Into the Darkness Second Draft

Realizations

Doug awoke with a start as Samantha shifted. Curled up next to him, her elbow dug into his ribs. He did his best to move her arm, but only succeeded in waking her.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Hey," he smiled back, blushing.

Giggling, she unfolded herself from beside him, stretching her arms and yawned, "Guess we're still here."

"Yep," Doug said as he rose, looking for his companions. He saw Carl asleep atop the bar, a puddle of drool beneath his head. Andy stood near the partially open door, axe on his shoulder, both eyes closed. "Where's Gottfried?"

Samantha looked around but couldn't find the frog either amongst the many other patrons asleep within the carnage from the previous night.

"He left after you two fell asleep," Andy said without opening his eyes.

"And you let him?" Doug said stifling a yawn of his own.

"Should I have stopped him?" The minotaur asked, shifting and opening his eyes. "I didn't know we were your prisoners."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that there might have been more wolves out there."

"What I told you last night still rings true this morning. The wolves, and Cain, are not after us. They're after you, besides, I trust him to look after himself."

"Of course, you're right."

"Of course he's right, are you really arguing with a minotaur?" Carl said, sitting up on the bar.

Doug shook his head, "no."

"Of course not. Now, what were you arguing about?" Asked the gnome.

"Gottfried is gone," Samantha said as she stepped over to the bar, weaving amongst the sleeping bodies upon the floor. "Is there any more of that cider?"

"Here," Carl said, hopping down behind the bar and producing a cup of the golden-red liquid a moment later from a gigantic barrel set into the wall. "Don't worry, he'll be back."

"Thanks."

"Until then, we've got a bit of a mess to clean up in here." Carl said, and then shouting, "Ok everyone, up and out. The sun is up and I'm sure you, well, most of you at least, have jobs to attend to, or at least families that are wondering where you are."

With some grumbling, and some more prodding, the companions managed to clear everyone else out of the bar and began to clean up the mess, starting with the table that Andy had knocked over. Once it was righted, Carl set about stoking the fire, and soon, with the help of a few additional logs, had it roaring to life again.

"Hey Andy, do you still keep those oats under the bar? Thought I'd set some porridge on."

The minotaur grunted, nodded, and continued to sweep the floor, sending a blue pencil skittering. "Doug, you'll probably want that."

Doug grabbed it and shoved it back into his box, checking over the rest of them before realizing that, in addition to the missing red, he was still missing a green. Dropping to all fours, he was crawling around, looking for the pencil when a voice interrupted him.

"Hey, I'm not that small," Gottfried said from the doorway.

Doug looked toward the frog, who sat astride a moss covered, bespectacled tortoise. "Lady Alisia, I presume?" He said, rising to his feet.

"And you must be this Doug, Gottfried has told me so much about," the tortoise said slowly, matching her gait as she walked into the building.

"Yes ma'am, I am, and this is Samantha," he said as Sam walked up beside him, taking his hand.