The faint sound of horses hooves was heard outside the in, followed by quiet footsteps, unheard by those inside. A tall, dark figure appeared in the doorway, a stranger who no one recognised. Dressed all in black and wearing a hood that showed none of its face, one could not even be sure of its kind. The build suggested Man or Elf, but there was no way of telling which. The figure entered the warm, glowing inn, looking out of place among all the bright and cheerful colours, and headed for a table in a dark corner away form the crowd without so much as removing cloak or hood.
The inn had fallen silent at the arrival of such a being, but raising its hooded head and looking in the direction of the innkeeper, the stranger broke the silence with two words, “Ale. Please.” The strange calm of the voice, as if by magic, restored the atmosphere of the inn, and chatter broke out again. The hooded figure let its head fall again, and sat, gazing into the fire.
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