Pio entered the room softly, moving evenly towards a desk near the door before lighting a small lamp. Perhaps it was the cool night and the soft chorus of crickets singing outside the window, or maybe it was the exhaustion of the days activities. Whatever it was, Laurie's head was resting in the cup of her hand, propped up on the arm of Pio's chair. She lay in a slight doze, her thoughts light and free for the first time since that morning. Pio's entrance and the sliver of golden light that escaped inside when the Elf had opened the door was enough to bring Laurie from her sleep, but it took a moment to orient herself and remember why she was sleeping in a chair.
Laurie realized she had made more noise than she had intended, or perhaps the keen elf ears had picked up a sound which had escaped her own. Pio's voice hissed at her from the dark, "Who's there?!" Or was it Pio's? Laurie had never heard the kind woman speak so dark or dangerously. The young lady froze, afraid, when she saw the moonlight glitter off cold steel. What a great fool I am, groaned Laurie to herself before gathering her courage about her and speaking.
"Pio, it's me, Laurie," she began in a small voice, her eyes fixed on the knife. "You asked me to come to your room..." Laurie's voice trailed off, hoping this was indeed Pio the innkeeper.
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