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"He doesn't like much of anyone," she said. Especially men, but Maedoc could figure that out for himself if their acquaintance happened to outlast the evening. Most didn't.

As though to punctuate her words (or perhaps his latest observation), the stag puffed out a hot breath in the man's face and shouldered past him. His long tail - an appendage not generally seen on a deer and one which might have gone unnoticed in the gloom of the alley - thumped the man's chest on his way through the door. Now that most of the noisy patrons had dissipated for the night, he was not adverse to being inside. Particularly if he could keep a better eye on this man.

Rajani, who had stepped aside to allow him admittance, spared a glance at the man before heading back to her meal. The soup ought to be cool enough to eat by now.

The way that Maedoc's accent had changed had not escaped her notice. She suspected that what she was hearing now was closer to his natural tongue. It was not an objectionable sound. She did wonder, however, whether she ought to be flattered he had adopted the pretense with her or insulted.

The gypsy frowned and gave him a look of her own. "I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself," she informed him. Though it was certainly true that she had been spared the hassle of dealing with much trouble ever since Oberon had grown up. But just because she didn't have to deal with it hardly meant she was incapable of doing so.

Oberon eyed the man, not entirely certain he like that particular description of himself.

Rajani simply shrugged. "All things grow. Guardians are no exception. From what I understand, the way that Oberon is now seems to be the fully-grown version. Those that look like normal deer can still be more." She took a spoonful of the stew, swallowed, and added. "The old stories call it Awakening."

The frown eased off her lips. He had a clever tongue to clarify his meaning so quickly; but the easy way he said it suggested that he meant it. It was enough to mollify her.

The gypsy hummed, though whether it was in agreement with his words, or simply in acknowledgement was not entirely clear. As she ate, she reflected on his casual observation. It had been a long time since the brief period when she had traveled truly alone - before Oberon, before even Hawthorn, after...well, after Lana died and she could no longer bear to stay with her tribe. That had been...a very unpleasant time in her life.

A sudden warmth flooded her and she looked at Oberon. The stag was staring at her with a stern expression. The corner of her lips twitched into a wry smile. No. She was not alone anymore. He was always by her side. He and Hawthorn both. Not to mention all of the people she had somehow become surrounded with, for better or worse; and right now it wasn't really better. But it would be. Whatever mess had been made of everything, it would heal.

She turned back to her meal, though her brilliant green eyes glanced at the man once more. "So tell me, Maedoc. What brings you to Oldcastle?" He could be a local, but she doubted it. Few in the city were, these days.

She could have asked who he was searching for, but ultimately, Rajani was not an intrusive person. Even asking so innocuous a question as she had of this stranger was unusual for her. Expressing any interest at all was rare - or it had been. Perhaps her more recently acquired duties coupled with her new-found friends were making an extrovert of her. Or at least trying.

"This and that," she said, and damned if she wasn't wearing the faintest of teasing smirks. Of course, she would deny any twinkle in her eyes. "I suppose you could say I'm taking a bit of a break."

It was admittedly odd that her wandering feet had brought her here of all places. Usually they would carry her north or farther south - toward the sea. True, the roads north were unusually harsh for the season, but something told her that was not it. Perhaps it was Oberon or her own curiosity that had brought her here. Or perhaps it was the nature of her maudlin self-reflection that had carried her close to one of the way stones of her life. Regardless, her choice had thus far proven a good one.

If she was surprised at his blunt depiction of their conversation thus far, the gypsy did not show it. Instead, she listened with the stoicism he had all but accused her of. It was true that she preferred to keep her own council. As a certain few could testify, the only time she was known to be verbose was when she was angry. Put plainly, it had been so long since she had participated in a casual, relaxed conversation that she hardly knew where to begin. Soibhan and even Rosalie had been working on her, of course, and she hoped she was getting better, but clearly she was not there yet.

Perhaps she ought to practice.

Her eyes dipped to her bowl - there really wasn't much left - before she looked back up at Maedoc. "If you were to ask, I'd be inclined to agree."

The words elicited a displeased snort from Oberon, but she ignored him. It had been a good long while since she had accepted any such invitation. It was time, she thought, to start living again.

Ignoring her stag's internal grumbling, Rajani drank in the cool night air. Perhaps because of her various chosen professions, she felt most alive at night. The stars whirling in the sky above were as familiar to her as the cool steel of a knife in her palm or a city as viewed from its rooftops. Though she was as quietly alert as ever, it set her at ease. This was her time.

Rather than taking offense when Maedoc spoke, they gypsy silently agreed with him. The Wardens were disjointed. "They have no direction," she said, though she did not include herself in this group. "The Queen declared war against Gwyn and his Wolves, and ordered the construction of this place, but she has since been silent on the matter. Many believe neither beasts nor Spirit will return, and those that believe different are hard-pressed to find a way to prepare."

Sloppy. Inefficient. Stupid. Dangerous. What was the Queen thinking? Her Wardens needed training and they needed leadership. Not for the first time, the gypsy wondered if that Spirit had anything to do with it. Just what sort of advice was he whispering in her ear?

She frowned at the newborn Tree, wondering what he was playing at. What need did they have of a new Tree? The ancient one in the Wood had seemed hale enough when she had plucked Oberon from its boughs, and there were many unclaimed Guardians hanging there, still. Why begin the growth of this second Tree? It did not sit well with her.

Oh, yes. He was a perceptive one. Even if he was half guessing, Maedoc was pretty well on the mark. If nothing else, he made for a pleasant companion for the evening. Of course, she might have chosen a different topic to speak upon. Was she not supposed to be avoiding the stress of these very things? All told, her mood had sobered somewhat, but she could not really consider herself properly upset over their conversation. Besides, it was not as though she had been speaking overmuch about any of the other topics he had introduced.

The gypsy hummed noncommittaly and at first it seemed that was all she was going to say on the matter; however, soon enough she spoke. "We intend to be as ready as possible when it comes time to fight," she said. "When the Wolves come calling, I suspect the fools will wish they had the sense to do the same."

Some small part of her could comprehend how the fools in question could delude themselves into believing that nothing was going to happen - after all, that night had been...like a terrible dream. Illusion and reality all mixed together until it was nearly impossible to seperate it all in the delirium it created. It was easier to write it all off as a nightmare created by bad wine. But Rajani was never one to do things the easy way.

"He seemed...remarkably unconcerned," she mused, almost as if to herself. Looking down at the presently empty grounds, the gypsy could almost see the strange scenes unfolding before her very eyes once again. The spirit's cheerful civility had been unexpected, to say the least; but the savaged bodies strewn across the grounds spoke more clearly of his true nature than any words ever could. He was a monster.

"But I suspect he will seek his revenge. If not against the soldier specifically, then against all of Sunderland for things long forgotten in our history."