[Ace's POV]
The wooden door of the inn groaned shut behind us as we stepped into the crisp afternoon air. A gust of wind carried the scent of damp earth from last night's rain. I glanced back through the grimy window just in time to see Chief Gareth's broad shoulders settle opposite Khaleed at a corner table. The chief's eyes, which had been warm over breakfast, now burned with quiet intensity as they locked onto his protégé.
"Khaleed," Chief Gareth's deep voice rumbled through the glass, "why don't we stay for a bit? Let's play chess for an hour."
A smirk of approval crossed my face at Chief's maneuver. Khaleed's face betrayed him in quick succession—surprise flickering into suspicion before he masked it with eager compliance. "Sure, Chief! I'll grab the chess board from the cabinet," he said, already half-rising. The enthusiasm sounded stretched thin, and the way his shoulders dropped suggested relief he was trying to hide.
