[center][color=0072bc][h3][b]I'onriyi Stonehand[/b][/h3][/color][/center][hr]
Observing the deigan woman's bow, exhaling in a huff at her apology he awaited her actual reason for disturbing him. Perhaps she was someone's errand girl and he was needed elsewhere. More likely she was a beggar who had heard of his occasional generosity to people in the lower classes. He did have a penchant for giving, even though he would often act as if he disliked doing so. At the thought, one edge of his lips twitched upwards, before being forced down once more. Listening closely, despite the grogginess he was still shaking—not to mention the growling of his stomach—I'on tilted his head to the side slightly as the deigan stated her reason for bothering. He raised an eyebrow as she identified herself and her background. It wasn't much to go off of, but it was interesting in its way. Particularly the statement referring to Laon's Archangels.

Appraising her once more as he considered how to proceed, he let silence hang between them as he scratched his chin thoughtfully, turned, and walked into his home. He had to admit he was intrigued and it was because of this interest that he left the door open. When he was just turning a corner he called back, [color=0072bc][b]"Make sure to close the door behind you!"[/b][/color] He took to fetching some bread and starting a fire in the hearth so he could perhaps make some tea. Of course, he could use magic, but that was an awful misuse of it, even if it would hardly tax him at all. Besides, every time he had heated water for his tea or soup it had come out tasting different.

Still, while he had invited her in, and indeed turned his back on her, he was no fool and did not trust her. He decided to say as much, glancing in her direction as he did so, [color=0072bc][b]"I do not trust you, Male'dai, but you have my attention. Just don't try anything funny, you won't like the result."[/b][/color] He waved a wooden spoon at her as warning, before setting it down on a counter and opening a cupboard to extract some herbs.

[color=0072bc][b]"I must ask,"[/b][/color] he begun, putting the herbs in a metal sieve, which he then placed on the counter while he waited for the water to boil. He retrieved a knife went to cutting the bread into smaller pieces, placing some on a plate before pushing it her way. [color=0072bc][b]"...why follow me? Why adventure at all in fact. There are other ways to spend one's life and there are more well known figures than I."[/b][/color] He shot a glance her way before taking a bite from his portion of bread. He kept his gold-eyed gaze on her as he ate, his focused scrutiny of her person making it a piercing look. He hoped there was more to her than the posturing that her introduction might be. Then again, if there was little else, there was likely little harm in letting her come along. At the very least she was likely to be significantly less shady than the individuals he had recently encountered.

The thought brought a tiny smile to his face, his eyes crinkling slightly as the edges of his lips turned up to a similar degree. It was a subtle expression, one that she might not catch. Not that it mattered.