Elayra blinked at Ghent as he looked away, realizing what he had thought. Her chin raised slightly, and she took her hand from his shoulder, letting it rest at her side. 
	She snorted at his apology. “I don’t need your pity," she snapped. "It is what it is. I tell you only to make my point.”
	When silence fell thickly between them, she glanced down to her sword. She was quite a capable fighter, but even a band of the most skilled warriors were nothing against an army with access to magic. Without Ghent, even as untrained as he may be, the little hope that the Sorceress might be brought down would die with the rest of Wonderland.
	Elayra’s grip on her sword tightened; even if she could no longer convince Ghent to help, she would still try, no matter what that might mean. Of that, there was no doubt. She moved to clean the shadowmire’s blood from its blade, her expression filled with determination and indignation.
	[b]“Alright…”[/b]
	She stopped mid swipe.
	“What?” she looked up at Ghent, a hint of suspicion flashing over her face at his sudden change of mind, wondering if he was playing some sort of cruel joke.
	“And I was worried you had no sense of duty,” Drust intoned from a couple yards away, his face as unreadable as ever and eyes difficult to make out in the shadows crowding the alleyway. He held Elayra’s pack in one hand, and Ghent’s phone and her bow in the other. “With the shadowmire gone,” his voice darkened slightly with a scowl, and his head twitched, “we need to leave.”
	“I doubt it’ll get to her in time to send anything else before tomorrow morning.” She frowned as her stomach growled softly. “We still need rest,” she added cautiously when his eyes narrowed. “And food.”
	He paused, the silence unnerving.
	“Fine.” The word came as clipped as the nod he gave. “We leave at first light.” Drust stepped forward and tossed her pack to her.
	She caught it, trying to suppress a sigh of relief, but her entire body heaved with it. She slung the pack over her shoulders, then took her bow, which she used like a walking stick.
	Drust turned to Ghent. “You know this city.” He offered Ghent the phone. “Where can we find shelter for the night?”
	“Anywhere abandoned will do,” Elayra added, just in case.