"Both probably, at least." Alexi couldn't help but chuckle along with Katherine's own amusement. It was a common joke among the few friends he still had, that the clergy would preach on any perceived slight. He appreciated all the church had done for him, and the thanks he gave each day was genuine and heartfelt, but at times it seemed they expected him to play the part of a priest himself. He had a different life now -a better life now- with the church and God... but he was still a man.

The mirth -and his thoughts- were cut short before long, first by the unease gained from the sudden, subtle changes of Katherine's gait, and second by the words she whispered back to him.

"Nice, quiet... yeah- yes. I can... do that." He tried to force himself to keep walking as he had been before, looking ahead, strolling calmly. He tried to keep from pulling nervously at his shirt, from trying to stand as tall as possible, from seeming like he thought something was wrong.

Of course, something [i]was[/i] wrong. Even looking ahead, Alexi's eyes darted in their sockets, unable to be restrained. He had an escort -already earning her pay by the second- but that proved small reassurance. He didn't go out much in the evenings anymore, and the times he did had always been in better neighborhoods, moving as a group on streets better lit and better patrolled. This was different, this was [i]dangerous[/i]. But if he was going to travel to Avantshire and beyond, this would happen far more than once.

Alexi steeled himself, working to remain calm, to walk naturally, and to keep his trust in Katherine. She wouldn't let anything happen, not now, not so soon after being hired. He had to keep his composure, lest he scare himself out of wanting to leave the city completely.

"Of course." He whispered the last two words with noticeably more courage than previous, continuing to walk beside his escort. It wasn't that far now, he wasn't alone, and he'd have to get used to things like this. 

So he did... or at least, he began to try.