Amy blinked a few times. "You're... you're not..." she stared up at Ari in awe. "Why aren't you like, freaking out?" She looked over at James, who looked just as unimpressed as usual. "Why aren't you guys freaking out? You're supposed to be - I mean, most people don't - they're like, scared or weirded out or ask what I look like in my wolf form."
Ari shrugs. "I mean, after Adina I guess what people are doesn't seem so important anymore. It's about their heart more than what they do or what they are or where they come from - so long as they do good, what's it matter if they're a mate or a werewolf or a thief or a monster hunter or a guard or anything else?"
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
"Well we aren't going to let her! She must be a smart woman if she's survived this long, I'm sure she'll listen to reason," he replied with a smile.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
James closed his eyes, holding the bridge of his nose as he shook his head.
"Ari, that would be wonderful and certainly ideal, but there's not way we can bet on that if she breaks into the room with a gun or whatever else. You can't stop bullets with reason, Ari. If anything, we need to be ready to fight at any moment," he said, pulling out the pistol from the holster under his jacket.
Amy looked at the gun with wide eyes. "Wait! Fighting's not allowed in the inn! You can't go around shooting!"
James looked up at Amy, expressionless. "I'll only shoot as a last resort."
"I can probably disarm her, I'm at least twice the size she is," Ari points out.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
He wrapped his arm around her. "We're not gonna let 'er get you, Amy, I promise."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
"I just don't want to die," Amy whispered. "And I'm sorry I... I dragged you guys into this. I didn't think anyone would find me. I thought I was safe."
"Hey, hey," he says gently. "We won't let ya die and no apologizin'! It ain't yer fault, we want t' help ya."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Evening sets in and as the sun sets over the horizon and the moon's silver light slants in through the shutters of the window. Ari is sitting by the door playing with a piece of string when the door is abruptly slammed down out of its frame by the red-haired monster hunter who they encountered earlier that day. She's got a pistol in one hand and her silver broadsword in the other.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
