There was a limp to Albert's walk, his face scrunched up in a wince. The horse he'd rented had thrown him and run off at a pace that could only have been trained into it. Unfortunately, that meant his belongings went with it. There was a few moments, watching the horse race down the dirt road that he considered chasing after it. Then one step, a twinge in his hip and the whole plan crumbled away.
He'd just buy new things later. There had been nothing in those bags that wasn't replaceable and he'd lived lean before. Albert sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and looking up at the sky, off in the distance, gauging for when the sun would be going down. A few hours, at least, until dark.
Albert set off, maybe, just maybe, his horse would be at the next settlement, pausing to having some kind soul remove the saddle and harness. Pilfer the contents of his pack. A groan at his plight and he hobbled his way along. He was a someone humans could consider handsome. Tanned skin and clean shaven, dark eyelashes framing mismatched eyes surrounded by wispy flame-red hair. There was something distinctly inhuman about Albert that most people could pick up.
The façade was good, but there were little things that just didn't suit human movement. The way he swung his arms when he walked, the way he tilted his head when he listened for other people. Albert walked for about an hour before the pain in his leg radiated too much that he needed to pause and take a break. The pain almost made it difficult to get a whole breath in and he leaned against the first tree he found, head down. It too a lot longer than he'd wanted, several people had gone by on carts, no doubt to exactly where he was headed.
Shortly after sundown, no sign of that bastard horse, that Albert finally reached his original destination. A simple inn. Sort of. The light was on and the area was homey, a fire was lit in the hearth and while it wasn't bone-cold outside, the fire fended off any chill that may have tried to set in. "Hi Love," Albert said to the woman who ran the tavern, catching sight of himself in decorative piece of glass, his hair looking a little feathery, "I'll have the meal of the night and a drink for me and..."
He glanced over his shoulder, head tilted before he spotted someone sitting on their own. "That person, right there," Albert smiled at her, put coin on the counter - what fool would keep their coin in their saddlebags? - and waltzed over to seat himself at his new friends table with a small groan because damn if walking for hours made his ass hurt more than the initial tumble.
"You know," Albert said, "Lots of shady people 'round these parts," he glanced around to view perfectly normal people, "you traveling on your own or did I take your companions seat? It wasn't warm when I sat down," He gave a friendly smile and nodded, "I'm Albert, I got you a drink."
