Bitterness churned in Esperanza’s gut. Not even the presence of Ireena, the woman who by all likelihood was her birth mother, could comfort her now. She’d abandoned a family who had cared for her for one who had given her away, and her loyal guard had paid the price for her impudence.<br/><br/><i>“As for your friend, I doubt he's dead, they don't finish em just like that." He snapped his fingers as he yanked open the door and began to filter through the dusty bottles hidden within. With a disgusted snort his chubby hand grasped a hearty bottle full of drunken promise and he muttered, finally stealing a look towards Esperenza. "He'll probably be alive for a bit. They'll take em to the castle, bleed him dry slowly, that's what they like to do."</i><br/><br/>Ishmark’s words, as cynically as he said them, were a beacon of hope for Esperanza. Xavier might yet live? There may yet be a chance to rescue him? “By morning then, we’ll–“ She looked around then, realizing she was the only one who cared if Xavier lived or died, so far as she could tell. Barovians were hardened to the plights of others, and she doubted she’d find any assistance here. Clearing her throat, she started again. “I’ll go, once morning arrives. Rescue him from that castle. Then, hopefully, I’ll be out of your hair forever.” Turning her gaze in the direction of the castle, not currently visible with the door closed and the windows shuttered, she added mechanically, “One way or another.”<br/><br/>And here she was, staying at this cursed house, before pledging to make the journey to Strahd’s castle that next morning. Clearly, so far as history was concerned, she was as doomed as the rest, but she was beyond caring at this point. All that mattered now was making it right.<br/><br/>The other man introduced himself as Andrei, the Burgomeister’s guard. She spared him a brief nod, and patted her sheathed blade. “Esperanza Sergovia. I can use the blade on my hip, so I’ll pass on a halberd but I might take one of the cudgels, if no one else needs it.”