Misreading the cue, Rayleigh's already frayed nerves flared. She rounded on the other woman, green eyes flashing like emeralds as the lantern's light caught them. "Do you have a problem with mechanics?" she asked. It was not quite a demand, not quite a bark, but she made no attempt to hide her disapproval.

Josette frowned back at her. "No," she answered in earnest. "I just was not expecting it from you."

"And why not?" Ray shot back.

It seemed that the knight knew better than to engage an already annoyed woman in a discussion that was sure to upset her further. Rather than taking the bait, she simply stated, "There are not many mechanics where I hail from."

Fortunately for the stranger, this was enough to momentarily distract the fiery Alerarian. Rayleigh studied her through the darkness, then asked, "Where are you from?"

"All over," came the easy reply. "Most recently, Salvar."

The freckle-faced woman winced. "Salvar," Ray echoed, shaking her head slowly. Though the night was mild, she could not help but shudder at the thought of her previous adventures in the Salvarian mountains. "Cold there." Her companion nodded. The silence came again, as thick as the smog that hung heavy in Ettermire's streets. It would be easy to turn and continue walking, Rayleigh mused. Easy to simply lose the woman in the maze, drop the lantern, and take off running. But after the somewhat casual, and somewhat personal conversation had transpired between them, something felt off about returning to her old plan. "So what is it that you do..." her voice trailed expectantly, and for the second time that night, she waited for the stranger to give her name.

This time, she obliged. "Josette," the raven hair girl replied, a ghost of a smile drifting across her face. "And I am a knight."

Rayleigh nodded sagely, her tumble of brunette hair spilling over her shoulder and into her face. She shoved it back with one hand; it was an absentminded and well-practiced movement. "That was pretty easy to guess," she admitted. "You look the type." Then, remembering her half of the bargain, she said, "My name is Rayleigh."