He tossed his head. "To get us a seat. We're stopping for lunch."

My brows lifted. "Oh." Then I looked ahead.

In front of us, down and across the street a bit from the shop we'd just been, was a small outdoor restaurant. It had a few tables scattered out in front and then a short counter running under an awning. Ikovos sat on a stool in front of this.

As Jaden pulled me through, I read the sign above the place. Nicks Noodles. My eyes narrowed. Odd name. Then I looked back ahead, in time to take a seat at the counter. Jaden let go before taking the stool to my left.

The space inside was bustling with noises, clanging pans and dishes, hissing steam. It didn't look very large, but much was hidden behind rows of stoves, racks, and hanging metal utensils.

"Were you successful?" asked Ikovos, drawing me out of my perusal.

I looked over, trying to think.

"At fending off the vendor," he clarified.

"Oh," I drawled, looking down. The counter was a glossy speckled stone. "I stalled him for a while . . ."

Ikovos raised his brow humorously.

Jaden leaned forward a bit. I didn't check his face. "I don't think it's gonna work, she's too sweet-looking."

Sweet-looking?

Ikovos pursed his lips. "Yeah. It's good we stopped. The smiths not far from here, but it should be less busy after lunchtime."

They were doing it again, talking about me like I wasn't here . . . though I guess I deserved it this time. Before I could ask what they needed from the blacksmith, the server came to take our order. The two boys ordered mine . . . which was good because I'd never heard of food like this.

"So it's like pasta without any sauce?" I questioned. They'd ordered something called ramen, pork flavored . . . I guess it comes in a bowl like soup?

Ikovos smirked. "Sort of. You've really never had ramen before?"

I frowned. "No."

Jaden gave a short nod. "It's good. You'll like it."

I took a breath. "Okay." I wasn't the greatest at trying new things . . . but food wise maybe I would be alright. I tried to get a look at the stuff as we waited. Jaden and Ikovos discussed today's plan.

It didn't really seem like we had much to do . . . just sending some letters, checking on a weapons order that Thoran had placed a while ago, and picking up parts for a broken machine in the basement of the lodge. All in all they figured we'd be out by five or six. . . .

I looked around. Now that I'd seen Rizenn, I wasn't sure that I minded that we wouldn't be here long. And it probably got even crazier at night. . . .

I just really love the lodge.

I smiled cheerfully, rather contented, as the server set the bowls in front of us. Sure enough they held sauce-less noodles in a pool of broth.

Jaden and Ikovos both looked over.

"You don't have to wait for me," I said.

They smiled, but still didn't start eating.

I turned down. Steam was rising. It smelt yummy enough.

"Have you ever used these?" asked Jaden, clicking two small sticks together between his fingers. They were so small.

"Ah . . . no. What are they?"

"They're called chopsticks," he said. "You use them to eat with." He passed them to me.

Before I could try at copying the way he'd been holding them, he grabbed my hand and laced them himself between my fingers.

"Now press here," he said, squeezing two of my fingers together causing the sticks to touch.

I did it a couple times like he showed me, then turned back to the soup.

"Don't worry if you can't do it right away. Ikovos still can't do it." He smirked at the blond boy smugly and Ikovos narrowed back.

"Thanks."

I tapped my chopsticks together once more, then reached into the bowl and grabbed some noodles. "Wow," I mumbled immediately after taking a bite. "This is good."

Jaden smirked contentedly and we all started eating.

After only a few minutes I noticed they had stopped to watch me.

I gulped down my bite. "What?"

Ikovos seemed sort of put out. "How are already doing that so well?"

"Huh?" He pointed to the chopsticks in my hand. "Oh . . . I don't know. They feel pretty natural." I clicked them around a couple of times, then lifted a noodle.

He darkened.

"Jaden does it fine," I defended.

The dark-haired boy smiled as he picked his bowl up to drink the broth.

Ikovos just scoffed. "He's been doing it since he was five."

Ah-ha! Information about the past! Jaden's smirk flattened. "So he was five once . . ." I'd barely mumbled the words before I realized how stupid they were. Of course he's been five! . . . And him being five has more or less nothing to do with what he did when he was five.

This is how knowledge starved I am.

"What'd you just say?" asked Ikovos, eyes squinting.

I stammered. "Oh, um-" I clicked the wooden utensils together again "-It must just be easier for girls . . ." I'll use their own skewed logic as cover ". . . You know, better fitted for small hands."

A man poured some bowling water into a sink in front of us, causing a burst of steam as I turned back down to my plate, unsure if that had worked at all.

Jaden made no comment. Ikovos looked down contemplatively, then lifted his hand to examine it. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as I took my last bite. As soon as I had, he grabbed my hand deftly and lifted it next to his, causing my stool to spin so that I was facing him.

The site was pitiful. My fingers were practically half the length of his, at least an inch shorter at the top.

