Ruslan and Pasha got into a barfight over which of them was going to share a room with Irina. Eva and Matvei made the final call: Irina would share with Matvei, Ruslan would share with Isidor, and Pasha would share with Eva.
Ruslan stormed off to the bar to get roaring drunk while Isidor, Matvei, Pasha, and Eva packed all the extra food from their meal into their saddlebags. Fruit, bread, dried meat, and cheese wrapped up in paper was tucked anywhere that it would fit. Irina stood by, hanging on Pasha’s arm and asking him all sorts of questions about his life with a questing company.
“You can never have too many dried dates.” Eva sighed when she and Pasha had retired to their room. Nobody had to share a bed this time, thanks to the money that had been lifted from the robbers.
“I could have sworn that just today you refused to share a room with me.” Pasha pointed out, fluffing his pillows. Misha curled up at the foot of Eva’s bed, mewling contentedly. Eva hung her pants and Pasha’s whole outfit out of the window, securing them with nails pounded in with a book that Pasha had lifted from downstairs.
“I refused to share a bed with you. There’s a difference. Besides, it was either that or have you bedding with Isidor again and he would have just given up and died.” Eva tied the shutters open and collapsed onto the bed.
“No great loss.” Pasha admitted.
“No, but it’d be sort of low, having left him outside naked and all.”
“Since when have you ever been concerned with being ‘low?’” Pasha asked.
“I have some sense of human decency, you know.” Eva said indignantly.
“Not to mention I think you want Ruslan to shag the daylights out of Isidor.” Pasha continued to make himself comfortable.
“We’ve got the perfect vantage, too. Their room is above ours.”
“You are one sick witch.”
“Most certainly.”
“I just want you to know…”
“What?”
“If I had to shag anyone in this company, it wouldn’t be you.”
“I’ll sleep easier knowing that. Thanks, Pasha.”
“My pleasure. G’night.”
“Good-night.”

Isidor staked out the bed closest to the door and was quietly reading when Ruslan came stumbling in. The hero was reeking drunk.
“Rus?”
“You know, you're a fairy pretty lassh. Awfully nishe......nice. I have a room here, you know, if you wanna go......make sh'moresh.”
“Rus, what are you talking about?”
“I wanna shag yoush shenshlesh. Shenshlesh, you hear meesh? Shenshlesh!”

“Eva.”
“Eh?”
“Do you hear that?”
“Yes.”
“Isidor struck it rich.”
“Huzzah.”
“I propose a toast.”
“In the morning. Go to sleep.”

Matvei was not terribly enthusiastic about sharing a room with Irina the little robber-girl. He became far less enthusiastic when Irina began to complain about the cold.
“Oh, sir. I’m sssssso ccccccold.” She called breathily from her bed across the room. Matvei knew from travels far and wide with Eva that no freezing cold woman made an effort to sound provocative. In fact, the colder and more irritable they sounded, the greater chance they had of being provided warmth by some man noble enough to want them to stop whining.
“There are extra blankets on the floor.” Matvei muttered.
“I’m sssssssso lonely.” Irina sniffled.
“I’m tired. Go to sleep.” Matvei ordered.
Irina made some vaguely offended noises and rolled over. Matvei began to drift back to dreaming of working at a forge.
“Oh, sir. I’m terribly frightened of the dark!” Irina called out.
“Light the lamp. It won’t bother me.” Matvei assured her. Irina bounced out of bed. She lit the lamp and sauntered over to Matvei’s bed, where she dropped all hints of subtlety and jumped on top of the would-be bard.
“Look, I’ve been sharing beds with Eva, Pasha, and Isidor for two years now. I’d like the mattress and blankets to myself for one night.” Matvei complained, shoving Irina off of him. She made more offended noises and crawled back into the bed with him. As she cuddled up to his chest, Matvei decided that it would be easier and quicker just to ignore her presence.

“Eva?”
“What now?”
“Did you hear that?”
“No.”
“It sounded like bedsprings next door.”
“It’s just the din upstairs. Sound echoing or something.”
“Maybe we should check on Irina.”
“I’m sure Irina can take care of herself. Go to sleep.”
“Eva?”
“What?”
“Maybe we should check on Matvei.”
“He’s never done anything he didn’t want to.”
“Has he been drinking?”
“No.”
“All right. G’night.”
“Good-night.”

Seven