Snippet #2577023

If there was one thing Eilin knew it was that sitting back complacently got people killed. The village had its guards, sure, but they were not so much keeping a look-out as they were simply cooling their heels near the gates. Years of seeing no danger coming for the village had left them without any real respect for their own posts. A fact that irked Eilin more than she would have liked to admit.

She was able to sneak past them quite easily, her steps light and silent until she had made it past the gate and to the trees beyond. The snowfall had started again. Slow and peaceful, it was a blanket of calm and comfort for the others. For Eilin it was a chance to venture out with the knowledge that her footsteps would be wiped clean behind her.

Slowly and carefully, she made her way into the night. How long she was out there for, she could not tell. The moon was high in the sky when she finally re-emerged from the forest, feeling somewhat frustrated. To her disappointment, she had not been able to locate any traces of the demon pack. Only a few select clues to show that they were near-by.

Sneaking back past the guards was easier as they by now seemed to have brought out a game of cards to play by torchlight. Eilin was almost tempted to raise form of an alarm to get them back on their feet. Anything to remind them that the village could be in very real danger. She knew, however, that she was nothing but a guest here and could be run out if the villagers decided that she was stepping on toes.

So instead, she made her way back to the inn, slipping through the door to see an oddly empty bar space. Only a lone figure remained downstairs. The barmaid, busy wiping down the last of the tables for the night. Eilin only cast her a fleeting glance and proceeded further inside toward the stairs. She did not wish to stick around for a talk.

Silently, Eilin made her way upstairs to the room that was designated to the key she had been given earlier. She made quick work of unlocking the door and stepping inside. There, she set down her spear and busied herself with removing her coat, furs, and a variety of weapons that were strapped to her body. She only kept one of her daggers with her, slipping it under the pillow in case she would need it in the middle of the night. She washed her face free of any remaining paint and sat down on the bed, softly sighing to herself.

How long she sat there like that, she wasn't certain. At one point her gaze was fixed on the window and the falling snow outside. It all looked so peaceful yet it always reminded her of the ash that she saw falling from the sky the day after her village had burned to the ground. Eventually, the weariness got to her and she lay back, closing her eyes to get some rest.