Rynn awoke to the sounds of snarling. She bolted upright, reaching for the blade she kept near at all times, but by the time she had readied herself, the hall had quieted. Still, to hear a snarling animal here in the inn . . . It seemed highly unlikely. Even a squirrel would not bother to sneak in through one of the cracks or crevices.

Carefully, she slipped out of the covers. Her bare feet were near silent on the wood floor. Her hand rested on the doorknob, but she was unsure how to proceed. If it truly were a danger, it would not be best to storm into the hallway with nothing more than her smallest dagger and nothing but her underclothes to protect her.

Voices sounded in the hall. Familiar voices. She pressed her ear to the splintery wood of the door and listened, straining to hear every word spoken. She could clearly tell the elf - Arin. He spoke so often to her that she knew his well. The other voice she knew to be from her group of travelers as well. It wasn't hard to figure out who, as there weren't many.

Swallowing, she opened the door and peered outside. But in the time it had taken for her to decide, the hallway had cleared. All that remained was a body, still cooling on the floor. His blood pooled around him, seeping into the small divots in the planks. Rynn wrinkled her nose. If someone didn't get rid of it soon it would start to smell.

Though she went back to her room, she knew she would not be sleeping any more that night. Perhaps when they left in the morning, her companions would be able to tell her more about what transpired in the hall.