“Are you in pain? It’s only been a few weeks since… anyway, even though you look better, you’re still recovering. You should rest more.”
“Nonsense,” Terena said with a sigh. “I’ll be fine. I… I need a minute.”
“You were gone awhile,” Sonah said, more to fill the silence than anything. “The men worried, so…”
“Mother hens,” Terena said with a smile. She straightened fully andpatted at Sonah to release her. The girl did so but slowly, eyeing Terena as if she were a babe taking her first steps.
“What do you think Croak and Orry are doing right now?” Sonah mused as they began walking back to the others.
“Well,” Terena said, her voice stronger now, “knowing Croak, he’s probably sleeping off a late party with one or several women. And probably in Orry’s room.”
Sonah laughed, a pretty blush rising in her cheeks. Her green and brown eyes flashed at Terena. “I bet he tells the women how his poor sick friend is a cleric and never been with a woman. I can just see Orry’s face.”
They laughed as they reached Rydon and Gabriol.
“That was one hell of a piss,” Rydon remarked. He mounted his horse and looked down at them.
“What’s funny?” Gabriol asked, leaning on his saddle horn.
Sonah smiled up at them, and Terena winked at her. “Just thinking about what Croak and Orry might be up to.”
“I haven’t known your brother long,” Gabriol said as he watched Terena mount Nyx. “But I’m betting he either spent the night at a brothel or had the brothel brought to his room. No, the cleric’s room.”
Sonah’s cackle warmed Terena’s heart as they rode off, her smile widening at the thought of seeing Croak soon.
The party had beena good idea in theory, but now Croak had the burden of getting the girls to leave his room.
Well… Orry’s room.
It had taken him the better part of an hour, but Croak herded the women along, their slow progress making his mood sour even more. He offered more coin if they moved faster and was rewarded when they quickened their efforts and left.
When Croak finally closed the door behind them, he looked around at the mess left behind with a weary eye. Orry had slunk out during the night to sleep in Croak’s room. He hadn’t taken too kindlyto being awakened by Croak and four of the women he’d convinced to join him from the nearby brothel. Yelling at Croak over the sound of the women’s laughter, Orry had stomped from the room.
Croak did his best to straighten the room before giving up. He grabbed up his breeches from the floor and hunted until he found his tunic, rumpled and stuffed in the corner behind the bed, before leaving the room. He walked next door and rapped on the door to his own room, listening for Orry.
When his knock was met with silence, he used his key to open it and slipped inside. Orry lay sprawled on his back, one leg on the floor, an arm flung over his eyes and his mouth wide open, snoring.
Croak groaned and walked over to the washstand next to the armoire. He splashed cold water on his face and gasped, blinking away the sleep as he fumbled for the towel on the bar beneath.
Walking over to his bed as he dried his face, Croak looked down at his friend, noting the color back in his cheeks and the easy way he breathed. Well. As much as he could tell around the snoring.
He snapped the towel against Orry’s leg and his friend jumped.
“Wha..”
“Rise and shine, gorgeous,” Croak said as he walked over to his bag, rummaging inside for a clean shirt. He sniffed at one, immediately tossing it back inside in favor of another. He reached back and tugged off the soiled one he wore and put on the new one.
Orry had moved to sit at the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.
“How’d you sleep?” Croak asked, eyeing Orry with a frown.
Orry grunted, then lifted his red eyes, blinking up at Croak owlishly. “Much better after I came in here.”
Croak grunted. “But you missed a hell of a party.”
Orry grimaced. He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck and sighed. “Breakfast?”
“If you’re feeling up to it,” Croak said as he regarded his friend. “I can bring something back for you.”
