“Thanks for keeping me company.”

Algra's troubled expression faded into a far more contented little smile and she settled back down against him.

Yet despite their comfort in each other's arms, neither of them fell asleep for quite some time.

As Gregory and Algra talked of ancient dragons, Torren the smith was busying himself with putting the final edge on a newly forged knife. He carefully dragged the blade along the simple honing rod and tested its edge by lightly running his thumb across its length.

So, when he realised that Talina had appeared very suddenly and silently at the entrance of his tent, he quickly jolted upright and sliced open his thumb. It was a small miracle that he hadn't cut the digit clean off. He barely even noticed the injury as he gawked rather gormlessly at the Lovely woman. He'd adored the stunning, slender courtesan from afar ever since she'd arrived in the camp. In all that time, he couldn't recall her ever appearing at his tent at night.

Talina quirked a brow at Torren as she saw the blood spilling onto his lap and heard the audible gulp rising from his throat. With a quick roll of her eyes, she shook her head and advanced upon him.

“You know, it's a miracle you haven't killed yourself. The gods only know what Emmet was thinking, putting you in range of sharp objects.” Talina grabbed a clean cloth from one of Torren's shelves and dipped it in water. "Come here."

Torren stared at her with a dreamy sort of confusion as she crouched before his seat and snatched his hand.

“Bloody hell!" He yelped as he finally saw the stream of blood he was spilling across himself

"Bloody hell, indeed! Now hold it out for me so I can clean it up." Talina offered.

Part of Torren's mind jumped for joy and suggested that he cut himself more often before his common sense stomped on the idea rather harshly. Perhaps a light self-bludgeoning might still get her attention?

Torren shook his head and offered up a broad smile that was perhaps a little too big for his heavy-set, youthful features. He reminded Talina of a rather dopey and overgrown puppy.

“H-hello Talina, I'm sorry about-" His voice caught in his throat. He gulped again.

“Is there something you wanted?"

“Yes, and it doesn't include you bleeding out. So sit still." She continued cleaning his thumb and Torren sat patiently as she worked Once the wound was clean, she examined the cut and decided it would heal easily enough before applying a torn piece of cloth as a makeshift bandage. "There, now don't go ripping it open or getting it dirty. Understand?"

As her pointed finger was thrust mere millimetres from the tip of his nose, he nodded a little too quickly and then remembered to start breathing again.

“Good. Now, I came here to try to find out what, in all the dark realms, happened on the day when Freddie managed to get free."

"Freddie?" Torren Looked puzzled yet attentive.

"Freddie." Talina nodded before elaborating. "You know, the imbecile that my master had chained to a post out there who somehow got free of his bonds and almost burned the camp down around our heads?"

Him!" A Light emerged in Torren's eyes before it faded away to be stifled altogether by a frown.

“I'm sorry. I don't know what help I can be. I didn't even really see what happened until it was over."

"You saw the corrosion of the prisoner's bonds." Torren nodded. "Good," Talina continued, "then that is a good place to begin.”

“Well, as I said, I didn't see what happened, but when I figured out that he'd escaped I ran to the post we'd chained him to. I wondered how he could have gotten free of it. I buried the thing deep into the earth and it was solid iron. Good iron too."

“And then you discovered it had withered."

“Aye. The thing Looked Like it had been bathed in acid and after being set out to rust for ten years. I remembered a potion that Valise had given me and I told of it. I didn't mean to get anyone in trouble."