The girls words left a lasting impression in Mustafa's mind. They swirled around his mind. [i]'But five? That seems...excessive[/i]. Perhaps this thief was a bit more dangerous than first thought. He had poked around his dinner and eaten most of it but the prospect of a bath didn't particularly excite him as much as some of the others at the table. Now, it was just him and Espen left at the table. They sat in silence for several minutes as Mustafa let his mind drift tiredly and then he suddenly pushed his chair out. 'I'm going to bed too' he announced to no one. He slung his bag over his shoulder and without a backward glance, walked to the top of the stairs and into the room.

He immediately went to a bed that wasn't yet claimed and dropped his bag beside the bed. He quickly prepared himself for bed, removing his boots and jacket revealing a light tunic underneath. His sword was laid down, sheathed, beside his bag and his clothes were neatly folded and placed into his bag. If he was on his own, he would of unwound his turban too. But he didn't feel completely comfortable showing his bare head to a group of strangers (as is tradition to cover your head in the deserts) and instead laid down in such a way it wouldn't fall off while he slept. The words of Alice resurfaced in his mind and for a few moments before he drifted to sleep, he did wonder. [i]Five does seem excessive. It's a book. Just a book. A book.[/i]

His final thoughts before succumbing to sleep was that of a distant memory. One that included books. It was a memory he wouldn't see again for a long time.