His throat had dried upon seeing her, legs crossed as she tinkered with a light fixture. What else was new? Kari was always trying to fix something, improve it, make it "glow" again. Was that why she had been with him? To fix him? Shaking the line of thought of away internally, he shook his head, quietly telling her in a decibel a tone or two lower than normal as he turned around:
"Just passing through." He looked to the other woman who had openly commented on his presumed status as "admirer" and asked her in the same voice:
"Could I trouble you for a room and water? Would like to see where the rooms are, too, if that's alright." He walked back to the main area of the inn and quickly ducked into the room that the keeper had shown him, shutting the door before removing his axe and placing it against the wall, hilt up. Raul then sunk to the bed, hands covering his face. He hoped she wouldn't get curious, he prayed that she would just forget about the potentially strangely familiar voice of the traveler and choose to keep working. But what if she did knock? What if she wanted answers? He wasn't prepared for that yet, couldn't allow her to know what was hunting him. No chance of that. 

___

The man stood on the cliff, cat-like eyes glowing in the still darkness as he fixed his attention on the village below. 
"Is it wise to expose yourself like this?" A voice asked, her tone betraying a hint of worry. 
"He has evaded us for far too long. We must handle this ourselves." 
"But if any recognize you-"
"They will be in no state to tell anyone." A smirk played across his lips as he looked to the woman next to him, her metallic chestpiece contrasting with his full length hooded robes. Silence between the armored and robed for a few moments before the armored one spoke:
"When do I bring them down?"
"Give him a few more minutes of hope. Then we will strike." 

___

He had removed his leather overcoat and chainmail shirt when he heard a knock at the door. His heart froze.