"We're here."

The ladies exchanged a relieved look at Alec's call, sounds and sights soon flashing past the open back as Delilah peered out.

The caravan continued through the winding streets, passing colourful sights and smells that overwhelmed her senses. The city seemed to never end as they continued to roll forward.

"It's a lot at first" Rose empathised as she petted Delilah's back.

"There's so many people."

Slowly the hustle and bustle was replaced by the sound of iron gates swinging open to greet them, gardens lining either side of the path, as the horses circled a stone fountain and drew to a halt.

She followed the women as they climbed out, carefully helping Trevor climb down, she stared up at the large home that towered over the caravan.

"Welcome to the Brooke Manor" Rose spread her arms wide with a light laugh, taking Delilah's hand.

"Will you allow me to offer you my guest home, and stables to you and Mavrik? It's the least I can do. You can make yourself at home for as long as you find yourselves in Soldeen."

She eyed the woman in surprise, her gaze was genuine and warm with no trace of dishonesty.

"We couldn't! Please don't trou-"

"It's no trouble!" Rose insisted, patting her hand as Mavrik shrugged lightly "It's settled" Lady Brooke affirmed.

"I'll show you to the stables" Desmond offered to Mavrik as Rose pulled Delilah forward.

She followed after the woman as she led her down the side of the Manor where a modest cottage resided.

"The grounds keeper used to live here, since he passed it hasn't been lived in so I apologise if it's a bit dusty."

Pushing open the door "I'll let you get settled in".

Delilah stepped into the building, despite not being lived in recently it had still been tended to. A thin layer of dust evident on some of the belongings, but not to the extent she would have imagined.

Carefully she set her pack down, rubbing her hands together as she pushed open the curtains, from her window she could see Desmond and Mavrik by the stables. She watched them for a moment with a fond smile, before turning her attention back to the home. Assessing the cupboards as she explored each room, the home was simple and functional, boasting a living area, kitchen, dining, and wash room, as well as two bedrooms.

She heard the door open, hearing the tell tale heavy boots of Mavrik as he stepped in.

"We'll need to buy some supplies" Delilah called, stepping out of the kitchen.

"Tomorrow, Lady Brooke has invited us to join them for dinner tonight."

She nodded a sly smile sneaking across her lips, as she recalled what she had seen on her tour of the house.

"Dibs on the bath first" Bounding forward without waiting for the man's reaction as she lunged into the room and closed the door behind her. Stifling her giggles behind her hand as she waited a few moment, unsurprisingly there was silence. No protest, no pursuit, not that she really expected there to be. Despite her antics Delilah doubted Mavrik cared, chuckling to herself as she shook off her clothes and started the water pump, igniting a fire to warm the water. She stared down at the wooden tub as it filled, easing herself in cautiously.

Heat crept over her tired bones, closing her eyes and relishing in the first hot bath she'd seen in weeks. There had been plenty of streams or buckets and wash cloths on the road. But, a proper bath was something Delilah had sorely missed after leaving Mavrik's home. Staying long after her fingers began to prune, her stomach rumbling eventually growing loud enough to break through the warm water's spell.

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She rose, changing back into her clothing excluding the brigandine and her weapons. Carrying them out with her as she made her way to the bedrooms, finding Mavrik in one.

"Was beginning to think you'd drowned."

"Your turn" she stuck her tongue out at him, continuing into the other room as she placed her gear down. Pulling out a folk lore book as stretched out on the plush bed, the memory bringing a smile to her face as she flicked to where she was up to. Mavrik had surprisingly brought it with them after she had been reading it in his study, giving it to her one slow evening of their travels after an especially gruelling training session.

"Dinner should be ready."

Mavrik was stood in the doorway, no longer clad in armour, she nodded and pulled her hood up firmly over her horns.

Upon reaching the manor, the two were bustled inside by a beaming Rose.

"Let me take your cloak" She offered.

"N-no thank you.. I'm cold" Delilah stuttered nervously, watching the confused Lady's face before she shrugged and beckoned them forward.

