RYUUNA<br/><br/>I had my back to the wall of the inglenook and could see the door so I noticed the knight and the woman enter straight away. I watched them approach the bar, the man I knew, von Rathman, our captain of the guard. The woman I did not, unless it was that peculiar Fienne Abernertt again, caught selling stolen baubles at her shop. But no, Fienne was never that slim, the little dumpling.<br/><br/>Orrel turned to look when they came into his peripheral vision and watching him watching them I could see what looked like recognition in his eye, for which of the two I could not say, perhaps it was the stranger.<br/><br/>Then the woman removed her cloak and it was obvious she was not what I expected.<br/><br/><em>An Elf? Here in Meadowvale? Here?!</em>I was shocked, truth be told. The Outsiders rarely entered even the borders of the Kingdom, they were so mistrusted, if not to say downright<em>loathed</em>, and almost never in memory had one been seen this close to Krynnberg before. I kept my composure and made no reaction. If von Rathman was her escort there had to be good reason for her presence, not that that made me welcome it.<br/><br/>My hand slipped down on the side away from my companion to my hip where a sprig of moon-cut heather warded against bad luck. I fingered it and muttered in my head words of protection.<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"I am a teacher of the way of the sword. I teach it because some people pay very well just to know the simple basics. Sometimes I feel like it is almost wrong to get paid for doing something so easy."</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><strong>"Oh, really."</strong>My response was a little weak, Orrel's reply had distracted me from my thoughts,<strong>"That is noble of you to pass on your skills, and I am sure it is a trade that pays well."</strong><br/><br/><strong>"That man--"</strong>I nodded at the arrivals, knowing Orrel had noticed them,<strong>"--is Captain von Rathman, he is the officer in charge of the soldiers billeted in the village. The other... I do not know..."</strong>As the soldier and his companion appeared to be about to order food he looked around at the room and I caught his eye and nodded a silent greeting. The gaze of his lady friend I avoided.