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Bane watched the newcomers with bleary eyes. There was nothing more they could take from him aside from his life; there was no village near that would accept his cursed armor for trade, either. It was safe, here, in the bleakest way. Somehow, that filled the guard with comfort, enough to share of himself, first. Not all of himself, but just enough.

[color=#0F80EF]"I was stolen from,"[/color] said Bane. He stared at the spice offered and decided to go without, feeling unworthy of such finery. Then, his eyes met the young scholar's gaze, meaningful in its sternness. She ought to keep her valuables and her primness to herself, unless she was certain she was among friends. There were those who would cut her down for less. Unable to stop the old habits of a nobleman's guard, he continued, still keeping his focus on her. [color=#0F80EF]"Ma'am... you must be cautious. Generosity does not always bode well."[/color] He refrained from the finer details on his thief, however. It was a bawdy tale, though the marks on his neck left an unspoken explanation. Unsolicited advice given, he then continued with some reluctance, particularly as he felt the hooded figure's eyes on him. Bane felt his ears burn with shame from beneath his helm as he realized how relieved he was to be able to hide his own true nature.

[color=#0F80EF]"I am nobody,"[/color] said the man, his voice as worn as his greaves. [color=#0F80EF]"But you may call me Bane."[/color] While Cora might have had to explain her skills and knowledge to a potentially ignorant and illiterate crowd, the guard's armor and arms spoke for him. [color=#0F80EF]"Mercenary for hire, on most days. Tonight, just a vagrant, sharing a kind stranger's fire."[/color]

His head turned to watch the warrior opposite him, her features and her headdress betraying experience and wisdom with both the fight and the wilds. There was a peace about her that he envied, one that he chased after, but could never find. The closest he could get was the bottom of the bottle, but it never lasted, and it always led him to trouble. Would tonight be different?

[color=#0F80EF]"I hail from Riffolk. But like many others... it is long gone, now."[/color]

To this end, no further details were offered, and once more, the guard's face returned to its stolid, thoughtful state.