Owen's explanation didn't really answer Ashva's question, but the community and transience at least suggested it was somewhere appropriate to stay. An inn of sorts perhaps?
Ashva went slightly rigid at the attempted hand-grabbing from Barnabus. Physical contact was not particularly something he was used to, except on his own terms.
'A harmless nixie,' he reminded himself and forced himself to smile lightly and take the offered hand.
"Ashva!" he said, all wide eyes and innocence, with the ease of someone who used this tactic every day to hunt. Meanwhile, behind the smiles he watched very, very carefully, and waited to decide what to do next.