Hakeem walked back to the table with two plates in his hands. He set one down in front of Sarya and sat across from her with his own. There were already two glasses on the table, one containing milk and the other containing water. Hakeem began pushing the food around with a fork. Fish was his favorite but he just couldn't take his mind off of the elf. Sarya took a sip of her water and watched him. He was so excited to finally have fish and milk and here he was not even eating it. The cat set down his fork and looked over at Sarya.

"Do you think Mari's okay? He seemed really...different earlier. Something was wrong. I can feel it in my tail! We didn't eat for a long time... I'm sure he's hungry too." His ears folded down and he rested his chin in the palms of his hand. "He never tells me how he's really feeling. He's either mad or indifferent... Except for earlier, he seemed... empty. I only saw him like that when we were back at the mansion." Sarya spoke with a sweet voice,

"You care about him a lot don't you? When things tend to overwhelm Elmarius he needs time alone. He would stay in his room or go out to the garden. When we were at the mansion I would bring him a treat and try to talk to him about it but he usually doesn't like sharing his feelings. It is frustrating when all you want to do is help but I don't blame him. Any ounce of vulnerability he showed was...rejected and severely punished by that bastard!" The woman's voice had risen and she covered her mouth after realizing what she had said. A few patrons of the inn had looked in their direction but quickly turned their attention elsewhere. Her eyes lowered and she gave a heavy sigh. "I think Elmarius will be okay after his bath. It will allow him to destress." When Sarya had yelled Hakeem's ears and tail pointed straight up. He had never seen Sarya speak this way. She was always mild-mannered and soft spoken. The wellbeing of her brother was the only thing he had ever seen her angry about, even though she was treated much worse than him at that mansion. The two of them had a strong bond that could not be broken.

"I only saw some of what happened while I was there and I can't imagine someone dealing with that treatment as long as Mari has. He is so much stronger than he realizes but I wish he didn't have to go through all those years of pain..." The cat looked down at his food with a sigh. Thinking about Mari in pain made his heart ache too. He wanted to see a smile on his face. "I want to bring him his food. Maybe he will feel more at ease if he eats in the room." The cat lifted his cup to his mouth with both hands and began lapping at the milk. He shivered before setting the glass down. Sarya couldn't help but smile at this. Her brother had found a good friend by chance. Or perhaps it was fate? Once she was finished with her food she stood then took her key before bowing to Hakeem. It was an old habit.

"Thank you for thinking of my brother. Have a good night, Hakeem." Hakeem quickly walked over to her and gave her a light hug.

"Good night, Miss Sarya. I will make sure Mari gets a good rest even if I must sleep on the floor." The short woman gave a look of concern but shook her head before walking off towards the exit of the dining room. Surely, her brother wasn't so stubborn as to force Hakeem to sleep on the floor. She sighed though knowing it was definitely within the realm of possibility, especially when his spirits were so low. They were grown men and could figure it out amongst themselves though. Hakeem sat and finished his food after Sarya left. He stood and walked past the entrance to the inn when a smell had caught his nose. It was faint but it was definitely there. He quickly made his way towards the door. When it opened the shifter was met with a splash of water on his nose. He shook his head and shuddered at the feeling but the smell was stronger now. There was no doubt about it. Hakeem's chest puffed out as he inhaled and walked out of the inn and into the pouring rain. In only a thin, sleeveless shirt and baggy pants. It wasn't a good idea but this would be worth it because It was important to him. A loud clap of thunder sounded just as he stepped outside and he let go of the door which slammed behind him. His hands went to his ears for a moment before he relaxed. It was only rain, and he didn't get to see it very often where he was from. Still, he hated getting his whole body wet, especially his ears and tail. He lifted his nose in the air to catch a faint whiff of the scent he was searching for and it led him back towards the forest. How had he not noticed it before? It was dark but he was able to see thanks to his darkvision. It didn't take him long to find the source of the strong scent and his tail began swishing excitedly.

"Mint! Ha! I knew I could smell it! This is perfect!" The shifter excitedly began picking some of the leaves and placing them in his pocket. He had a special idea of what to do with these. After grabbing a handful he stood back upright and a shiver went down his spine before he let out a small sneeze. He shook it off and began walking back to the inn. The walk seemed a bit longer on the way back than it did when they first arrived. He didn't think much of it though. Once he was back inside he walked over to the counter and began ordering a dish and a drink for Elmarius.