Wren recognized what he was trying to sing but did not know the words herself. She decided it was better to keep her mouth shut on the matter on magic. In the forbidden kingdom Spellcaster were called upon to bless newly opened mines, harvests every year, the forging of weapons for the "magic guard", and participated in annual festivals every year.
The magic guard were a group her kind that volunteer and were trained to protect the lives of the spellcasters. The weapons that were made for them were said to be sharp and strong enough to cut straight through any normal sword. Of course, this is little more than a roomer no one has actually intently tested it.
After he put the oil on the machine Wren felt a sharp pinch on her wing and without thought, she wrapped her right wing around to her front to seed what the culprit was. Turns out it was just a simple pincher Beatle and she riped it off of her and threw it straight into the furnace. Her sudden movements also knocked the blanket, that she had around her, off. This left her wing exposed for Robert to see, her wings were mostly black with the leading edge being white with gold highlights mixed in.
When she realized what she had just done she froze still with a mortified look on her face. She really didn't know what to do, her wings were mostly black and she could be very easily be mistaken as a demon of some sort. Normally just taking to the sky would solve the problem but she was in no condition to fly or even go anywhere on foot.

The motion caught Robert’s eye so he turned to see her wings. He looked a bit surprised as he thought they were white. He said, “You might as well stretch them out as your secret is out now.” He nodded to her as he said this. The sweat ran down his forehead from the heat of the furnace. He took this a sign of her getting more comfortable. “I’m guessing you are a long way from home,” he said pointing toward the Forbidden Kingdom. He made another adjustment to the waterwheel feed and wiped his face with a cloth.

He came back to a chair across fro her and sat down. “Would you like to tell me the rest of your story now? As you can see I did not draw a blade or run in terror. I’ve know for a while, since I used some of the magic to heal you on the road. That is why I did not take you to one of the share cropper’s homes that were near there,” he said gently. He did not feel the need to include the fact that the farmer would have probably put a pitchfork through her. She had not turned him into a dog, changed shapes, or had fire coming out of her mouth and eyes.

He was hoping for something. Adventure, knowledge, purpose, Magic,... He did not know, but Wren had brought with her the possibility of all sorts of things.

He waited patiently to see what would happen.

@Amberthealbedo

She sat there still fearing for her life but also shocked at how calm he was. She thought he would ether been screaming or trying to kill her based on the limited interactions she had with humans and the things she had been told.
She also didn't understand what he meant he already "knew", it could either mean that he had already figured out that she wasn't one of his kind or that he knew what she was. The second option was highly unlikely, her people the albedos made sure that no one on the human side knew they existed and the few they did make contact with knew very little about them. The next problem was if it was true her map was still missing and could spell the end of her people entirely or the end of there freedom.
"What do you mean by 'knew'" she said in a sheepish tone. She then glanced at the door with the expression a child makes when they have lost their favorite toy.

He looked at her and said, “I noticed the wing when I picked you up.” He paused to let her understand. “Many of my neighbors would have done you in or have done worse than that to you. I am not my neighbors and I mean you and yours no harm,” he said calmly. “I am,” he thought for a moment,” a scholar. I’ve learned a little medicine, a little engineering, a little about languages and lore, and a bit tinker. From my grandmother, I’ve learned a little healing magic that her grandparents learned in the Forbidden Kingdom and passed on.” He down played how much he actually knew about medicine and engineering.
“I used a bit of the magic on you to help your bite wound and then bandaged you,” he said proudly.

“You are an enigma. Someone who holds a key to other knowledge,” he said like this was the answer to everything.
@AmberTheAlbedo

"Magic won't do much to stop the pain from an ether bite," she said looking out the door. After thinking for a moment she asked, "I really don't have much of a choice on this matter... I need your help to retrieve a map for me. a few days I landed near a road and started walking to find a nice place to rest for a bit before I could, some bandits came out of the woods and robed me. I couldn't just fly away because I cant fly through tree limbs, so can you help me get it back? everything esle i had isnt worth much but that map is."
"I dont want to think about what would happen if someone of power got it and used it agenst my people."

