Tal smiled at Erryl, gesturing that the boy should lead the way. So he did. Erryl had been gone for days , and he was exhausted. All he wanted to do was to crawl up, safe in his own bed, while his sister-in-law doted on him as she usually did. A warm home, warm meal and familiar faces...

He tried ...

Erryl sighed, but wasn't sure what to say. He was grateful if the girl did plan to help him with his situation -- after all, she was likely aiding the person who'd caused it in the first place -- but he wasn't used to people he didn't really know going out of their way for him. He'd probably feel ...

It was a good thing, at least, that they weren't going to wandering about in the snow for too long. This year's winter was freezing, and Erryl had no desire to be outside longer than he absolutely had to be. The shop wasn't exactly warm, but it wasn't too chilly either. Typically, Erryl himself took ...

Erryl couldn't really tell if Anther was angry or grateful. It could be both, he considered, reminded of the way every other person seemed so complicated to decipher. As Soneya asked her question, Erryl put his hands in his pocket and followed the her outside.

"What are you planning on doing about ...

The way the stranger seemed overly aware of his surroundings made Erryl nervous, so the half-elf averted his gaze. He tried not to keep glancing at the people who passed, looking for danger, but it was difficult. He was tired, eager to go home despite his fears, but he tried to keep his attention on ...

Erryl nodded along with Iarei's words, finding some relief in the way she described their situation to Tal. He couldn't bring himself to call the whole event an unfortunate accident -- the phrase did not accurately convey the severity of their situation -- although technically it was just that ...

There was a calm about the conversation now, for which Erryl was relieved. He shrugged in response to Soneya's question and replied, "It would've been weird if it wasn't a normal thing for you to do, right? I'm not used to seeing a lot of charity either."

As suspicious as her choice of actions were ...

Erryl looked from Tal's hand, to Iarei, and then to Tal's uncommon features. Not as many people from Tian Xia seemed to settle in Marn compared to Eyropans, as far as Erryl had seen, and it was interesting to think how their culture might differ. What's it like to live in a place where magic is ...

It was surprising to see the bitter young man concede to Soneya's offer, and Erryl wondered briefly if his resistance had been an act, for whatever purpose that might serve. It was an unusually cold winter, so perhaps it was simple resignation and practicality, but regardless of his intentions ...

Erryl quickly shook his head, averting his eyes. "I don't want to cause trouble for him. He worries a lot." And I don't want to see the look on his face when I get home. He couldn't help but sigh when he reminded himself that he was finally going home; this was the longest he'd been away. "It'll be ...

Erryl furrowed his brows throughout the little exchange between Iarei and the Tian Xian man, right up until his brother was mentioned. "They're worried to hell about you, so I offered to help try and find you..." His eyes shot wide at the thought of Koran, mind racing through all the things his ...

The days passed slowly. Erryl had been growing tired of spending his waking life in fear for it ending, and that made it easier than it should have been for Iarei to convince him -- gradually -- that they needed a better place to stay. Somewhere in the residential district, somewhere stable and safe ...

Soneya had more of a temper than Erryl had expected, but he wondered why he hadn't seen it coming in the first place. She was probably one of the spoiled girls if she was wandering around doing whatever she wanted, especially spending her time with the lower classes of society. Or maybe her ...

The way Iarei explained it, the game didn't seem too complicated. He nodded in response to her question and almost returned her smile, but he wasn't quite there yet. Things had become much more quiet, with just the two of them and no running, and Erryl was able to put aside the fact that he was a ...

Iarei's awkwardness was making Erryl feel awkward himself. We wasn't really sure what to think when she said they were going to lay low for a while. How long was he going to be stuck in this situation? How long would he have to live with this scary woman? Her question made him uncomfortable as well ...