Lucy was nursing a glass of steaming cider as Ray and Brandon discussed their travel plans.

"We'll make better time if we leave here sooner. A good break was all we needed, I thought we had agreed we didn't want to stay in another town for too long?" Brandon drummed his fingers lightly on the tabletop.

Ray nodded. "I know I know, but I think it would be better if we stayed here for a while, maybe get some information about what towns are up ahead and how long until we reach them. For all we know it'll be days before we'll be able to stop and rest in civilization again, and you never know..." Ray took a sip from his glass of water and shrugged. "Something may happen to us out there, and we wont have been prepared, or not have the right supplies because we weren't sure what was ahead of us."

Brandon sighed. "I agree we should get some information about nearby towns and villages, but I don't think we should be staying here any longer then we have to. We need to get back out on the road, hopefully even before tonight." The windian guard stretched his wings a bit.

Ray nodded again, staring at his glass of water as he thought. "I know you just want us to be making good time... but not everyone here is as ready to give up certain luxuries, like sleeping in a bed for example, just so we can be speedy about this..."

"You're forgetting what our goal is?" Brandon leaned forward in his seat, fixing Ray with a studying look. "There is a demon out there you know, and as long as we waste our time it'll just be getting stronger."

"Well no one's going to be ready to do much of anything if they're too busy complaining." Lucy had her elbows propped up on the table, holding her cup of cider just under her chin, both hands wrapped around the drink as she warmed her them on the hot mug. She glanced from Brandon to Ray, and then shrugged her shoulders lightly. "I mean, unless you do something to keep Janet and Jason comfortable, you know they wont be good for anything other then making a lot of noise."

"Yea, speaking of those two, where are they anyway?" Ray glanced over his shoulder to the door of the tavern. "They've been gone for a while now."

Brandon shrugged and sat up in his seat. "They'll be back, just wait." Almost on cue the door to the tavern swung open and Janet stormed in, a flustered Jason following behind her. Lucy groaned and turned to her brother.

"I wish you hadn't said that..." She sighed as Jason's annoyed voice reached the group's ears.

"You know, if you hadn't run off in the first place-" Jason was doing his best to keep up with Janet as she stalked to the table. She didn't even bother to face him as she grumbled back her reply.

"Will you stop following me around already?" She plopped down in her chair and turned to glare at Jason.

"Well I don't know." Jason rolled his eyes. "If I leave aren't you just going to get lost again?"

"Why don't you get lost?" Janet snapped back.

"Fine!" Jason threw his hands up in the air in annoyance. "Fine! I'll do just that! Look, here I go! IÕm getting lost!"

"Jason..." Jason ignored Brandon's call as he turned and headed back out of the tavern. The guard let out a sigh as he watched the tavern door swing shut behind the red-haired windian. Janet sat sulking in her seat as Lucy offered her a sip of her cider.

"Well," Ray glanced over at Brandon. "At least they're talking again."

Janet glared up at the dragon but didn't respond.

"Fucking bitch has to be so fucking stuck up all the fucking time." Jason grumbled to himself as he paced away from the tavern. "Save her fucking ass and she's still a fucking pain in mine. See if I ever do anything for that bitch again..." He continued rambling quietly to himself as he walked, hands stuffed into his coat pockets and kicking at random pebbles, watching them skitter across the ground. He had hardly heard the female voice behind him until she called out again.

"'xcuse me!"

Startled, Jason turned to find a girl about his age, feathery brown hair held out of her face by a white handkerchief she wore over her head, dressed in an off-white shirt and a faded blue skirt walking up to him. She offered him a warm smile as she approached.

"Hey there, stranger! Plan on staying long?"

Jason shrugged. "I don't know, why?"

"We haven' had travelers here in a long time." The girl stopped in front of him and clasped her hands with a sigh. Her eyes wander over Jason's face, studying him as she spoke. "It's nice ta see travelers come by here, you meet the nicest people sometimes. You a trader?"

Jason shook his head. The girl's smile fell a bit in disappointment.

"Oh... We haven' gotten traders here in a long time. People just stopped coming by the town, so it's nice to get some people to stop by once in a while. You stayin' fer the night?"

"I'm not sure." Jason rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged.

"Well if you do stay yer welcome to stay with us." She smiled up at him again. Jason gave her a confused look.

"Um..."

"Oh!" The girl let out a little laugh and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I haven't ever introduced myself yet! I'm Menolly." She smiled and held her hand out to Jason. "My father helps out in most of the trade business here so we're always having people stay over at our place. It's a lot better then the Inn, and cheaper too. Don't have to pay a thing and we serve ya food as well."

