Avery considered the monk's question.  Had he fought?  Yes... but what was the difference between fighting bandits and fighting sell-swords? Weren't they<i>all </i>trying to kill you?<br/><br/>He pulled his collar up to cover his neck and the bottoms of his ears.  The breeze had picked up and he could feel the cool air fingering its way into his clothing.  He shook his head at the monk and replied quietly. "I think that most of the people who have fought don't like to talk about it."<br/><br/>The appearance of the castle brought silence to his lips though.  It was like a huge, damaged dragon sprawled across his vision.  The broken gates bespoke of the violence of the war, and signs of battle still lingered in charred stone and old bloodstains that had not been cleansed completely.  The whole place gave him the shivers.<br/><br/>He found himself unconsciously walking closer to their knight lady boss.  When she opened the doors to the private west wing he peered inside.  The long hallway was lined with doors on either side and a window at the end. Avery's mental map figured out which door would lead to the room with the most southern exposure; hopefully the warmest room in the coming winter.  He eyed her briefly as if to say '<i>really?  Any room?', </i>and then he practically sprinted to the door and flung it open.<br/><br/>Space.  Glorious space... and it was<i>all his</i>.<br/><br/>There was<i>lots </i>of space in the room. A window with curtains -<i>ACTUAL </i>curtains! - and a tidy narrow bed, a trunk, a small table and chair.  Pegs on the wall were obviously for his cloak and belt.  He inhaled deeply; the scent of a burning beeswax candle inside the room greeted him.  It was warm and lightly mellow.  Safe... clean...<br/><br/>Turning his face back to where his commander stood he grinned.  "Where do you want us to meet you in the morning Sir?"  Once he got his answer he was going to go inside, prop the chair behind the doorknob to lock it the best he could, and sleep.<br/><br/><i>Glorious </i>sleep.  In a place where rats didn't run across your face at night and you didn't have to worry about being stabbed in your sleep (probably). Avery had found his heaven.