Praetorian Series [4] All Roads Lead to Rome by Edward Crichton Page B

men conversing raucously farther down the hall.  I ignored the lone individual, and focused on the group.  They were at the far end of the hall, but they were obviously looking in our direction and we appeared to be the topic of their rowdy conversation.  As with the innkeeper, I couldn’t be sure if they had recognized me or were simply discussing what kind of dirty things they would do to a creature like Agrippina. I didn’t trust them and already knew I wouldn’t be sleeping very well tonight – if at all.  They were an unruly lot, young and strong and brash, and it didn’t take a well-trained eye to identify weapons at their waistbands.
    I gritted my teeth and decided it would be best to do something about them before they did something about me.  Without giving Agrippina another glance, I made my way toward them, anticipating anything.  They watched me approach, their eyes focused and their muscles tightening for possible action.  Their discourse had evaporated completely by the time I arrived.
    I stopped in front of them and placed my hands in my jacket pockets, barely even noticing whether they thought my clothing odd or not.  I stood there quietly, eyeing each of them in turn.  I scanned each and every dirty and bearded face, analyzing their physical characteristics and body language, noting that each of them exuded an aura of violence that tickled me the wrong way.
    I looked at one at random.  “Are we going to have a trouble?”
    The man I was staring at glanced at his friends.  They all seemed equally confused by the time he finally looked back at me with a shake of his head.  “Excuse me, sir?”
    “Trouble,” I repeated.  “Did you bring any with you?”
    Again the man I was speaking to seemed to not understand as he sought insight from his companions, but he didn’t take nearly as long this time before turning back to me, his eyes wide and apologetic.  “Many apologies if our conversation disturbed you, good sir.”
    “Yeah…” I said slowly, leaning in toward him just slightly, “… sure you are.  Just stay on your side and we’ll be fine.  You see… this is your side,” I said, pointing to their little corner of the hall before twisting at my waist and indicating with both hands the rest of the lodge.  “That’s all my side.”  I pointed back at the far wall.  “Your side.”  Then I gestured behind me again.  “My side.”  Then I repeated.  “Your side.  My side.  Got it?”
    Another man behind the first raised his hands beside his shoulders.  “There is no need to grow upset, sir.  All of our rooms are indeed on this side of the…”
    “Shut it, Gandhi,” I said, snapping my head in his direction, and he immediately backed off, all of their faces more confused than ever.  “You’re not making any new friends here.  Now stay on your side.”
    I spun around and returned to the room the lodge owner had escorted us to, glancing once more at the shadowy individual in the room across from us.  He had a slender but extremely strong frame judging by his hairless calves – an odd grooming standard for shadowy figures – but he didn’t react to my presence so I turned back to the tiny room Agrippina now occupied and frowned.  I looked back at the innkeeper, who was already walking back to his post.
    “Where’s my room?”  I called out to him.
    He didn’t answer verbally, but pointed over his shoulder at Agrippina’s room as he retreated.
    I turned back to her.  “You only rented one room?”
    She was already sitting on the room’s sole, narrow bed as she looked up at me.  “For security, Jacob.  It’s safer this way.”
    “But there’s only one bed,” I said, but not too loudly so as not to alert our vile neighbors.
    She looked down at it, then back up to me, her smile coy and lovely.  “For warmth, Jacob.”
    I growled as I shrugged out of my pack and dropped it to the ground.  I took a step inside and yanked the curtain closed