Must-have Discussion, The Floor or the Bed?

By midday, after crossing the river, the path curved downhill and opened to a small clearing where the golden spire of a temple shimmered faintly in the distance—a beacon just beyond the border of the kingdom. 

The two, tired but determined, approached it. 

The temple wasn't grand, but it was well-kept. Pale stone walls bore the emblem of Solvantar, etched deep into the archway above the entrance. Inside, cool air and incense greeted them. 

Kael moved without hesitation. He handed the provision writ to the temple's treasurer, an elderly priest with cloudy eyes, who read it, bowed respectfully, and returned with a modest pouch of gold coins. The man asked no questions. Though they offered a quarter for Kael to rest in, Kael politely refused and left in haste. 

Eryn watched all this with faint incredulity. "How useful is that note?" he asked as they stepped back into the daylight. "You can ask for anything, and the temple just gives it to you?"

Kael nodded, tightening the pouch on his belt. "As long as it's within their means," he said. "It also depends on the one who signed the writ." 

He glanced at the parchment again before tucking it back into his cloak. He turned to Eryn.

"Shall we find a place to rest for the night?" Kael asked, then he paused. It was still bright out, not even close to dusk. He opened his mouth to take the words back, but Eryn spoke first. 

"The next town is far from here," the young mercenary said. "The road ahead is rough, and we'll be crossing a savanna. We should rest here for the night and resume the journey at first light."

Kael nodded in agreement. But a thought crossed his mind, if we're going to stay here, I should have accepted the temple's offer… Still, he turned to Eryn and said, "Alright. Let's find an inn."

Eryn shook his head. "You can stay in the temple, Priest Kael. I'll just find a cheap room nearby." 

Hearing this, Kael immediately answered, "No, no. How could I leave you alone? If I'm going to stay in the temple, then you can just come with me. Surely the quarters in the temple can at least fit one more person, no?"

"I'm sure they can," Eryn replied with a small shrug. "But I'm not comfortable sleeping inside the temple."

Kael blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Deep down, he had suspected as much. The young man clearly held some disdain for Solvantar's name. Back in the cave, Eryn had scoffed at the mention of the god's name, too. 

Kael sighed and lightly slapped his own forehead. He should've known better. He had a hunch, and yet, he still invited him. How thoughtless of him. Being a priest didn't give him the right to assume others shared his faith, let alone make them feel obligated to walk into a temple they didn't believe in. 

"Then, let's just find an inn and stick together," Kael said after a moment of silence.

At that, Eryn's face brightened. A slow, self-satisfied grin tugged at his lips as he turned his head and cast a glance back at the temple, looking smug and almost taunting. As if to say, Look, your favorite child chose me instead.

But Kael, standing beside him, remained completely unaware. He simply assumed Eryn must have felt lonely from traveling on his own for so long, and now, finally, he had someone to share the road with. Maybe even the room. 

Kael imagined how comforting that must feel for someone like him. 

He must be relieved, Kael thought. It's hard wandering alone with no one to talk to, even harder to fall asleep without the sound of another breathing nearby. 

Content with that reason, he offered Eryn a small, sincere smile. "Let's look around before it gets dark." 

Eryn hummed in agreement, that playful spark still in his eyes. "After you, Priest Kael."

The inn they found was modest. A two-story building with creaking wooden floors and the smell of stew lingering faintly in the air. Kael couldn't help but be reminded of the incident at the last inn they stayed in. 

He approached the counter, ready to pay for separate rooms, but then, Eryn casually leaned forward and dropped the coins first. 

"One room," he said indifferently. 

Kael blinked. His head spun to his side, where he found Eryn eyeing the kitchen. He cleared his throat to get the young man's attention. 

"I can pay for two rooms now…" 

Eryn's gaze slid back to him. He waved a hand dismissively. "The journey ahead is still long, Priest Kael. Save your coins while you can."

Kael rubbed his forehead, a nervous smile tugging at his lips, "I'm starting to worry you'll charge me a fortune in the end. Should I begin keeping track of the coins you spent for us—just in case I need to reimburse you?"

The young mercenary laughed. "You can do that. But I'm not going to scam you, so don't worry."

"I should at least pay you for this," Kael insisted, reaching into his money pouch and fishing out the same amount Eryn had dropped on the counter. But before he could place it down, Eryn caught his hand and shook his head. 

"You're here because I didn't want to stay in the temple," Eryn said, gently pushing Kael's pouch away. "So, this one's on me."

Kael hesitated, but in the end, he dropped the subject and let it go. After all, with Eryn's firm yet strangely warm tone, there was no room left to argue. 

Seeing that the priest had given up, Eryn grinned and pocketed the key. Without another word, the two of them made their way upstairs. 

The room was simple. A table by the window, a wash basin, and one bed, not too small, but certainly not made for two grown men unused to sharing space. 

Later, after they'd shared bread and stew downstairs, they returned and prepared for sleep. Kael stood by the bed, uncertain. After a moment's hesitation, he pulled his sleeping blanket from his basket, intending to spread it on the floor. 

"What are you doing?" Eryn asked, as if the answer should have been obvious. 

Kael briefly glanced at him as he proceeded to make his bed. "You took the floor last time. I'll take it tonight."

Eryn was already loosening his belt, about to set his sword aside. "I'm not letting a priest sleep on the floor. Solvantar would smite me in my dreams."

Kael gave him a look. "You don't even pray to Solvantar."

Eryn chuckled. "Exactly. He doesn't favor me already. Imagine if I let his priest sleep on the cold floor?" 

Kael wasn't offended; the teasing in the young man's voice was lighthearted. Still, he hesitated to take the bed for himself. With a quiet sigh, he removed his footwear and sat on the bed he'd just made. 

What he didn't expect was for Eryn to sit beside him. 

The young mercenary leaned back lazily against the bed's frame, stretching out his legs, one foot resting over the other. He crossed his arms, tilted his head slightly, and grinned. 

"We can share the floor…or we can share the bed. Which one?"