"Come take a seat, Liesel and the other kitchen staff are excellent cooks."

The two sat with the others, before long beautiful dishes were brought out and laid on the table in front of them, piled high with exotic and colourful foods.

Tentatively Delilah filled her plate and tucked in.

"So what are your plans in Soldeen?" Trevor asked.

"The great library for Delilah's magic studies" Mavrik sipped at his drink.

"Are all elves mages?" Rose asked innocently.

"Elves?" Delilah repeated as the woman grew flustered at her confusion.

"O-oh sorry, I just assumed you were in elf, with y-your skin and all" Rose panicked uncomfortably.

Delilah stared down at her hands that held the delicate silverware, usually hidden by thin riding gloves as she connected the dots. Her skin colour wasn't that of a human, a blueish lavender. They had mistaken her for an elf?

"No, no its okay. I am, but no not all of us are mages" She recovered softly, judging by the lack of reaction around her to the revelation, she gauged that an elf was a safe cover.

Rose relaxed with a nod.

The conversation continued to flow as the group ate, Trevor having a few too many as he broke out into merry song.

"Trevor sit down before you break your neck!" Liesel scolded.

"It's fine! Miss elf over there can just zap me to life again" he hiccupped waving his hands around and continuing his song.

Liesel shook her head. shooting an apologetic look as the devil-kin laughed, it was good to see the man once on death's door so animated and alive.

"Come on, off to bed with you. You've had enough" Liesel swatted him, leading the wobbling man from the table. Rose watched them in amusement as she turned to Delilah, weight of the day's events clearly creeping in "I Best get my rest too."

"Thank you for the food Rose, and your hospitality" Delilah returned as she and Mavrik made their way back to the guest house.

Mavrik paused as he pushed open the door, holding up a hand to Delilah as he threw it open. A Feline creature sat on the arm of on of the chairs, unfazed by Mavrik as he lunged into the room, she continued to read a familiar folk lore book.

"Who are you?" He snarled cautiously.

Finally she looked up, silver fur littered with black hollow spots dressed in simple, loose fitting clothes, a strip of red wound on her upper arm. Sporting an insignia of a sea phoenix encircled around a white leafless tree that clasped the material together.

"My name is Lunar" she purred "Oke sent me to find you."

The sight of the symbol seemed to relax Mavrik, he folded his arms and sat across from her, evidently he recognised the name.

"Your order doesn't usually play nice with outsiders?"

Delilah looked from the two as Lunar tensed, full attention on her "You're a devil-kin??"

"She's with me" Mavrik left no room for the strange feline woman to argue.

Lunar eyed Delilah for a moment longer, causing the young woman to shift under her burning stare. Midnight blue eyes finding hers, Lunar seemed to find what she was looking for as her gaze relented. Simply nodding as Delilah breathed a sigh of relief.

Slowly she edged to sit next to Mavrik once Lunar returned her attention to him.

"Call it exceptional circumstances then," long slender tail tip twitching in Lunar's evident frustration as she returned to the previous conversation.

"And what might they be?" He pushed.

Lunar leaned forward, long triangular ears flattening slightly "an illegal monster fighting ring".

The cat like woman held out a flier for Mavrik to take.

He looked up at her slowly after a moment of reading.

"No one could be that foolish?"

Delilah craned her neck to read some of the fight line ups, words of beasts she recognised and others like Gorgon or Hooked Horror she gratefully didn't.

"Perhaps. Even so. I plan to investigate."

She stood, bare elongated clawed feet not making a sound as she made her way towards the door.

"I could use your skills, think on it. I'll be by the docks after sun down tomorrow."

In a blink, any trace of the strange cat woman was gone.

Mavrik sighed heavily and rubbed his temples.

"What was she?" Finally asking her burning question now they were alone.

"A tabaxi."

"Did you know her?"

"No, but I know her mentor."

"Are we going to help them?" Her question drew a weary sigh from Mavrik, taking it as a reluctant affirmation. She made her way to the book, where it laid open on a story about pirates and their sea voyage. Her companion vanished into his room, door clicking closed softly behind him.