Of all the things that Kara expected, she did not consider the possibility that he might just walk out of the room. She sat on her bed in stunned silence, and felt panic begin to well up inside of her. What if Hallbjorn didn't return? She couldn't fight and had no way to protect herself against the demons that had come for her. What if they found her again? She didn't want to know what they would do to her.<br/><br/>When he came back inside the room, she almost sobbed in relief. Then Kara saw what he held in his hands, and her eyes shimmered with tears that she refused to let fall. Her voice was thick with those unshed tears when she spoke. “Thank you.”<br/><br/>While the events of the night made her feel exhausted, she no longer felt that incredible weakness she had before. Kara slipped under the covers and pulled them up to her chin. She lay on her side, and looked from the dancing flame of the candle to Hallbjorn one last time before surrendering to sleep.<br/><br/>Thankfully, she did not dream. When she awoke, she found him right where he'd sat the night before and still awake. The candle was still lit. Those two things combined to make her feel safer then she had since the whole ordeal had begun. She didn't think he knew just how much she treasured that sense of peace and safety.<br/><br/>The candle didn't give off much light, but now that she had rested and Hallbjorn was without his coat, she could see signs of his wounds by the dried blood on his body. She had no idea he'd been hurt so much last night. He hadn't even said a word. Kara was sure that if she'd been hurt like that, she'd have been crying like a baby. Berserkers must be made of sterner stuff.<br/><br/>The mention of a shower had her itching to get in one as soon as possible. Kara climbed out of the bed and grabbed her bag. Before she went into the bathroom, she turned back to look at him. “You kept your word about the candle. That means a lot to me, Hallbjorn.”<br/><br/>Inside the bathroom, she found everything she needed. The first thing she did was brush her teeth. The thought that she might have blood breath almost had her laughing at the absurdity of it all.<br/><br/>Kara turned the water in the shower on, and made it hot enough that it would steam up the room. While she cleaned herself, she thought on all that had happened. While she may not trust Hallbjorn completely, she recognized that she was safest with him. Even though he had soothed her last night, Kara still felt ashamed of her fear. She resolved herself to try and tuck away her fears. She was about to embark on a cross country road trip. Just thinking about all the sights they would come across had her growing excited. Her body nearly thrummed with anticipation. The trip didn't have to be doom and gloom. Kara decided she'd make the best of it.<br/><br/>Once she was done showering, Kara grabbed a towel from inside the shower and wrapped it around herself. She pulled back the shower curtain and gasped at what she saw. Or rather, what she couldn't see. There was a thick wall of white in front of her, and it was so dense that she couldn't see the mirror or where her bag was.<br/><br/>Deciding that now was the time to start being braver, she reached out with her hand and swirled it around, then laughed as the mist moved. It had to be fog, though she couldn't be sure. Living in the desert all her life meant she'd never seen it in person. It was so much thicker then the steam she was used to after a shower.<br/><br/>After stepping out of the shower, she could feel the cool mist of fog touching her exposed skin. This was much more preferable then fire. Kara worried her lower lip with one of her small fangs. Now she had to figure out how to get the fog to dissipate, or else she'd never find her clothes. After feeling along the wall, she came to the conclusion that there was no fan in the bathroom.<br/><br/>But there was a window. She could just see the light from the frosted glass. Kara made her way to the light and found the window with her hands. She tried to open it, but it seemed stuck. Then, in a burst of strength, she accidentally broke the casing to the window as she shoved it all the way up. The dying afternoon light flood inside of the bathroom and the fog began to escape outside.<br/><br/>Kara could finally see the door. She was sure she'd made a lot of noise, and quickly rushed to open the door. “I didn't mean to. Somehow I got freaky strong while I was trying to open the window. I wasn't trying to escape.” She was quick to reassure him.<br/>