The innkeeper looked Anik up and down, taking in his appearance for the first time with a hint of wariness in his gaze. It wasn't hard to guess why. Anik's Lowlander accent was slight but distinct. Glancing over his shoulder, Ren saw several of the inn guests watching them now, and he quickly turned his face away.

The innkeeper shook his head. “It's not for sale.”

“Five gold?”

“No.”

“Fifteen?” Anik pressed.

“Anik!” Ren hissed, before Anik could throw any more of his gold at a map.

“Fine.” The innkeeper shrugged and went over to take the map off the wall and roll it up. He handed it to Anik. Ren glared at him, but Anik either didn't notice or didn't care.

“Fifteen gold for a map? Are you out of your mind?” Ren asked as they ascended the narrow stairs and let themselves into their room, Ren turning the key in the lock behind them. The room was mostly bare, with two beds, a shared night stand and a small fireplace in the corner.

“You're a prince; you can afford it,” Anik said, unrolling the map on the floor without sparing Ren a second glance. He settled there, with his legs folded under him.

“I didn't bring an unlimited amount of money with me, just so you know,” Ren said, dropping his bags on the bed closest to the door. His bones and muscles ached even though the ride to Teu had only taken half a day.

“I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to know where I'm going,” Anik said without lifting his gaze from the map. Long strands of dark hair fell over the side of his face, hiding his expression from Ren. He walked his fingers across the surface of the map, measuring distances.

Ren paused. Anik had said he would follow Ren to Teu and no further. It occurred to Ren that this was probably Anik's first time in Frayne. He knew the terrain just as little as Ren did. He needed the map to find his way back to the Lowlands, or wherever he planned on going. However, Ren still needed his help. He would simply have to talk Anik out of leaving. At least talking was something Ren knew how to do. Besides, Anik had bought the map with Ren's gold, so technically, it was his.

Kneeling on the bed, Ren dug his hands into the bags and looked over the food Keelan had packed, trying to gauge how long it would last them. It definitely wasn't roast beef and gravy. Keelan had likely taken it from the servants' food storage in the rush. Pushing aside two loaves of bread, Ren paused. There was a scrap of paper at the bottom of the bag, and when he picked it up and turned it over, he instantly recognized Keelan's tiny, curling handwriting.

Stay strong and stay safe.

I know you can do this.