Jason took Menolly's hand and shook it. "I see..." He studied her face for a moment.

"And you are..." Menolly gave him a curious look. The windian blinked in surprise.

"Uh... Jason! I'm Jason." He felt a bit of heat rising up in his face as he let go of Menolly's hand. "Sorry, I'm just not much when it comes to conversation."

Menolly smiled. "Oh that's alright. Sorry if I make you nervous or anythin', so I'm just so used to when people came by here more oft'n, since Daddy's always lettin' the traders stay at his house, so I'm just really used to talkin' to people." She shrugged.

"Well... I'm not..." Jason rubbed the back of his neck again and shifted his weight from foot to foot a little. He wasn't sure why he was suddenly so nervous. Not like I've ever really had a problem talking to people back at Windia or anything... In fact, when it came to social things like dances or parties, Jason was often all over the place. I guess I'm just not used to other people approaching me first.

Menolly gave him another warm smile and gazed up at him curiously. "So where're you from?"

"Windia."

"Oh!" Her voice seemed to perk up with interest. "I've always wanted to go there sometime! What's it like in Windia?"

Jason shrugged. "Big and crowded actually. I'm not used to small places like this." He gazed around at the town's scenery.

"What brings you out here anyway?"

Jason thought for a moment. He wasn't quiet sure what to tell her. Not like I really want to go spouting off that I'm wandering around with a dragon looking for a demon... but he wasn't sure what else he could say. With a shrug of his shoulders he gave the best excuse he could. "Came out here for the hell of it." Idiot, that's a dumb excuse. He made a mental note to spend some time thinking of a better reason in case he was ever asked that again.

Menolly let out a small laugh. "That's something I haven't heard before. Not much to see out here but trees. All of the towns look alike anyway." She shrugged lightly. "Used to be a lot of trade coming through here but it stopped a while ago."

"Why'd people stop coming here anyway? If this is such a big trade route I mean, and you said you used to get travelers here all the time."

Menolly shrugged, her smile faltering a bit. "People stopped coming because of the plague."

"The what?" Jason felt an uncomfortable lump wedge up in his throat. Ever since the shens incident he hadn't been too wild about staying in a place where weird sicknesses where a problem. Menolly noticed his discomfort and shrugged it off with a laugh.

"Oh don't worry about it, that was a long time ago, and anyway it never reached here." She sighed. "Unfortunately though, it did get the other towns nearby here. That's why people don't come by much often any more. With those other towns gone the trade has just kinda stopped." She let out another small sigh and shrugged.

Jason felt his unease let up a little. "So, there's like, no weird sicknesses floating around right now right?"

Menolly giggled at the windian and shook her head. "There's nothing at all to worry about. Why?"

Jason let out a relieved sigh. "No reason..."

She smiled up at him again and her eyes drifted over to the crossbow on Jason's back. "Oh! You're an archer?!"

"Huh?" Jason glanced over his shoulder to where his weapon was slung. "Yea," he shrugged and turned back to Menolly. "Why?"

"I love archery." She beamed up at him. "Always wanted to learn but never had the chance. You good at it?"

Jason chuckled. "Am I good?" He puffed his chest out and did his best to look important, crossing his arms over his chest and flashing Menolly a self-assured grin. "Only one of the best at Windian High!" Well... at least before they kicked me out of the club...

"Windian High?" Menolly gave him a curious look. Jason nodded.

"Yea, that's my school back at Windia."

"Oh!" She smiled again. "Of course. Say, could you show me some of your archery stuff sometime?"

Jason shrugged and found himself grinning at her request. "Sure, why not?"

"Oh good!" She and reached out, taking his hand with both of hers and motioned for him to follow. "Come on! Why don't you come meet Daddy and ya can see if you want to stay with us fer a while!" Jason followed as Menolly lead him to a house near the entrance of the city. It was large compared to some of the other houses, two stories, and Jason could see as a few shop signs hanging outside of it as they approached. Menolly opened the front door and motioned for him to follow her inside. Jason glanced around as he did.

So they live in their store? Jason stepped into what closely resembled most armory or weapons stores he had seen. The counter, placed a ways in front of him, was littered with packages and boxes, piles of random items were placed behind it. Off to the right of the counter was a set of stairs that led up. Menolly motioned to them.

"That's the actual house up there. Daddy used to keep his store cleaner but since we've been getting less people coming by he's stopped being so picky about how it looks. Daddy?" Menolly walked over to the base of the stairs and called for her father. "We've got travelers here visiting!"

