"My senses are are good, but they aren't infallible," Rose replied, returning the smirk, "and anyway, if something is buried underground, not even elves could see it, and he's an inventor, so... who knows what he may have come up with. Just the toy he made was unlike anything I had seen before, who knows what else he had built."
 
She nodded a little "IT was a joke" she shrugged it off anyway though "Not keeping a keen eye part" clearly she wasn't used to being friendly with people but she was trying, so that was something anyway.

"I do have one device that can detect mechanical equipment, something about heat and the way it moves... I don't know but it works. I've only got one though and it's nearly dead so we will have to use it sparingly, getting it charged back up is expensive"
 
Rose chuckled and said, "I know it was. And... I suppose we can use it if we realize we're on the right track, and just remain cautious the rest of the time." She suggested, picking up the map. Considering she was going to be the one driving, she figured she better get a good understanding of where they were headed. It wasn't like they could communicate effectively on that thing.
 
Nassirah let her pour over the map as she ate another slice of pizza. "We can leave the bike off the main road just have to cover it with something so nobody gets a mind to take her. We will go on foot thru the tree's"
 
She nodded "one step at a time. Even if he isn't there we may find mire leads to give us direction" she said

"So eat up tomorrow will be a long day. Count on it"
 
"Well, worst case scenario," Rose said, munching on a piece of salad, "if we get stranded in Drakenwood, I'm a competent hunter and gatherer, so we won't starve." She wouldn't admit it to a bounty hunter, but her family procured the majority of the food for their Inn through less than-honest-means, considering how society operated by a "nothing is free" code of conduct, and technically most of their meat was poached. They weren't overhunting, or disrupting the natural environment or anything serious, they simply didn't believe all game was property of the Mages in the Onyx Palace.
 
she smirked faintly at this "Duly noted" she said "But let us hope we don't end up stuck overnight, good to have a back up" she agreed "I have a few supplies if we need them in my pack" basic survival gear mostly


"Salad ok? I wasn't sure what kind you might like" she went on a different subject, noticing she hadn't eaten a whole lot
 
"It's fine," Rose replied, swallowing, "I just don't have a particularly large appetite." She poked at it a bit more with her fork, and then gazed out the window, thinking more than she ate. They were bound to be up early the following day, and she was wondering if the man they were after could feel something on the wind. A sense of foreboding.

She hoped the Mages would decide, when all was said and done, she wasn't a very good bounty hunter, and would just let her return to her normal life... although she knew if she didn't do good enough of a job, she wouldn't be 'returning' to anything familiar.
 
Nassirah didn't push it "well then..Suppose we both should get some rest. Tomorrow promises to be a long day" she said, tossing the empty pizza box and getting to her feet

"Unless there is anything else we needed to discuss?"
 
"No, not that I can think of." Rose replied, and hopped to her feet, "see you tomorrow, then." She stretched, and fluffed her hair a bit.

She lingered in the doorway for a moment before leaving to return to her own room, and after looking at Nassirah for a moment, said, "Keep an eye on your hand, you don't want it to get infected."
 
"Don't you worry, I'll be fine" Nassirah said, brushing it off as no big deal. It was kind of nice that someone did seem to genuinely care about her well being. She wasn't used to that.

-

Sometime in the night there was a rapping on Rose's window
 
Rose was a fairly light sleeper, so she was quickly awoken by the sound. Climbing from bed, she wrapped a blanket around herself, in the absence of a dressing gown, and opened the window. It was, so it seemed, something she was accustomed to doing.

"Hello?" She called, as her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark. If she was more awake, she'd expect to see the child from earlier, but in her freshly woken sate, she couldn't imagine who it could possibly be.
 
It was in fact young Valara who backed up a bit when she opened the window. The young redhead was shivering barefoot and wet. A storm had rolled in with the night and while it was a soft rain it was enough to soak her through "I...I'm sorry...yer friend ok?"
 
"She'll be fine," Rose replied, stifling a yawn, "But you shouldn't have done that... if you can control it at all. And you definitely shouldn't have stolen." She looked out at the storm, and then sighed and said, "If I let you inside, please, will you leave what's mine alone? I have a home, but I don't have much money myself, so anything you take, I can't replace. I wouldn't even offer if I wasn't worried you'd catch your death in this."

She crossed her arms, and leaned against the wall, and rubbed her forehead with one hand. She didn't particularly trust the child anymore, because the last time she tried to help her, she almost lost the only material item she cared about, so she wasn't particularly keen on helping her a second time. The idea of letting the child inside made her ill, because she knew, she knew Valara wasn't trustworthy. She knew the little girl knew how to play the game, but it was raining, and she had nowhere to go, and Rose couldn't help having hope for the internal goodness of all people, no matter how buried it may be by situation or fear.

"But you have to promise, understand? You have to give me your word. No matter how little you have, you always still have your word. Breaking it is the worst thing you can do to yourself."
 
Valara was surprised by the offer and it did make her suspicious at the same time. In her experience adults were not trustworthy but she was wet hungry and cold.

"...promise" she said nodding a little
 
Rose sighed, and opened the window wider, stepping aside to give the child a space to climb through.

"Alright, come in... but if you don't do right by me, this is it. I won't help you anymore, if you abuse my kindness like last time," As Valara was entering, she went into the bathroom, and came back with a towel, "you'll have t'be quiet, I don't think the owner would like you being here. Here, dry yourself off. I don't have anything dry for you t'wear, I'm afraid, but I've got some leftover salad if you're hungry."
 
Valara was quiet as she stepped inside, hugging her own arms both from cold and nervousness. She also seemed very hesitant to touch anything, even the towel when it was offered but she did accept it to dry herself as much as possible.

"You not gonna hurt me is you?" She asked, suddenly looking more skittish than before, staying near the door
 
"No, I'm not. I promise." Rose said, crossing back to the window and shutting it. She didn't know what she was supposed to do with the child, especially come morning when she and Nassirah set off to track down their bounty. They couldn't very well track down a potentially dangerous man with her in tow... although, Valara just may scamper off when the sun rose.
 
Valara sat down on the floor, wrapping the towel around her shoulders, still visibly shivering. "Why ya be nice ta me?" She asked, never taking her eyes off the woman
 
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