The guard turned to a nearby merchant with a grin.
"Hey, can I get a pen and paper?"
The merchant raised an eyebrow but handed them over.
"Sure, but… what for?"
"This one wants to be a 'spy' and study our region," the guard said, jerking a thumb at the flustered halfling.
The merchant chuckled as he handed over the pen and paper.
"Here you go, little miss. Now you can take all the 'secret notes' you want."
The halfling girl flailed her arms. "No, no, no! I don't want to be a spy! I was just asking!"
The first guard grinned. "That's how it starts. First, you're just 'curious.' Next thing you know, you're sneaking around, trying to listen in on officer meetings."
The second guard smirked. "Then we'll have to send you on a one-way trip to the interrogation room. You know, where we ask nicely with ropes and a few buckets of cold water."
The halfling girl paled. "I-I swear I wasn't trying to spy!"