While the others went into the inn to find a lycan contact, Sabine stayed with Meesei and thought of how to proceed. Thankfully, she had a moment so distract herself in making a small magical flame to keep warm. It was a simple spell, less simple than just making light, but still simple. She stood still for a few moments to make sure that it was at a manageable magnitude, then nodded. For the little warmth it gave, at least it kept her fingers from freezing off. Now, directions. Sabine looked around and spotted a pair of the vibrantly dressed guards patrolling. They were helpful unless they were corrupt. It was a start. Sabine approached the guards, but not so eagerly that she would slip over in the snow.

The guards kept an eye on them as they approached. No doubt two hooded strangers with magic fire in their hands was not a sight to ignore. Sabine spoke quietly to get their attention. "E-excuse me." The guards didn't hear her behind his helmet, so she tried again a little louder, "Excuse me."

One guard stopped and faced them, prompting the other to stop as well. "Can I help you, citizen?" His tone was slightly grumpy due to the weather.

Sabine paused, thinking she had said something wrong. But found words before the guards walked off. "Courier's office. Do you know where the courier's office is?"

The guard's demeanour seemed to change to be helpful. Perhaps he was expecting something more stressful. He pointed down the street along the wall, away from the temple. "See that house on the left with the sign with a horse on it?" Sabine had to squint to see what the guard was mentioning, "That's the office right there."

Sabine didn't look at the guards before she started walking again, but she stopped a couple of steps later to turn and smile. "Thank you."

"Just doing my job. Stay warm, young lady." The guard turned and seemed hunched again as he continued his patrol.

As soon as they walked out of earshot from the guards, Sabine smiled triumphantly at Meesei. "Those guards were not corrupt, weren't they?"

---

The rest of the pack opened the door to the inn to be blasted by heat, smoke, chatter, and various smells. It was not unexpected, but the contrast with the frigid outdoors made it seem more powerful. Stepping inside, they quickly found that they had to discard their outermost fur cloaks in the warmth. It was warmth that they had never been so grateful for in their lives.

The inn itself was not especially large, but had more people than they were expecting. Some people were drinking or eating, some were just standing around to warm up for a moment. Virtually everyone was talking amongst themselves. There were a few patrons that threw glances at the pack, especially when they spotted Leaps' head sticking out from the collar of Janius' makeshift fur greatcoat where he was being kept for warmth. The hatchling's body was already making his front seem strange and contorted without his uniquely shaped head drawing everyone's attention.

The inn had its fair share of roughly dressed individuals, so even with the faint trace of an unfamiliar lycan in the air, they could guess that one was their agent. Fendros looked to the others briefly, "Let's wait by the fire for a bit. I have a feeling that an agent will come to us eventually. We'll look more closely if we get nothing by the time Meesei comes back."

True enough, while the pack warmed their extremities up, a group of three people around a table in the corner eyed them and discussed quietly amongst themselves. After about a minute, one of them walked out of the inn, picking up his coat in a hurry. The another stayed seated while the third approached the group briskly. He was a Nord who looked about as old as Lorag, probably a local. He wore his shoulder-length jet black hair combed back to reveal a widow's peak and he wore a thick beard that obscured his lips, but was not long enough to grab. His demeanour was authoritative, but not threatening. "You four. I know what you are, you know what I am. You are in Jerrick's territory. I can see that you have a child, so we will not attack unless you force us to. What is your..." A confusion came over the man as he cut himself off, he stared at Kaleeth-Rei for a moment, then continued, "...What is your business here and what is one of your kind doing so far up north?"