I raised an eyebrow despite knowing that he couldn’t see it. As he went to say something else, having taken a breath to do so and everything, I shot a hand out from the depths of my cloak and gripped his forearm tightly. So sudden was my movement that he actually flinched. He said nothing to my actions, but instead gazed at me uneasily, his body tense. Without any explanation, I retracted my arm and remained still. My only hope was that he understood my cryptic message. It took a few moments of uncomfortable silence, be he eventually grabbed ahold of the second tankard and drained it, occasionally glancing at me uncertainly, though his body language appeared calm.

Minutes continued to pass, the overall atmosphere stifling as the only sounds that resonated were the muffled clinks coming from the kitchen. From my position, I could see what he could not; the quick glances, the hands that hovered over weapons and those that continued to stare in our direction.

As I surveyed the tavern, the young man lowered the tankard with a satisfied sigh. Turning in his seat, he waved at a passing waitress, shaking the empty flagon gently. “Hey, could you be a dear and bring me more ale?” His voice sliced through the silence, causing many heads to snap up and draw their attention directly to our corner. The tavern wench bustled over and took the two mugs. As she moved away he added, “Thank you, stainve.”

“Be careful.” I murmured in a voice barely above a whisper, the scraping sound of wood echoing throughout the room.

The stranger made no movement to affirm if he heard me or not, but instead pulled out what appeared to be a deck of cards and began shuffling it. His demeanor flowed so well that I was thoroughly impressed, but didn’t allow for it to distract me. Instead I shifted in my seat, using the darkness as my cover to retrieve a mask from my pack. It seemed that no one knew I was here, aside from the Innkeeper, who occasionally glanced my way. Interestingly enough, I also noticed that the young man had watched me retrieve the mask, and gave a small smile as he saw me put it on as I returned to the shadows. Other than that, he did nothing, continuing to shuffle the cards. It was only a matter of time before things escalated further.