The last bits of the fight merged with the mirages of her second sight, like two men fighting in front of a storybook page that had been weathered by time. It was the first time that Alianor recalled Galneak being forced to adapt his style quickly. Despite the rapid reactions, the youth still managed to outmaneuver him. While the pain subsided to a dull ache behind her eyes, she glanced around the clearing.<br/><br/>Sound returned, the hum of the city behind her, and hushed conversations of the defeated. The slide of Glaneak's blade as it returned to its sheath as he plodded over to the waiting group without acknowledging Alianor. This would have irked her if she hadn't been focused on the victor. For a moment, she thought he would bypass her, but as he turned, her heart froze in her chest. A million thoughts clamored for attention at once, so she simply nodded at first.<br/><br/>Beyond the easy smile and dark eyes she could drown in was the knowledge that Otean found him noteworthy. Perhaps the head practitioner could have gleaned in what way he was important, but it was beyond Alianor's skill. As she learned as an initiate, having sight was easy, but the real trick was understanding. If she had been at the monastery, she would have reported everything and had the keeper record it for others to interpret. Instead, all she could accomplish was drowning within his gaze.<br/><br/>When he offered a hand, she internally said a silent prayer, 'please don't let anything weird happen,' before taking his hand. The rugged, leathered calluses along his hand contrasted starkly with her soft petite hand. For a moment, she had a rush of panic as she tried to remember the customs for this area. For the life of her, she couldn't recall if they were supposed to shake, press their palms together, or if she should have offered her hand for a kiss. 'Too late now,' she thought as she gripped his hand firmly and shook it.<br/><br/>"Hi, I'm Alianor. Yes, it seems we will be spending a lot of time together over the next few weeks." Heat radiated from the statue, almost searing against her hip as she bit her bottom lip and forced herself to ignore it. At least it offered a welcome distraction from the warmth of his hand and the sweat-soaked shirt that clung to his shoulders. She exhaled slowly through her nose when he released her hand, and she smiled at him.<br/><br/>"Come on, I'll go with you to look into supplies. We have a cart if you want to bring extra supplies." Alianor glanced up at him from the corner of her eye as they walked. "Do you have a horse of your own, or should I procure one for you?"<br/><br/>She toyed with the idea of telling him about their injured traveling companion but didn't want to scare him off. Not at least until she had a chance to get to know him better. Simply so she could understand Otean's will and not because Anders was dashingly handsome. At least, that's what she told herself for comfort.<br/><br/>Galneak distributed a couple of gold marks to the losers and took stock of their faces. That meant six people in the city had their names and faces, at least his face and name. It was six more than he was comfortable with, but it couldn't be helped. As they began to disperse, he watched Alianor, and the mercenary interact. At least he seemed the polite type, and Alianor could handle herself at least. Though the smile and flushed cheeks gave him pause. The last thing he needed was a love-sick pup getting distracted from their job.<br/><br/>Galneak mopped the sweat from his brow with his forearm as he caught up to the pair. "I want both of you ready to go in two hours. I'm going to get the horses saddled and our supplies situated."<br/><br/>"Galneak, why can't we leave in the morning?" Alianor turned her head towards Galneak and gave him a pleading look.<br/><br/>"The sooner we reach the mountains, the better. So don't dally." Galneak pushed ahead towards their accommodations while Alianor balled her hands into tight fists. When Galneak was out of earshot, she released the tension in her hands.<br/><br/>"Well, you should know that we have an injured traveling companion. You're filling his spot," Alianor kept her gaze on the ground and blinked several times to prevent her treacherous eyes from spilling tears. When she managed to compose herself, she looked up at him. "I remain hopeful that he will recover, but he just needs time to heal."