The innkeeper exhaled slowly. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached out and pulled the coins toward him.
"Alright," he said at last. "Two days. But until then, I'm still the owner."
Kael nodded. "Fair."
Alenia, who had been standing silently nearby, stepped forward, her arms crossed. "You're seriously buying this place? That's quick."
Her mouth tightened. "This place was my last refuge. After we lost the forests... the cities. I kept it clean, safe. I fought for it more than you ever saw."
"I know you did," the innkeeper said gently. "That's why I trust Kael to keep it standing. And to keep you employed."
Kael studied her for a moment, surprised.
"You are a refuge?"
Her eyes narrowed. "You don't know anything about me."
There was a flicker of something behind her words—pain, perhaps, carefully hidden beneath pride.
Kael hesitated, then nodded. "You're right. I don't."
