Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. I knew I shouldn't have asked about the money!

Sydney moved as quickly as she could through the rain, looking for another place of shelter. She was worried she had raised suspicions of her and would have to leave town soon. She wasn't sure how people would treat her, and she couldn't risk any confrontation; not while she was injured.

I've been here one afternoon and can't even manage to blend in.

She continued down the main road, walking, rather than running; the dirt road now a muddy consistency. She was having trouble maneuvering her crutch around and didn't want to make it more difficult by trying to move at a faster pace.

Her blanket was beginning to weigh her down, and with only one good leg, she had to leave it. She took it off her shoulders, tossing it to the side of the road. As much as she wanted to keep it, it being one of few things she had brought with her from Galdon, she had to let it go; it was no use to her wet.

"Hey! Hey, wait up a sec!" an unfamiliar voice yelled out from behind her.

Sydney ignored the voice, picking up speed, despite it being difficult. She used both arms to pick the crutch up and down, the mud tacking onto it. Whoever it was had to be talking to her, but she wasn't keen on conversating again; especially considering how well it went for her the last time.

"I know you have nowhere to go! And you're clearly not from here! Just wait a minute!" the voice, a male, yelled out. He was definitely getting closer and fast.

Crap! How much does he know?!

Not sure if he was a threat or not, Sydney stopped moving forward. She knew there was no point in trying to outrun him, in her state he could easily chase her down. Instead, she reached her hand inside her bookbag, gripping onto one of the pistols. She didn't pull it out, but she held onto it, turning the safety off.

As she stood, in the middle of the road, she could hear the man slow down, stopping a few feet away from her. She kept her ears sharp, still facing the other way, tuning out the sound of the rain.

"Look. I'm sure-" he began, but Sydney didn't let him finish.

Turning around, she pulled her gun out, aiming it at him with her free hand, the other firmly holding onto her crutch. She watched as his eyes grew big, his mouth slowing, no longer letting words fall out of them.

It's the guy from the pub.

Recognizing him, her guard went up further than it already was.

"Why did you follow me!?" she yelled.

The guy threw his hands up, keeping his eyes on the gun as he took a step towards her.

"Don't come any closer!" Sydney demanded, her arm shaking under the weight of the gun.

He stopped approaching, heeding the warning she gave. She just hoped she wouldn't have to kill him. Even though she was taught some Westerners were savages, that didn't make her want to kill one; but she would, if she had to.

"You have a gun?" he asked, his voice unsteady.

"Obviously," Sydney said through gritted teeth.

"Why do you have a gun?" He looked nervous, his eyes constantly shifting from the gun to Sydney.

"For protection," she answered.

Using one hand to brush his soaking hair out his face, he lifted his face to the sky. After taking a deep breath, he looked back at Sydney.

"From who?" he asked, his voice steadier than before.

Getting tired of the back and forth, Sydney furrowed her brows in frustration.

"That's none of your business. I suggest you just go back inside," Sydney said, ignoring his question. She waved the gun, pointing it in the direction of the restaurant they had come from.

"You're probably right," he said, his tone turning sharp. "It's definitely safer than being out here with some stranger threatening my life."

"I'm not the threat here," Sydney spat. "You are."

"Me!? All I did was run into a storm to try and help you out!" He exclaimed. "How does that deserve a gun to the face?!"

Sydney looked around, checking to see if anyone was witnessing their quarrel in the middle of the road. Then, looking back at him, she subtly turned the safety back on. She didn't feel comfortable with it off anymore, especially while she had it pointed at someone so young. He couldn't have been much older than her.

"Well, why would you do that?" she questioned. "You don't even know me."

Squinting her eyes to see through the rain better, Sydney inspected him. The only thing she could see on him was a bookbag, but she had no idea what was in it. She couldn't be sure he wasn't carrying a weapon, but there was enough distance between them for her to turn the safety off again, if she needed to.

"I could ask you the same thing!" He retorted, gesturing to her pistol. "You don't know me, yet you assume I'm some kind of criminal!"

Looking at his expression, Sydney could see he was upset, maybe even offended.
Reluctantly, she dropped the arm that was holding the gun.

"Just...don't follow me," she said, firmly.

"That's fine with me. I have better things to do than get murdered by you," he said, walking past her.

Turning around, she watched him go, letting the distance grow between them before she followed.

Limping down the road, she made sure to keep him in her view. She had no idea where to go for the night so her plan was to follow him, hoping he'd lead her somewhere she could sleep.

As she walked, Sydney thought back to his reaction when she aimed her gun at him.

That may not have been the best decision. What if he really was trying to help me?

She reasoned with herself that she was in the right.

All her life she was told that Westerners were uncivilized, crazy; that they could never be trusted. But, just thinking back to the lady with her grandson, Sydney considered the possibility that not all of them were bad. That woman had shown her kindness, however brief it was. For all she knew, maybe the young man was trying to do the same.

Up ahead, Sydney saw the guy walk into a long building. As she got closer, she was able to make out a sign that read "Gordon's Inn". A minute later and she was walking through the front door.

The lobby wasn't very big, with only the front desk and a couch able to fit in it. As she stumbled in, she was just a few feet away from the guy she had followed. He seemed to just finish talking to the woman behind the front desk.

"I'll give him a ring and tell him that...who did you say sent you?" the woman asked him.

"Marcus," he answered, before looking over at Sydney.

He crossed his arms as he leaned over on the front desk. His expression was blank as he stared, his brown eyes looking right into Sydney's deep blue ones.

"Well, it looks like I'm not the only one who follows strangers," he said, his tone straight forward, not smug as Sydney had expected.

Letting his words roll off her, she walked up to the desk, making sure to keep her eyes on the woman behind it. She was still on the phone, clearly talking to whoever the guy next to her had asked for. A couple seconds later, she hung up.

"Alright, hun. He's on his way down," she said, gesturing to him.

Sydney could see him walk to the couch in her peripheral, but kept her attention on the woman, waiting to be acknowledged.

"Oh dear, you look a mess. I take it you want a room?" the woman asked, sounding concerned.

"Uh, yes," Sydney said, keeping her voice low and leaning in. She didn't want him to hear her as she spoke.

"Is this enough?" Sydney pulled out the two coins, "spitchels" she had learned they were called, and placed them on the desk. She watched as the woman's eyes grew big in astonishment.

"Hun, you can't be serious!?" she said in disbelief.

Sydney looked behind her following the woman's outburst. She saw the young man watching her, intently. He was clearly listening in.

Turning back around, she made an effort to be even quieter.

"It's all I have," Sydney pleaded in a hushed tone. "If you could help me out, just for tonight?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that," the woman stated, pushing the coins back toward Sydney. "Our rate is ten times what you have to offer."

Putting her head down, Sydney took in a few deep breaths. The last thing she wanted was to go back into the storm. She could hear that the rain had picked up, this time with the accompaniment of thunder.

As she thought of what to say next, she could hear the guy behind her talking to someone.

At least he wont be eavesdropping anymore.

Giving it one more attempt, Sydney straightened up, leaning on her crutch rather than the desk.

"Please, don't make me have to go back out into that," she said, pointing at the door she had come in. "I've had the worst day of my life and really need for something to go in my favor."

She looked into the woman's black eyes, hoping she would help her. It really seemed like she was going to give in, but that hope dissapated when she opened her mouth.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you," she said, shaking her head. "And since you're not getting a room, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Having accepted defeat, Sydney calmed her mind, preparing to face the storm outside.

"That's not necessary," a familiar voice said. "She's with me."