Snippet #2511452

It seemed that Richter was not the only one unable to form coherent sentences. He could see why, though; the transition from the sweltering heat of Dhara to the bitter winter of Gar could not be an easy one. After all, he hadn't really gone through any ordeal (unless the beer glass chucked at him had somehow left him mentally scarred) and he wasn't speaking any more clearly than she was. In spite of the slight cold he was already feeling, he removed his own cloak and draped it over the young woman. While she already had a cloak, it was a rather feeble one that was made of material that looked more suitable for curtains than for cloaks. Next, he reached into his rucksack and removed a small, flattened roll of wholemeal bread which he handed to the girl.
"I know it's not much, but it's better than nothing." Richter apologised as he slung his rucksack over his shoulder again and took the girl by the wrist, "It should last you for a bit. Come on, I'll take you to an inn and get you a proper meal."

As tempted as Richter was to return to the sailors' tavern where he had just been performing in order to receive some more praise, he doubted that the girl, fragile as she was, would appreciate being surrounded by loud, drunken sailors. Instead, he brought her to a smaller, quieter establishment further into the city. It was a fairly standard inn; it was kept reasonably clean, there were people dotted around the pub quietly enjoying their drinks, and one clearly drunk man in the corner blubbing about something to his rather irate-looking drinking partner. Richter sat Rahiq down at a table along with his rucksack, and scuttled off to the bar.

Richter returned with a tray adorned with a loaf of bread, a bowl of vegetable soup and a pint glass filled with bitter for each him and the young lady. He removed his own meal from the tray and slid the tray and the other, identical meal across the table to the girl.
"So, I suppose asking your name would be a good way to start," Richter began after a swig of ale, "But I'm rather curious as to how you ended up plummeting from the sky onto me."