The beggar priest glanced back at the mouth of the alley and Ronwyn noticed the brawlers gathering there. He turned to her and shrugged, "Any ideas?"

"Get behind me!" Ronwyn said and pointed her beads at the largest of the brawlers. "You, distract them!" The man stopped advancing and turned to the others. As he engaged in yet another fight, the priest pulled Ronwyn away down the alley.

"We'll need to go into hiding, possibly even escape the city."

"What?" Ronwyn refused to be pulled any further. She pitted her strength against his, and she won. "Why?"

"Have you not been listening? This is dangerous work and now you've just exposed us!"

"I exposed us?"

"Just keep up with me and I'll be able to get us out of here. Where are you staying?"

"Same place I was staying with Father Rorrick when you first came to us."

As the false priest led the way through the busy cobblestone streets, the sound of their pursuers fell away behind them. "Right, right! The uh... at the..."

Ronwyn wasn't sure that this creature who wasn't a man, but wasn't quite an elf, was trustworthy but he was her best hope at finding her lost mentor. "I have a room at The Elder Spruce," she said with a sigh.

"Yes, yes, The Elder Spruce. I knew it was... arboreal."

They returned to the inn through the back alleys. Ronwyn kept a hold of her prayer beads, but she knew that she wouldn't be commanding anyone else today. She had exhausted herself in the alley and she would have to rest before casting anymore spells. She knew some cantrips that she could use to defend herself if need be, but the false priest seemed dexterous and slippery.

"Now, the journey will be long, you'll want to pack light," he said as Ronwyn scanned her room.

"What journey?"

"To the eastern hill clans."

"What? Now you think I'll allow you to take me east? You said you would do that two years ago but you took our gold and Father Rorrick disappeared."

"I warned the cleric it is dangerous to openly look for me in this town, he disregarded my warning and what ever end he was met with was his own doing. Now I am warning you that it is imperative that we leave this city. You can heed my words or not but do not blame me when you end up staring down the business end of the wrong man's blade!"

Ronwyn stared at the elf-man for a moment before saying, "What is your name?"

"You may call me Eryn."

"Eryn, I do not appreciate such a tone, but I am choosing to trust you because... because... I have nobody left to trust. I have met you three times and each with a different face — which does not make me feel comfortable with my choice — but what do I have left if I do not even attempt to journey east?"

"Nothing, I would assume."

Ronwyn was caught in a profound silence. It hurt to have a stranger so bluntly tell her the truth of her life, but she recognized it as just that — the truth.

"The trek will prove to be expensive." Eryn glanced through the window as Ronwyn packed. "Be sure to pack any... treasure that may help us."