“I would have managed,” Enjiope snapped as he pointed out how hard-pressed she would have been to survive without his help. She could feel the blood pumping in her ears, the frustration of having been so stupid. She couldn’t believe she’d told him her real name—she hadn’t been thinking straight. She’d have to be more careful with him until she could find a way to escape. Her eyes continued to observe as much as she could, about him, about the environment.<br/><br/>She looked squirrely to Valdaris, like an animal trapped in a cage, ready to bolt to freedom at the first real chance.<br/><br/>She saw the way he looked at her and felt vulnerable. It wasn’t often she came across many who would be of any use to her with a sword, but he had stepped in and—much to her disappointment—probably saved her life. Enjiope sheathed her sword as Valdaris continued to gather things, his hands becoming full and therefore less of a risk to her. Enjiope let him lead her out of the alley and into the daylight, leaving the bodies and the devastation behind them.<br/><br/>They walked as inconspicuously as possible, Enjiope not being able to resist looking over her shoulder to make sure they weren’t being followed. The wound on her shoulder stung, but it was nothing she hadn’t experienced before. A small public house appeared on the right about five minutes away from the alley, and Valdaris ushered her in. It was a small pub in a small building, sandwiched between two much taller stone buildings on either side, which overshadowed the small pub.<br/><br/>Inside, it was a dingy place, only a pair of patrons at this time of day and a small gnomish woman behind the bar on a raised platform that put her at head height with the patrons. She was in pleasant conversation with the pair of bar flies who looked already to be slipped halfway into a stupor despite it only being just before noon. On the floor there were a few tables, and then an elevated step which led to a second tier of floor with another few tables. All of them were empty of patrons. On the far right of the room, opposite the bar, a fire gently burned in the fireplace with a pot of perpetual stew bubbling above it.<br/><br/>It’s a quiet place to talk, and one that looks like it won’t be attracting many more patrons.<br/><br/>Enjiope gently tapped on where Valdaris had put the pouch of coins he’d pilfered. “How about we let him buy us one, hey?”