Orina looked out the window at the crowd of Mystics in the square. Today was her day off -- and she'd been looking forward to it since her arrival -- but the lively farmer's market outside looked like the opposite of fun. Still, she wanted to get out before the Mayor found her something to do.

She sighed. She'd arrived in Medina with nearly nothing and only had a roof over her head now because the Mayor -- an Imp woman named Parnel -- took pity on her. She agreed to let her stay on the condition that she work as the household maid and caretaker for the children. Which, it turned out, were spoiled brats. And, as terrible as the market might be, she decided it was better than being bossed about by little monsters.

She slipped out the back door and locked it behind her, then rushed into the square before she could change her mind. Orina hadn't seen so many Mystics in one place since her arrival and she could feel their disapproving eyes on her as she walked through the crowded marketplace. She didn't have any money, but it didn't cost anything to look.

"Don't touch if you're not gonna buy," the stall owner told her, once she'd apparently lingered too long.

"Sorry," Orina mumbled. She walked away from the stall and sat on the edge of the fountain. It felt good to sit down and her back still ached from the past week's work, combined with the bruises and other injuries she'd sustained in her brief battle with Ithonie and Kezmet.

"Oh! It's you! Are you alright?"

Orina looked up at the Mystic standing in front of her. He looked like a humanoid blackbird with tufted ears -- an Outlaw, she realized -- and he was dressed in a suit. He tilted his head to better see her through his glasses. She smiled cautiously at him; he didn't look dangerous and even sounded friendly. "Yeah," she said. "Mayor Parnel took me in."

"Good, good. I was worried about you -- I heard the commotion in the square last week, but I went home and didn't find out about you until the next day. We rarely see humans in Medina."

"So I've heard," Orina said dryly.

"I'm Elgin. I teach at the school over there," he said. Orina glanced over her shoulder and could barely see the small building in the distance. The Mayor's children went to the Academy at the other end of town and she wasn't allowed past the gates.

"I'm Orina," she told him. "I fell from the sky." Apparently, it was a common saying here and it wasn't exactly a lie.

Elgin chuckled. "That's what they say." He nodded towards the fountain. "Do you mind?"

Orina shrugged. "Go ahead. It's public property."

"Yes, it is, but --" Elgin placed a bag down next to her, then sat beside the bag with his shoulders hunched inward. "I hope I'm not bothering you."

"You're not." Truthfully, it was nice to actually talk to someone. Mayor Parnel wasn't mean, but she was definitely her boss rather than her friend and the same went for her family. "Sorry. It's been a long week."

"No, no, don't apologize!" Elgin assured her. "Really! I'm the one who's put you on the spot -- um, have you eaten yet?"

Orina sighed inwardly. No, she hadn't. She blushed when her stomach gurgled.

"Would you like to?" Elgin asked. "I'm not much of a cook, but --" He stopped suddenly and Orina realized that she was staring at him. "There's some fruit in that bag, if you want."

"Thanks," Orina said and took the offered container of blueberries. She popped one into her mouth and sighed at the sudden burst of flavor. She ate another and another, then felt her cheeks grow warm again once she realized that she'd eaten more than half the box. "Sorry," she mumbled. She closed the box and handed it back to Elgin.

"They are good," he said. "Are you sure you don't want the rest?"

Orina shook her head. Her stomach gurgled again.

"Liar," Elgin said with a soft chuckle. "Would you like some soup?"

Orina paused. Part of her wanted to say no, while her stomach wanted her to say yes. "I'm okay," she finally said.

Elgin nodded. "Okay, but I can bring you a container of it if you change your mind. You, uh, don't have to come back to my house." He looked away from her, then took off his glasses and began to polish the lenses on the edge of his suitcoat. "You're very lucky," he added quietly. "Mayor Parnel has a mansion."

"Yeah, and she makes me clean it," Orina muttered. "I don't know what I'm going to do a few months from now."

"Oh?" Elgin put his glasses back on.

"I'm pregnant," Orina supplied. It still felt odd to admit it to anyone and she knew it was a sticking point in her agreement with Parnel.

"Oh! Congratulations."

"Thanks." She placed her hand on her stomach and sighed. "I just... I lost my husband before I came here. I don't know what I would've done without the Mayor... If anything happened to this baby, I --" Orina stopped and drew a shaky breath. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I understand," Elgin said softly. "I'm very sorry," he added, then coughed. "I, um, would've helped you, had I known... and, er, hadn't gone home instead."

That's why he's talking to me, Orina realized. It was almost a relief; for a while, it had sounded as though he was making some shy and awkward attempt to ask her out.

"Well! I've still got some shopping to do and... uh, I can give you a tour of the marketplace?"

"Sure," Orina said. Elgin stood and picked up the bag, then offered her his other arm. She took it with a smile.

To Orina's surprise, the market wasn't any less hostile with Elgin around. He seemed used to it, though, and pointed out the various shops and vendors. She doubted she would be shopping at any of them in the future, but she appreciated his company. At least someone was being friendly to her.

"Thank you, Orina," Elgin said once they visited the last of the vendors.

"You're welcome," Orina replied, her mouth quirked in a half-smile. "It's not like I did much aside from eating your food and watching you spend money."

Elgin laughed. "You did a splendid job of it, though. Is there anything I can help you with?"