From the shade of a large oak, a small feminine figure came to view. Another strike of lightning over the mountains gave color to her light blond hair as it stuck to her neck and shoulders. Compared to the woman standing in the open, Alyssa looked dry despite being just damp enough to be miserable. At the sound of the stranger’s call, Alyssa raised a gloved hand.

“Sorry to startle you,” she smiled. She kept herself under the foliage of the tree line in hopes to mitigate the weather. “Not to pry, but it can’t be good for you to just be standing there in this rain.”

Alyssa hoped to beat the storm to town, but her luck ran out just shy of the mark. Despite the discomfort of wet clothes, after three days on the road in the humid summer heat, cold rain was a welcomed reprieve. Thankfully, the overpowering aroma of rainfall kept the scent of her desperate need of a shower at bay.

“I’m headed for the Inn,” Alyssa began as she kept to the tree line, but started walking toward the smell of baked goods and stewed meat. “How about you? Care to share some food and a drink?”