Decoy Danger

Mylo was terribly embarrassed that he had gotten both him and Shila thrown out of the tavern, but the truth was that Shila had never felt so exhilarated. She had been in plenty of rowdy taverns and had been used to dirty men trying to mess with her, but she never expected Mylo to come to her defense and break the man's nose like that. In fact, it was that moment that made her see him in a different light. He wasn't grumpy and pessimistic. He genuinely cared. And to be honest, Shila was no longer interested in setting him up with other women.

Maybe that was a little selfish, but as they walked along the cobblestone together she would sneak glances at him and feel her heart flutter a bit. He talked about how he had no time for Bret and Trina's teenage romance and it was unlikely he had time for Shila either, but that didn't stop her from looking and wondering what it would be like.

She smoothed out the dress she was wearing, then held her hands behind her back as they walked. Lola had loaned the dress to her, since they wore a similar size and she said the color brought out Shila's hazel eyes. When Mylo wasn't looking, she found herself slightly tightening the bodice and moving the sleeves just a little further off her shoulders.

He glanced back at her and did a double take, seemingly noticing the slight change but not sure what the change was.

"Uh, should we go back to the inn, then?" he asked. "It looks like most places are closed."

"Go back to the in and do what?" she asked. "Hide in our respective rooms while you pore over the maps you already have memorized?"

"What else do you suggest?" he said, a little frustrated. "We tried going out, and I ruined the night."

"You didn't ruin it," Shila sighed. "It was exciting. God, you're annoying sometimes."

"What?" he said, brow furrowed.

"You're annoying," she repeated. "All you ever do is talk down on yourself, when you're actually so... kind. And sweet."

He had sort of a dumbfounded and stupid look on his face, so she changed the subject before he had the chance to respond.

"Ugh, sorry, I'm rambling," she said, shaking her head. "Come on, I hear something over there. Let's go see what it is."

She grabbed his hand and felt her heart flutter again when they touched, leading him towards the source of the noise. As they got closer, they found that it was some sort of family gathering. Shila peeked around the fence and watched the festivities. A few family members were playing music, while the younger family members danced and children ran around. It was a modest gathering, likely because they could only have modest gatherings. Still, it was nice to see such positivity in such dark times.

"We shouldn't be here," Mylo said quietly. "We're intruding on them."

Suddenly an older woman noticed them and they both stiffened. She said something to them in a language Shila didn't understand. The people of Solaris had their own language, though the native people were a dying breed and it was uncommon to hear it anymore. It was a warm sounding language, but Shila had no idea what the old woman was saying to her.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "We were just curious. We'll be on our way."

She said something to her again, and a younger woman stepped forward to translate in a thick accent.

"She asks if you are here to stop our party," the woman asked. "Too much noise, we are making?"

"No, of course not!" Shila said. "It just seemed like you were having such a good time, we wanted to see. We'll leave you alone now-"

Once it was confirmed that Shila and Mylo weren't there to shut down the gathering, the music picked up again and the older woman approached them with a grin.

"Oh, no," Shila said with a nervous laugh as the woman pulled her into the gated area.

"You come," the woman said. "Husband come."

Shila and Mylo both turned bright red.

"No, I'm not her husband," he said. "Really we should get going. We have to get back to our, uh, cat."

"You come, you eat," the woman insisted. "Big! Big, eat!"

She patted Mylo's bright shoulder as she called him 'big', and he turned bright red again. He and Shila were dragged into the party, but it turned out to be much nicer than they expected. There was a large feast of home cooked food that tasted better than anything Shila had ever cooked in her life. She made mental notes of some spices and seasonings that she would have to try when she had the chance.

Mylo was thanking the woman for the meal and getting ready to leave, but she wasn't about to let him go easy. Instead, she grabbed both him and Shila and dragged them to the dance floor. Mylo was embarrassed and did his best to understand the steps and keep up, but Shila was having the time of her life. She grabbed his hands and spun him around until he got a hang of it and was able to take the lead.

"Two left feet, Mylo?" she teased as he spun her around the dance floor. "No shame if you can't keep up with the best."

"Is that a challenge, Miss Hyde?"

"You'd never win."

He finally smiled and she laughed as he picked her up off her feet and twirled her around. By the time the band finished the song, both of them were laughing hysterically and the people around them were smiling too. They all applauded the band, but now it was really starting to get late and they had to take their leave.

They thanked the old woman, who demanded they both give her a kiss on the cheek and call her "Mama" before they left. They were happy to oblige after she had been so hospitable. As they walked back to the inn, Shila was still buzzing and there was a bounce in her step.

"How am I supposed to sleep now?" she asked. "That was incredible. I've always heard that Solaris was exciting, but those people were wonderful."

"She was a kind woman," he agreed. "Very gracious."

"So, how do you feel now?"

"Me?"

"Yeah," Shila nodded. "The whole reason I brought you out was to help you ease up a little bit. Do you feel a little more at ease?"

He thought about it for a minute, then shrugged. "There's still a lot on my mind. But you were right. Having a night off was good for my soul, I think."

"Good," Shila grinned.

Mylo walked her to her door and as soon as she opened it, Queenie strolled out into the hall with a loud meow. They both frantically shushed her before she woke someone up and they saw how late she and Mylo had come home. The cat seemed so offended, Shila and Mylo couldn't help but stifle another laugh. Shila pulled herself together and cleared her throat.

"Um, thank you," she said. "For walking me back."

"Sure."

They both stood there for a moment. Shila wanted to say something and he could tell, but she decided she wasn't going to cause him more stress.

"Goodnight," she said. "I'll see you in the morning."

He let out an exhale, then smiled.

"Goodnight."