Kael stepped through the front doors of the inn. Chairs were still upturned on tables from the cleaning, and only a few sleepy travelers sat nursing mugs in the corners.
Alenia glanced up from the bar, where she was drying a pewter cup.
"Ah, Kael," she called with a faint smile. "Here for breakfast?"
"No," Kael replied simply, not slowing his pace.
He walked straight to the counter and stopped in front of the innkeeper, who was scribbling notes in a worn ledger.
"There's an adventurer party called the Red Band staying here, right?" Kael asked.
The innkeeper looked up, squinting over his spectacles. "Yeah. Third floor. They're leaving before noon, from what they said."
"Good." Kael nodded. "I want to meet them now. It's something very important."
Alenia came a little closer, her expression suspicious. "Are you thinking up something strange again?"
Kael gave her a sidelong glance. "Depends on your definition of strange."
