Travelers Rest
Mirel took kalies and started walking the roads bent towards downhill the lantern lights appearing one by one as dusk settled into night. The finally reached a town markets are almost closed only drunk people and beggars are on the street.
Mirel slowed his steps when he saw an inn.
A wide stone building stood at the edge of the the town.warm light spilling from its doors and windows, smoke curling lazily from the chimney. A wooden sign creaked above the door, carved with a simple symbol of a bowl and a roof. Travelers and merchants gathered there the merchants where unloading carts, weary riders leading horses, laughter and clinking cups drifting into the open air.
An inn.
Mirel adjusted his grip on the man in his arms.
Kalies was lighter than he looked. Too light.
His head rested against Mirel's shoulder, his hair brushing his neck with every step. His breath was shallow but steady now, no longer ragged. Still, Mirel didn't loosen his hold on him.
"Don't you dare wake up now stupid," Mirel muttered. "You'll ruin the drama for me"
The innkeeper looked up sharply as Mirel entered.
"Room," Mirel said immediately. "Food. Water. And don't ask questions my friend is tired ".
The innkeeper took one look at Kalies' pale face he didn't seemed to care much he nodded. "Second floor. End of the hall."
Mirel placed a two golden coins on the table .
He climbed the stairs carefully, ignoring the curious glances that followed him.
The room was quite large and clean. One wide bed. A table. Two pots of water.
Mirel laid Kalies down gently, far more carefully than he'd intended.
He placed his head on the pillow gently adjust his legs and removed his boots.
For a moment, he just stood there.
Watching kalies.
Kalies' chest rose and fell, slow and uneven. Frost still clung faintly to his lashes, melting now into tiny droplets. Mirel bent to his face and removed it. His face—calm even in weakness—was unreal. Not beautiful in the way statues were beautiful.
Alive.
Mirel reached for the white soft blanket.
As he pulled it up, Kalies' hands twitched.
Kalies' eyes flew open.
He gasped, sitting up too quickly breath tearing from his lungs as if he'd been dragged out of deep water. His hand went straight to his chest, fingers curling into the fabric.
The room blurred.
Firelight. Shadows. A stranger.
Kalies froze for a moment
"Hey, hey, Mirel said quickly. Take it easy ...I'm not going to take advantage of you mister"...
Im mirel I'm a great magician i will never do such things...
Mirel looked proudly...
Kalies recoiled, backing against the headboard, eyes sharp now despite the haze. His look swept the room, the door, the window—then locked onto Mirel's face
"Don't you dare touch me," Kalies said hoarsely.
Mirel raised both hands in surrender, smiling.
"Wow" you should have said that before"
"Who are you?" Kalies asked.
I'm mirel ...
Mirel tilted his head. "you are so rude You fainted into my arms in the middle of a forest you where alone and frightened me i took you here , and that's the thanks I get?
Kalies' jaw tightened. His fingers clenched in the blanket.
"I don't remember anything," he said coldly.
Where is Astromius?
Who? mirel asked surprisingly.
Mirel stepped closer anyway.
"You were bleeding. You could barely stand. I carried you here. There was no one there " He leaned in slightly. "You're welcome."
Kalies looked away.
The closeness was wrong. Too warm. Too familiar.
Something inside his chest twisted painfully—not from injury, but from memory. Gretchen's laughter. Gretchen's touch. A promise made in another lifetime.
He pushed himself to his feet unsteadily.
"I don't need you," Kalies said. "I will leave now"
He took one step—and staggered.
Mirel caught him instantly.
Kalies stiffened.
"Let go," he snapped.
"No."
Kalies glared at him. "I said—"
"You said a lot of things while unconscious too," Mirel cut in lightly. "None of them made any sense."
Kalies froze.
"…What did I say?"
Mirel smiled, just a little too knowingly. "Nothing important for me".
Kalies tried to pull away again, but his strength failed him. His weight leaned into Mirel's chest despite his will.
Mirel didn't move. I'm helping you.
"You should take the other room," Kalies said quietly, not meeting his eyes.
Mirel laughed. "Absolutely not in not that rich"
Mirel the bent towards to kalies where he can now touch his lips .
Mirel said
Don't think of me as someone who sleep with strangers.or am I mirel smiled
Kalies looked up sharply. "This is not appropriate."
"Oh, I agree," Mirel said cheerfully. "You're bleeding, pale, stubborn, and clearly terrible company."
"Then leave."
"No."
Kalies' voice hardened. "I belong to no one."
Mirel softened.
"I know."
That stopped him.
Silence stretched between them, broken only by the crackle of the hearth.
Mirel guided Kalies back onto the bed—slowly, giving him time to resist. When Kalies didn't, Mirel tucked the blanket around him again.
Kalies stared at the ceiling.
"It is a mistake." kalies said quietly.
Kalies turned his head away from mirel.
Mirel leaned back on his hands, deliberately casual. He looked at kalies and said "Relax. I'm not doing anything with you. Just… borrowing the space."
Kalies exhaled slowly, against his will.
The warmth of the room settled in. The ache in his chest dulled. His eyelids grew heavy again—not from weakness this time, but from safety.
Mirel watched as his breathing evened out.
"Stubborn," he murmured with a confused look in his face.
Outside the inn the snow was falling cold swallowed the roads and trees it's a cold night for every one.but
Inside, fate rested for now it's dangerous and silent it's between two men who had no idea how deeply their paths had already tangled.