Whether the words were meant for his ears as well as Tara’s he did not know, but his kind had far more sensitive hearing than that of a human, and as a result each and every word the older woman said reached his ears as clearly as they no doubt reached Tara’s own. He didn’t think it needed stating how much she disliked him, and he rather fancied she would be staring a hole through his back as he stood outside in the cool crisp morning air – pondering for a moment whether it was worth turning and giving a knowing wink or some sort of acknowledgement to the older woman… No, that had the potential for causing more harm than good – he was close to getting the girl away from perhaps the only one amongst her kin would could help her, and once she was in his care he was certain that things would be all the easier for it.<br/><br/>Still, he couldn’t help but chuckle a little as he heard Tara talk of old wives protections against the fairy folk – the noise probably just about loud enough for it to carry back into the house so otherwise soundless was the world both outside and inside the inn. The thought that she might attempt the clothing myth did bring him some further amusement though – he had noticed her beauty as well as her most comely body when she was first shown to him, and if anything his kind appreciated beauty.<br/><br/>When finally Tara made her way to his side, he had turned up the hood of his cloak once more – perhaps in response to the chill within the air, but most likely because while it was still very much the early hours of the morning he was wary of being spotted by any of the villagers. Not that from a distance they would probably notice his somewhat otherworldly appearance, but it paid to be careful in dealings with her kind – that much he knew.<br/><br/>‘There is a…’ he paused for a moment, as if thinking of the best word to use for her ‘gate… a little ways walk from here within the forest. Your kind probably wouldn’t know of it for what it is, but it will enable us to travel from here to a place where we can obtain something that will be of use to you on our journey. I just hope we have enough time…’<br/><br/>And with that, he began to walk away from the village at a gentle pace – knowing from experience it was best to start slow and build up the pace later, like in so many things. ‘You are a very brave young woman’ he commented simply as he pulled the cloak a little closer around his body once more.