“Well, I am willing to try,” Robert said. A lot of thoughts went through his mind, First, she was a woman and a beautiful one at that. Second, she had access to different knowledge and magic that he would like to learn. Third, A war on his front yard would be inconvenient. Finally, he was tired of the bandits raiding parties form his country blaming the Forbidden Kingdom. Yes, there were robbers from both sides that crossed the boarders.
He leaned back in his chair then asked, “Was it near where I found you or should we just art our search in town?”

The metal ore in the blast furnace started to pop, as the heat broke down the chemical reactions. Making liquid metal and slag. It would take a few hours to get the metal completely refined.

Robert could think of one shop that might deal with the map. The owner was not reputable but collected some curiosities.

"I honestly don't know how far away I wondered from where they stole it from me and it's been a few days so if they even know it's a map there probably trying to sell it by now." She was assuming that they had at least a veg idea of what it was and hoping that they didn't realize that it was a detailed map of the forbidden kingdom. She was also hoping that whoever got it didn't realize that's what it was.
The map was accurate to within ten miles of a marked location and would be easy to fallow for someone who was experienced with traveling using maps. I was a ticking time bomb and it needed to be found quickly.

Robert thought about. Ten miles was enough to take solders almost a day of walking. Not such a big difference to someone who can fly, he guessed. An equipped unit of soldiers would take longer.
He frowned for a moment then asked, “Why would you carry a map like that?” It was a dumb question to ask, because it did not matter.

There was more to her story than that. From what he knew, she was probably one of three things: a noble, messenger, scout, or merchant. She clearly wasn’t a merchant, if she would she would be more upset about her things. A scout seemed unlikely as she would have tried to escape or used something as a weapon. A noble would mean there would be soldiers coming to look for her. That would probably mean bloodshed and then war. A messenger was most likely.

He said, “It is times like thins that I wish I had wings. It is probably only an hour or two to fly to town, but a day by horse.” She sighed and continued, “They would probably try to sell the map in town town to old Finn. Bandits tend not to as ambitious as to go to the guard or mayor.”

Finn was the closest thing to a thieves guild master and fence in the area. If there was smuggling, thievery, or other criminal activity odds are Finn had his hands in it. Finn had been the one to teach him to pick locks and jimmy doors and windows when he ran away from home one summer as a child. He acted and still tries to act like a father to Robert. Their relationship was strained when bandits raided the family’s mining operation because someone said they had struck gold. It was a lie. The raiders hurt people.

Robert started working on two plans in his mind. The first was to offer to take the map and go investigate and bring something back that Finn could sell in the capital city. The second had to do forgery. As a child thief, he was sent to steal a copy of the mayor’s signet. It wasn’t hard, as the son of a prosperous land holder, he was allowed to attend the fall Galia. When the evening winded down, he helped the mayor up to his room and pressed a copy of the ring into clay. He also stole a letter from his lord with the wax seal intact and his signature. This he hid from Finn. Treason, was farther than he wanted to go. It had taken Robert years to figure out how to lift the imprint. Going from a flour cast up to harder and harder materials till he could make a silver press with the seals. Now he had a small collection of seals and signatures of nobles and officials. School had helped him as he corresponded with other nobles and officials about iron ore and lumber. He could trade those to Finn for the map and some equipment. The trick with forgery is the paper and inks. Robert had spent purses of gold coins buying paper and ink from different parts of the kingdom and trade partners. He would not hand that over to Finn. Let the man do his own work. But he didn’t want her to think he was a thief, this had all become an academic study for him. This is also why his family’s signet had different chart coils and edges. It was harder to copy.

He turned his attention to the core question that really did matter, “How long do we have to recover it and get you to where you should be?”
He then asked her, “What weapon do you fight with, Wren?”

@AmberTheAlbedo

"Why? some of our towns are hundreds of miles some even thousands of miles. If our maps aren't accurate we could get hopelessly lost." She tough it was a dumb question at first before she thought about the fact that humans traveled primarily by road and simply had to fallow them to get somewhere. Her map had several landmarks on it to find their position on it and adjust course.
"Flying to town might be faster than that considering cruising sped for use is 100 to 150 miles per hour," she said half heartedly. "Anyway do you think this Finn is smart enough to realize what he has? If so and he has it, its gonna be harder to get back from him. Not to mention I was carrying surveys for potential stone queries but I really couldn't care less about the surveys"

"As much as I would like to go find the map now, it's dark and there is no point in getting ourselves killed trying to get it. By the way, I'm not magic guard so I don't carry around or use weapons."

