2 - Down at Ellen's place

Sam nodded. "Alright. I'd hate to leave here without thanking you for your hospitality," he sighed with a smile. "Then again- how long do you think the Sobek might look for us in the area?"

"Well. Start getting worried," Bobby replied, before he straightened up again, to empty his beer. While throwing a knowing glance at both Sam, then Dean.

"The Sobek currently has more important things to worry about", Corvus answered calmly. "And his goons couldn't find a single cow in a farm. Besides, Pica herself gave orders to spread voices that people took refuge far away from here. They'll follow that trail for a bit, before getting the hint." THey paused. "I think your brother doesn't appreciate my, um, friendly approach to you."

Dean glared at Corvus, and at Sam as well. What the hell was happening?

Sam was about to ask Corvus just what more important things the Sobek would need to worry about, but he stopped dead in his tracks, to look at Dean. And frown slightly. "What?" He asked Dean out loud, confused by this death glare.

Corvus snickered. Dean simply squinted, but shrugged in the end. "I said nothing", he said out loud defensively as he averted his eyes and stared insistently at his beer and empty dish. As if they were suddenly the most interesting things in the world.

Sam rolled his eyes, holding back a smile. But then turned to Corvus again. "I'm sorry. I've kept you here for a while longer when you wished to go. Have a good night, Corvus."

Corvus let out a chuckle. "Thank you. Have a good night yourself." They got up from their seat and swiftly excused themselves, bowing slightly, to disappear in mere seconds.
They didn't leave without having one of their hands ghost over one of Sam's arms, though.

Sam felt himself blush, and cleared his throat, hoping no one would have seen that. Oh God. He was way too obvious about his crush for Corvus now, wasn't he.

That suspicion was confirmed when Pica, passing by to get the empty dishes, casually leant in to whisper to Sam, "They like you~"

Sam almost jumped, felt his face flush, and cleared his throat, not daring to answer Pica at first. "They seem to like everyone around here, for offering us shelter," he protested.

"Oh, sure. But you are delusional if you think they go round talking and complimenting and flirting and 'accidentally' brushing their fingers against just everyone." Pica raised her brow, a smirk on her lips. "Corvus is fascinating, aren't they?"

Sam was flustered by Pica's answer, but he tried not to show it. "... I have to agree, they are. I have no idea if any of the rumors about them are true, but by discussing with them, you can only realize they are more than just a legend. They're very wise, and cunning."

"They are", Pica agreed. "A pointer for you - even though you're a smart guy, so you'll probably know already -, don't ask them about the rumors. All you'll get is a chuckle and a 'Maybe. Or maybe not'. They are infuriating!"

Sam held back a smile. "I figured as much, yes. By the way, Pica... have you been living among the dwarves for a long time? You seem to be quite at ease, here."

"Eh, I lived around here for quite some time", Pica answered with a shrug. "I found this place something like, fifty years ago, when I first began wandering. I was tired, hungry, and even though elves and dwarves aren't usually on good terms, people here were nice to me." She paused. "Well. Most of them, anyways."

Sam frowned a bit. "All of them aren't welcoming to you?"

"Well some would say Pica has quite the temper, for an elf," a dwarf that had entered the room mere seconds ago said. Valdyr, who had short hair and a quite furnished short beard, crossed his arms and arched a brow at Pica. "Say, Pica. My sister-in-law told me she had to patch a wound on you today. And you told me you were 'fine'?"

Pica rolled her eyes. "I don't have a 'temper', some of you all just can't take some good-natured joking!", she quipped back, making an annoying 'quot-unquote' gesture as she uttered the word temper. "And that was just a bite. It wasn't anything serious - and by the time you saw me, I was actually fine." She shot a dashing smile at Valdyr. Those two clearly knew each other well.

"I asked you already not to lie to me about that kind of stuff," Valdyr complained. "You know I don't like to be the last to know that something either might or has happened to you!"

"Do you ever tell me when you are feeling unwell? Last time you had the flu you kept going on for days saying that you were 'fine' until you collapsed in one of the secondary tunnels!", Pica protested. "So we are kind of even on that. And besides, I knew that your sister in law would have told you. So I indirectly told you anyway!" She crossed her arms on her chest.

Valdyr was about to protest one more time, but got so frustrated by her last answer he just took a deep breath, with a glare. "Fine. Guess I'll stop worrying, then. Gentlemen, madam, please forgive me for interrupting you," he said to the hunters, before he stomped away, going back to his own house.

Pica glared at Valdyr as he stomped away. She seemed to debate whether to walk after him, to try and soothe him, or ignore it. She cursed under her breath. "I'd better go. If he gets mad at me, he'll stay that way forever. Dwarfs are just like the mountains they live in - their heads are that hard, and their rage never crumbles!" She excused herself with Sam with a "Sorry. Gotta go", and walked off, to reach Valdyr. Either to fight some more or to make peace, it depended!

Valdyr actually stopped in front of the house when he heard Pica rushing after him, and sighed. He turned towards her, though, concern making him frown a bit. He remained silent, though. If she came after him, she probably had something to say, right?

Pica stopped when she was in front of him, and for some seconds, she didn't speak. She just looked at him, squinting, trying to guess what he was thinking about. Then, finally, she sighed. "I don't want you to worry about me that much. Had it been anything serious, I would have told you. I swear!", she added, after catching the glance full of disbelief that the dwarf had - probably - thrown at her. "Sorry, alright?"

Valdyr sighed again. "Alright. But- just be careful. And don't lie to me, please? I know we have a lot of remedies here, but that one time you came back after getting bitten by a werewolf still haunts me," he said, lowering his voice a bit. "I know it was a long time ago, and that you've grown more careful with time, but-" He took a deep breath, and adverted his gaze.

Pica sighed. "Yeah, don't make me think back about that." It had hurt like a bitch, sure as hell. She couldn't forget that wound easily. She tried to catch back Valdyr's wandering eyes. "Hey. C'mon - I'm fine, okay? Like they say, you can't kill a bad weed, it just keeps growing stronger!", she smiled, trying to crank up a joke. "Besides, I am a thousand times more careful, as you noticed. The risk comes with the job - but I am way less likely to die now than I was twenty years ago." Her smile softened just a tiny bit. Someone knowing her well would notice that.

Valdyr made a face, but he was trying to hold back a smile. "I still don't understand why you would go out there almost every night for 'hunting'. What if an angel or a demon catches you one day?" His voice was softer now, but he was still concerned. And he probably had this conversation with Serah already.