Ynnarah’s explanation of her upbringing interested him, and he listened intently.  Since he was wholly unaware of what it meant to be a shifter, he found each and every thing she said on the subject to be fascinating.  He could not imagine being a child and being abandoned to the wilds because of what he was… so he was glad to hear that Ynnarah had not suffered such a fate herself.  He, too, had been lucky to live with his family (for what he could remember), though he was not in such a situation as she.

Her explanation of the type of magic she was in possession of was incredibly interesting to him.  His magic was all divine and holy based, and completely different from what she described.  He could see the blush that rose to her face, and he found himself concerned for her.  Had his face expressed something other than interest that caused her embarrassment?  He realized quickly that she had definitely caught the fact that her slip-up had meant something to him, though he knew this was neither the time nor the place for it to be discussed.  “They won’t attack again,” he said.  “At least not right now.  And if they decide to… you’ve got me,” he said, and there was a promise in his voice that he would protect her by any means necessary.

He followed her pointing to the direction of the bookseller, and listened as she told him a bit more about it.  He had never been into the type of store she was speaking of, so it sounded worth his while - even if it had sounded boring he would have taken her, for he always kept a promise when he made one.  In a motion to show her that he was going to keep an eye on her, he held his arm out in gesture for her to take it, in a very gentleman-like manner.  She looped her arm through his own and he offered her a smile as the two set off in the direction of their destination.

When they arrived, he kept quiet, standing close behind Ynnarah in a protective fashion.  He offered the proprietor of the shop a nod in acknowledgment.  When she left to get the item that Ynnarah requested, he followed her around the shop, not touching anything but merely looking with his eyes.  She questioned what he was doing there, and he was quiet for a moment while contemplating what to tell her.  

After a moment of silence, he had decided to answer her honestly.  “I… well, I actually don’t know,” he said, and it was notable in his voice that relief had found him when he admitted such.  “I just woke up here one day,” he said, and looked at her, waiting for her to react.  “So no, no reason, really, other than the fact that… well, I’m here,” he said.

It was definitely a relief to have a traveling companion now, especially since Ynnarah knew that witch and wolf hunters were active in this world too.  Most were lone hunters, and those she could usually deal with on her own.  But when they were organized, that was trouble for the young lycan.  His quiet before answering her had Ynnarah curious, and the answer wasn't entirely what she had expected to hear.  But the relief in his voice was notable as well, as though he had been keeping a secret for quite some time.  "Just woke up?  I've heard stories like that.  Either people take a nap somewhere, and wake up many years later.  Or they sleep, and wake up somewhere else entirely," she said, wondering which it was.  If either one in his case.

Her green eyes lit up when the elvish woman returned with the tome, it was one that looked fairly new.  And that was good for Ynnarah, she needed charts that were as accurate as possible.  The shopkeeper was a bit reluctant to let the tome go, but Ynnarah already had something in mind.  She offered the elvish woman a hairclasp of jade and silver she had found in some ruins north of Adeluna, and the deal was done.  The book clutched in her arms, Ynnarah found Valkoinen again and they headed back onto the streets.  "There's a little place that has tea from all over, why don't we go there?" she suggested.  There was something on the young woman's mind, and Ynnarah knew that tea tended to relax people. 

Moving through the streets again, Ynnarah couldn't help but look around at the people.  She didn't see anyone, but she could help and think they were being watched.  They reached the tea-house without incident, and Ynnarah a pot of tea, as well as some sandwiches.  It was already late afternoon, and almost time for dinner.  "So if you're just here, what are you going to do with yourself?  I'm trying to find the rest of my family… I know some of them are here," she said, her voice dropping for a moment.  She knew her mother and aunts had made it, and her sister was out there somewhere too.  But that left her father and brother yet lost, and Ynnarah was hopeful they had escaped the cataclysm that had befallen their old home.

He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a blush rise to his cheek when Ynnarah questioned what he had said about just waking up.  “Truth be told, it was like I went to sleep, and woke up here… but at the same time, it’s hard to remember what happened before.  I have memories, but they’re all jumbled.  Some make perfect sense, but there are others where the timelines are all messed up and make no sense whatsoever.”  He furrowed his brow, looking concerned, and fell silent for a moment.  He realized that he was sharing an awful lot of personal information with this young woman who he barely knew, but he for some reason felt comfortable doing such.  Perhaps it had to do with the fact that he had witnessed her in a vulnerable situation and had made the choice to save her, thus giving him an undeniable trust in her.  

