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There was something strange, Gatrie thought, about the way fate had led him and the other Mercenaries back to the since-dead Duke Tanas’ mansion, especially when he took in the state it was in now. Outside, the surrounding greenery, once carefully pruned and cultivated, was turning wild and overgrown, welcoming local wildlife to make their homes inside its bounds. Inside, also, was silent: everywhere in Ashera’s world of stone was silent, but the largeness of the estate’s halls and rooms served only to accentuate how empty and abandoned it had been. Still, he could swear there was some kind of energy about the place, like the owner may have died but his spirit was still very much alive, lingering around the halls along with them, but for now he decided to put the eerie feeling aside. After all, it was late in the evening now, and he and Shinon had taken one of the many guest rooms, a bed for each of them. They were only staying the night, so he wouldn’t need to stay in this mausoleum of a manor much longer.
But then, while he was really beginning to fall into a deeper sleep, he heard something out in the hallway like the shuffle of a person’s feet, and then like a sudden collision…
Gatrie snapped awake.
“Shinon… Shinon, wake up,” Gatrie said in a harsh whisper, a yell in effect even if not in fact. “I heard something outside just now.”
“I didn’t hear shit,” Shinon grumbled. Wrested from a light sleep as he may be, he wasn’t going to open his eyes or turn to face his companion just yet. That would be admitting defeat: submitting himself to Gatrie’s latest nonsense. “Except for your screaming.”
“I wasn’t screaming!” Gatrie insisted, though he was certainly louder now. “There were footsteps, and then a loud thud…”
“How many pairs of footsteps was it?” Shinon groaned sleepily.
“Um… sounded like just the one.” Gatrie admitted sheepishly, feeling now rather foolish for letting what easily could have been one of their comrades staying up a little too late, perhaps helping themselves to a midnight snack, get to him.
“There you have it. It’s just someone screwing around.” Shinon settled himself even more snugly into his veritable chrysalis of blankets. He wouldn’t allow any further disruptions to what scarce rest he got these days, he thought, when Ashera could send Her forces after them at any moment. “It must be two in the morning. Calm down and go to sleep.”
“But that doesn’t explain—” Gatrie began, but then…
“Mia, wait! Be caref—” Sounded Mist’s voice from a few rooms away, itself interrupted by something falling, crashing, and shattering on the floor; likely it was one of the manor’s many ornate decorative vases, from the sound of it.
“Oh my fucking God…” Shinon grumbled into his hands, covering his face. But then he put them down, and grudgingly mustered the energy to sit up, since he was clearly not going to get any rest anytime soon and was now finally ready to admit it. The room illuminated only by the moonlight at this hour, he couldn’t make out the finer details of his friend’s face, but regardless turned his own toward Gatrie’s direction. “Fine! I’ll bite: what makes you think this house is so haunted?”
“Well, we killed its master three years ago,” Gatrie said as a matter of fact, “so naturally his spirit would come back for revenge. Ghosts are always doing stuff like that in stories.”
Shinon couldn’t help but roll his eyes on hearing this. “So you think he’s going to come in here and kill us in our sleep.”
“Oh, God!” Gatrie shuddered. “Don’t even say something like that.”
“Why not? It’s what you were thinking.” Shinon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He hadn’t been there three years ago when this incident took place, so he could only imagine what the terrible spectre hounding at Gatrie’s mind must be like… not that he wanted to. He just wanted to sleep, for God’s sake. “You should be more worried that Ashera can send her dogs after us again at any minute. A single bloodthirsty ghost would be the least of our problems right now.”
“I guess…” Gatrie agreed, tentatively, “but I’m kinda getting used to them. I mean, they’re not very creative with their ambush ideas, and the Queen is keeping watch tonight…”
It’s horrible, really, that anyone could grow accustomed to the constant threat of attack from anywhere, at any time, but the sentiment was so obvious that Shinon didn’t bother putting it to words. Instead: “So then quit your fussing.”
But then, he added teasingly, “...Unless you want to share a bed with me, or something.”
“Actually…” Shinon saw Gatrie’s figure rise from his own mattress and begin to approach him.
“Wait, I was being sarca—” Shinon protested, but it soon became obvious that Gatrie was going to take him up on his offer regardless. In the interest of not getting crushed, he moved aside that Gatrie might lie beside him, though the bed was only just big enough for the two of them.
“No take-backs,” Gatrie said, sounding pleased with himself, “And you’re hogging all the blankets, anyway.”
“It’s fucking freezing,” Shinon complained, a weak attempt at self-defence, as Gatrie rearranged the sheets to fit over the both of them.
“Because it’s the middle of winter!” Gatrie shot back. He’s settled now, and their bodies are warm together. “Besides, you’ve got me to keep you warm now. Aren’t you lucky.”
Shinon was lucky, though he wouldn’t say as much. It is as well, though, because they both knew to take his silence as agreement, in this case. “...Stop yapping and go to sleep.”
“Good night, Shinon.”