“So, most of your people fly?” Asked, this was an interesting fact. “Well, town is about..” he said, then went and pulled a map from the bookshelf and unrolled it. “here and we are here, that would mean you could fly to town in under a minute. It also means that what ever hurt you flies faster than you or hunts in a pack.”

He sat back down. “If your map kind of looks like this one, he will figure it out. All of the school children of merchants, nobles, and town folk have some ability with maps,” he said calmly. “So, we need to get to him early in the morning.”

That meant leaving in the early hours of the morning for him. When the metal and ore got to temperature, he took some different sized sticks and had her hold them in her hand till one fit perfectly. “You will need a knife to defend yourself, flying away may start that war we want to avoid,” he said. “I will need to pack some things and head for town a couple hours after midnight. I’d like to catch my old mentor asleep,” he winked.
Then he said, “Eat a little more, change the bandages in case you need to fly and sleep for a while.”

He got up and headed to the blast oven, pulled out some casts to pour the hot metal into. He threw some more coal in the oven and put two smaller crucibles one with gold ore and other with silver. He would make a couple knives with virgin silver and gold inlaid, just in case the stories were true. Silver was suppose to hurt the wee folk and maybe his guests kind too. He wanted her to be safe.

When it was about time to leave, he cleaned up dressed in a black cloak with a grey liner. Nice dark clothes, black boots, his short sword in hand, he held out two daggers that he sharpened on a large stone for her. He had one strapped to each of his arms, and one in his belt, and an old knife in his boots. His horse was saddled, the bit and bridled darker not to reflect light, he also had a traveling cloak, a dress, pants, and a blouse, and soft leather boots set on the table.

Wren was sound asleep by moring and was unwakable, it seemed better not to disturb her and let her rest for least the morning. with her injury, she wasn't likely to go far if anywhere for that matter, she needed her rest.
As long as Aspers or Lady Agatha didn't decide to snoop around or check on Robert for some reason or another she shouldn't be found sleeping. letting her be would also avoid any complications caused by the thief being around and recognizing her.
That being said she did describe it to you the night before and gave you the names of several towns and landmarks as well as the cartographer name, Amilia which should be written on the back if she didn't wake up to leave with you.

Robert left a note in the house and headed for town in the very early hours. A coyote tracked them for a while, but Robert kept talking to his horse and the animal trying to keep both calm. After a while, the creature gave up and tracked other prey.

As the sun was nearing its rise, he made town. He stabled his horse at the inn then headed for Finn’s place. Robert knew where the secret key was kept. His new apprentice was asleep on one of the couches in the sitting room, just as he had done a few years prior. As he reached to turn the door handle to Finn’s study the old man called out, “How many times must I tell you, use your left hand to try the door.” Finn saw his shadow as he pulled the spare key out from hiding and when he approached the door.

As he opened the door, Finn called him over. “Let’s see if your years drinking in the capital paid off. Help me with this,” he said calmly.

On the table the map was rolled out with two other larger maps. He was trying to fit it. The problem was that the map did not fit with what was known to Finn. Just because we name something one way did not mean that the names on the other side agreed.

The negotiating was hard and Robert did his best to keep Wren out of the picture. To make matters worse, Robert had a tell when he tried to lie to Finn. So he had to be careful. By mid morning, he had the old man confused as to where the map belonged. By lunch time, Robert had the map in his possession but it cost him the forgery set and a promise that if he figured out the map or exploring the area that he would let Finn know. Criminals like Finn needed new markets to move stolen goods or gather items that might bring profit.

A quick bit to eat and he was off for the estate, hoping to arrive by the evening meal. He was hoping Wren would be pleased.

