The guards continued to inspect Keystone for a few more seconds, then the captain huffed and spun around on his heels, barking orders to his men as they moved away into the depths of the city. The working ladies sighed and pouted as they returned to their places, still casting glances towards the monk.

The dwarven bellowing continued for some time and suddenly got louder as the dwarf stepped out of the door to meet Keystone. His hair and beard, having carried the shade of ash earlier, were now pitch black and shiny after a good rinse, and the dwarf wore a shiny leather jerkin emblazoned with the logo of his shop. He inspected the tall monk with a serious gaze, holding a mug of ale in his right hand and a chicken leg in the other.

"Me shop's closed, boy. Commissions an' the like'll have to wait till morn." A glimpse of pity passed the dwarf's eyes as he saw the monk's wounds and his visage softened. "Ye look like a fresh ground meatball, boy. Shouldn't be fightin' so much." With a shrug, he handed Keystone his mug, half filled with a strong dwarven drink that could probably knock out an ox with the smell. 

"Oh, invite him in, Avar!" said the husky female voice, turning the dwarf's head, "we have enough food for a guest!" Avar Rocksteady grunted and huffed his way back inside, gesturing for Keystone to follow him.

The room the dwarf vanished into was a wide, but low space, barely high enough to not scrape Keystone's head on the ceiling. A large wooden table took up half of the room. On the table, a large pan with chicken legs, a pot of rice and a plate of steaming vegetables resided next to a cask of ale the size of an average halfling. Tim, the young apprentice Keystone saw before, was similarly cleaner than he had been at the smithy and excitedly waved at Keystone. The last figure in the room was a fair-skinned, raven haired woman of almost equal height to Keystone, radiating a wide smile on her delicate features. Homely according to most royalty standards, she boasted a set of striking black eyes that at the moment, showed an open invitation.

The dwarf sat down on the wooden chair and turned to Keystone:

"Well, ye comin' or not, boy? Grab a chair, have some food. Me gal's an excellent cook! It's either that or ye go find some drab at some inn at three times the price. Be sure to leave me mug if ye're goin to the inns tonight!" he bellowed, turning back to the table and winking to the woman.

In Keystone's mind, Kaylee stirred at the sight of the room, recoiling as if in fear.