I never felt so welcoming to a bed like that; The straws were too thin to mask the bumps of the logs, the feathered stuffed pillow barely could be called fluffy, while the blanket was woolly and an infinite resource of itch and sneeze. Cheap was written all over my bed. Yet, when I use my elbow to help the pillow, lived through the bumps, and close my eyes under the woolly blanket, then it was paradise for me.
A fortress utopia against the wisp of icy breeze born out of the dawn''s call where they easily conquered the whole inn. Indeed, these three kept me warm, and well asleep... I found comfort until a roster crows.
Those crackle announces: Wake up, works begins anew. Normally I would have gotten out of bed with out a cinch; my body had already been trained to resist the urge of 5 mins extensions. Yet, I have to force everything just lift one leg and persuaded my other leg to follow.
Soon, I did manage to get up. Walking down stairs and treaded to the icy atmosphere... Damp and felt like every planks from end to end of this Inn were wet and cold. Drops of water echoed the place so did the smell of alcohol tickled deep inside my nose. The stone floor felt slippery as I treaded to the bar. It was the crack of dawn and the rays of this world''s sun is yet to surpass the mountains. But light was ample enough for me to dodge the stool and tables and check the cracked barrel. It halted to a drip and that the wooden basin was full of cold ale with some swimming dead roaches in it. I decided to let the innkeeper to decide what to do and took an empty bucket.
I was kissed by the icy lips of this isekai dawn as I pushed open the door.
The mechanical movement of my right hand rubbing the opposite shoulder gave scant heat for me to thread forward to the well with ice grip on the bucket.
Upon arrival, a silhouette of hooded figures were in line with sleeves up when rotating the wheel.
I stood in line behind the two. Taking deep breathers to stop my teeth from clattering as I watch them have a giggle at me. I giggled back and told them it''s a good morning today.
“Well, if isn''t the talk of the town. So good to see you getting up early in the morning again.”
Said the woman with crisp red hair as she took her filled bucket.
“Yeah, and just a thin clothing at this hour? Again!? My, my.”
Cried with disgust the woman in a brown hooded coat as she strung the handle of her bucket and threw it down where a sound splashing bwish echoed.
“I expected May to give the boy some normal upbringing after such incident, but looks like she''s being a captain again when his son -- Aw! Hey!”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.The red hair woman eyed at her with spears as she clenches her lips and threaten to hit her again.
“Ah... I mean what brings you here today young man?”
She broke a sweat as she gave me a shaky smile and a forced sweet tone.
“Er... Just need some water for washing purposes. ”
I raised my bucket as white smokes escaped my mouth.
“Ah. Of course you would, why would you be here a few moments before sunlight. Here.”
The brown cloaked woman then offered to fill up my bucket when she pulled up her bucket.
“No, no. I am, it''s ok, but I think you need it more.”
“Come on kid have it,”
The red hair woman suddenly filled my bucket.
“Woah!”
I buckled at the sudden action.
Having some enhanced strength would be great right now as I almost spilled the bucket. Right now my knees are shaking not by the weight but by the freezing splash that hit my chest.
“There we go, are you going back for a second round?”
She then took the brown cloaked woman''s bucket who was protesting to give her bucket.
“N-no... I... I think this is... i-i nuff... Thank y-y-you...”
Clattering my smile as I still attempted to hide my fa?ade...
“Off you go then, young one. You''re clearly freezing to death. Martha, will you be a dear?”
The crisp haired lady began tugging the brown cloak to give her coat.
“And risk the ire of the captain?”
She held her brown coat.
“Why not give yours?”
I fled the scene, knees hitting one another as I hurry back, away from the women that didn''t notice my hurry from their argument.
As I shut the door with haste I dropped the bucket on the bar, took a stool and sat near the fire place to make a fire...
"Achoo!"
Since when did you know how to start a fire without a lighter!?
Curses rang in mind as I raced upstairs. Throwing my wet shirt and kicking off my shoes as I dove in that itchy blanket. My mind hadn''t fully adopted that I am a world where flushing toilets doesn''t exist. Do they even have toilets in this era? Or do they just do it on a river or forest? Agh! Wish I had listened to my history teacher. Which I debated if it will be useful since he was just reading text book and no deep specific knowledge of the day to day medieval life of a peasants'' latrine etiquettes or fire making. That was quite specific of me to think as I closed my eyes back into my fortress of wool and concentrated on heating myself up.
I took deep breathes and used my breath to even intensify the heat inside this woolly world, and bumpy frame. I restrained myself from the scratching my whole body and merely commanded my hands to rub one another until it generated enough heat for me... For comfort... For sleep.
“... Wake up class is over.”
“What happened?”
I saw star float around me as the rumbling noise of my classmate pickup their bag and three blurry girls in front of me.
“Hmm... You don''t smell like alcohol, did you stay up all night doing your homework again?”
She then lifted my bangs. Her hands are warm, and I could feel it...
“You have heavy bags again.”
She sighed.
“M-Mary?”
As my eyes finally adjusted to the light and smashed together the three blurry girls to form a Blondie with green eyes.
“Mary? I... I-I am back?”
I looked around me and it was my classroom and classmates noisy as ever when leaving for the computer lab. I saw Neil, Allan, and Roland chatting to Erika and Jeanne.
“Half asleep are we? Come on, you can sleep besides me in the Com. Lab. I promise to hide you fro—”
“Hey, you''re sweating... wake up.”