A Night With Corrin

Chapter XXII (Heat)

You awaken to the fire's crackling orange flames with a groggy yawn.

Very little light penetrates the window shutters to the side of you compared with earlier - a sure-fire sign that the sun is setting. As ever, you don't feel all too rested.

Exhaling quiet frustration over the fact, you glance leftward.

Flora still snuggles beside you with an arm linked through yours. Breathing outward gently, she opens her eyes and flashes you a small but no less soft smile.

"Did you rest well, Keiji?" the maid asks kindly.

"Sadly not, no." You shake your head. Then you smile thinly, reassurance so that Flora doesn't worry about you. "Fret not though, lacklustre sleep is all too common for me."

Flora frowns gently, regardless of your efforts to ensure the reverse. "I'm sorry to hear that. Is the cold too much for you?"

While it's certainly chilly in the house (even with the fire crackling) your coat staves off the worst of it. You chuckle thinly. "How Felicia and yourself don't feel weather such as this still eludes me. As I said though, worry not. I'll manage. I've gone into battle plenty of times while lacking good rest."

Flora's concerned look heightens a little bit. "And say something bad happens because you're short of alertness, what then?"

"A fair point." You exhale gently, bested. "But still, it isn't as though I have the luxury of resting much longer."

"You do, actually. The sun sets very slowly in these parts. It rises slowly in the mornings, too."

An interesting titbit of information. One you were clueless about until now. "How slowly, exactly?"

Tapping a finger against her chin, Flora ponders. "I'd say about two hours to rise in the mornings, and about the same when setting in the evenings. All in all, I don't think an extra hour's sleep risks hurting our plans at all."

Sleep's allure calls out to you: she's a tempting mistress. "That would be lovely, honestly. Though I don't rate my chances of relaxing all too highly."

Flora gives a short hum of understanding. Her deep blue eyes glint with curiosity thereafter. "Then pray tell, what would it take for you to rest soundly?"

You ponder the notion for a moment or two. "A fair hint of luck, given my frequent nightmares. And I suppose a nice warm bed wouldn't go amiss, either. Try as I might to ignore it, this place certainly isn't warm." You smile for Flora as not to upset her. "Even with you cuddled beside me as you are."

"Well, if that's the case..." Flora's cheeks pinken slightly. "...You could always rest in mine and Felicia's old room upstairs. There's a nice queen bed in there - the sort with thick feather quilts. There's a window overlooking the street, as well. That way, I can watch for any happenings while you rest." Raising a hand to her mouth, Flora yawns deeply. "Well, unless I doze off for a little while, too."

Saying you feel groggy after the long journey getting here is an understatement. Your urge to get warmed up makes your comrade's suggestion even more appealing. Lastly, is the danger factor. While this village is enemy territory, you have faith in Flora. She'd have your back were anything to go amiss during your brief respite period. If you both sleep, doing so with the candles blown out will draw little attention to the house as far as a passing Nohrian patrol is concerned. And beyond that, it isn't as though seen any soldiers walking the streets since you and your men arrived, anyway.

Decision made, you unthread your arm from Flora's middle and get to your feet with a short and groggy groan. "Alright then, you win. I could certainly do to rest a bit longer." You stretch out your arms and turn your neck from side to side to work out the tension from napping.