Whatever, she told herself; that was just the way that she thought.

This man had a leather bag over one shoulder, the flap an intricate design of embossed leather. It was very fine workmanship, she noted to herself. He sipped from his glass as though it were a delicate work of art.

Who drinks like that from a glass in a bar? She thought as she watched him. Everywhere else, there were heavy tankards of who-knew-what kind of drink. He, however, had a much finer vessel, and drank from it as though he had paid for liquid light.

A fine drink for a fine man, Cerys found herself thinking. Then she asked herself why was she why she was thinking of him in such a way after all; she didn’t even know him. Still, he was lovely. Without even thinking, she leaned over and whispered to he friend

“Look who just walked in the door,” she told Himeko. “Isn’t he gorgeous!”

Himeko blinked and looked over to where Cerys was staring. She looked back to her friend, and then over to the man at the bar.

“His hair looks like spend gold!” Cerys told her, looking as though she were about to swoon and fall off the chair.

Himeko gave her a puzzled look. “Cerys,” she began, her voice uncertain, unsure of what was going to her friend’s mind. “Do you realize who you just pointed out to me?”

“Only the most gorgeous man in the city!” Cerys replied.

“That gorgeous man that you’re talking about,” Himeko told her, “I am certain that he must be our guide.”

“Our guide? Cerys asked, as though she had never known that there was to be a guide for anything, anywhere.

“Have you lost your mind?” Himeko asked her. “The man who was supposed to take us the rest of the way to the capital of Summerlay, to the king’s castle. Our guide,” she said again.

Suddenly cerise realized what her friend was talking about. “Oh! Of course, why didn’t I think of that? He fits the description that James gave us,” she said. “The right outfit, the colors… the long hair.” Cerys grinned at her friend and wiped a droplet from the corner of her mouth. Other than that, she was speechless.