Lyiana was glad for the the wave of peace that seemed to calm Kaydens' wild dreams, but as he slept peacefully, her own memories came to haunt her. Her eyes became glossy as she stared through the door, imagining the Dunlanding to be staring back at her-taunting her.
She gasped and quickly turned her gaze back to Kayden, then blinked and wiped the tear that fell down as she answered him.
"Um...not long, sir. Maybe 15 minutes? And yes, of course. The children are safe. I was going to check up on them in a few minutes, but I wanted to make sure you were sleeping soundly."

“I was sleeping soundly,” he told her, giving a questioning gaze as she wiped the tear away. “Are you alright?” He asked, forcing himself to sit up beside her. He looked at her with a concerned, yet gentle expression. Slowly, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You were crying. Has something happened?”

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"No....nothing has happened." She shook her head and smiled kindly at him. "I am fine, sir. Please, you need to rest. Otherwise your wounds won't heal properly."
She gently placed her hand on top of his, then stood and helped him lie back down.
"Please, Kayden. Rest."

Kayden looked to her with slight objection, but he lay down at her prompting. He nodded slowly. “Thank you,” he said, closing his eyes. His rest set in quickly, for he was quite exhausted. It was peacefull, mostly... which was very odd to him as he lay drifting off to sleep.

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Deceit...Freja had ever had a nose for such things and it was twitching persistently as she observed the behaviour of those in the common room. How long, she wondered, before it all came to a head? Before the ale ran out? She hoped so, because persistent deceit made the ale damned difficult to enjoy. She swirled her ale around and peered into the mug she held. It just didn't taste the same now and so she sighed unhappily. Still, she topped her mug up again and began to wonder who she needed to skin alive to get the bath she had paid for around here? Hot water. A tub. Not all that difficult and yet there she was...

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Once Kayden had fallen back asleep, Lyiana busied herself with quietly organizing her instruments, and once that was done, she stood and walked over to the door. Before opening it, she placed her hand on her dagger, took a deep breath and turned the handle.
The Dunlanding looked up at her as she closed the door, but she refused to look back at him, and instead, just walked past him until she was in the safety of the common room. She dipped her head towards the Ranger then walked over to the bar and asked for some stew and wine.
As she ate, her eyes wandered the room and soon she noticed that the children were missing. Perhaps they had found a room to sleep in? Or had they gone on their way?
A sigh escaped her lips and she suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. She tried to remind herself that they weren't her responsibility, but she felt a duty to protect them....perhaps it was her past mistakes that were causing the guilt she felt, but that was uncertain.
"Miss? Do you know what happened to the children? Did they leave?"
She asked the innkeeper in a soft voice.
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Mariel was about to respond to the Ranger, but her stomach dropped and her muscles tensed as Hilfren ushered her husband to sit by them. Even with the Rangers' reassuring words, Mariel still felt the urge to run to safety, and as her eyes searched the room for a way out, she met Durians' gaze and silently pleaded with him to help her.
She then unwillingly turned her gaze back to her husband, who sat with a smug expression on his face.

Kayden slept soundly for a time, but it seemed that not long after Lyiana left, his dreams grew troublesome once more. It was an odd mixture of sadness for the loss of his peace, and yet a twisted sense of comfort of the uncomfortable norm which he sank into.

Whether it was from that peaceful start, or simply from his work out body, Kayden slept well and long.

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Lochared and Rin exchanged glances that were initially puzzled for it appeared that they had been rendered transparent. Invisible even. Rin looked over to Freja, who shrugged her shoulders at them and then continued to sip at her ale and study the doings of the common room.

"You know," Loch said in a whisper, "If we really are invisible, this could work to our favour!"

Rin's baffled expression faded as she began to nod, thinking of all the food that was in the kitchen. She'd not managed to eat all of it earlier in the day, just the cheese, but if they truly had been vanished from the seeing eye then her brother was correct. A smile unfurled over the girl's face at the prospect of what was to come.

The pair scampered across the common room, past the end of the bar and into the kitchen proper. The first place to start was the larder and so off they went. It was a thrilling, exciting adventure for the two children until Lochared accidentally bumped a crock of honey off the shelf and onto the floor. The crock shattered and honey began to ooze around, under and over shards of pottery.

"Do you think they can't hear us as well as see us?" Loch asked his sister.

Rin shook her head, eyes now on the entrance to the larder to see if anyone came, "We shall soon see."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Out in the common room - everyone looked rather cozy. Settled. Oh, there was drama to be had but it was of the dreary, quotidian kind. Cuckholded husbands, flighty wives, star crossed lovers and so forth. The blonde looked ready to run, entirely predictable Freja supposed. Just why so many thought running solved anything was beyond her but still, this was what people did. Freja yawned. Hilferin had things in hand, it seemed, and she was of little more use than one of the many empty chairs.

And if the blonde ran, what of it? Let her. Meddling in such matters was beneath her dignity.

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Sold? Who could buy or sell anyone, Freja thought to herself. Aware she should not be eavesdropping, and also of the fact that no one had asked anything of her by way of assistance, the Shieldmaiden was left to her thoughts. Sold. She shook her head at that, the torcs woven into her braids gently clattering with the movement. Kings and liege lords could buy a soldier's service. An apprentice could buy his master's instruction. But to purchase a person in the way one might do so a beast. Appalling.

