Shae finished doing up her backpack, she could hear that it was noisier than normal around here. Outside there was quite a bit of chatter amongst the villages and there was a bustle going on in the inn as well. ‘Hope no one has come to arrest me.’ She chuckled to herself.

When she opened her door, the muffled enchantment broke. She could hear a few people in their own muffled rooms. Someone was complaining about the bath being too cold toward the bathing area at the end of the hall. While she wanted to get another bath in, she had just done so last night. No sense getting involved with whatever was going on down there. She could also hear voices in the inn below. One stood above all the others. More a deep rumbling voice, how she imagined a bear-man would speak. All low and sexy like. She has a grin on as she descended into a room that was almost to compacity. As she stood on the stairs looking into the crowd, she picked out the man with the grumbly voice! Their eyes met and over the hum of low conversation…

“It is a bear-man! She had a stupid ear to ear grin on her face and at the same time as she said that…

“You’re a big one…” The bear-man said looking at her.

Shae’s smile disappeared in a second as she and the man scowled at each other. Then again at the same time over the now very tense quiet…

“How dare you call be big!” “How dare you call me a bear-man!” They both looked like they would eat each other for lunch.

“What!” Shae growled out. Then she wagged her finger at the man with a face verily beaming bright red. “You NEVER tell a woman she is big!!”

The man who was staring daggers at her winced suddenly at her words. He may not be the smartest man in the world, but you never caught the ire of a woman. Much less a northerner. With a frown on his face at still being called a bear-man though, he managed to grunt out. “You’re right miss I am terribly sorry about that. You just surprised me is all. I did not know there was a northerner in our village.”

There were a few very tiny gasps in the common room about the village head. No one, absolutely no one got to bring up his possible Brew’aer heritage and walked fully upright for a week after. There were more than a few wide eyes at the girl on the stairs.

“Not much of an apology. But I’ll accept it.” Shae face still stony. Then she switched gears, “But you have to tell me all about yourself! I am very excited to meet my first demi-human!” She almost squealed that out.

The man‘s face looked like it got sunburnt all of a sudden. His breathing had stopped. His fists were clenched.

“Did I say something wrong?” Shae tilted her head almost cutely at the man.

They looked at each other for a few seconds before the man finally exhaled a very tight breath very slowly. You could almost swear steam came out of his ears.

“Look lass. You’re new to these lands I am going to assume. But if you call me a bear-man or demi-human again, I am going to take you as the warrior race you are and kick, your ass all over this village!”

With a start Shae realized she might have been way out of line here. She was just so excited. He did look like a bear though. She thought for a second then…

“I am very sorry sir, you are right. I jumped to conclusions and never thought it might be faux pas.”

She really did look sincere, but… “What is a faux pas?” he asked

“Oh,” she brightened a bit. It means like a social mistake. Very tactless of me.”

“Ok, enough with the weird talk. Just… Go somewhere and do something.” Then he glowered at the people around him, who were wide eyed and more than a few pale and cringing for the girl’s safety. “What! Am I that mean hearted?” He asked the crowd.

One man standing in the second row from him, actually slightly nodded in a stunned reaction without thinking. Which made the village head lean that way before her got a hold of himself.

‘The most infuriating day in my life! I aught to kick all their asses!’

Then he felt his left arm being taken as the girl wrapped her arm into the crook of his elbow, smiling up at him sweetly. “Now, now. We both apologized, lets let bygones be bygones, and enjoy some of the wonderful broth Kyle makes while we calm down.”

“Are you treating me like a child?” His visage growing stormy.

“Not at all. I just thought we got off on the wrong foot, and I would like to try and make up for it. As you’ve said I am new to these lands, and I would love to chat with you about that. After all you do look like you’ve been around.” With her other hand she gestured at his gear.

‘What a lucky break!’ She thought to herself. Now if she could just talk him down like she had to do with her uncle, more than a few times at that. Her uncle had always folded when she used her sweetest smile. She could get some very needed answers and maybe a head start to fitting in better, and learning more about this worlds ways.

She was able to start to lead him over to a table closer to the server area where Kyle had disappeared, apparently to fetch them some broth in a mug.

Then the man extracted himself from her grasp. “I sorry lass, but we have a bit of a problem going on right now. Maybe, uh maybe later.” His face relaxed, his tense body eased up.

‘Well, at least it wasn’t a no.’ She thought but kept her smile. “I will hold you to that.” She replied with a slight smile still. Then she sat down and took the cup of broth Kyle had brought out. Warming her hands and sipping it as if nothing at all had just occurred. But she was very much straining to hold it together. This man could have killed her for all she knew. Bullet dodged. Lucky break. And all that.

The whole room was just staring at her, before the man bellowed out, “Don’t you all have things we need to be getting done?” He asked with a bit of gruff.

Then the room cleared out. As the villagers left the inn. The man shook his head looking down at the back of Shae’s head. Then to Kyle, “When they are recovered, have them come to my home.” Then in a huff he left too.

The inn was suddenly cleared out and free on noise just like that.

When Kyle had returned to his wife side behind the half wall server area she leaned into him and whispered into his ear. “Oh, I like her! Maybe we can get the village head to adopt her, keep his temper in check for us. It would make parts of life a lot easier around here.”

With a small nod not looking at his wife he agreed whole heartedly. How she was able to get out of that mess still standing was beyond him. Though, He did call her fat at the start…