<b>"Alessi Oakheart,"</b>she had replied as the man roundabout asked for her name.<b>"Jus' Ali is fine, though. And yours?"<br/>
</b><br/>He seemed to share her sentiments that taking on the Labyrinth was a daunting task, but seeing as he didn't immediately caution her against it, perhaps it wasn't as deadly as the rumors made it out to be. Even so, as she watched him attend a half-finished breastplate, letting her eyes occasionally drift to the rippling of his muscles as he worked, he held that it<i>was</i>dangerous. The name of the inn was bundled away for later, just in case she decided to pursue that potential lead, and she chuckled as he mused on the weapons those doomed explorers may have left in the bowels of the maze.<b>"Perhaps,"</b>she conceded,<b>"although I was hoping for treasure of a more kingly sort as well--something for the bards to sing about. Should I find any of your craftswork in there, though, then I'll be sure to return it <i>when</i> I come back from the labyrinth." </b>The last promise was delivered with a smile and a wink. Tempting fate was a bad idea, she knew, but she couldn't lose her nerve now.<b>"Perhaps then, we could celebrate with a few drinks."<br/>
</b><br/>After bidding goodbye to Eric, she loitered in the marketplace for a few minutes longer, taking refuge in the shade of a row of columns as she decided what her next move was to be. Part of her was worried that if she didn't take the plunge now, she'd never have the courage for it, but the rest of her urged caution. She supposed she could see if the town offices had any solid information on the labyrinth, but seeing as those offices had once been under Minos's rule, how she could she be that it was the correct information? If she had been an ancient king trying to keep her loot safe from thieves, she wouldn't have left a way for them to just waltz in and take it.<br/><br/>On the other hand, she wasn't sure how helpful anything gleaned from a bunch of drunkards would be, either. But if any of them were locals, perhaps they at least knew<i>something.<br/>
</i><br/>A place by the name of Punch-Drunk Fool was sure to stand out, and so she kept an eye out for it as she made her way towards the center of town. A drink sounded good right now, but she'd have to keep her wits about her for this. Once she had succeeded in her quest, then she could drink the night away--maybe with Eric to keep her company.