It began with Elric's hand reaching toward Verona as she climbed down from the carriage. For a moment, she simply stood there, letting her eyes travel upward to the unfamiliar building in front of her.
An inn.
The inn wasn't grand or anything fancy. If anything, it was an old one, judging by its slanted roof and mismatched stones, which made it look as though someone had tried to repair it a few too many times.
She blinked at it, then at the group of houses surrounding it. It was a tiny territory, nearly forgotten in the middle of larger regions. The kind of location that people only visited only because the forest nearby had a reputation for "things that bite."
Elric cleared his throat. "We'll stay here for the night. I hope you don't mind."
Verona shook her head quickly. "Not at all. I… actually think it's a relief." They all looked battered. And after everything in the forest, rest sounded like a gift.
