<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff8000">"What conclusions,"</span>he asked, taking a break from devouring the contents of his plate. Truly he was confused by what she meant by her retort, feeling that he hadn't assumed anything except what she portrayed.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff8000">"In the future, if you want my help, I'd suggest using them. What's trivial to you may mean the world to me. But, since we're from different places, I will wipe the slate clean and start over."</span>Bayek went back to eating, nearly finished with his first plate. Sheena appeared a few moments later with Archane's plate, as well as a second for Bayek. His appetite was, after all, quite large.<br/><br/>When the girl mentioned something about paying him back, Bayek immediately dismissed the gesture.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff8000">"No need. I've little use for the money I have, and what I do have is meant to be used. You're not putting me out."</span>Taking his plate from the lady innkeeper, he admired the care that she had obviously taken to prepare Archane's dish. Steamed vegetables were not typically on the menu, being a lower-class establishment, but they did have some, and it was clear by the presentation that Sheena had selected the cream of the crop, so to speak. It was true that neither Archane's or Bayek's kind were trusted, appreciated, or even marginally liked in most parts of the world. But the aging woman seemed to see past their appearances. It was the way she treated Bayek that kept him coming back.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff8000">"Bayek,"</span>he said, tapping his chest.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff8000">"Just Bayek."</span>He didn't have a family name because he didn't have a family. As far as he was concerned, his lineage would die with him. There would be no name to pass to his children because that simply was not in the cards for him.<br/><br/>Bayek sighed, staring at a piece of grilled meat with a somewhat lost expression in his eyes. He tried not to dwell on his familial situation, or lack thereof, but every time it crossed his mind he had a hard time shaking it off.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff8000">"Before you begin, you should know something. What happened today in the square was not a common occurrence. Most people are not quite that forgiving. Traveling with me in your company is dangerous. A reasonable amount of effort can be taken to mask your true appearance, but that does not work for me. It would be better for your health to find someone else for whatever venture you've decided to embark upon."</span>Though his voice was a little on the cold side, Bayek hoped she would taken the lesson to heart. He traveled alone for a reason<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff8000">.<br/>
<br/>
"But I promised to hear you out. So, speak. Tell me what brought you here today, and I will listen."  </span>