Waywalker

Chapter 5

The door to The Raven's Eye swung open and Will entered without giving it so much as a second thought. A hanging doorbell chimed, alerting the innkeeper of his presence.

The ambiance belonged to another world when he stepped inside. A rustic cafe being the last place he expected to find in this isolated back lane. Perhaps it had a second motive. Its choice in brass, copper, steel and iron metals reminded him of home. Not to mention the counter-weighted clockwork wall decor, bare pipes and leather seating which drastically impacted the compact aesthetic of the place.

Will did his best to put the feeling of nostalgia out of his mind as he barged through the cramped interior, his boots reverberating off the wooden flooring. He glanced to his right in time to see the young woman disappear through a curtain of door beads parallel to the barista counter and followed her through.

"S-stay back!" Conviction masked her fear. To Will's surprise, she held a contractible baton with a pointed shaft his way. A weapon that oddly reminded him of the one he had found in his quarters. He froze. "D-don't come any further," she warned.

She appeared fragile. Her delicate face enunciated by her soft jawline and monolid shaped eyes. She was pretty, like a porcelain doll, with a certain fierceness that showed through her firm gaze, ignited from within. She wore a sophisticated black suit with a turtleneck and gold trimming, a grey scarf that wrapped around her shoulders and black knee-length boots. Combat gloves covered her hands.

"I know who you are." She attempted to sound brave. "You're the one who everyone is talking about."

"And who might that be?" Will asked.

Before she could answer, the hanging doorbell chimed again. They both looked back towards the exit to hear who Will knew could only be Ezra approaching them.

"Will?" Ezra called.

Her hazel eyes turned horrified. "I was right," she exclaimed. "And yet it doesn't make sense."

"That makes two of us," Will answered.

"Will, who is it-" He fell silent at the sight of them. Especially since it wasn't every day that you encountered your friend forced to submission at point blank range by a melee weapon. Just the thought roused the question that came to mind then of Ezra's true intentions. Considering all that had happened, could Will even call Ezra his friend? "Will-"

"As I suspected. You're with the Empire, aren't you?" the young woman asked, recognising Ezra's uniform. Will noted the lust in her voice.

"It's just us," Will reassured. Her dislike towards the Empire was evident in her tone, underlined with a layer of disapproval. "I know what this may look like, but we mean no harm. I only wanted to ask you a few questions," Will explained.

She was hesitant. But after a few seconds of hurried decision making, trust shifted in her eyes and her posture relaxed. She lowered the melee weapon. At least she was willing to hear them out.

"Alright." She sounded reluctant, despite agreeing to listen to them. "You can find a seat by the tables out there. I will return with some tea."

Such an offer was unheard of and yet a warm cup of tea was probably what they needed in this gloomy weather. As she pushed past them towards the barista counter back in the waiting area, Ezra took it upon himself to choose one of the many tables between the ornamented bookshelves available to them. He ended up picking the one that looked the most coziest hidden away in the far corner and called Will over to join him.

Will did so timidly, not wanting to get too comfortable in a place they weren't necessarily welcome in. The two sat down as if they were just long-time friends catching up after many postponed arrangements. To an outsider, it painted a mundane picture.