Upon re-entering, Odessa searched the room for Faleron with tear-bright eyes. Finding him, she ran to him, falling to her knees beside him.
"Oh Faleron, I searched and I searched, and it wasn't there! I can't find it, Faleron."
Wiping her tears with a gentle finger, Faleron looked into Odessa's eyes as he very subtly let his purse slip from his fingers onto the floor, or more accurately, onto Garreth's foot.
"Aye! <urp> Waz this?" Garreth cried out, reaching down under the table. "Some'un's lost 'is purse-- OW!" he yelled, coming up from under the table and nailing his head on it as it passed. "That table wa'n't there before!"
Saeryn looked at the man and wondered what he was like sober... Presumably not as clumsy. She smiled, covering a large yawn with her hand. Faleron carefully pasted a look of surprise on his face as his eyes landed on his "lost" purse.
"That's mine!" he cried. "Look, Desi, it's not lost after all. I must've dropped it by mistake."
"Ye sure it's yers?" Garreth asked with a sidelong glance that only the stout-addled can master. "I don' know ya, but ya look like it might be yers." He seemed to think for a moment before handing it over. "You just don't be spendin' it on no purty ladies late at night, laddie." he added sagely.
"Pretty ladies?" Odessa asked, confused. "How could you spend it on Maerlyn when we're days away from her, Faleron? And surely she's asleep by now."
A deep blush stained Faleron's innocent cheeks as he hastily changed the subject. "Speaking of sleep, lass, it's bed time and past for the both of us. We've been travelling long enough that a warm bed sounds like heaven right now."
"Ay, <urp> I thought I warned ya about them warm beds!" Garreth shouted, jumping to his feet and staring about a foot to the left of Faleron's face.
"Aye, m'lord, and of course you did. You told me that I should beware a warm bed because... uh... cold air is better for sleep and uh... digestion. I'll bear that in mind, and won't you too, Desi?"
"What? I mean... of course. Faleron, I didn't know cold air helped digestion... I should keep that in mind if I'm to heal."
Saeryn tried her best not to burst out laughing. For one thing, she knew it would hurt. For quite another, she thought it was sweet, seeing this young man trying so valiantly to keep the girl, Desi, her name was, innocent. Garreth was staring, much confused, into his drink as Faleron led Odessa toward the beckoning Bethberry.
Garreth looked up, glancing at each person around the table with the look of a man having a revelation. "Cold air <urp> aids degestion?" he asked.
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