After the unpleasant experience with the gate security, she felt delaying here at the inn would be best. She didn't want to face another ordeal like that just yet. She relaxed into the fire-side seat, letting out a sigh as she did. It had been a very long, tiring two weeks since leaving her last haven, joining the band of gypsies. She'd eaten little, slept even less, and kept up a constant state of alert, expecting attack at any moment. It was taking its toll on her body. Her nerves were frayed, and she felt exhausted all of the time.<br/><br/>Before she knew it, she was dozing in the chair. The fire was warm, almost too hot for such a mild summer evening, but to her, it felt heavenly. The heat melted its way into her and left her feeling limp and heavy. As she dozed, she dreamed of darkness. The fear of her waking life forever tainted her rest. When there was a sudden, loud crash behind her, she jolted awake immediately. Rising from her chair, she crouched defensively. She was too late to notice the man who'd taken a dive behind the bar before he was out of her sight. She saw only the dark figure looming into the room at incredible speed.<br/><br/>She didn't think about it. If she had, she would have remembered that dark magic, such as she was so skilled with, was forbidden and feared int his kingdom. She would have remembered that being seen using such spells would surely get her hanged or worse. No, she didn't think about it first. Instead, she just acted. She was never a violent person, and always tried to do as little harm as possible. Still, she could see that attack was imminent, and saw no other target in the room aside from herself. Logically, she could reach no other conclusion than that she was being attacked. She concentrated for just an instant, and the shadows of the flickering fire grew darker. They gathered around her, condensing into a solid mass around her body. She gathered them closer, tighter, until she held a solid orb of darkness in her hand, then hurled it at the figure. It would hit with massive, concussive force enough to shatter a massive hole in the city wall. The instant the orb was thrown, she leaped without even watching to see if it hit. She gracefully arched in the air, leaping over the chair, and landed on her feet beside the bar. With one more leap, she hopped up onto it and crouched. She remained silent, mentally preparing her next spell.