece of his breakfast, making sure to finish it without being interrupted by his thoughts.
  Eventually, all of them had finished their breakfasts and got up from their chairs with their belongings.
  "Thank you for your hospitality for these few days." Helmut nodded to the owner.
  "You mustn't worry- the pleasure is all mine." she responded. "I wish you all the best for your journey."
  The owner watched them as they left the hotel and put some of their belongings into the baskets of their bicycles. Turning on their headlights, they nodded at each other, started to pedal, and diverged in different directions.
  As Drystan rode towards his next destination, he asserted to himself to prioritize the mission at hand and not to divert his attention towards any type of interference occupying his mind. There was no need for himself to ponder so much as he continued to step down on the pedals of his bicycle.