He could not conceal a smile as he saw the excitement in Ynnarah’s eyes as the shop’s proprietor brought back the book that she had requested.  He watched them exchange goods, and before long the two of them were back out the door.  “Tea sounds lovely,” he said in response to her suggestion.  He was actually quite thirsty, and the thoughts of relaxing for a moment seemed inviting.

He watched her as she watched others, in turn keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.  He doubted that the witch hunters were even following them, and if they were he doubted even further that they would dare attack Ynnarah in the city - or while she was with Valkoinen.  They had seen what he was capable of and it was clear that he was going to do whatever he could to protect the girl.  When the two entered the tea shop that she had mentioned, it was clear that she knew what she wanted already as she immediately ordered a pot of tea as well as a bit of food to go along with it.

And then - the question arose.  What was he going to do with himself?  He hadn’t actually put a lot of thought into it, but he supposed it was time for him to do such.  He hadn’t any family here - not so far as he knew, unless whatever it was that had transported him to this place had resurrected his family from death.  “I don’t actually know,” he said, and the fear in his voice was mildly apparent.  “My family’s not here - I don’t even know if I have any family, to be honest,” he said.  He cast his gaze down to the floor for a moment, before an idea popped into his head.

He looked back to Ynnarah.  “Would you like me to help you?” he asked her, before realizing that his offer was quite ambiguous.  “What I mean is… would you like me to help you find your family?”  He felt the need to continue helping her, as some sort of odd bond had been formed between the two of them when he had helped her get away from the people who had been following her.  “I mean, I’ll understand if it’s something you would rather I not be a part of,” he continued, and it was apparent that he completely meant it.  He did not mean to be putting her in an awkward situation by offering his help.  “I just mean, I could come along with you and protect you, like I did earlier,” he finished, attempting to offer her a bit of a smile, and wondering what type of response she would give him.

It was a strange story, but something about it made her want to help Valkoinen out.  Maybe it was because they were both wandering souls.  "That's hard, I'd imagine.  Especially if you don't have anyone there for you.  Maybe I can help you get things sorted out?" she suggested.  And if Ynnarah couldn't, she had a feeling that one of her aunts might be able to help.  Once they reached the teahouse, her mood had lightened completely, and she was now focused on her new friend and trying to help him out.  After all, she had to show her gratitude for his help.

"I'd like that very much, actually.  I'm not much of a fighter, truth me told.  But trouble usually seems to find me anyway, as you saw," she said with a chuckle as she took a sip of the tea.  It was flavored with cinnamon and other spices, and it was very calming.  The sandwiches had some kind of pickled vegetables and grilled chicken, and perfect for a late afternoon snack.  "Well, as long as you don't mind a lot of traveling.  I've never liked staying in one place for too long at a time," Ynnarah said, figuring it was fair enough to give him a warning.  "The first place I need to go is far north, to Arri.  There's a city there called Sularia, and I know I have family there.  So it's a good place to start," she added.  Ynnarah knew there were travel routes to the Rosenite homeland, so it would be easy enough to get there.  It was just a matter of taking the time.

He gave Ynnarah a soft smile, grateful for the heartfelt selflessness the girl seemed to possess.  “It’s hard, but I get by,” he said, the smile not fading.  “And your help would be much appreciated - though we must attend to your needs and obligations first, of course,” he added, raising an eyebrow.  He had made the girl a promise to help her accomplish whatever it was that needed accomplishing, and he planned on keeping that promise, and following her to wherever it was that they needed to go to do so.  

He nodded, glad that she was accepting of his help.  “I can handle fighting, should it come to that,” he said.  “And if you ever wanted, I could teach you a few things about combat.  It would be nothing major, of course, but there’s always the basics and it might help you with defense more than anything.”  He watched her as she took a drink of her tea.  He found her fascinating, and it was one of the reasons he had decided to help her.  

“I never used to like to travel, but I don’t really have a home now… so, travelling it is, for me,” he said, giving Ynnarah a light smile.  “And I suspect that travelling in company such as yourself will be more than enjoyable,” he added.  “Let’s eat, then… and perhaps we can hit the trail even today?  Get a little ground under our feet.  I’ve never been to Arri, and it sounds as though it’s a wonderful place to behold.”  He reached out and grabbed a sandwich, taking a bite, ready to leave as soon as she was.