Victor and I sat across from each other in the inn's dining hall, the morning light streaming through tall windows and illuminating our modest breakfast, which were bread, cheese, some kind of meat pie that was better than it had any right to be, and weak ale.
The silence between us was comfortable only because we'd both gotten used to it. Victor ate with mechanical efficiency, his mind clearly elsewhere, probably already planning whatever Knight business he had for the day.
I focused on my food.
After finishing the last of his ale, Victor stood abruptly, pushing his chair back with a scrape of wood against wood.
"I have work," he announced, not quite meeting my eyes. "Knight duties." He pulled out a small pouch from his coat and tossed it onto the table between us. Coins clinked softly. "So I won't be babysitting you today."
I raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
