Strange Magic [Dragonsong]

[Zero]

"Fancy." Joss muttered dryly as he looked around the unimpressive room. It was better than an alley, though. Cobblestone didn't make for a very comfortable bed.

The bed was small, definitely only designed for one person, and it wasn't like he was going to volunteer to cuddle with Calen. For that reason, he didn't argue when it was offered to him, and didn't feel bad at all about the mage having to sleep on the floor.

With an exhausted sigh Joss practically threw himself down on the mattress. It wasn't the softest, actually a little lumpy, but he was too tired to care. "Good night, Frosty."

[DragonSong]

Calen snorted and slid off the bureau to the floor. "Night, Sunshine."

He tugged a blanket out from underneath Joss and wrapped it around himself before curling up on the flor next to the bed. He was fairly exhausted himself, and quickly dropped toward unconsciousness.

[Zero]

Despite his insistence that they would be parting ways at daylight, Joss was more than content to remain passed out well past dawn as long as he remained undisturbed. Between the hunt, all the magic he'd used, and getting beat on by Corryn the day before his body was just exhausted and sore.

Plus taking advantage of having an actual bed to sleep in.

[DragonSong]

Calen was up with the sun, as was his habit, though he was groaning and grumbling a bit to himself, stiff from sleeping on the floor.

Seeing that his reluctant companion was still asleep, he made his way quietly out of the room to the front desk of the small inn. Unlike the previous night, Allen was lounging back in the chair behind the desk. He glanced up and tossed Calen a smile.

"Saw you checked in. You brought someone with you?"

Calen shrugged. "He's still asleep. You got any grub around here?"

He was directed to the kitchens where Maria, Allen's business partner and wife, merely gave him a grunt and shoved a plate of food toward him. The woman always did have a knack for knowing what was needed and when.

He took the plate and returned to their room, trying to be quiet as he snagged a piece of bread and left the rest of the food on the small table beside the bed.

[Zero]

It was really the smell of food that woke Joss up with a rumbling stomach. He'd drank on an empty stomach and his head reminded him of it. His eyes had to squint open a crack as he groaned heavily. "Too bright."

Joss didn't want to see daylight ever again. At least his pounding head convinced him of that, because of course he couldn't blame the ale - he hadn't even had that much!

"Please tell me some of that is for me." He mumbled, rubbing at his eyes blearily before looking at the food on the table next to him.

[DragonSong]

"Sure is." Calen smirked and leaned back against the window frame, twitching the threadbare curtain to at least partially block the light. "Hot mash and some tea with lemon. 'Course I could always ask Maria for a hangover cure, but I'm not sure I want to disturb the woman so early for such a favor. She may eat me, and then where would we be?"

[Zero]

Joss threw his legs over the side of the bed, sitting up on the edge and rubbing his eyes with a heavy yawn. Obviously not a morning person. He picked up the tray and sniffed at the mush that was breakfast. It wasn't fancy, but his meals usually weren't. "Well if she eats you I think I would manage alright."

There didn't seem to be anything fishy about the gruel, so he took his spoon and shoveled a bit into his mouth. He only seemed partially awake and not really fully aware of his surroundings.

[DragonSong]

"Well, that's some gratitude," Calen said with a wry laugh as he leaned back against the far wall. "And how do you know you'd do alright without me? Maria might decide she's still hungry and come after you once I'm done," he noted casually.

[Zero]

"If you wanted gratitude you should have picked up a stray dog." Joss snickered between mouthfuls. He ate automatically, it wasn't about enjoying it. Food was food, and he was hungry. Given the way his life worked out taking advantage of a free meal was the smart thing to do, even if it was just some hot mash. "And she wouldn't eat me. Not enough meat on these bones to be worth the effort, all tough and sinewy."

[DragonSong]

"Hrmph. Well I won't fight you on that one," Calen chuckled. "You're a skinny lad, right enough."

He pushed away from the wall as it seemed that Joss was finishing up. "When you're done, we can vacate the premises. I've just got to grab that coin on our way out."

[Zero]

Joss snorted softly as he spooned the last bit of breakfast into his mouth. He really hated the implication that he was somehow a child by being called 'lad' and 'kid'. It was kind of demeaning, but he supposed he did look pretty young. Well, younger.

"You do what you like, I'm ready to split. We had a deal, remember?" He pushed the plate onto the table as he rose and stretched. They'd agreed to go their separate ways at first light and it was already past that.

[DragonSong]

"Alright, alright." Calen rolled his eyes and shrugged. "C'mon then, I can show ya out. Maybe even manage to slip past without Maria noticing."

[Zero]

"Why do we want to slip out without Maria noticing?" Joss questioned as he followed Calen, not that it really mattered to him one way or the other. He'd never met this Maria woman and she had nothing to do with him.

[DragonSong]

"She can just be...crabby," Calen hedged, not seeming to really want to elaborate on the subject.

[Zero]

"Sounds like she's just your type." After all, he seemed to take some weird pleasure out of pestering the hell out of Joss. He figured that Calen just liked pissy people!

[DragonSong]

He sighed dramatically. "I do tend to attract a rather ornery crowd, I suppose." Rubbing his chin, he added thoughtfully, "It's quite strange, I've always thought it would work the opposite.

[Zero]

"Things rarely work the way you intend them to." Joss said with a shrug, still following Calen through the buildings. He didn't really know where he was going and getting out with the least amount of fuss or trouble was preferable.

[DragonSong]

Calen chuckled and gave the smaller man a wink over his shoulder. "C'mon now, that's part of the fun, isn't it?"

With anyone else he might have given a friendly nudge or clapped them on the shoulder, but he had a feeling all that would earn him with Joss was a punch on the jaw, so he settled for a lopsided grin as he turned them down a hallway.

"And just where in all hells do you think you're going?"

He screeched to a stop, wincing as the strident voice rang out behind them. "Fuck me..." Turning, he widened his smile. "Hi, Maria."

[Zero]

"Fun, right..." The words were given dryly, with every sign pointing to sarcasm. Usually when things didn't go according to plan Joss found himself hurt in some way. Of course he had a bad habit of doing things to hurt himself on purpose - such as excessive drinking and smoking and picking fights he didn't plan on winning.

Joss whirled around at the voice, body tensing for a moment before he realized that it wasn't an actual danger. He relaxed a little, but an annoyed scowl was on his face. This was a delay to him getting out of here and away from the irritating mage.

[DragonSong]

Maria- a short, stout woman with a perpetual scowl- quilted an eyebrow, arms folded as she stared Calen down.

"How many times you gonna bring your strays in here, Cay, huh? Who's this then?" She jutted her chin at Joss.