Sages not so comforting words obviously didnt make much of a difference to her. It didn't matter if it happened all the time, the issue was that it shouldn't be happening at all. Of course, she was thankful for him - things could have panned out much worse if she had went alone. She didn't really want to think about it. Her gaze flicked from the boy to Lizzie. She seemed nothing but proud of her brother. Of course she had every reason to be proud of him, Anya just seemed to get worry out of her system. Still, she put on a dry smile. "I'm sure you're right." Sage could have very easily been one of the best fighters around, though, the girl didn't seem so exited about it. Anya took a glance around before nodding. She could still feel peoples eyes burning into her back, and the lake would be a nice spot to end her time out. "The lake is good." She noted as she bounced up and started walking back the way she came. The more she walked the more she thought about what had just happened. Sage was so young and and he managed to take out half a dozen people effortlessly. She looked over at him for a moment - was he young? He looked about her age but acted as though he were at least in his twenties. She shrugged and spoke up again, "Hey, Sage," she started, "how old are you exactly?"

Sage nodded and followed Abya back to the river. He shrugged and blushed when she said Lizzie was right...He wasn't used to compliments. Her other question took him by surprise, and he had to think for a moment, his brow furrowing. "I...seventeen. I think," he muttered. Then he cocked his head at her, wanting to know her age as well but not sure if that would be crossing a line or not. After all, she had the right to ask him, but he wasn't supposed to do the same to her.

(I won't be on much for about a week....sorry!)

Anya gave him a weary smile with her brows slightly furrowed. He thinks? Did he really not know? How do you forget? "I thought seemed older." She shrugged lightly. She thought he seemed mature - or maybe she was just childish. Being as sheltered as she was did that to you. The lake came back into view, reflecting the colours of early morning. It must have been about four. Not yet reflecting oranges, but instead a brighter blue. Anya settled on the sand, gesturing to the little paper bag for him to take what he wanted. She looked at his curious face gave a chuckle. "I'm seventeen. Eighteen in a couple if months." She shrugged lightly. She didn't seem to mind questions - at all really. In fact, she quite enjoyed being interrogated. "Don't be afraid to ask me anything. I really don't mind." She shrugged, tucking into a roll.

(You're fine! Life will always come first :)

Sage smiled softly and shruggednas he sat down next to her. "Yeah, well, I get that response a lot. I had to grow up fast. By the time I was eleven I had to support a family." He snorted out a laugh. "I've always been told to keep my mouth shut around higher ups. So if I seem awkward or whatever, it's because I'm fighting with my head." He got an apple from the sack of food and bit into it, trying to eat at a somewhat normal rate, but he was starving.

Anya glanced at him with a chuckle. While he was technically working for her, she didn't want it to be awkward. Maybe she should be more concerned about it. It simply wasn't normal for her of all people to be treated as an equal to some tavern boy, and for him to be treated the same as her, but she didn't really mind. She quite liked him, although there might have been moments when it didn't seem like it. "When I was eleven I was struggling to tie my laces." She noted with a soft chuckle. "Have you worked at the tavern since then? Or did you do something else?" Anya asked with a tilted head. She wondered what he would have done for all that time. Did he work so much when he was little as well?

Sage sighed and nodded. "The tavern was the only place that would be willing to hire me." He snorted. "Granted, that was because the tavern owner could get away with practically slave labor and not spend as much paying workers with me there all day." He shrugged. 'i managed though." He thought for a moment and then spoke up again. "My dad wanted my sister and I to beg, but I never did that. I refused, and I honestly have no idea why." He chuckled and shook his head. 'my dad could never understand that."

"Because you'd have gotten nothing from begging." She stated simply. There was nearly no one out in the town who would have given them anything. Mainly because most people were struggling themselves. As much as she wanted to believe the people in her kingdom were giving, she knew just as well they couldn't afford to be as impulsive with money as she was. "You wouldn't be anywhere near as well off as you are now." She shrugged. She knew he wasn't actually well off per se, but the chances were that he wouldn't be here at all if he did choose to beg.

He shrugged. "Probably. My sister made some here and there but people don't exactly want us around. I probably would've gotten more kicks than food or cash, like a stray dog." He scrunched his face up. "Well everyone else isn't well off either." He set the apple core down and looked back over at Lizzie again, who was laughing and playing on the beach.

Anya nodded quietly and tilted her head back. She finished off her roll and flicked herself off lightly. She chucked the paper back his way. There were still loads left and Anya would never need it. "You for sure would have gotten beaten up," She shrugged mindlessly. Anya closed her eyes, slowly starting to relax before they fluttered open again, " Whereas Lizzie is cute enough for people to feel bad for her." She shrugged as she took a shallow breath. She wasn't wrong. People would feel better giving money to a little girl rather than a grumbly little boy.

He started laughing and then put a hand over his mouth to muffle it, not that it did any good. "I mean, I get beat up anyway, but I usually instigate it," he all but giggled. "Lizzie has her own way of doing things. She has plenty of friends higher up. She gets spoiled sometimes." He took a deep breath to try and stop laughing, still failing miserably. "My way of doing things tends to be making an impulsive and probably dumb decision and possibly getting myself into trouble l." He grinned at her. "But what's life without a bit of trouble?"