"I cannot deny that it taught me a great deal about how to survive." It makes it easier when she puts a more positive spin on the horrible moments in her life. "If I doubted my resolve before, I certainly never did again after my first kill."

Era allows him to pull her closer, slowly settling once more; relaxing into the warm that radiates from his body. Her voice goes soft, almost a sigh.

"I thought it safe to rest, and was woken by a man dragging me by my hair. He put a knife to my throat, but did not know I was an Au Ra." She sounds mildly amused, focusing on that as opposed to the fear she felt at the time. This is not a story she's ever shared before. "I leaned into the blade. It startled him enough that I could steal it from him, then I stabbed him to death. I used it to shear my hair short, then traded the dagger for a warm meal."

It was a good meal; meagre, but warm. It was there, eating at a table in the Quicksand, that Era learned of the adventurer's guild.