Alexander rode with the rode, for what felt like an hour before noticing buildings in the distance. Finally, he could see the small village. Calliope was probably freezing in the windchill, in just her nightgown. The fabric was a thin silk, comfortable certainly in the warm confines of her blankets and bed, but terrible protection against the elements outside her home. He was much more protected, wearing a thick suit of leather armor. He supposed that he wouldn't be retrieving his suit of plate, though it would only hinder him out here. It would distinguish him as a knight, or something similar to it, draw the wrong kind of attention. Instead, he could be more subtle, be harder to track. That invasion had clearly been planned for quite a long time, and survivors escaping likely wouldn't bode well for their forces. It would offer a chance to inform the crown of an invading army.
However, those things were less of a concern to Alexander. Instead, he was worried about finding a place to rest for the night, for Calliope. He knew she had been to the village as a much younger lady, when her parents were less controlling. After all, as the richest family for miles of the village, it was their duty to host festivals, show their faces, make acquaintances. He hoped that someone would recognize Calliope, or atleast recognize what they had been through, to give them a bed for the night, and some supplies in the morning. He knew enough about military tactics to know that the army would be at the manor all night. Pillaging it for items of worth, taking prisoners of war, among other things, and finally burning the place to the ground. That, along with a need to let the forces rest, would give them the time to warn the village, and then go on their way, and rest for the night as well. Truth be told, Alexander was exhausted. He'd gone through combat, self-induced training, and now an hour of riding a horse. Somehow, Calliope was still conscious as well, though likely in no condition to walk given her half-lidded eyes.
Instead, he rode the horse right up to a small stable, unmounting, after helping the girl off himself, before going about the process of hitching the horse up, along with removing the saddle and the such as well. No one was around, though he highly doubted that someone would be, considering the hour of the night. It was an open stable however, to deposit a horse so that a traveler could take a night to rest his weary body. From there, the bodyguard gently picked up Calliope, walking to a building he knew well enough. It was a tavern, and it usually had an open room or two on the upper level for rent. Hopefully, with the circumstances, he wouldn't need to pay the rent.
He walked inside the building, opening the door with no small amount of difficulty with his arms holding Calliopes small form, but the man managed it. Looking around, he noticed the drunk or two, spending their waking hours spending whatever small amount of coin they made on cheap food and cheaper ale. Alexander approached the bar, seeing the back of whom he supposed was the barkeep. It had been about a year since he'd last been here, but as the man turned around, he recognized him easily enough. "Sorry, I'm closing up the ba-" His voice stopped and turned to a wide grin as he recognized Alexander, though it faded just as quickly when he noticed the expression on the mans face, and the girl in his arms. "What happened? Is that Calliope?"
He had shared stories of the girl he was meant to protect, on the occasion that he was in the bar, to the man. Alexander was thankful that he had told the man stories, and nodded his head grimly at the question. "Her family home has been attacked, by the army of Rhal. I'll give you the details in the morning, but we really need a room right now. Do you have one?" The man nodded, about to hand Alexander a key, before thinking better of it. With Calliope in his arms, he couldn't unlock a door as well, so instead the barkeep strolled out from around the counter, leading the way up the stairs to unlock a door and push it open. The man walked inside, Calliope in his arms, and nodded to the barkeep, who simply smiled and set the key on a table.
"I expect to hear the details in the morning." With that he closed the door behind him, leaving Alexander and Calliope in the room alone. His first action was to place her in the bed, being stretching out his form, and disarming himself, pulling off his sword belt, and the belts that held his dagger sheaths, one empty. Putting those to the side, he stripped out of his leather armor quickly, leaving himself in a shirt and a pair of cotton pants, simple enough clothing. Then he realized the conundrum. "There's only one bed..." He sighed. This would be an issue, he supposed.