"We'd be eligible for sponsoring him, but there's still the matter of the Guildmaster to consider. If Keefar has what it takes, then hopefully he should become an approved member within about a day or so," Hazel said to the knight. "Still, I think we should probably let him rest for a while before we pay the Guild a visit."
"That's true. We should let Keefar rest before visiting the Guild. Hopefully, the Guildmaster won't object too much." Sol watched Hazel walk upstairs, a faint smile of exasperation as she left without another word. She never did care for pointless niceties.
The knight turned to Keefar, who seemed to have thought it over.
"I suppose adventuring is my only option, if you are willing to sponsor me. I wouldn't want to tarnish your reputation because you showed kindness to a Dark Elf," said the elf with a hint of bitterness.
Sol crossed his arms, a slight shadow over his normally cheerful face as he was reminded of his childhood. He had spent it in the worst part of the slums, where the vilest specimens of all the races dwelt. Sol hadn't been much better than the others, back then. He probably wouldn't have 'risen above' the rest, had not his mother and Sir Dewar helped him.
Hadn't Sol said the exact same words to the elderly knight? All you had to do was switch out "Dark Elf" with "street urchin." Sol knew the look in Keefar's eyes. It was the similar to the expressions he had seen in the rathole of his youth, where everyone was marginalized and spit on by the others. The difference was that the elf still had a fierce independence and pride that the others had lacked. And Sol had no doubt that Keefar had probably been through more than most people had in the hovel.
Sol sweeped the grim thoughts away and smiled again. "Hazel and I would be happy to sponsor you. And don't worry about our reputations. They don't matter at all." Sol scanned the elf critically. "You look like you're about to collapse. As Hazel said, you should rest. You could..." He paused. The spare room they normally used for guests wasn't ready. Well, looked like Sol would have to sleep on the rickety and lumpy couch they kept in the back. "You could stay in my room," finished Sol. "I can show you where it is."