Sir George led the group down the side streets in the city as they tried to avoid any possible spies that might be watching the main roads through Ironside. Rya was surprised by how many people were moving about and she could tell that some of them were heading home after a long day's work. But there was a good amount of people still roaming the streets and they seemed to be moving towards the market district where most of the pubs and restaurants were located.

They pass by several small stores with wooden doors and windows. Most of them looked like simple little places where you could buy supplies like food or clothing and a few of them had signs outside with images of different objects on them. Some of the items were familiar to Rya, but others were strange to her.

"Looks like everyone is heading in for the night, my Lord. We should probably find a tavern so we don't stand out in this crowd," Sir George said to Quinus.

"Yeah... It looks like most of the humans have gone home while the dwarves are still out..." Percy said as he surveyed the narrow streets.

"Good idea. We should find a place that's a bit away from the Adventures Guild. I don't want to deal with the noise and commotion." Quinus replied.

"Yes, my Lord! I know just the place!" Sir George said happily.

"You know a place?... What place?" Percy asked.

"If my memory is correct, I believe there is an Inn called the Lost Monk just off the main road. The locals said it was a good inn with a solid tavern... They're known for their strong beer and cheap rooms. Plus, I heard the food is pretty good there as well. I was going to check it out with Sir Brad. But that's when the goblin horde came out of the woods. I think it's a little over a mile walk from here."

"The Lost Monk huh... Sounds good to me." Percy said.

"Well then, let's get going before the sun sets," Quinus said.

"Aye, my Lord." Sir George replied.

After about 30 minutes of walking, they arrive at their destination. It's a small inn called The Lost Monk.

"Hopefully they have some vacancies. I'll check, my Lord," Sir George says while walking into the tavern.

'Hmm? This place looks quaint?' Rya thought to herself. 'I wonder what kind of clientele they get here.'

She scans the tavern looking for any threats to herself and her companions. She doesn't see anything out of the ordinary so far. But there seemed to be a few adventurers standing around talking.

"Quin. Why do you want to stay away from adventurers? Aren't they your allies?" Rya asked.

"Well, adventurers are like drifters. They come from all different kingdoms across the continent. So if word gets out we're staying in Ironside, they might have a quest to report me. Or worse, they could be working for my uncle." Quinus replied.

"Got it. You'd rather just stay under the radar... Makes sense," Rya agreed.

Quinus nods and smiles. "Plus it's not every day a beautiful Dark Elf walks around the city of Ironside."

'Q-Quin just can't stop flirting with me! So, this is what it feels like to be a woman... Getting hit on every ten minutes or so... I-I think I like it-NO! Stop it, Ryan! You're just going to lead him on and I'm a man dammit!' Rya thinks to herself as she tries to keep herself calm.

Dalia comes up beside Rya and whispers into her ear, "I can smell Alpha's mating scent. Do you need time alone with Beta?"

Rya gave Dalia a questioning look but then sighed in frustration. 'Dalia!?... Just relax, Ryan. She's just teasing you... And I can't let her.'

"You need to get your nose checked Dalia. You must be smelling something else," Rya replies to the wolfkin.

Dalia smirks at Rya's response as if she knows that she is lying to her and without saying anything the wolfkin turns back towards Percy and pokes him to get his attention.

'When did Dalia get so bold? I'm going to have to watch my back more closely,' Rya thought to herself.

After a moment Sir George comes back from The Lost Monk. He had an uncertain look on his face as he got back to the group.

"My Lord. It seems most of the rooms have been reserved. Mostly by adventurers? It seems a lot of them came to Ironside because of the goblin hordes. Some of them are here to hunt and others are waiting it out until the goblins' numbers are lessened... Looks like they don't know that the horde has been dealt with." Sir George explains to the group.

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"Really? Damn it... If this inn has this many adventurers then I'm sure it's going to be just as bad if we try to find another inn. Haah... I guess we don't have too many choices. What do you all think? Should we try and reach the palace or get a room here?" Quinus asks.

"What’s the negative of heading to the palace?" Rya asked as she looked at everyone.

"Well, we would have a higher chance of being spotted by any possible spies. Then they would most likely try to ambush us or they could hire assassins to come after our Lord the days following, once we leave the palace grounds... I say we stay here," Sir George answered.

"I would have to agree with Sir George. We can't risk the Prince's life after making it out of the Labyrinth. Especially with the death of Marcus." Percy added.

Dalia just looks at everyone not really having a strong opinion on whether to stay or go.

Rya glanced at the others and then shrugged. "Alright, if staying here tonight will lessen the chances of being attacked then I'll go along with it. But I want a room on the first floor... Just in case I have to make a quick exit."

