[color=#b97703]“Why don’t we just call it even?”[/color] Cas suggested with an amused shake of his head. He had a feeling that if they left the debate about who owed whom open-ended, they would just keep arguing about it forever. She seemed to feel like she could never repay him for the night he’d found her in the forest and brought her to the hospital. However, he felt like she’d done more than enough to make up for that when she’d helped him escape from her father’s basement. If anyone was in debt, it was him, since she was sneaking him back to the capital—assuming he would still go back—at the risk of getting in trouble with the rebellion. He knew she would just fight him on it if he said so though, so it was easier to pretend like he didn’t think she had done more for him by asking to meet her in the middle ground.

It was also a better alternative than letting his tongue slip about the ways he’d thought of for her to repay him while he was still feeling a little warm after kissing her. He reddened slightly, mentally chiding himself for the salacious ideas, though he didn’t have very much control over where his mind went when he indulged himself with her lips. He was just glad he had the tact not to say it out loud, especially since he didn’t want to give her the impression that he was trying to race toward anything more than what they had already been doing. Primal desires aside, he was rational enough to know that now was neither the time nor the place for anything like that.

So, he buried the fleeting thought as she took him by the hand and fell in step beside her as she led him through the gate to Eulmore. As soon as they passed through, he saw that this district was in much better condition than the one they had just left. The town looked relatively untouched by the war, and there plenty of people milling about the streets. The sight was equally as relieving as it was unnerving. He was glad that they seemed to have a decent chance of finding a place to stay for the night, but at the same time, he was worried about being recognized by a member of the Scourge. Trying to keep his head down in the presence of so many other people, he pulled his hood over his head as he followed Iris toward a nearby building.

The place she was headed to looked lively. It was bustling with activity, almost reminding him of the capital with its high energy. To his surprise, he felt a pang of homesickness as they walked toward the door. Even though he’d been hurt by the apparent lack of care by his friends and family, the pain didn’t stop him from missing the place he’d lived for his entire life. The realization made him wonder if he really could bring himself to leave without turning back. High born life was more deeply ingrained in him than he’d thought.

Putting the thought aside for now, he tucked his chin slightly as he and Iris strode through the pub, tense with worry that someone would recognize him. To his surprise, however, none of the men and women who glanced in his direction reacted to the sight of his face. It seemed like they didn’t know who he was. [color=#b97703][i]Maybe people out here don’t pay attention to my family like people of the capital do,[/i][/color] he realized. If they didn’t know what he looked like, it would be easier for him to blend in.

Hoping his theory was right, he looked up while Iris spoke with the barkeep about staying in a room for the night. Despite the man’s crude words about the Aspirian military, Cas was happy to hear that there was a room available that they could use. He fought the urge to wrinkle his nose when the bartender spat on the floor, disgusted by the way he so carelessly contaminated a place where people ate but wisely keeping his contempt to himself. [color=#b97703][i]This isn’t the capital,[/i][/color] he reminded himself. [color=#b97703][i]People do things differently out here.[/i][/color] If he hadn’t been so enticed by the scent of fresh food, he might have lost his appetite, but he was too hungry to be completely deterred by the man’s unhygienic habit.

[color=#b97703]“Do we have enough money to buy something to eat?”[/color] he asked, leaning closer to Iris to keep his voice down. They still had food left in the backpack he was carrying, but now that they were taking their time to get back to the capital, he wasn’t sure if they had enough to supply them the entire time they were on the run. Besides that, his empty stomach twisted desperately at the prospect of eating something other than stale bread and canned stuff.