The Systems Challenge

Chapter 464 - Arriving at the Inn

While they could have set up camp, it was quickly agreed on that they were close enough to the village to push on the rest of the way so they could reach an inn before they stopped for the night. Primarily in the hopes of being able to get a bed, though Elin had her suspicions that the inn might not have enough beds to accommodate everyone, even if they shared beds. Such as Elmo with Jonas, Patricia with Patrick, Heather with Sonya, and Kim with Elin. As that still left Owen, Elwin, and Bart. Making it seven beds that they'd need and while Elin recalled them taking up three or four beds before, she was pretty sure that the inn in the village didn't have many more beds than that in general.

It was possible that Elin's estimate was wrong, but Elin remained skeptical about it all as they continued on. Especially since the motion to set up camp had failed, which she had fully supported at that time. She didn't know what would happen if the inn didn't have enough beds to accommodate all of them, but that wasn't for her to worry about. If anything, she'd be able to let them know that she had supported not pressing on like that.

Although, she wasn't entirely upset about the decision. As she also wanted to sleep in an actual bed. One that she didn't need to worry about an inconvenient rise in the ground preventing her from getting comfortable or needing to worry about rain falling on her while she was soundly asleep and waking her up.

While the weather hadn't threatened that this night, it hadn't some of the nights previously only to have a deluge wake her up and leave her miserable the rest of the night as the rain would pour down. Even as they would later start moving on with their walking during the rainstorm, she would still be just as miserable. The only difference being that it felt better for her to be moving during that than waiting for it to either end or it to get light enough that they'd be able to continue on.

When they arrived at the inn that Elin remembered waitressing at, she couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic at it. Where it almost felt like she was returning to a place of security, despite the circumstances that appeared just before they'd left this place initially.

While she didn't care much for the stew that they served, she couldn't help but enjoy it as it brought back that same feeling of when they'd been here previously.

"You're certainly looking like you're enjoying yourself," Kim remarked as she sat down next to Elin who was just starting on her second bowl.

"It's just that it's so familiar," Elin replied, unable to come up with a better response that also covered how she felt about it.

Kim nodded, looking like her mind was elsewhere, which Elin wasn't sure was a good sign. Not with how she'd been looking at Elin through most of the day.

Elin hadn't thought much about it during the day, but looking back she realized that there was either something that Kim wanted to talk about or an issue she had that Elin wasn't yet aware of.

Or at least that was her interpretation of the looks she could remember seeing as she talked with Elmo, trying to understand the process of trying to get so she'd be able to have a child with Kim. A child that would be both of theirs.

"What were you talking with Elmo about?" Kim asked casually, though Elin caught a note in her voice that indicated it was more than a casual question.

"Nothing much. Just about the prenatal magic book," Elin said, not sure how much detail she should go into. Especially since she wasn't really ready to talk with Kim about this. Even though she really wanted to.

Kim nodded, as if she expected as much, but Elin had her doubts about that. "Was there anything particular about that book that you were discussing?"

Elin was certain Kim was fishing for information now. While she sounded like she was trying to sound interested in what Elin was interested in, the way she was asking her questions felt more like she was probing.

Elin was pretty sure Kim wouldn't be as interested in what Elin had been talking about with Elmo otherwise. Although, she wasn't yet sure if Kim was asking these questions because of a lack of trust or if there was some other reason she was doing this. Which was the only reason she didn't shut the questions down outright.

"Just trying to understand Elmo's explanations about it," Elin replied. "I still don't understand how I'm supposed to have an egg inside me and how that affects anything or how-"

Elin stopped talking as she realized Kim was chuckling. Which eventually turned into outright laughter. Elin didn't see what was funny about what she'd said, but she did eel a change in Kim. One where she wasn't trying to pretend to be casual.

"Sorry about that," Kim apologized after a few minutes as her laughter died down. "I was just trying to figure out what it was that you were trying to keep secret from me."

Elin blinked. She wasn't trying to keep anything secret from Kim. Although, as she thought about it, maybe she was, just not because she wanted it secret, just more that she wasn't wanting Kim to find out and maybe get her own hopes up about them having a child together.

She couldn't say if Kim had figured out what Elin had been up to, but she was pretty sure that whatever Kim had been probing about, if it wasn't exactly what she'd said, was over for now.

"What'd you think I was talking to him about?" Elin asked, feeling like turning the tables on Kim. "I mean, you had to have thought that there was something I was talking to him about that you didn't like."

Kim grinned at Elin. "Would you believe me if I said that I didn't have a clue as to what you were talking about?"

Elin shook her head. "You had to have had some guess at least. Even if it was a wild theory that you hadn't quite found the words for."

"If I didn't have the words for it, what makes you think I'd have them now?" Kim asked, her tone lightly teasing.

Elin couldn't help but laugh at that. She wasn't sure if she should really press on the matter or if she should let it go. Especially since whatever it was that Kim had been so worried about seemed to have been resolved.

"In truth, it wasn't what I thought you might be talking to him about, but rather that you were talking to him about it than me," Kim continued, startling Elin.

"Why would that matter?" Elin asked, not sure if she should have asked in the first place. It felt like something she should have let go and left alone, but it was already too late to not ask that question.

Kim shrugged. "It doesn't really. I guess I was getting a little jealous about it," Kim answered, sounding decidedly uncomfortable as she spoke, looking at the others as if they might be listening in.

Elin glance around as well, unsure if there was anything that she should be aware of in regards to their surroundings. Though she didn't see anything that felt like she should take note of it.

Instead, what she saw was Elmo and Jonas at a table with Sonya and Heather, Elwin, Owen, and Bart were sharing a table with Patricia and Patrick, while others from the town were doing their own thing.

Part of Elin wondered if maybe she should take another look, just in case there was something she'd missed, but when she turned back to look at Kim again, she had her attention back on Elin again.

"What were you just looking around for?" Kim asked, sounding partly amused, partly like she had when she'd been probing Elin.

Elin merely shrugged. She really didn't know what she'd been looking for. She'd really only looked around because she'd seen Kim doing that. "Nothing. I thought maybe that I'd look around with you to see what you might have been looking for yourself."

Kim shook her head, a wry grin on her face. "You know, sometimes I forget just how you are. Not like anyone else I've experienced before."

Elin wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a compliment or not. It sounded like it was, but at the same time it sounded almost like it could be an insult depending on how it was taken.

However, she was willing to give Kim the benefit of the doubt. Even when they'd been at odds with each other, Kim hadn't been intentionally hurtful with the things she said. So, she was willing to trust that Kim didn't mean it as an insult, even if that's how it was supposed to come across.