By the time Wren had got up, it was mid-morning and many of the workers in the estate were hard at work. About an hour after she had goten up she had grabbed on of Robert's shirts, it wasn't a good fit but it was better than the torn one she had on, she then proceeded to sneak out the door. Wren wasn't too fond of staying in a relitly small house all day especially with nothing to do.
The air around the house felt light and easy to breathe and the scenery was beautiful. She wondered down to the wheat fields and began to run her fingers across the grain, it reminded her so much of her family's farm. The calm of the air and the fields of crops just made her feel at home. As she explored furth she found the orchards, the first sh came to was filled with fresh apples ready to eat and she grabs a few. She also made sure to give the slip to anyone who tried to approach her.
By the time she made it back to Robert's house, there were rumors among the workers of a mysterious woman wondirng the grounds of the estate but no one who saw wren had a good description of her. Robert was sure to overhear the young lads talking about what they overheard themselves.

When he got back to his house wren was sure to be there to great him as if nothing had happened and that she was in the house the enter day, well except for her little collection of apples.

The ride back was a dusty one, the sun was high and the wind blew from the south. A dry heat. The forest near the estate would provide some protection from the heat. The small cask of ale would help quench the heat also. He rode with the map in his hand, humming to himself. Finn had sold him the map and he was proud to have it in his hands. The terms he would worry about later.

When he arrived back at dinner time, he was met at the gate by the steward with a summons to the main house. The matron wanted an explanation about the rumors she had heard from the maids of a strange woman roaming the estate and why he left in the middle of the night.
"Is this some sort of torrid affair?" the matron demanded.
Robert set the cask down and sat on it.
"Really!" he said with a lot of air continuing, "Isn't that a fine, hello."
"Yes, I'm safe and it was a good ride to town and back. It looks like there is a group of coyotes on the edge of the wood so we may need to organize a hunt before fall," he said.
The matron slammed her hand down on the table and asked, "Is there a woman staying in your labs?"
"Technically, no human female," he replied.
She reddened.
"I've been told that a woman has been all over the estate wearing your shirt," she said with anger, "Who is she?"

Robert leaned back and said, "I did not give any of my clothing to a woman to wear."
"What did she look like?" he asked.
She gave the best description she could, which could have been anyone.
"It sounds almost like Abigale, the wash girl," he said, "You know she has liked me since she was a little girl."
He continued, "If there is a woman in my apartments, then I will go find her and I'll invite her to dinner. You can interrogate her yourself. I would recommend serving the lamb, with a garden salad, fresh bread, and the cherry wine from two summer's ago. And of course, cook's berry tarts for desert!"

He stood up and said, "If you excuse me, will go see if I can find this woman." He snapped the map in his hand then headed out.

He headed to his apartment to inform Wren that she was invited to dine in the big house tonight.
@AmberTheAlbedo

Wren looked at him a bit confused, when he told her she had been invited, no one had been able to follow her back to the house, but then again she was wearing his shirt.
Turning her attention to the map in his hands she gently took it from him and started to inspect it. "Well they scuffed it up but at least I have it back now," she said as she gently rolled it back up. "I can make no guarantees but I know a lot of the leaders on my side, thanks to my little sister, and I may be able to get them to offer something in return for helping me get this back." She walked over to the door and cracked it open a little to let in some fresh air. "The farms here remind me of the farm I grew up on, the open fields and the stillness of the air but most of all the peacefulness of it. I may work as a messenger nowadays but im still a farm girl at heart and I plan on taking over the farm when I decide to settle down. They're a nice place to raise a family don't you think?"

He agreed with her about growing up on the estate. As a child he loved running in the fields, chasing squirrels and fox pups, and playing in the stream. He liked helping at harvest and walking the crops. He liked watching the yearlings play.

Noting the dodge about dinner. He returned to it by saying, "So a farm hand said something to a maid, who said something to the cook, who said something to the steward, who said something to the Lady of the house, and the result is the dinner invitation. By now, she might have us married off in some secret wedding in town or something worse."

He walked over to a shelf and picked up the knife he had made for her. The handle was bone wrapped in a tan leather. The blade was very strong but not brittle like most iron knives. There was a simple pattern of birds with a rising sun. The sun was in gold and the birds were in silver. Robert was pleased with his workmanship. Though he knew that the knife wasn't perfect. He also knew that it was much better than being unarmed. He had a shortsword

"You may need this," he said as he presented her with the knife and a simple leather sheath bowing as he did. "The matron is going to inquire of your virtue and of my honor," he said sort of tongue and cheek in a tone that suggested that he was trying to be funny. "Or we can simply flee before they detain us," he said looking at her with a twinkle in his eye. "There is a meadow near the old saw mill that would be perfect for a picnic," he said. He walked over and pulled a picnic basket off a shelf. "We can figure out what to do next," semi-boldly including himself in the plan. He opened the basket, checked a bottle of wine that was inside, and put some cheese and bread in. "What is Lady Wren's choice?" he asked.

