As A Stranger Or A Friend?

Mariel - 29 Evening Star, 1244 A.D.

I rose early and decided to repack my bag since Oxlo had just shoved things in it haphazardly the night before. I had no energy to organize it when I arrived at the inn, or anything else really, and ended up falling asleep in my soot-covered clothes upon the clean linens of the bed. I had since changed and freshened up but had not yet eaten. Not that I could. I didn't have the gold for it. Unsurprisingly, all my possessions were returned except for my jewelry and savings. I was not pleased they were missing, but I couldn't go back and ask for them to be returned. Even if Lady Price had not already spent my money or pawned my jewelry, she would claim that I had lost it on my own accord and not let me get a word in to make any sort of argument about it.

I sighed and picked up my bag, flipping it upside down to empty it on the bed. There was a loud jingling and subsequent heavy plop. I frowned. I didn't have anything in my possession that would make such a sound. I searched through my things and froze upon finding what had been the source of the sound. Sitting just there was a fat leather pouch, but not just any leather pouch, it was the type that was reinforced at the bottom...the type used to carry large sums of money. It couldn't belong to Lady Price; she would never part with such a thing. That meant it had to be his. But why was it here? Was his intention to give it to me? It couldn't be. But if it was...I carefully tugged on the drawstring to open it and gasped.

Gold, jewels, and all manner of rich-looking trinkets were housed within the unassuming worn leather exterior. I backed away from it and placed a hand on my chest as I steadied myself against a nearby chair. What was I going to do with all of this? Didn't he know it would be suspicious for me to sell or pawn it? O-Or to even be in possession of it?! What if the owners of such things found out I had them? Or worse, what if someone who wanted to take them from me attacked me in the street?! I had no idea how much was there, but I couldn't keep it. It wasn't mine; moreover, it was dangerous for me to have.