Kire, too, was surprised at the offer of hospitality, even if it was the outcome she had hoped for. [i]Just like that,[/i] she thought, same as Ruli, but she wasn’t going to contest the offer of a room and bed, any bed. “Thank you,” she said simply, and followed Ruli out the chamber. She didn’t question why he didn’t take the path down to the sleeping quarters; it felt in keeping with how she had appraised his character at this point. So she went on to the path Envy had indicated, found a vacant room with spartan furnishings: a mattress not unlike Envy’s, blankets, a couple of crates that served as makeshift chairs. It was accommodation enough; their months on the run had acclimated her to a life absent of the comforts she had grown up with. Besides, it was much better than sleeping in the ruins of Ziad.

“Thank the gods, rest.” Kire finally set down her belongings, her sword, undid her armor. Gods, that felt good. She lifted her tunic to inspect her side and clicked her tongue, seeing a sword-shaped bruise running along the side. Sighing, she pulled off her boots lazily and crawled onto the mattress, asleep within minutes. That night, she mercifully didn’t have dreams, too bone-tired for her mind to play their usually nightmares. 

It was already just past midday when she woke with a start. Groaning, Kire eased herself off the makeshift bed. While her body still had some stiffness, the bruise was almost gone. She scanned her belongings and found to her satisfaction that nobody had tried to rob her in the night. [i]What time is it?[/i] Being in a cool mountain chamber had disoriented her. Lazily, she pulled on her boots, strapped her sword belt around her waist, grabbed her waterskin and stepped outside, meaning to peek out the entrance of the cave. 

Under the light of day, the clothes she wore would have given the impression of being well-made but clearly had seen better days. They also hinted at the form underneath: leaner times had made her thinner than she had been six months prior, and fighting to survive and be ready for the next crisis had given her more muscle. Sone of her other scars showed, like the old wound on her shoulder, and the tip of the three large scars on her back. “Gods above, I slept that long?” She cringed at the brightness, deciding she’d rather be in the cool chambers within, instead. Perhaps she could ask to refill her waterskin, and maybe a little food if they had any to spare. She wondered where Ruli had stayed if not inside the sleeping quarters.