Chapter 44 | The Chivalry

We finally found the inn, nestled four blocks from the bustling heart of Silverfall. It was a rough-hewn building with walls darkened by soot and years of wear. The narrow street outside was lined with different workshops, their windows glowing faintly in the dusk. Inside, the lobby was cramped but decent, the air thick with the scent of metal, smoke, and the earthy stench of sweat from overworked bodies. The atmosphere was tense and suspicious.

An older woman sat behind a narrow counter, her gray hair pinned tightly back, eyes sharp beneath heavy lids. She barely looked at us when I approached.

"We'd like two rooms, please," I said, keeping my tone neutral. Her hands moved automatically, sliding two keys across the desk. She still hadn't looked up, her gaze fixed somewhere beyond us, as if we were just another set of travelers passing through.

"Just keep your heads down," she muttered, her voice like gravel. "It's close to the new moon."