Sleep, Interrupted
It was one of those rare times Michael actually decided to stop at an inn for the night. Normally, he camped out in the woods, too fearful of crowded rooms and the danger lurking wherever people managed to congregate. Today, though, his back was just a little too stiff, his skin just a little too chilled, and he couldn’t stand the idea of sleeping on the ground another night. He would risk it. Besides, he had the coin to spare.
The bed wasn’t exactly the softest, but the blanket was warm. When he thought back to the beds he’d slept in as a prince, it was a paltry substitute. He pushed that thought from his mind; best not to dwell on the past. After all, with his family dead, he was not a prince any longer.
A pair of loud, clanking footsteps rapidly approached his room. Instincts kicking in, he sat up, blindly reaching for his crossbow. He knew he would not use it, even against a possible threat, but he still felt safer with it in his arms.
The footsteps proceeded past his door and into the distance. He held his breath for a few seconds, then let it rush out in a woosh of air. Maybe someone badly needing the lavatory? Either way-
He nearly leapt from the bed as his door was suddenly flung open.