Quinus and the rest of the group nodded their heads.

"Okay, it's settled then. Let's check-in and get some food." Quinus said as he turned towards the inn.

***

The group enters the lobby of the inn and finds the clerk working at the front desk, mostly counting something in their notebook. Their attention was drawn to the sound of the door opening and closing as Quinus and his party walked into the inn.

"Ah! Welcome back sir, did you make a decision?" the clerk asked Sir George walked up to the counter.

"Yes, we would like a room on the first floor. Are there any open ones available?" Sir George asks.

"Yes, there are. There is one available room... It's on the first floor and closest to the common area," the clerk said.

"How many beds are in this room?" Quinus asked as he approached the counter.

The clerk looked down at his notebook and turned a few pages before stopping and looking up at Quinus.

"This particular room has three beds... One is a queen size and the other two are singles. Meals are not included. But it's only 10 silver a night."

Quinus thought for a second before answering.

"That's fine. What are you serving for dinner tonight?"

"Roast pork and roasted potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and green beans. And we just got some Dwarven Red Ale in from the Dales Brewery. 5 copper pieces a head." The clerk said.

'Oh? I haven't had a beer in a long time. I could go for one right now!' Rya thought to herself as the idea of having a beer sounded great after being stuck in the dungeon.

"We'll take the room... And you said it was ten silver pieces a night?" Sir George asked.

"Yes sir. That will cover you and your guests," the clerk said while handing him a key to the room.

"Thank you very much." Sir George said as he gave the clerk the ten silver to cover the room for the night.

"No problem sir. The meals will be served starting at six in the evening."

Sir George nods his head and turns towards the group. "Okay, let's go check out the room."

The group walked down the hall to their room so they could unload their gear. It wasn't too far from the main lobby and it didn't take them long to find it. Once they got into the room they saw a queen-size bed and two smaller single beds. The room itself was simple enough, but the furnishings were a little more luxurious than Rya first thought. She was expecting more dark wood but it was brighter thanks to the choice of paint colors. There was a fireplace, a dresser, a vanity, and a small table with four chairs.

When entering the room it looked like a really cozy studio apartment. But then a realization hit Rya like a ton of bricks. 'God!... I hope Dalia and Percy don't get busy with each other while the rest of us are trying to sleep in the same room... Dalia really doesn't have any shame or restraint when it comes to mating and Percy doesn't seem to mind which is a problem... Man, I was struggling just to fall asleep when we were camping this past week... And now I'll be only a few feet away from their moaning and grunting... Great! Now I'm getting annoyed! Maybe I should have asked Quin to get two rooms?... No! That would be rude to ask... Especially since I have no money... I just got to bear with it.'

Sir George put down his backpack next to the wall closest to the fireplace. "Well, this will do nicely. What do you think my Lord?"

"It's very nice... Now I think the ladies should get the queen-size bed to themselves, while I will grab one of the single beds for me... So that will leave the last bed for you two gentlemen to decide," Quinus said as he put his bag down.

"That sounds good to me. I think it's best if I'm the last to sleep so I can keep the first watch. Does that work for you Sir George," Percy asked.

"Sounds good to me. I'm going to take the second watch. So wake me up in four hours after we're done with dinner," Sir George said.

"All right... Let's eat something. I know I could go for some," Rya said while looking at everyone.

"Sure why not? We can get some food and drinks at the common area," Percy agreed as he walked over to Dalia, who was wagging her tail.

"Alright... But Lady Dalia... Rya... You two should keep your cloaks on for the night," Quinus said, trying to warn them about the possibility of being seen.

"Wha!? Do I have to?" Dalia whined.

"Yeah... It's for the best, Lady Dalia," Percy said as he pulled Dalia's hood back up to cover her wolf ears.

"Fine..." Dalia huffed, "But I won't like it..."

"You should be able to eat and drink comfortably with the hood. Just keep your tail hidden," Quinus added.

Dalia's tail immediately goes limp as her ears droop with disappointment.

'I know what she means. I don't feel comfortable with this either. But we can't risk getting discovered by any spies or adventurers. This is the price we have to pay to stay safe.' Rya thought to herself as she followed Quin.

While Rya and Dalia follow behind Quinus and Percy, Sir George takes up the rear. They walk down the hallway and enter the common area. That's when Rya noticed something that might be a problem when she observed how everyone in the common area wasn't wearing any cloaks.

"Haah... I feel like we are still going to draw attention while wearing these cloaks. But I guess there's no better option," Rya said.