As she matched his pace, Kiernan's gaze drifted to Numira as she ran, the image of her just moments before lingering pleasantly in his mind. He still felt the warmth of her cheek in his palm, still witnessed how she leaned into it. How her eyes had glistened in that moment, her lips just a step away, he felt he would never forget. The memory of the fleeting moment was sweet, but frustrating nonetheless. Kiernan was grateful she had seemed so serene in response to his gestures, but the notion that their moment was interrupted by this crazed guy dampened his mood a tad. A tad was an understatement. Still, hearing the childish giggle rise from his companion was more than enough to lift his spirits fully once more.

A devious sort of smile played across his face as he thought of the man, waking to find he'd been had and his possessions taken. Kiernan only wished he could have seen the look on his face when he came to the realization. Before long, his thoughts melted to give way to the sights of the village as they slowed near its entrance. The beginning line of buildings was within the line of trees yet, but down along the main stone path they would travel the trees would begin to thin out and eventually there would be none left as the bustling village center took their place, and the farms of its inhabitants beyond that. A grin took him over as he almost hesitantly cast a glance in her direction, surprised to see her wiping her eyes. He could've sworn he'd seen a tear there on her face before, drawing a little worry from him, though he didn't ask of it as she seemed excited to enter it. "Welcome to Shilf." He spoke calmly, eyes grazing over the landscape as he lead her at a more casual walk through the main path of town.

It was not a large village, but it did have a decent number of people milling about. Children ran down the streets, chasing each other, as their parents worked various jobs about the town. There were blacksmiths hammering hot iron, bakers pushing along carts of fresh goods, tailors taking measurements in their lit windows, farmers selling their goods in the street-- they were simple people, most seemingly content as they went about daily life. Some of which used magic in small tasks, like drawing out the tailor's tape measure, or lifting a molten sword from its furnace. Kiernan regarded this all rather calmly, walking down along the small throngs of people with a serene smile rising to his lips. It would be noticeable now the slight differences in his nationality, his skin and angular features contrasting to the lights skin and softer features than most citizens present.

This didn't stop them from accepting him with a warm reception, however. Several smiled and waved at him, offering him 'it's been a while's and 'welcome back's. He would smile and nod at them, offering them casual responses while mindful of his hand in Numiras. He kept his fingers laced between hers, the gesture almost feeling normal now. She did receive a few strange looks here, but no hostility. Instead, many seemed to instead mutter about how it was different to see him actually alongside a woman. Small villages came with the burden of gossip, after all. As they passed the buildings, Kiernan casually explained several of the businesses. "This is Gruskey's, a deli. He sells some of the best fresh meats... and here, Tabitha runs a flower shop. They're picked fresh daily." He continued calmly, pleasant in expression.