"We could just tell her that you found me on the side of the road and decided to help me? Just tell her what she needs to know and nothing more." Wren knew that when someone was invited to dinner, especially by rather wealthy individuals, there would be a sizable fest. "Besides as long as she doesn't try to turn me into a holiday meal we should be fine. I mean your the only one who knows I have wings and it would be incredibly rood to run off without saying anything wouldn't it?"

It was clear that she was interested in the prospect of a big meal. When her things were stolen, the food she had gone with it meaning she hadn't had much to eat until Robert brought her to the estate. "that being said I do need to wash up some before we head over, so wheres the washroom?"

"don't think about trying to get me into a dress," she says playfully

Robert smiled slightly. It was a nervous smile. He was going to make a comment about her joke and quickly saw the trap in it. That was the thing about women, you could insult them be being interested or by not interested. The only things that came to his mind were just going to get him in trouble. So he kept quiet.

Aspers and Lady Agatha were going to have a grand time and he was getting the feeling that Wren was going to play along. He wasn't worried about getting her into a dress. He did not have any woman's clothing in his apartment. What he was worried about Lady Agatha and Aspers getting her in a dress, a white one at that.

He sighed and showed her where the heated bath and washroom was again. With all his stuff scattered about he knew it would be easy to get confused. He also did at time, but that was more from being lost in thought and absent minded.

He kept his fears to himself, as to do otherwise would be rude as well. He went up to his apartment room and changed into appropriate clothing, not formal and not completely comfortable. He brought two other shirts down and hung them on the door. "Wren, if you wish to wear a different shirt to dinner, I hung a couple on the door," he called to her.

He sat down in his chair picking up a book to read while waiting.
@AmberTheAlbedo

It took wren about an hour to come out of the washroom, it wasn't that she was that dirty it was that she had to let her wings air dry or face countless hours trying to straighten every single fether so she could start flying home when she had completely recovered. When she finally came out she had Roberts light blue shirt on and was braiding her hair.

"Sorry it took me so long I haft to let my wings air dry or face hours trying to straighten feathers and just maintaining my wings is hard enough, so if I can avoid having to do extra I will," she said before sisting on the couch and asking, "so what time are they expecting us to show up? I'm hungry." She tilts her head sideways and smiles.

"And before I forget I need to hide this where I can find it later," she sets her map in one of your desk draws and sits back down.

Robert smiled at Wren, somethings were universal he figured.
“I am glad you too the time you needed,” he said.
“I have spent much of my life waiting for hair to dry and be done,” came from his mouth not in a mean or rude way. “My mother and sister liked to have their hair just so,”he added.
He walked over and locked the desk drawer for her then extended an arm to escort her to dinner.

As they were heading out he said to her, “The meal will be ready, but Lady Agatha will make us wait in one of the sitting rooms. So her spies can study us. I will try to move us to the Library to wait. The chairs are more comfortable and there are distractions.” This was a game of chess and Lady Agatha was a Grandmaster but Robert had learned well from her.

The sitting room was very formal, it had a couple chairs that were uncomfortably over fire and. A sitting couch that was comfortable. The room was designed to provoke conversation and that might tip off intentions. There would be a brandy bottle on the table to help loosen tongues.

He lead her to the kitchen entrance and then took her into the main hall. The food smelled wonderful and he stole two rolls still hot for them before being shooed out. The steward greeted them and gently reprimanded Robert for using the main door so that they could greet this charming young woman properly. The game was already afoot and the opening moves set in play. The next move would be to watch their reactions and conversations. If he did not pay enough attention to Wren he would be in trouble for not being a good host. If he was too familiar then Lady Agatha would take that as blood in the water and like a shark hone in on it.

He let Wren be lead by the Steward and give him her name and vital details that a social situation dictates they Lady Agatha know to be proper.