I woke early in the morning, the blankets draped over our entwined forms as I heard a low rumble in the distance. My arm draped over her, I forgot for the very briefest of seconds where I was until I felt Emmaline snuggle into my chest. The rain hammered down above, drops sliding down the window where a faded light gleamed in. 

For the first time in a long time, I was content. I did not have a deadline or a contract, and though I sort of had a boss, currently she was wrapped around me and was also my new girlfriend. Whether that made things more complicated or simpler, I didn't know. This was definitely new ground for me. 

I felt the call of nature and regrettably I had to pull myself out of her embrace. She whined, but I kissed her forehead and whispered I would be back, before I put on a shirt and my spare trousers and walked out into the hallway to find the lavatory. Apparently it was still quite early in the morning, as I only heard a few small clinks of glasses and murmurs downstairs, the smell of breakfast barely making it to the stairway as I passed it. 

Once I finished my business, I stepped out into the corridor, rubbing my eyes when I nearly ran straight into an old friend. The fat, jolly merchant Beaumont, with his scratchy beard and elaborate robes. He was fixing his tiny hat after having just stepped out of his room. 

"My lord! Beren? My boy, what are you doing here!?" 

I don't know why I was embarrassed, but I was. Beaumont made his rounds with luxury goods all across the frontier, bringing news and goods to the outposts. He looked like a typical merchant, but he was one of the few men with the stones to travel that far with little to no protection save a few guards, and I even did it twice before. I had always trusted him. I suppose having him see me with a strange woman would be like an uncle catching me.

"Just my usual guiding, you know..." I said, just trying to get past the small talk. "I have a client wanting to get to Darkwater. I'll be gone for a few good weeks." 

"Darkwater? You're going that far down!?" He said, baffled and befuddled. "That's truly a far trip, but just so you know I've heard terrible things that way." 

"At the city?" 

"No, just in the region. Some leviathan is making a fuss. The hunters and trappers are afraid to go out. Just be careful, boy." He gave me a concerned look, all the while fixing his jerkin so he could be presentable to customers downstairs.

Once I gave him my goodbyes, I stepped back into the room. I knew he thought it curious I got a room to begin with. Usually I sleep in the common room and make way first thing in the morning, but I was tired after the last week, not to mention last night. I stepped back into the darkened room and glanced out the window, wondering just what lay ahead. 

Behind me, an arm lifted up from the bed and grabbed my shoulder, before pulling me onto the bed with a 'I want to be warm.' There was a ruffling of the covers and another entanglement of limbs before we both fell fast asleep again. A late morning was fine by me, I told myself... 

It was storming out anyway.