
The man, suddenly taken by surprise at the voice of a woman, hesitated a moment, looking sidelong at her from under his cowl. His dried face searched from underneath the hood, his eyes peering out into the open light, staring into her face. They were a deep brown, humble, nothing sparkling or magical. They simply were. For a long moment he paused, glancing from the row of drinks and into her face, his eyes searching the softness of her skin and the glimmer of her eyes. Again his tongue crossed over his lips, the meager moisture lightening them, his face finally turning to stare at her fully in the eyes. As he did, the sight of a man whose face that was not irreparably cracked by the sun and heat stared full at her, his humble brown eyes passing beyond the shadows of the cowl and into her face.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice low and unassuming, betraying nothing of who or what he was beyond seeming a simple and poor man. "But I was wondering... I am so thirsty." His hand reached to his side, pulling up a bag and pouring more than two lap-fulls of coin onto the bar. "Would any of this buy me a drink?"
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice low and unassuming, betraying nothing of who or what he was beyond seeming a simple and poor man. "But I was wondering... I am so thirsty." His hand reached to his side, pulling up a bag and pouring more than two lap-fulls of coin onto the bar. "Would any of this buy me a drink?"