Morning brings a reminder to Hian that sleeping on the floor is not the painless cheap option it used to be. Grumpy at the ache in her back, she heads for the door as soon as it is light, grabbing one of the stale rolls left out by the innkeeper. Outside the bright clear dawn helps. A bit. "Come on, Nikhil!" "I'm coming!" He closes the door carefully, turns and runs straight into one of the wooden supports. "Ow!" Hian sighs. "Are we meeting that person again?" Nikhil asks as he catches up on the road out of the village. "That's the plan." "Aunt Hian, who is he?" "Someone who wants to find out some history." "And you met him at the ruins?" Hian looks back at him, wondering at the dogged persistence. "Had you met him before?" Nikhil asks. "Never seen him before in my life," Hian says, catching sight of the wizard standing in the shadows of the trees. "Now come on."