"Hunters are a crown a dozen here about," she replied, wrapping an arm around him and squeezing herself against him. She felt him stiffen slightly at the unexpected contact.

"You said we were betrothed remember," she whispered to him, "It would hardly to if we didn't show any affection."

The interior of the inn was a large warm space, well light by a fire and by several lanterns which hung from the dark oak rafters. Villagers sat at circular wooden tables, each of which was marked with the mositure rings of generations of ale steins. Several tables had been there was no bar, but several tables had been positioned to section off the entryway to the back room through which Mave could pick out barrels of ale and jugs of wine resting on shelves. There was a large stone hearth in which blazed a fire and a pot of stew bubbled in a large iron cauldron.

Conversation stilled as they entered as all eyes turned to them. Expressions were mixed. Some of the patrons, older villagers glared at them with suspicion, while younger ones looked at them with interest and even excitement. A matronly woman bustled across the wooden planked floor, her sharp glance slapping away curious eyes.

"I do be Mistress Sindi," she announced with surprising dignity, "welcome to the River Rush Inn. How can I be of service?" The tone was cautious and her eyes dropped to the weapons carried by the men. It obviously disturbed her to see armed travelers but she relaxed slightly as her eyes fell on Mave, presumably reasoning that the presence of an apparently unarmed young woman meant that the likelihood of trouble was decreased. Given the events of the last several months, that wasn't a good bet, but Mave was hardly going to diasabuse her.

"We are travelers from Illian, seeking food and lodging. I am called Kashvi," Mave told her with a smile. She touched her pouch so that the coins inside clinked, indicating she could pay. In truth her funds were dwindling but there was more than enough for their current needs. She wondered if the three Hunters had any coin, probably not. If it became necessary she would find more funds, though how she wasn't sure.

"Well food we have, but I'm afraid I only have one room to let," Cindi said with an appologetic glance. A young woman, perhaps fifteen or so slipped out of the kitchen area behind Cindi, obviously a daughter by the resemblence. She was wearing a simple wool dress covered by an apron and her hair was tied back with pieces of colored ribbon. She eyed the newcomers with curiosity, taking far more time than she needed to deliver a loaf of bread and mug of ale to a pair of tradesmen smoking at corner table.

"One room, will be fine," Mave responded, glancing back over her shoulder at her companions. Cindi colored.

"Mistress Kashvi, I certainly wouldn't ask you to share a room with these...men!" Cindi blurted. Mave opened her mouth to object but the innkeeper rushed on.

"My daughter Myraia, will share her room with you, if that is agreeable?" It wasn't particularly, Mave had no wish to be separated from her company, but outraging the locals would hardly be a productive step either. She nodded her head in acquiescence.

"That is very kind of you Mistress," she said graciously as she could. The settled down at a table and Cindi brought bowls of stew and flagons of ale for the men. Mave took wine for the sake of politeness, though she would have preferred water to the sour, resinous red she received. The stew was hot and filling, in truth better than anything she had eaten since she and Ali had left the Two Rivers. The table of hunters became the focus of attention of the village youngsters, many of whom crept closer to listen to the conversation, much to the horror of their elders. Darius began to recount an unlikely tale about how he had been captured by pirates on the Shadow Coast, drawing him the attention he clearly craved. Mave who found the story unlikely, to say the least, found her attention wandering. She wanted to be in privacy studying her map, though in truth she had memorized every nuance of it months ago. Now that she was nearing her goal, or so she hoped, she found herself unexpectedly daunted. The mountains before her were vast and she could spend a life time, even the very long lifetime of an Aes Sedai, searching and never find what she was looking for. Her thoughts drifted to Ali and as she turned to look at him her eyes caught something on the mantle piece of the fire. Excusing herself she stood and walked over to it. It was a small piece of what looked to be black veined marble, shaped into the likeness of a strange lizard.

"Eh, like the Mill Stone do you?" an old toothless man whom Mave had taken to be asleep asked. He stirred at his table and sipped at a nearly empty flagon.

"That dosen't look like a millstone to me," Mave objected, taking a seat across from the old man. She waved her hand and the serving girl, Myriah, bought a fresh flagon of ale over to the old man.

"Much obliged missy," the old man said smacking his lips, "I'm Tye, when I can remember my name anyway."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance Master Tye," Mave responded politely.

"Just Tye, Master Tye was my father," the old man rejoined cackling at his own joke. Mave couldn't help but smile back.

"I am called Kashvi," she responded in kind. The old man took a swig of ale.

"Is that what they call you?" he asked. Mave had the sudden uncomfortable feeling the old man knew more than he was letting on but she simply nodded her head.

"That dosen't look much like any millstone I have ever seen," she replied, steering the conversation back onto course. Tye nodded, taking a draught of his ale.

"Aye, it is the Mill Stone," he repeated, emphasising the seperation between the two terms.

"Ah I see, it came from a mill then?" Mave asked, still not entirely clear.

"When I was a lad, Jenkins' mill was struck by lightning," Tye told her, pausing to drain his glass. Mave guestured for and was provided with another refill. She caught Ali watching her across the room and gave him a quick encouraging smile.

"It was a terrible storm, all wind and no rain, burned like a torch it did," Tye said taking his new flagon with as much gusto as he had shown for the old one. It clearly wasn't everyday he had both an attentive audience and a supply of free drinks.

"When the ashes cooled, all that was left was a pile of broken mud bricks and ash," Tye went on.

"He never rebuilt it, by then Old Jenkin had married Mistress Farvenu quite the scandal at their ages and with Master Farvenu not three weeks in the ground.."

"And the stone?" Mave prompted, doing her best to derail what was likely a long and pointless digression. Tye looked a little shocked that she had spoken at all, but quickly refocused.

"Oh aye, the found it in one of the bricks, a wonder for a while, but its just been gathering dust since then," he concluded. Mave nodded her head.

"And they never rebuilt the mill you said?" she asked, "I mean you must have a mill." Tye clucked as though the question was foolish.

"Aye but Jenkins place was always too far out town anyway, people had been complaining for years about having trapsie all that way, uphill besides." Mave kept talking for another five minutes but her mind was already spinning. She didn't doubt the Mill Stone had survived a fire and a lightning strike. It was obvious to her that the object was no simple stone. It was cuendilliar, heartstone, a relic of the age of legends, and was certainly worth more than the entire inn, possibly the entire village.

"We need to find a place called Jenkin's mill," Mave told Ali as they walked along the pebble beach. Several other couples were promenading also. It seemed the custom in Hollobrook and lanterns had been hung from poles to illuminate the path. Seniors stood up on the bank, chatting and keeping a notional eye on the youngsters below. She had pried Ali away from the boasting Hunters as soon as she could reasonably do so. She explained to him about the cuendilliar figurine. 

"I'm not sure how it came to be there, but I have a sense... a feeling, that it is somehow important."