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Tilda’s face twisted in revulsion when the smell reached her nose. Aloy has encountered worse smells. She supposes that when a person has spent centuries being ultra-pampered and privileged, a little damp mould probably seems incredibly disgusting. Good. Aloy bites her bottom lip to disguise her smile. Sylens’ face nearly always has the expression of disgusted hauteur; Aloy hopes this cellar is below his standards too.
Alva come pelting back through the doorway she had gone to explore with Kotallo.
“There’s another room so we won’t all have to cram into here,” the Quen woman says excitedly. The room is a bit cramped…
“I’ll take it.”
“Mine.”
Tilda and Sylens speak simultaneously then glare at each other.
“Oh I think not,” comments Kotallo. “There is not enough space down here for anyone to take one room to themselves.”
“And if anyone was, it would be Aloy and Kotallo,” Erend adds, “Because they be bumping pelvises.” The Oseram does a little hip grind to get his point across.
Aloy notices how Kotallo has to blink rapidly to hide his amusement when Tilda’s face twists even more.
“The inner room is slightly larger,” Alva says.
“We’ll split into two groups to sleep.” Aloy nods decisively. “Three people here, four people in there.”
“I baggsy Zo,” Erend calls. “And Alva.”
Sylens rolls his eyes. “How childish. You are not picking a team for a drinking game, Vanguardsman.”
“Zo, Erend, Alva – you take this room. Kotallo, Tilda and Sylens will be with me in the other room.” There isn’t going to be any countermanding that particular tone of voice.
Alva reaches for her pack. “I’ve got spare…” she stops when Erend elbows and Zo steps on her foot. Aloy forces down her giggle. She knows exactly what Alva was going to offer.
“There isn’t enough ventilation down here to have a fire, so cold rations tonight. We’ll set traps at the upper entrance and at various points down the stairs. We won’t bother setting watches. Long day tomorrow, we all need a good night’s sleep.”
Erend suffers a sudden coughing fit. Zo turns away to examine some markings on the wall.
Aloy wakes in the night to the sound of Sylens saying, “This is intolerable.”
“Is Aloy defective?” Tilda asks. “How can she possibly sleep with that noise right next to her?”
Aloy settles down, smiling happily, cuddling into her marshal. The loud whistles and wails emanating from Kotallo’s nasal passages coax her into sleep better than any lullaby.
Aloy exchanges knowing smiles and looks with her friends when she joins them in the outer room. Tilda is standing in a corner looking haggard. Sylens is drooping over a bag of dried jerky. She wants to laugh so, so much.
Aloy is munching on her own portion of jerky when Kotallo comes through, adjusting his tassets.
“Commander, you should have woken me,” he says. There is that special softness in his voice when he says ‘commander’.
Aloy beams at him. “You looked peaceful, Marshal. I could have just sat there and watched you sleep for hours.”
“That’s we did last night,” Sylens mutters.
Everyone pretends they haven’t heard him, except Kotallo, who looks a little bemused.
“Did you sleep well, honey pie?” Erend asks, fluttering his lashes at Kotallo.
“I slept well. As I normally do.”
There’s a strangled noise on Aloy’s left. She thinks it came from Zo.
“Babies wish they slept like Marshal Kotallo,” the Utaru woman says, her voice higher than usual.
Aloy bounces to her feet and over to Kotallo. She lifts her face.
“Kiss me, my marshal,” she demands. Kotallo obliges her with a short, thorough kiss.
There is a huffing noise from Tilda’s corner.
“I love you, Kotallo. I love you more than anything.” Aloy hugs him, grinning madly into his chest plate.
“Oh! That’s why everyone sounds muffled!” Alva exclaims. “I thought I was getting an ear infection, but I’ve still got my ear plugs in.”
It’s fortunate Aloy is leaning on Kotallo. She laughs until her legs give way.