The talking had been soft at first. Ali had almost drifted back to sleep, thinking the man belligerent but not brazen enough to actually harm Kirsi or to force his way in. The bed was so warm and he was still fatigued. However, that all changed when the door flew open, banging against the wall so hard it was like a blacksmith's hammer ringing against steel. Ali blinked, and the part of his mind that had kept listening flew back into focus. 

"She hasn't touched me, save to heal my wounds, sir." Ali remarked in a tired voice. He spoke with a weaker cadence, wanting the man to think him at death's door. "She's been very kind to me. You can ask the villagers. They saw her help bring me in from the road. It was a wolf attack." 

The servant only glanced at Ali, his eyes scanning the apothecary instead. He had the look of a man searching for some ill-gotten gains. Ali knew the type. Upjumped thieves given a small amount of power and stretching it to its limits, trying to gain an edge over the common folk they had so much in common with. Luckily, he seemed unsatisfied with what he found, and turned his attention back to Ali, sizing him up like a dull knife he had little use for. 

"As you say, sir. But this whore is tricky, and I don't trust you if you're under her spell." He said. "Gods know a woman like her could bewitch any man." 

"Sir, if you're here for your lordship... what does a life like mine matter? It's in her interest to have her gift prepared on time, as ordered. She would not waste valuable time on me if it led to her being late for your master." Ali coughed. "Let her resume her work. I'll be dead soon enough anyway." 

The man sneered. "True enough..." He said, and glared at Kirsi before shoving a pot of herbs onto the floor. The earthenware shattered, scattering herbs and shards of pottery. "Hopefully that does not make her any more tardy," He said with a laugh, and walked back out of the door, not even bothering to close it.