The tavern settles around Raven like a blanket of soot and ale. Rain ticks faintly at the shutters, and the dock noise becomes a distant murmur beyond the door. He has the scroll case on the table, with Elian slumped across from him, pale but steadier than before.
Elian
You could have left me in that alley. Most would have.
Elian studies Raven over the rim of a chipped cup, exhaustion softening the hard edges of his face. The gratitude in his eyes looks almost stranger than fear did.
Raven
Raven says he is not in the habit of letting a man bleed out on the cobbles. He adds that it would have been messy.
Elian
That sounds like a lie dressed up as a joke.
Elian
Still... thank you. I thought I had spent my last coin on bad luck.
A low warmth gathers in the room as the barkeep turns away, pretending not to listen. Elian’s hands rest for once, no longer trembling around the cup, and the scroll case sits between them like a quiet promise.
Elian
Why did you really help me, Raven?
✓ Quest Accepted
Decide whether to trust Elian with the truth
“I slide the scroll case toward him and ask if he knows what is inside.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +1)
Raven slides the scroll case across the scarred tabletop. It stops within Elian’s reach, the lanternlight glinting along its worn edges.
Raven
Tell me what is in it, if you know.
Elian
His gaze drops to the case, then lifts to Raven again, careful and searching.
Elian
I know only what I carried. I was told it matters more than the gold in my purse.
Elian sets down his cup and draws the case closer with both hands, as if it might bite. The barkeep’s shoulder turns away behind them, but the room keeps its hush.
Elian
If you want the truth, I can give you that much. But I need to know why you are still standing between me and everyone else.
For a moment, Captain Brann’s warning feels like a shadow on the lantern smoke. Elian waits, steady now, not fleeing from the question.
“I tell Elian why I am protecting him”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +0)
Raven leans in over the scarred table, the lantern glow catching his scales as he answers at last. His hand stays clear of the scroll case, but his voice comes low and plain.
Raven
I am protecting you because you were carrying something worth more than coin, and because Brann was already hunting the answer.
Elian
He watches Raven in silence, surprise loosening the suspicion at the corners of his face.
Elian
That is not the answer I expected.
Elian’s shoulders ease a little. He keeps both hands on the case, but his grip stops looking like a flinch.
Elian
If you had meant to sell me out, you would have done it already.
The tavern stays hushed around them, all smoke and amber and old wood. Captain Brann’s warning hangs in the back of the room like a remembered bruise, but it no longer sits between them.
Quest Complete
Decide whether to trust Elian with the truth
Skill Upgrade: Intimidation Mediocre