There was a slight draft in Vell and Sonder's room.
For the rest of the evening, the innkeeper had complained about the cost of repairs.
Fortunately, the worst of the damage had been covered up.
Even so, the room was warm enough for both Vell and Sonder.
More importantly, it was sheltered from the rain. After several days of traveling through rain and wind, it was a welcome change.
Sonder thought she ought to help with the cleaning or perhaps the repairs. After all, the innkeeper had given them a room for free, and she didn't like the idea of taking something without giving anything in return.
The innkeeper himself didn't seem like the sort of man who would give something away for free.
Meli's coaxing, along with the fact that Sonder had saved several people, had persuaded him to agree, but it was obvious that he'd rather have been paid.
But that could wait.
She was tired. Now that she finally had a proper bed, she found herself wanting to sleep.
With Vell back by her side, she no longer had to worry about him or wonder whether she would ever see him awake again. She could simply lie down, knowing that he was nearby.
And she no longer felt as drained as she had in the Yellow Mage's tower.
Now that she was so far away from it, with the bad memories behind her and Vell beside her, falling asleep came easily.
She settled into bed with Sireacht nuzzled against her, and before long, she was asleep.
Vell, on the other hand, did not sleep.
He had rested, of course, but he felt that he had spent so much time doing nothing over the past three years that he hardly felt the need to sleep.
His body was still recovering, and he wasn't foolish enough to ignore that. But he wasn't an ordinary man.
His mind, however, kept wandering.
He thought about the weather. He thought about the city and the scholar Meli had mentioned. He thought about Endrith and whether there might be a connection between them.
There was no reason to assume that there was. Strange weather was hardly proof of anything, and he had no intention of deciding that every unusual occurrence in this world must have something to do with Endrith.
Vell waited until the inn had grown quiet, until the sounds of the night had faded, and until he was absolutely certain that Sonder was asleep.
Then, in the dead of night, he got up.
He moved quietly, taking care not to disturb her. She had been through enough, and there was no reason to drag her out of bed simply because he couldn't settle his thoughts.
He slipped out of the room and made his way downstairs.
The inn was quiet.
He looked up at the roof.
The broken section had been covered as best the innkeeper could manage, with boards and thick cloth stretched over the damaged beams. It was not a proper repair, but it would keep most of the weather out.
Only most of it.
A few tiny flakes of snow drifted through a gap in the covering, settling on the floor before melting.
Snow.
He stepped outside.
The moon shone through the clouds, casting a pale light over the wet stones of the road and the muddy ground.
Snow had begun to fall, though only lightly. Small flakes drifted through the air, catching the moonlight before settling on rooftops, window ledges, and the ground.
Vell held out a hand and watched a few flakes land on his fingers.
If the snowfall continued at this rate, the city would be covered in a thin layer of snow by morning. Perhaps more, if the weather grew worse again.
It was peaceful.