Penna before Tyco stepped out.
“I have registered us and it seems there is still one room open in the inn.”
Tyco faced Max. “It has two beds, so as long as you don’t mind sharing with Mr. Penna we’re good.”
He then turned to Eve. “It looks like you will have to be outside again.”
Eve stared at Tyco. “Only one left? Didn’t seem like there were that many people here.”
Max shook his head. “Wait a minute, Tyco. Can’t you and Mr. Penna share a bed? Eve can have the other one and I’ll stay on the floor.”
Tyco smiled. “Sorry Max, I’m a loner.”
Eve tilted her nose up. “It’s okay Max. I’d rather stay outside anyway.”
Before Max could get in another word she grabbed her bedroll from Starlight and took off toward the campfire.
Tyco clapped his hands together. “Well, that settles that, shall we go?”
Max watched Eve as she walked past some other travelers and stopped in a vacant area on the far side of the campfire. “Actually, I think I’ll stay out here as well.”
Tyco’s voice grew stern. “Don’t be ridiculous, Max. You’ll need a good night’s sleep.”
“I’ll be fine out here, and I’m sure Mr. Penna would rather have the bed to himself.” Max took Starlight’s reins and followed after Eve.
“Max, get back here!”
Max ignored Tyco, reaching Eve just after she had finished unrolling her bedroll.
“It looks like you’ve found a nice spot.”
Eve looked up in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
Max laughed and began to unpack his things from Starlight. “Thanks for the welcome.”
“Sorry, Max, it’s just that I haven’t known you to turn down a bed.”
“Normally no, but haven’t you noticed how much Mr. Penna snores? The last thing I want is to be trapped in the same bed as him.”
Eve giggled, beyond Max she saw Mr. Penna walking towards them. “Actually, I hadn’t really noticed. Just how bad is Mr. Penna’s snoring?”
“Oh it’s awful, I’m lucky I haven’t gone deaf.”
“Is that so?” Max nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Mr. Penna’s voice.. He spun around and saw Mr. Penna a few feet away.
“Mr. Penna, I thought you went over to the inn with Tyco.”
Mr. Penna crossed his arms. “So I gathered.”
Eve burst out laughing..
“You saw him coming didn’t you?”
“Yep!” managed Eve between laughs.
Mr. Penna gave a deep, hearty laugh.
“Why did you follow us, Mr. Penna? Aren’t you going to stay in the Inn?”
“It is a beautiful night, Maxwell. I thought I might enjoy the outdoors. That is, if you will have me, snoring and all?”
Max shook his head and went back to unpacking his horse. Mr. Penna gave a chuckle and did the same. When Max finished he started to take Starlight to the stables. Mr. Penna stopped him.
“Leave Starlight here, Maxwell. The prices for the stables are outrageous. I am afraid Evangeline was on the right track yesterday. The Protectors have a nice little market going for themselves.”
Max dropped the reins and helped Mr. Penna unpack instead. Once finished, the three sat down to eat. Eve let Spook out, giving her some of the cheese Mrs. Tassi had sent. The little mouse devoured it then ran around picking up everyone’s crumbs. Max watched for a while before voicing what had been eating at him since crossing the river.
“You know, Eve, we’ve know each other so long that I’d stopped thinking about the fact you’re a different race. I mean, sure you’ve got ears and a tail, but, to me, that’s like someone else having freckles or a big nose. I guess I really don’t know what the lacarnians are.” Max studied Eve’s red tail and ears. “Guess that means I don’t know what you are. It never really mattered to me.”
Eve smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t really know a whole lot myself. I don’t remember much before coming to Swiftwater. I know I was in a forest first. Then I remember being squeezed in a room with others like me in the city.
“I have registered us and it seems there is still one room open in the inn.”
Tyco faced Max. “It has two beds, so as long as you don’t mind sharing with Mr. Penna we’re good.”
He then turned to Eve. “It looks like you will have to be outside again.”
Eve stared at Tyco. “Only one left? Didn’t seem like there were that many people here.”
Max shook his head. “Wait a minute, Tyco. Can’t you and Mr. Penna share a bed? Eve can have the other one and I’ll stay on the floor.”
Tyco smiled. “Sorry Max, I’m a loner.”
Eve tilted her nose up. “It’s okay Max. I’d rather stay outside anyway.”
Before Max could get in another word she grabbed her bedroll from Starlight and took off toward the campfire.
Tyco clapped his hands together. “Well, that settles that, shall we go?”
Max watched Eve as she walked past some other travelers and stopped in a vacant area on the far side of the campfire. “Actually, I think I’ll stay out here as well.”
Tyco’s voice grew stern. “Don’t be ridiculous, Max. You’ll need a good night’s sleep.”
“I’ll be fine out here, and I’m sure Mr. Penna would rather have the bed to himself.” Max took Starlight’s reins and followed after Eve.
“Max, get back here!”
Max ignored Tyco, reaching Eve just after she had finished unrolling her bedroll.
“It looks like you’ve found a nice spot.”
Eve looked up in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
Max laughed and began to unpack his things from Starlight. “Thanks for the welcome.”
“Sorry, Max, it’s just that I haven’t known you to turn down a bed.”
“Normally no, but haven’t you noticed how much Mr. Penna snores? The last thing I want is to be trapped in the same bed as him.”
Eve giggled, beyond Max she saw Mr. Penna walking towards them. “Actually, I hadn’t really noticed. Just how bad is Mr. Penna’s snoring?”
“Oh it’s awful, I’m lucky I haven’t gone deaf.”
“Is that so?” Max nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Mr. Penna’s voice.. He spun around and saw Mr. Penna a few feet away.
“Mr. Penna, I thought you went over to the inn with Tyco.”
Mr. Penna crossed his arms. “So I gathered.”
Eve burst out laughing..
“You saw him coming didn’t you?”
“Yep!” managed Eve between laughs.
Mr. Penna gave a deep, hearty laugh.
“Why did you follow us, Mr. Penna? Aren’t you going to stay in the Inn?”
“It is a beautiful night, Maxwell. I thought I might enjoy the outdoors. That is, if you will have me, snoring and all?”
Max shook his head and went back to unpacking his horse. Mr. Penna gave a chuckle and did the same. When Max finished he started to take Starlight to the stables. Mr. Penna stopped him.
“Leave Starlight here, Maxwell. The prices for the stables are outrageous. I am afraid Evangeline was on the right track yesterday. The Protectors have a nice little market going for themselves.”
Max dropped the reins and helped Mr. Penna unpack instead. Once finished, the three sat down to eat. Eve let Spook out, giving her some of the cheese Mrs. Tassi had sent. The little mouse devoured it then ran around picking up everyone’s crumbs. Max watched for a while before voicing what had been eating at him since crossing the river.
“You know, Eve, we’ve know each other so long that I’d stopped thinking about the fact you’re a different race. I mean, sure you’ve got ears and a tail, but, to me, that’s like someone else having freckles or a big nose. I guess I really don’t know what the lacarnians are.” Max studied Eve’s red tail and ears. “Guess that means I don’t know what you are. It never really mattered to me.”
Eve smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t really know a whole lot myself. I don’t remember much before coming to Swiftwater. I know I was in a forest first. Then I remember being squeezed in a room with others like me in the city.
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