He grinned. "I guess that could be it."

I smiled, pleased at least at his relief, and his grin widened.

"Alright," interrupted Jaden, stacking our bowls into a pile. "If we wanna get out of Rizenn any time today, we'd better get going."

I nodded, pulling back my hand and standing up. "Okay." Then looked to each of them. "Thank you both for the meal. It was delicious."

Ikovos smiled, standing up as well. "Our pleasure."

Jaden left some cash on the counter then we moved back into the street.

"Okay," started Ikovos, "from here I'm going to go check the order at the smith shop and send the letters . . . and you'll get the part down by the docks?"

Jaden grazed the boys eyes once, nodding, then turned back to sorting the change in his hand.

Ikovos turned to me. "Okay, so I guess you can pick who you want to go with, Evelyn . . . Whichever sounds like the most fun."

I looked down. Oh no. I really didn't like the whole picking thing, what if I made the one I didn't feel bad? "Ah . . . I, ah-"

Jaden interrupted. "You take her, Vos. I'll be quicker on my own."

I held my breath against the instant pain in my chest. So much for him being hurt . . . my gaze fell. Maybe I just thought that they would care because I do so much.

Ikovos nodded. "You do have further to go. Sounds like a plan."

I smiled and stepped closer to him.

"You have money, right?" asked Jaden.

Ikovos shrugged. "Not a lot, but I only need enough to send the mail."

Jaden nodded once to Ikovos, eyed me with what I think was a "don't-get-yourself-killed" face, then disappeared into the crowd.

Me and Ikovos started off as well. I sucked in a breath, excited to be with him despite stupid, silly, thoughts.

"So do you like it here, Ikovos?" I asked.

He looked over at me, then shrugged. "Well enough, I guess."

I smiled. "You're a big city person then?"

He laughed deeply, from his throat. "No, I don't think so . . ." Suddenly his eyes hardened, head turning to follow two boys that had just passed us. I had no clue why, but he kept on till they were out of sight, then looked back ahead, regular again. "The whole scene's just not for me."

I contemplated his words. I think I understood what he was saying, maybe for once I could identify with his thinking. "You mean because of all the people?"

His head bobbed. "That's part of it."

Ah-ha. I bet I'm onto something. "Do you get uncomfortable around them because you're worried about what they might think of you?" He glanced over. "Like nervous of doing something stupid in front of them, right?"

His eyes pinched in. "Ah . . . no."

Okay, maybe I don't get it . . .

He smiled amusedly. "Is that how you feel?"

I stiffened. "Um . . ." we were still walking, shifting through the crowds that lined the streets ". . . Ah, yeah, I guess."

He waved a finger around. "You're worried about what these people think of you?"

I bit my lip anxiously. "Not exactly . . . I just, you know, get nervous of what they'll say if I do something dumb . . ." I gestured a hand. "Like not knowing what ramen is."

He raised a dubious eyebrow, then looked to me mischievously. "Let me show you something."

Without further warning, he grabbed my hand and walked us over to a booth on the side of the road. There was a twenty-something-year-old boy sweeping behind the counter. Ikovos released my arm a few feet back, moving right up to the front of it.

I gulped, eyes panicked. The blond behind the counter noticed him immediately and stopped his cleaning to acknowledge him. "Ah, hello. What can I do for you?" His eyes grazed me once, then Ikovos drew his attention, leaning his arms forward on the counter.

"Yeah, I was wondering if you could tell me how to get to the Blue-haven from here." Ikovos nodded back to me. "We just got into town and we're trying to find a good club to hit tonight."

He looked at me again, then back at Ikovos a bit dumbfounded.

Ikovos raised his eyebrows dully."You haven't heard of it? . . ."

The boy shook his head immediately. "Uh, no, I mean, yeah, the Blue-haven. I've heard of it. . . I just don't know how to get to it from here, I . . ." he shrugged coolly ". . . I don't normally work in this part of town."

Ikovos leaned in. his whole posture was so controlled and confident . . . intimidating.

Different from the Ikovos I knew . . . right?

He nodded to the boy ahead derisively. "I've heard it's a pretty nice place . . . you been there?"

The blond nodded repeatedly, leaning to one side himself. "Oh yeah. Of course." He smirked to me. "It's alright, not the best I've seen."

Ikovos straightened up abruptly. "Alright. Well, we'll just ask someone else. Thanks anyways."

When he turned around, the boy waved. "No problem, anytime. Enjoy your stay."

Ikovos grabbed my hand again and we started off down the street. I glanced back at the booth once, the boy was still watching us walk off, then turned back to Ikovos.

"What was that supposed to prove?" I asked skeptically. Though in reality I thought watching him act like that was unbelievably enjoyable, pointless or not.

He lifted his eyebrows smugly. "There is no Blue-haven."

"What?" I asked confused.