“Hello once again,” Sir Thomas said. He was alone, the rest of the squad he’d been with at the city’s entrance wasn’t with him. He had either just gotten off duty, was heading toward his post, or perhaps just curious.

Lola didn’t like that he was coming toward them and Russel liked the fact even less. This man made him nervous and he didn’t like things that made him nervous. His father would have killed the man. Hell, even his brothers would have killed him. In his kingdom, that’s how threats were dealt with. Russel, however, had never been that kind of person. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill if the need arose but preferred to find more civil ways to avoid that.

Sir Thomas, however, was quickly making the civil option less and less likely.

How was it that he came to be there at the park, at the same time he and Lola were? That didn’t feel like a coincidence. Something else might be at play and the fact that he was stuck in the middle of a human city in human territory kept him on edge. He tried his best to play that off when he was with Lola but the longer they stayed in Wrexon, the more uneasy he became.

“Can we help you?” Russel asked.

“I just happened to be around,” he answered. “I noticed you two from the street doing a little bit of sparring. It piqued my interest.”

“Did it now? In what way?” Lola asked, her voice guarded. Wary.

He gestured around the park.

“Do you see a lot of people up this early in the morning practicing fighting?” he asked with what he probably thought was a charming smile.

To Lola, it was more obnoxious than anything else.

“I thought it would be prudent to teach my wife some hand-to-hand moves,” Russel explained. “With all the whispers and rumors of potential war, it’s what is best.” He reached out and pulled Lola into him in a side embrace. “I’m not sure why my urge to protect her in whatever fashion I find suitable would be questionable.”

“With all due respect, Mr…” He paused, waiting for Russel. “I do apologize. I seem to either have forgotten your names or you never gave them.”

Russel and Lola did not, in fact, give him their names. He never asked and they didn’t feel it necessary to give that information out freely. Now that he was asking, there didn’t seem a way around it.

“Tara and Wesley Brownan,” Russel supplied easily. “I believe when we last met, there was a bit of a line. We didn’t want to hold things up.”

“It is not usually quite so busy at the entrance to Wrexon. I’m sure you both have heard rumors of werewolves moving throughout Alcroft.” His suspicious eyes darted to Russel for a split second before looking to Lola. “People are getting scared out in the lowlands. They’ve been coming here in droves.”

“Understandably,” Russel said. Then he paused, waiting to see if Sir Thomas said anything else but he didn’t. “Well, if that will be all, we’d best be going. We’ve got a big day ahead.”

“I see,” he replied. “I apologize then for detaining you both here. Please forgive my rudeness. You are free to go.”

Russel didn’t like the way he used words like “detain” and "free to go,” as if the knight had arrested and released them instead of having a simple conversation. The implication was quite clear and Russel didn’t miss it. Neither did Lola.

“Thank you,” Lola said, her voice abrupt. “We appreciate you letting us go free, sir.”

She kept her tone carefully devoid of any irritation or annoyance. She even tried to sound pleasant so he wouldn’t have an excuse to keep bothering them.

“Well, good day to you both,” he said. Then he turned and walked away, leaving the two of them alone.