"My friend is...shopping... right now. I'm supposed to meet him and I don't want him to worry. Can we, I don't know, talk near the merchant row so we can watch for him? Is it safe?"

It would be riskier to speak out in public. That much was certain. Still, Jatan knew that this may be his only chance to talk to the pair. He didn't want to scare off his only potential allies. "I think I know where your friend may be headed. Most of the shops are closed during the middle of the day, but there's one in particular that's still open." Gesturing forward with his hand, Jatan slowed his pace to walk beside them.

He took the moment to really study the two. An odd pair to say the least. The girl was short, and had a bit of a boyish appearance. She had to be pretty tough to be traveling on her own at her age. The boy towered above her, his eyes darting to and fro, and his hand gripping his club. [i]His hand gripping his club? Calm down, calm down, he's probably just nervous.[/I]

Trying to ease the tension, Jatan flashed the pair an awkward smile. "You must not be from around here. I'm Jatan, by the way."