Companionship

"The emperor?" Morne asked. "Why here?"

"Something about checking on the city to make sure it's running smoothly. Which, of course, means the captain is working our asses to the bone to give His Majesty a good show.

"If you wanna hear any more, though, you'll need to buy me a pint," she said with a smirk. "I'd be happy to tell you what I can. I'll be waiting at the Three-Legged Camel in the south part of town three hours from now."

Adopting a stern face, she pivoted on her heel and marched back to her post, giving him a sly little wink once she did before resuming her surveillance of the area.

.......

"The beer here tastes amazing," the guard, whose name was Arelda, said happily before tossing her head back and downing her tankard's contents. "Much better than those stuffy places that pay for 'atmosphere.' What even is that?"

Morne didn't say anything, allowing her to get everything off her chest as he took a small sip from his own tankard. He had to admit, it did taste good.