"Travelers?" A man's voice sounded from upstairs, and was quickly followed by creaking boards and footsteps. A moment later and the tall form of a brown haired man wearing a plaid shirt, jean overalls and some worn out work boots made his way down the stairs. He spotted Jason and walked up to him with a welcoming grin, wiping his hand off on his overalls before offering it to Jason. "Well son! Nice to see people are coming 'round here again! Where you hail from?"

Jason shook the man's hand briskly and shrugged. "Windia."

"Aw, Windia huh?" The storeowner scratched his chin lightly. "Then yer not here for the trade are you?" Jason shook his head and the man let out a heaved sigh. "Business has been so slow lately," he said as he paced over to his counter. "Wonder if people have forgotten we're even here."

"He may stay for the night, Daddy. Could he stay with us?" Menolly gazed curiously at her father, who nodded in response.

"Our place is always open for the weary traveler." He grinned at Jason again. "Say boy, you out here alone or you got some company with you?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm with some people." Jason shrugged. He had almost forgotten about the others. "They're back at the tavern though."

"How many of ye are there?"

"Five in all."

The storeowner nodded and rubbed his chin again in thought. "Yea, we got room for the lot of ya if ye want to stay for the night."

"I don't know if we plan on staying..."

"Aw, why not?" Menolly pouted lightly at him. "It's gettin' late, and ya'll really shouldn't be traveling around at night."

"Is it late?" Jason hadn't noticed how much time had passed. He headed over to the door and looked outside. Sure enough, he could see the sky had darkened since he had last left the tavern. "Aw shit, I gotta get back and find the others." He shot an apologetic glance over to Menolly and her father.

Menolly sighed. "Ya have ta go? Why don't you get yer group over here and stay the night? We'll be glad to have ya!"

Jason nodded and hurried out the door, calling over his shoulder as he left. "I'll try, thanks for the offer!" He made his way quickly back to the tavern. Nice girl, he thought to himself as he pictured Menolly's smiling face. Kind of cute too. The idea stuck him off guard and he felt himself blushing a little. Whoa Burnhart, you just met this girl. Besides... she's probably not your type anyway. She talks too much and... well... she is kind of interested in archery... and she did just invite you to stay the night at her house... and she does have a nice smile and laugh... Jason mentally smacked himself. And all you're doing out here is running around with some people trying to fight some demon somewhere, so stop getting side tracked. He sighed to himself as he entered the Merry Traveler Tavern. Even if she does seem really nice...

"Jason! Where have you been?" Lucy stood up as he approached the table. "We thought something happened to you or something."

"Yea, too bad we were wrong." Janet rolled her eyes. Jason ignored her.

"I was just talking to someone. Look, it's pretty late out, I really think we should stay here for the night."

Brandon shook his head. "Ray and I were talking about that. Our best bet is to get some information about the nearest town and head for there was soon as we can. Besides, I don't have the zenny to pay for all of us to stay in the Inn."

"Well, that's not a problem because I found us someplace we could stay for free." Jason jabbed his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of Menolly's house.

"What?" Janet turned to face Jason, giving him a disbelieving look. "What were you doing? Hunting down abandoned houses or something?"

"No," Jason rolled his eyes. "I already told you, I was talking to someone. Anyway, her Dad used to be a part of the trade here, so she's offering us a place to stay for the night."

"She? Oh, I get it." Janet spun back around in her seat to face the others. "He wants us to stay here for the night so he can try and score with some girl he just met."

"No you idiot." Jason rolled his eyes at Janet. "Just shut up and listen for a moment, okay?" He began to explain how he ran across Menolly and how she had invited them to stay with her for the night, explaining that her father was used to boarding travelers before people stopped coming by the town.

"Wait a second," Brandon held up his hand to interrupt Jason. "This was a large trade route, what do you mean people don't use it anymore?"

Jason shrugged. "Ever since a plague wiped out the nearby towns people have stopped coming."

The four seated around the table all let out a groan. Lucy sighed loudly. "See, this is the information we needed to get before leaving town."

"So all of the nearby towns are gone?" Brandon raised his eyebrow curiously at Jason. The red-haired windian nodded.

"That's what she told me. If we stay over with her you could ask her dad about it, he should know more on the subject."

Brandon sighed and stood up, stretching his wings as he did. "Fine, looks like we're staying here for the night."

Jason suppressed a smirk. If the group stayed the night, that meant they'd probably end up taking up Menolly's father's offer of letting them stay at his place. And that means I get to hang out with Menolly a bit more. Jason found something appealing about that idea. Cool.