A stone wall was the first thing to greet her as her eyes fluttered open. Her body ached, like she had gone through a vigorous training session the day before. Something heavy was resting on her waist; glancing over she found it to be Vilkas's arm. He was still sound asleep, snoring softly and looking far more peaceful than she had ever seen him. Not wanting to disturb him, or deal with the awkwardness that was sure to ensue, Althea gently slid out from underneath and stepped onto the cold stone floor.

Oh, gods. The room was an absolute disaster; a chair was overturned, some of his books were on the floor, the trinkets on his dresser were knocked over, and his blankets were wadded in a ball in the corner as well as their clothing. Grabbing a shirt she'd hoped was hers, she threw it over her head and groaned when she discovered the collar was ripped. She didn't have time to worry about it now, if anyone saw her in Vilkas's room, neither of them would hear the end of it. Why can't I find a damn pair of trousers? With an exasperated sigh, Althea resigned to rifling through Vilkas's dresser drawers and nabbing a pair of leather pants.

After hiking them up and tying the laces, she quickly moved to the door, pressing her ear against the wood and listening for any hint of the other Companions. Her nostrils flared as she took a few deep breaths, hoping to catch the scent if she missed the sound, but all she could smell was the aftermath of their night. With careful fingers, Althea slowly pushed the door open, peeking out into the hall and seeing no one. A sigh of relief escaped her lungs and she exited the room, gently closing the door behind her. So far, so good. Her footsteps were quiet as she entered the hall, but came to a halt when a chuckle reached her ears.

Aela stepped out of her room, hair still tied at the nape of her neck and nightclothes hugging her lithe form. She stared at Althea with a knowing and amused grin, her silver eyes beaming with humor. "Rough night?" she teased, noting the tear in Althea's shirt.

I hate living in the room across from this woman. "It… I- I don't… " Althea stammered. She let out a defeated groan and muttered, "It was just for one night." Pushing past Aela, she opened her own bedroom door and without turning around, she said, "No one finds out about this, or my shirt's not going to be the only thing torn."