Staying at the Inn

"Hm, so you're a family man? I can respect that!" stated Amma, grinning a little wider. "So, introduce me to your kids already."

"Sorry, they're not mine. At least, they weren't before I found them." Bil's face softened as he patted Nelphy and Jash one after the other. "I found Nelphy and Jash after the war. I had already been released as a soldier but I was in a border town when the announcement was made five years ago…

"And when the bordering nations retaliated after the conqueror's death, the town was left in rubble. Luckily, I found them as babies in the wreckage, along with their dying mother. She had protected them from the collapsing roof but was about to die herself…"

Nelphy paused her meal, looking up to Bil's tender face. Jash looked away and tried to hide his emotions.

Bil continued, "I promised to take them under my wing and protect them until they're grown. Once they're adults, they won't need to drag this old man around anymore. But until then–"

"We'll take care of you!"

Blinking, Bil chuckled and patted Nelphy's head. "You don't need to worry about me, dear. I'm just–"

"We will!" Jash stated, swallowing his huge bite of food. "You're family, Bil! You're family!"

"Bil?" Amma lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. "Is that short for–"

But Bil shook his head and said, "I'm Torbil, but I go by Bil for short. Please, don't compare me to his highness the conqueror. And I've been through more battles than I can count. That's how this happened…" Patting his own face, Bil slid his fingers horizontally across his covered eyes. "I lost my sight in battle. And that injury, along with many others, affected my memory. I only remembered my name from this."

Bil reached into his shirt and showed a necklace with a damaged nameplate at the end. "It reads, 'Torbil —-, captain of —-'. So, the only real details I remember from back then are my given name and position. I don't even remember my battalion… So I can't even mourn the loss of my men and women..

"Like I said, I'm nothing but a relic of the past, and not even a well-preserved one," Bil joked, lightening the mood. "And when the war ended, while everyone else celebrated, I was panicking. Everything I had remembered about myself was no more. The few memories I had kept of battle had become meaningless.. And I couldn't think of anything but taking my own life to join my fallen comrades….

"But these two have saved me. Now, I have purpose again. Though I do think I went a little overboard with that poor fellow. I just can't hold back when it comes to protecting these two."

"Well…" Taking in his story, Amma sighed. "Either way, as thanks for helping the town and us council members, I'll give you a discount for a night's stay. And I'll even throw in a time slot for the bathhouse."

"YAY!" Nelphy cheered. "Did you hear that, Bil! We can bathe!"

"And will there be food?" Jash quickly asked.

Amma nodded. "Of course, meals will be included. But after the first night, we'll renegotiate the price."

"We'll take it," Bil agreed, glad to see the kids happy. "When can we use the baths?"

"Let's head to the reception desk and find out," replied Amma, throwing some more meat on the grill. "I'll have to wait for these to cook anyway, so it won't be any trouble at all."

"Thank you, Amma. Kids, what do you say?"

"Thank you, Amma," Nelphy added with a bow.

Jash bowed a bit later, swallowing the last of his meal. "Thank you! Madam!"

"What kindness. I see that Bil raised you well, despite traveling all the time," Amma remarked. "Very well, let's get you guys comfortable. You all deserve some rest."

Eagerly, the kids followed Amma while dragging Bil behind them. Amma first handed them some small candies from behind the counter and then introduced them to the receptionist, selling them a room and bath time for one silver drit, half the normal price.

The receptionist then showed them to a nearby room on the first floor nearest the bathhouse, trying to accommodate for Bil's blindness.

The unique family had to wait a few hours, till the afternoon when their timeslot finally came. After lounging and relaxing in the room they were all rushing to the bathhouse at the side of the inn. With their wooden marker, the bathhouse reception let them through to the private mixed bath.

They all changed and stored their clothes in cubbies, grabbing towels instead.

But Jash commented, "Again?! Why are you still wearing your wrap?"

"Ha, I always wear it. You know that," replied Bil, sliding the door open to the bath. "Come on, hurry up. We don't want to waste a single minute of our time."