The Grey Tower

Finally breaking his stare forward, Lew turned his head to look at the Warder briefly after her statements. He mulled them over for a quiet moment, then nodded as if to accept them. "I think I've run through the 'how did I get here?' thought a few hundred times already with no real answer. I suppose that's fine."

He looked forward once more, scanning the path at his feet quickly to ensure he wasn't about to stumble again. "The question I've been avoiding is 'where else would I go.' I know I don't have an answer to that one, but I'd like to think I wouldn't go sprinting out the gates right now even if I did. Here's to hoping I find those bonds and purpose."

Eyes drifting back towards Natlya, Lew scratched briefly at his chin before questioning in a too-casual tone, "So, uhh... how long did it take you to find them?"

"Hmm," she began, the sound was distant, and a little melancholy. "Years, if I'm being honest, but I didn't really get a choice when I came here." This brought a chuckle but bittersweet. "It was come here and learn the trade or be arrested." She shrugged casually, as if being threatened with arrest happened all the time to everyone. "Then I lost someone I loved and I blamed this place for a long time.

"Once I got over my grief and my ego, however, I settled pretty quickly." She gave him a rueful sidelong smile. "Hopefully, it will go quicker for you."