The way he spoke, like a small child trying to lie out of trouble, and the way he was grinning shyly; Mae had him by the reigns. She felt no remorse as he told her he couldn't stay in town. If he had been a good thief he wouldn't have been caught. He watched him for a few more minutes, trying to ignore the chorus in her head. Lochan, it was a curious name. He gave nothing else, but Mae knew better than to ask. She was a wanderer too; she knew the reasons for wandering were best left unsaid.
She had her arms crossed over her chest, judging him, as he tried to explain himself. Spending his money on food, that was something she could agree with, but then... What? I don't there is any woman in all this land that possesses the same beauty and fighting skills as you do. Even the voices silenced at this. Had he just complimented her? No, had he just called her beautiful? Mae quickly diverted her gaze. What was she doing? It wasn't the first compliment she'd received. She had received plenty from various men, all wanting a different piece of her. So why was this Lochan any different?
Mae prided herself on being able to spot a liar. She could look through the eyes of men and detect their exaggerations, their infatuations, their pleas of desperation. That was why she could so easily overlook compliments; none of them were sincere. But this one, the way he said it; did this pathetic thief mean what he said?
She couldn't waste time thinking on such trivial matters. Mae looked back to him, though she did not make eye contact. "You ought to watch who you say that to," she warned him. "Some girl might believe it." She turned away, to the salve still in her hands. Glancing up at him, she sighed. "I don't suppose you want this?" she asked, holding it out again. A change of heart. Maybe his compliment meant more than he'd intended.
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