The Everbringing: Part 1 - The Rain.

He closed his eyes, as those heavy boots, those oh so heavy boots, trudged up the old, wooden staircase. He had to admitt, even he was more than a little nervous. He felt a lump rising in his throat. It didn't help that time seemed to freeze. Children were silent for once, merchants had stopped robbing the rich and the church had stopped robbing the poor. His slow breathing, and the sound of his own heartbeat was all that seemed to interupt this... cascade, for want of a better word, of nothing. Then the sound of somthing else disturbed his eardrums. Another heartbeat. Her's? It must've been. He felt it's skipped beat and, ironicly, that bit of nothingness bothered him more than the thing that did exist outside. Was she nervous? No, no she must've been terrified. She was late and he would, naturally be angry. But, surely, if that was all it was, he could've effortlessly sent a lackey down here to deal with her. The only reason for him to have come down himself, was that he wanted somthing done... delicately. Since He was the only delicate matter, then he must want to also speak with him. The lump was rising higher, but he swallowed it- he couldn't show weakness now, not when she was so scared, and not infront of him.

He had heard the remark. He was undecided on whether it was filled with smuggness or contempt, whether he meant to say "Open up, Lord coming through," or "Open up Peasant, my patience wears thin!". He was never sure whether they liked eachother, it was like an alchoholic and his drink, they could be the worst enemies, or inseperable. Remark nonewithstanding, he would, of course, be polite and courteous. He didn't want to see the end of a rope yet, and he quite liked his back whiplash free.

He turned sharply on a single foot, as was his custom, his tradmark. He walked slowly, his mind ablaze with thoughts, plans, ideas, yet the world outside his cranium still seemed silent, still, like it was waiting, expecting some great and marvelous deed to come from the next few minutes that would make him a hero in someone's eyes. His footsteps now seemed to echo, making his approach seem all the more epic. He took his right arm out of his trouser pocket, and reached up to the door handle, grasping it with purpose and certainty. I WILL open this door!

Time from window to door- 5 seconds.

He pulled the door open carefully, but with haste. He bowed, then pulled back to the side, allowing his 'lordship' to enter. He continued bowing until he passed, and when he had stopped, he pulled his upper half back up, and closed the door as he left the room, though only halfway. He then stood inbetween the dor and the nonconected doorframe. Now he turned to The Lord, and politely asked:

"Would you like me to leave, or have you not only come to speak with her?"

The lord was dressed from head to toe in astoundingly well-cared for chainmail, and a claret velvet cloak broadened itself from his shoulder downward, creating that ever so popular effect of mistaking him for some sort of relished war veteran at first glance. He wore mostly black, with the exception of the purple cloak that massed over the obvious. A claymore lay sheathed over his back via a mellow strip of leather, it's hilt portraying over his back rather visibly. Eventually, the door swung open to it's full intent.

The lord gave a wave of his hand, trying to dismiss the formalities of the younger in comparison male. The vivid stench of alcohol lingered in from downstairs and entered the room as the door came open, entrapping them all in a rather diluded sense of barley and rye. Her sense of smell was now confused in a muddled up variety of different enticing scents, inevitably causing her to let out a brief sneeze. With instincts of her pre-adominated reptillian mindset, she quickly shifted her head in the opposite direction of the two men, and covered up her nose and mouth with her scaley right hand.

"Now, now. Let's not get formal about the whole situation, I am merely here to discuss something with the both of you."
He took a moment to pause, though his voice was now most definately rougher than previously. Lilia just decided he'd had a rough night of drinking to his hearts content.
"Close the door, lad. The foul entities from downstairs are already lingering, and poor Lilia has a sense of smell fourty times as more powerful than ours."
He glanced his vision towards Lilia, who seemed to be dillusional from the smell. Up until now, the smoke from the fire had done well to mask the alcoholic stench from downstairs.
"Now, firstly, Lilia." He cleared his throat before continuing.
"I heard about the events of last night. Is it correct that this is the male that save your life?" He glared at her, searching over her scaley body for an answer before she spoke.
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir. I should have come back to the-" He waved his hand again, interupting her to speak for himself.
"Do not worry about it, my girl."
Claming her as his own, his eyes pressed lightly against her, almost pushing her back with his ever-so-famous smirk. She actually did almost fall backwards out of relief. He pressed on, taking his next question towards the male.
"What's your name, lad? I believe I owe you something for your troubles. Be swift, I have to take the poor girl back to the castle soon."

He stood there, taking in his appearance. It was quite majestic in comparision. His own sword, though obviously shorter in comparison (It is a longsword, probably seemed like scrapmetal when shown next to The Lord's. He would've seemed like a pityfull ant to him, he supposed. Had it not been for who he was, that is. The smell of alcohol and blood was starting to enter his nose. He suspected there must've also been a fight here concerning the storm, and who was to blame. Surely, he suspected, that would soley dominate the minds of the rabble.
Heh, I still think like them
Regardless of the cause, the smell was truly revolting. The scource must be truly outstounding.
He nodded politely, at his request, and promptly closed the door shut. He then, for the few spare seconds of thought he had left. It must be terrible, being able to smell every horrible thing with pinpoint precsision. He guessed she knew what was causing the smell, how much alcohol the beaten up man had to drink, what it was, and the habits of the man. He turned, his gaze following the older male, not focusing on the Lamia present.

