"Warren, it's me. Nobody is here..."
He sat up, drawing his cloak around him.
"....oh! Cot. Sorry. I was off for a second...", he replied sounding half-asleep.
Coatleque tilted her head him. "Only a second? Don't tell me you just came in to sleep?"
Warren blinked hard a moment, considering. "I think? I made sure not to disturb you. I didn't wake you, did I?"
She turned her head barely stifling a yawn. "No, you didn't wake me. I wasn't aware you even came in. Anyroad, it is just past dawn. I thought you would want to be up and off."
"Hm?"
She blinked at him. "Back to Thanalan?"
He seemed more responsive after those words, though his body was slow to move.
"It's not even light yet, are you sure?"
She drew her cloak tighter around her shoulders as the brisk air began to set in.
"Y-y-yes. I think I've had enough of Coerthas for now."
He responded to her stammer, eyes opening and finding purchase.
"Alright. Are you sure you slept enough?" He rolled his shoulder in the socket, his joints were stiff from his 'rest' but he hoped not to relay that. Coatleque managed a smile.
"I've slept more these past three nights than I have all last week in the city. Worry not for me."
Warren frowned a touch. "I'm sorry to hear that, honestly." He knew he couldn't provide better but all the same lamented her dilemma. She shook her head at him.
"It comes with my station. I'm just... still getting used to it. I worry more for how you slept though, in this chair."
Warren sat forward and rolled his shoulders, his right arm needing more coaxing than the left. "I'm fine." He surveyed her, though his attention dropped when he realized she hasn't changed from how she has slept. She was clothed in only her cloak and a low cut night gown. Noticing his gaze, she blushed and drew her cloak together with her hand underneath. Standing up then she remarked, "Well... I should... make ready. And knowing our combined gil at this time, we may need to reconsider the Aetherite..."
Warren nodded, keeping his gaze away.
"I will speak with the guards. Take what time you need, I will... Talk to them." He rose without lifting his gaze in her direction, trying to give her what privacy he could afford.
Coatleque went back to the bedside and sat down to watch him leave the room. Once the door was closed she exhaled a breath she didn't realize she was holding, then went about changing back to her armor and packing up again for light travel. Once finished she left the room to go and find Warren outside.
**
Warren set about readying Victory for the ride home, and exchanging the little coin he had left for Coatleque's chocobo porter. The last bit in his wallet he spent on a breakfast of fruit and cheese, which her presented to his companion without comment beyond it belonging to her.
"Thank you.", she replied as she received the food. "You ate something already?"
He nodded. "I'm good. You need to pick up, though." He kept a continuous eye out on the inn around them, never seeming settled.
"If you insist.", she said as she laid her burdens on the bird. She was still shivering in the morning air, not quite awake yet. "I will just eat as we ride. Eager to be away from here."
"No one would blame you." Warren looked out to horizon, knowing the Shroud encroached on it already. The journey didn't matter near as much as the destination.
He sat up, drawing his cloak around him.
"....oh! Cot. Sorry. I was off for a second...", he replied sounding half-asleep.
Coatleque tilted her head him. "Only a second? Don't tell me you just came in to sleep?"
Warren blinked hard a moment, considering. "I think? I made sure not to disturb you. I didn't wake you, did I?"
She turned her head barely stifling a yawn. "No, you didn't wake me. I wasn't aware you even came in. Anyroad, it is just past dawn. I thought you would want to be up and off."
"Hm?"
She blinked at him. "Back to Thanalan?"
He seemed more responsive after those words, though his body was slow to move.
"It's not even light yet, are you sure?"
She drew her cloak tighter around her shoulders as the brisk air began to set in.
"Y-y-yes. I think I've had enough of Coerthas for now."
He responded to her stammer, eyes opening and finding purchase.
"Alright. Are you sure you slept enough?" He rolled his shoulder in the socket, his joints were stiff from his 'rest' but he hoped not to relay that. Coatleque managed a smile.
"I've slept more these past three nights than I have all last week in the city. Worry not for me."
Warren frowned a touch. "I'm sorry to hear that, honestly." He knew he couldn't provide better but all the same lamented her dilemma. She shook her head at him.
"It comes with my station. I'm just... still getting used to it. I worry more for how you slept though, in this chair."
Warren sat forward and rolled his shoulders, his right arm needing more coaxing than the left. "I'm fine." He surveyed her, though his attention dropped when he realized she hasn't changed from how she has slept. She was clothed in only her cloak and a low cut night gown. Noticing his gaze, she blushed and drew her cloak together with her hand underneath. Standing up then she remarked, "Well... I should... make ready. And knowing our combined gil at this time, we may need to reconsider the Aetherite..."
Warren nodded, keeping his gaze away.
"I will speak with the guards. Take what time you need, I will... Talk to them." He rose without lifting his gaze in her direction, trying to give her what privacy he could afford.
Coatleque went back to the bedside and sat down to watch him leave the room. Once the door was closed she exhaled a breath she didn't realize she was holding, then went about changing back to her armor and packing up again for light travel. Once finished she left the room to go and find Warren outside.
**
Warren set about readying Victory for the ride home, and exchanging the little coin he had left for Coatleque's chocobo porter. The last bit in his wallet he spent on a breakfast of fruit and cheese, which her presented to his companion without comment beyond it belonging to her.
"Thank you.", she replied as she received the food. "You ate something already?"
He nodded. "I'm good. You need to pick up, though." He kept a continuous eye out on the inn around them, never seeming settled.
"If you insist.", she said as she laid her burdens on the bird. She was still shivering in the morning air, not quite awake yet. "I will just eat as we ride. Eager to be away from here."
"No one would blame you." Warren looked out to horizon, knowing the Shroud encroached on it already. The journey didn't matter near as much as the destination.
End Chapter
