"Oh."<br/><br/>Sigrun desisted from invading Larea's personal space, which was performed with absolute disregard for her feelings on the matter, after the situation was cleared up by Riu. She withdrew back into the room, knowing now the outcome of the duel, and the impossibility of success.<br/><br/>Learin, on the other hand, was surprisingly relieved over the matter. The whole deal was a cointoss; he would feel terrible for denying him, but at the same time he was not looking forward to dealing with the potential repercussions.  The situation allowed him to evaluate the boy, proving himself to be resourceful and not give a second thought about using others to his gain; certainly showing he can hold his own after taking his bodyguard as his slave as a safety measure. That and... well, Learin had too much pride to simply make it as easy as a simple "Yes."<br/><br/>"Then you'd better be ready to set out tomorrow," he remarked as Riu was preparing to withdraw into his room, "While you may own Sigrun, I still own myself and my mission, which is still mine to dictate as I see fit. Be sure to keep that in mind."<br/><br/>He took a few steps back before the door was shut, looking to his white-garbed guide, giving another bow to her.<br/><br/>"I am sorry for the outcome of this... little did I expect him to use your disability to his advantage. But, I do thank you for helping find my assistant, with her mindset... I don't think she wouldn't called out to me. Probably believe me to be some sort of imposter if I yelled down these halls like a madman." His fist surged up to his mouth as he cleared his throat, "Anyway, I'll be sure to see you before we head out tomorrow. Thank you again for your time, and good night Miss Larea."<br/><br/>The exasperated educator expanding his estuary elucidated his existing level of exhaustion, causing him to think of that current sentence in an alliteration that doesn't make too much sense. He really needed to sleep if he managed to unintentionally utilize an umbrage he so universally... abstained from.<span style="font-style: italic">Huh, couldn't think of another U-word there,</span>he thought as he proceeded down the hallway, followed by a smack to the forehead for trying to think this out.<br/><br/>Another hand soon crash landed on the reddening wastes of his forehead,<span style="font-style: italic">I forgot to ask Sigrun what room we were staying in!</span>he remembered. However, that was a problem easily solved by going downstairs, asking the innkeeper what their room was, and then promptly heading to said room. The torpor was setting in heavily, as this day was dragged out far longer than it needed to. When he finally reached the just-barely-functional-and-mildly-serviceable excuse for a piece of furnature, he dropped all his research materials and landed with a loud "Thump!" upon the mattress. The stress from today's shenanigans was only going to multiply tomorrow.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>After the door shut and Riu magnetically drew himself to his bed, Sigrun underwent the same routine that she performed not long before. Parking herself near the door and barricading it from the inside with her slab of metal. With little else to look at, her eyes drew themselves to the only other structural vulnerability in the room, (Aside from the lackluster craftsmanship of the commoner rooms,) that being the window.<br/><br/>Noticing her new owner slipping peacefully into the somber lull of sleep, she recalled that she had only performed this service for two other people. One was Lord Learin's apprentice, who was constantly under many threats; so many in fact, Sigrun was instated as an official taste-tester for any new food article that would arrive for either of them. The other person was... was...? It was strange, most memories for her were absolutely clear, to the point of being able to practically relive the moment. This one felt... distant? Hazy? She paid it little mind, only regarding it as a potential anomaly, and continued to scan the room with an acuity of an eagle's gaze the rest of the night.