"Well, dear, I am going to clean up and head to bed myself."

The woman quickly cleaned up, doing as she had said in a quiet and orderly manner.

"You room is across the hall from Garths. It is the first door on the right behind the kitchen. Goodnight!"

She nodded, cleaning up her own meal. Once she was finished, she went to her own room, closing the door softly.

Almost as soon as the womans door closed, a loud snore began. Garth immediately screamed, shoving a pillow over his face to muffle it. He forgot about the womans tendency to snore like a dying hog, but alas, it seemed they'd have to deal with it.

The snore made Garth abandon the idea of sleep, staring off into the darkness for the rest if the night.

Surprisingly, Xolia had no trouble sleeping through the snoring. Nosies didn't bother her when she slept.

Garth had gotten up before the break of dawn the next morning. As he did the night befote, he seemed fazed. Conflict glazed his eyes as if he had debated with himself all night over some matter that seemed important. He had many things to decide, such as his loyalties.

Xolia woke up around dawn the next morning, already ready to head out for the day.

He snapped out of his obnocious daydreams as he thought he heard rustling in the bedrooms. The woman that owned the house would often stay asleep until noon, so he figured it was Xolia.

"You up fireball?"

She opened up the door to her bedroom. " Yes. And stop calling me that. "

"Make me," he said with a teasing chuckle.

He had long since ceased being a gaurdsman of the royal family and now saw no reason to be professional. He was doing a friend a favor, so why not have some fun along the way.

"Anyway, fireball, we will probably leave soon."

If only she had the tools to sew his mouth closed ..

" I have no reason to disagree with that. "