But, why was the wretch responsible for this still alive? Why, if someone had tried to sell her, she'd snap his neck for him in a thrice. Now, snapping a neck was not as easy as it sounded, but there were other ways...There were other ways! A slow smile unfurled as she considered the Dunlending pinned in the hall.

The men of Dunland, like those of Rhûn, were a Shieldmaidne's natural foe. It was not easy to overlook the insult of having your ears or hide collected as a trophy, irrespective of the peace declared by your king. The skin between Freja's shoulderblades itched at the thought. But, unlike the men of Rhûn, the men of Dunland were not so very proud to turn up good coin. Good coin that sat in a pouch at her belt. Wulgov would double cross her, to be certain, unless she put enough fear into him to make the prospect thoroughly repellent. Freja's smile grew grim as she threw back the last of her ale.

Ignoring the crash in the kitchen, Freja sashayed at her leisure to the hall to find Wulgov snoring mightily. As she hadn't rushed, no one was investigating. Perfect. Her spear remained where she had left it. Padding up, she freed it with a mighty heave which woke the Dunlender up. His squawk of protest at finding her looming over him, spear in hand, was quashed with a boot held to the back of his neck.

Once he was still, Freja removed her boot and crouched by him. What passed between them was quiet, the scantest whisper, save for the jingling of coins to emphasis her point. Wulgov's eyes darted this way and that before he heaved a sigh and curtly nodded. His dark eyes followed her as she freed a dagger and sliced through the rope she had used to bind his hands to his feet. He rolled away from her and warily stood, bent over as blood returned to his limbs. Freja sheathed her dagger again, for she had her spear should he decide to try to rob her and flee. This Wulgov eyed and he sighed unhappily again. Freja jerked her head towards the common room, Wulgov impatiently nodded, and then Freaja sashayed back out to the common room.

Returning to the bar, she set the spear atop it and then pulled herself up to sit there, long legs swinging back and forth. If Wulgov came for anyone other than the slaver husband, from this position Freja would be well placed to put the Dunlender down again. Permanently. Just as well the children were in the larder, though Freja doubted that they were innocent of the world's harsh and violent ways.

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Mariel wanted so badly to shoot up from her chair and run out the door until she was far away from this place, but she caught Durians' calm eyes, and for a brief moment, her heart settled.
Everything was going to be alright.
She turned her gaze unwillingly back towards her husband, but the sincerity she saw in his eyes as he confessed his love for her genuinely surprised her. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him react to Hilferins' explanation of her fate in the hands of the man who would be her...master...
A shiver ran down her spine though as Hilferin reminded her exactly what her husband had done; as he pulled out his sword and placed it towards Fahalas, all the resentment she felt towards him rose up within her.
His fate was now in her hands.
But as she looked into his eyes, all she saw was true regret, and in that moment, her anger towards him began to fade. She felt herself starting to get lost in his deep hazel eyes, but it was Hilferins voice that brought her out of her revere.
"I would like to speak with my husband in private if I may, sir."
She flicked her gaze back up Hilferin and nodded once, but before turning back to her husband, her eyes caught Durian's for a brief moment and in that moment, her stomach dropped. She blinked quickly and pulled herself away from him-what she felt for that man had not changed, but listening to her husbands' confessions, she was conflicted.
Hilferin sighed heavily and after reassuring them that he would be sitting at the bar with Durian, he stood up and left.
Once he left, Mariel stared at her husband and allowed a silence to grow between them.
"Why did you agree to sell me like one of your horses, if you say that you love me? What exactly have I ever done to warrant such an action?"
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Lyiana couldn't finish her meal, for her mind was elsewhere; she thought of Kayden and wondered when his past would come back to haunt him, or if it would even come back. It was too early in their meeting to tell, but she felt whenever she was around him something she had felt in the past. Just as her heart began to hope that all would be well, she noticed the Dunlanding walk towards the bar, then sit down beside the shieldmaiden. Her heart stopped as the Dunlanding met her gaze, and with ease she turned away, then stood up and quickly walked back into Kayden's room to check on him.
As she stepped inside, she quickly-but quietly-closed the door, then walked over to sit beside Kayden and started to ready the clean cloth and herbs.
She felt weary-no doubt-but she was now on her guard, even if the Shieldmaiden could restrain the Dunlanding.

Kayden, still slept, in his room. It was the first time in a long time he had slept for so long. Despite all the commotion outside, he felt moderately safe. He knew Lyiana would be checking on him and it seemed the ranger had everything else under control.

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(OOC: Oops, I'll repost for Lyiana/add on to her post. )

Her thoughts were interrupted as Kayden began to stir, and after she made sure all of the items were ready, she placed a gentle hand on his arm, blushing as she felt the strength of his muscles.
"My lord Kayden? Forgive me, but I think it would be best for you if I changed your bandages. After I am finished, you can go back to sleep."

Mariel started to become hard-hearted again as she listened to Fahalas confess his desire for the other dancer. She had been dancing right beside her that night, but before she could make her way over to her husbands lap, she had been called over to Durians' stag party.
How could she ever have guessed that in that one moment, her husband would make such a trade?
"Prove it to me. If you truly feel regret about that night, turn yourself in. I..." Her voice faded as he moved his hand to rest on the table. She fought with herself for a long moment, but after consideration, she rested her hand next to his, and although their pinkies barely touched, a spark she thought had died remained.
Her breath caught in her throat again, but she kept her gaze intent on his.
"I want to forgive you, Fahalas; I want to trust you. But...you must prove your faithfulness to me, that is the only way."