Talbot raised an eyebrow at the other man, a smirk crossing his lips. Ambra had dragged that bandit in with her? Really? The black haired man ran a hand through his dripping locks. His brow furrowed and he sighed a bit more. The whole idea was a bit amusing. Zaino would gut her as soon as he woke up. But he wanted nothing more than to go in the inn and rest a bit. Talbot sucked in a breath as he saw the room that he walked into. The main room was large but very dusty, sand accumulating in corners and a small bar in the corner. He really wanted a drink, but any sort of alcohol would be lukewarm.
The young sorcerer ran his hand through his greasy and sweaty hair once again before getting a room for himself. The woman that ran the inn was nice enough, homely and kind, but he could tell her age from the wrinkles that crossed her face. She led him up to his room and showed him inside. The old, creaky bed and dusty window waited for him, and he sighed. He was doing a lot of sighing today, wasn’t he? He pulled out a coin and gave it to the lady, who thanked him vigorously and left him to his privacy. Talbot closed the door and began to strip off his clothing.
The sweat had bound cloth and skin together, and he had to smile as the robes fell away from his body. [i]Refreshing.[/i] whatever cool breeze that the land spared brushed up against his skin, providing him with comfort. He went to the bath, frowning at the small tub that lay in the middle of the room. It was stained with dirt and grime, not necessarily inviting any bathers into it. He stepped in the tub and pulled the bucket close to him. Picking it up, he poured it over him, making sure to remove whatever dirt or sand he could find attached to his being.
A few minutes later, Talbot emerged from the bath, dry and less sticky than he was before. He took his robes and threw them into the lukewarm water, deciding to let them soak in there for a bit. Talbot knew that he couldn’t go anywhere, and no one could really visit him, unless they didn’t mind his half nakedness. He sat on the edge of the bed and let out a very long, exasperated sigh. That felt better…

---

After a while, Ambra noticed that Zaino had broken out into a sweat. She frowned, frustration at his eagerness to be sour and bitter melting away. She could tell that he was having bad dreams. Pity clawed at her heart, but she quickly swatted it away. No. She had to stay strong, as if she allowed one ounce of it to crawl onto her expression, she was sure that she would be yelled at. Her blue eyes flicked back from his face to what she was doing at the moment. Her hands nimbly bound a cut that he had on his leg, and moved on to the next wound. He looked better than he did before, at least. With all of that blood removed, he seemed to be a very fit fellow. Of course, that was to be expected.
The man suddenly moved, and she jerked away from her trance of treating and binding. He muttered something, and then he moved again, as if going to pull out a weapon. Then came the question. Ambra held up a hand slowly, looking at his face. [b]”I am tending to your wounds.”[/b] she told him, her eyes looking into his. She wanted to calm him as quickly as she could. All of that rubbing against his injuries would grate the medicine away. The bandages were helpful only if he stayed still. She turned back to her work and frowned.
[b]”You dream. A lot.”[/b] the woman made sure to keep her voice as passive and smooth as she could. Yet, it was very difficult to do so. She was very nervous about his reaction. At the moment, she was a stiff deer that heard a suspicious noise in the woods. At any sign of attack, she would bolt. [b]”… they’re bad dreams, aren’t they? I used to have herbs for such things, but I ran out quite a while ago. They were common around Ylisse so I didn’t have to buy them. But they’re very costly here and I can’t afford them.”[/b] her eyes flitted back to his face but for a moment before she returned to her work. [b]”As for whatever armor you wore, they’re over in the corner, along with your weapons. But I recommend you stay still for time being.”[/b]
She tied the last bandage and offered him a smile. However, the smile faded as she looked down at her hands. They were filthy with medicine and blood. Dipping them in the bucket of now pinkish water, she scrubbed them firmly. [b]”My name’s Ambra, by the way. I’m a Shepherd as well. Of course, I’m not fond of the actual cutting and stabbing enemies. I prefer to tend to wounds as I did now to yours.”[/b] she frowned now. [b]”You were poisoned. I gave you medicine, but did you not feel weak at all? I’m not sure what kind of that horrible stuff was in your blood, but it must have caused damage.”[/b]