The Church? Had he said the Church? She put the bit of food on her fork into her mouth and chewed and swept a glance over him. He wasn’t wearing vestments or any signs of being a priest and those who had taken vows typically wore something to signify that. She hadn’t seen any such signs on him, but then, she hadn’t been looking. Her eyes skimmed over his fingers, to his neck and came away uncertain. 

What would it matter anyway if he were a priest? She asked herself. Things hadn’t been all that comfortable between her and the almighty since her little incident. She hadn’t made peace with dying, hadn’t even come close. She’d worked for the church before, but then that was back before she’d faced eternity and been uncertain what lay beyond it. Everything was uncertain in her life, but for one thing. She’d shook his hand and agreed to this. A deal was set and once set it was as if writ in blood. That was the only certainty and she would cling to it to ride past the terror that yawned and stirred inside her. 

“The Church.” She nodded ascent and stood. “But it is late and we have an early start ahead of us. I’m going to go make arrangements for my room with Florie and then I’ll start early and see you back to your place.”

It wouldn’t do to make a deal and then lose it because her patron got waylaid walking back through town at night, there were rough spots between the Locus and his church. He was hiring an escort after all, which spoke of his lack in the physical prowess department. 

She pushed away from the table and strode away towards the delightfully fleshy Florie who was tipping the head off of a stein. 

“What’ll it be, Galt?” she asked without looking up. 

“A room for a night and some provisions, not much.”

“Provisions? I’m not set for that.”

“Well by provisions I mean biscuits and some of that ham.”

Florie laughed and with a flick of the wrist slid the stein down the bar to the waiting patron without spilling a drop. 

“I have some cherry and almond biscuits I can part with and I’ll pack you up what ham I can. For the morning right?”

“Before dawn.” Katherine specified. 

“Alright.” Florie said and wiped her hands. “So where is Inkspot taking you?”

“Avantshire,” Katherine said.

“Oh? What for?”

“Well that’s something you’ll have to ask him,” Katherine replied with a smile when Florie rolled her eyes.

“You always were tight lipped.” The barmaid snorted.

“Yes,” Katherine agreed, “It’s one of my many professional charms.”

She turned away from the bar, “I’ll be back in a bit, I have to get him home.”

She waved to her new Patron and gestured towards the door and began to earn her keep.