Ristalia opened her mouth to bid the young man a farewell, but her words died in her throat with the rapidity of his exit. His final statement bounced round in her head, and she looked after him for a few moments before turning her attention to the boy once more.
Directions..., she thought, trying to think of the simplest way to direct the child to the Inn (and also avoid the more unsavory parts of town). It was also now thoroughly dark outside, and she was just about to offer to escort him there herself, since the way wasn't particularly obvious and her directions would not be the best as she had not traveled to the Inn for several years now, when a teenaged boy entered her shop quickly.
So much for closing the shop ontime, much less early, she thought. The teenaged boy started perusing the paper and Ristalia came around the counter and over to the other boy's side.
"I'll take you to the Inn myself, once I've helped this customer," she said in a hushed voice, wondering when she was ever going to have time to finish the journal for the young man who had been there earlier by daybreak the next day. "Please, wait inside. It should only be a few minutes."
With that she walked over to the teenaged boy, in her delicate elvish way, amazed at the sudden popularity of her shop, and asked "Can I help you, sir?"
((yikes Twiz, an on-screen keyboard?! that does sound like a headache!! oh, and I hope you don't mind the fact that the Inn I've been referring to is none other than yours
))
[smile though your heart is aching::smile even though its breaking]