The salty ocean breeze blew hard across the docks.
Kai led his horse down the main street of Salthollow while Eliza rode comfortably in the saddle.
Lora walked right beside them, taking in the sights of the coastal hub.
The village looked picturesque with its small stone cottages and wide fishing nets, but the atmosphere felt entirely wrong.
The local fishermen stopped patching their nets and stared at the trio. Nobody smiled, and nobody offered a friendly greeting.
'They look like they are waiting for an execution,' Kai thought to himself.
He noticed the very tight grip one man had on his sharp fishing spear.
They stopped outside a weathered building called The Broken Sail.
Lora tied the horse to a post before they walked inside the dim tavern.
A fat innkeeper scrubbed a dirty mug behind the bar.
He looked up, and his eyes darted nervously toward Eliza and Lora.
"We need two rooms," Kai requested, sliding a silver coin across the wood.
"And a hot meal."