He strolled to the chair and table, as the man spoke, leaning on his right elbow, letting the ajoining hand support his head. He ignored the dialogue that was being said beside him, his personal silence was only faltered when the topic of a reward and his name brought to him. He sat up immediatly, and turned his head to meet his superiors gaze.

"On the topic of my name, Sir, I fear, that if you do not already know me from appearence, you certainly will by my name. Do not think I am hiding it from you, I would prefer to give it after my reward has been confirmed. What is the reward? Money? A title? Sword? Armor? No, none of these. I request something unique, I request:"

He smiled, nodding towards of whom he spoke as he said the following words

"Her,"

The fire that was flickering it's amber flames in a monumental dance of warmth had now began to slowly die out, offering short bursts of temporary heat across the unsurprisingly small room. The sizzling of the coal the flames had used for a source of heat were also beginning to come to a last breath, tossing the bedroom into a frightfully enigmatic cliche of silence. Almost as soon as the mention of Lilia being the mercernary's reward, the four eyes were bound to come crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. She could feel the upcoming stare of her lord's dark and delicate eyes piercing through her in an attempt to seek out her inner feelings of the situation and force her to make some sort of opinion for herself

By this point, Lilia had casually pondered over to the bed, observing the two males exchange the glaring competition of whether or not one of them (In this case, the Lord) was going to accept the fact that he had clearly given the male a choice of ANYTHING he wanted for a reward. Yet he had chosen the young girl, and for an unknown purpose, over everything materialistic and profitable currency wise.

Lilia peered at the male that had referred to her as being his reward. Something deep inside of her heart spoke out, telling her that this was not going to go down well with her Lord. She could see the anger blazing within his eyes, yet with a simple blink, he'd already pushed all of his feelings aside. The Lord brought himself to his feet with a deep and troubling exhale, spreading his musky breath of fancy food and wine blaring towards the two. His eyes looked serious, and his words were quite obviously the type that were not to be repeated.

"You want the girl? I have to ask you a few questions first, naturally."
The Lord took a deep breathe, and cleared his throat again before continuing. Lilia could smell the presence of old relinquished tobacco deep with his throat. He started smoking again? Something must be troubling him... He fired the questions in rapid succession, and immediately afterwards, gave the mercernary male one of those glares that showed how serious he was. All in all, it was a rather intimidating experience, no matter who you were or what background you came from. This man, after all, had the power to undirectly assault the throne with such tremendous force, that the king himself would have to deeply contemplate his every action.
"Do you know who she is? Do you know what she can do? Are you a magiphobe? Do you have even the tiniest ounce of hatred towards her race? Why do you think I'll be willing to just hand over my best servant? How familiar are you with keeping a Lamia's health in fine condition considering their low immune systems? How knowledgeable are you of their senses and feelings and how quickly they can develope? What makes you think that she will be willing to serve you rather than me? Are you willing to guard her life with the upmost respect? Finally and most importantly: For what purposes do you want her? I considerably hope you are not a sadistic pervert." His eyes momentarily flashed towards the fact that the mercernary carried a sword. It was obvious he was referring to the fact that he had rescued a fine looking girl, at night, and taken her to a rather expensive and private room. If you think about it, it could have been looked at in that kind of way.

He took another deep breathe before sighing out in what seemed to be boredom.
"So many questions, my fallen Danouran! I expect you to answer them all to your best abilities, consider it a test, if you fail: You do not get the girl. Simple as."

Lilia just sat in confusion, blankly staring between the two males perched infront. She wasn't quite sure how to react, all of it was coming way over her head. I'm not being shouted at? Why does he want me for a reward? Am I dreaming still? It seemed the questions running through her head were also endless. She wanted to interupt so badly, yet she refrained from doing so, and let her lord have his moment.

He waited politely for the lord to finish, before giving his answers. Though he rapid fired them almost as quickly as the questions had come, he had actually put thought into them. His face remained emotionless the whole time, he would not give an inch to this man. He who doubted him so much. He almost saw him as the figurehead for all that was wrong with the houses, arrogant, rich, untrusting and untrustworthy. Still he had to focus on the questions now. He started, most obviously, on the first:

Do you know who she is?

He was a little confused on this one, did he mean her name? or was she come kind of mystical being? He opted for the obvious.
"She is Lillia Whiterose, a Lamia. Unless she has lied to me, and my food has been poisoned to make it seem otherwise. Then I could see why she is in your service,"

Do you know what she can do?

This one was easy, simple, and required little thought whatsoever
"She is a magic user, I know this from my own experiences, and by deductive reasoning from your next question,"

Are you a magiphobe?

This would be -difficult- to step around, but at least he would not need to lie.
"I am not a Magiphobe in the slightest,"

Do you have even the tiniest ounce of hatred towards her race?

This, he found... somewhat... of an annoyance. It seemed to be a pitfall trap, like he knew he didn't, but he also knew many around him did. It seemed to be a question also directed at his present company aswel as himself.
"No, I do not, and if any so called 'accomplaces' of mine do, they shall be accomplaces no longer,"

Why do you think I'll be willing to just hand over my best servant?

He let out a smirk at this question. It was meant to be brutal and insulting, and he knew he would be told off for this, but he couldn't help it.
"Why would you bother asking me these questions if you wearn't considering the idea? And besides, I do believe you 'owe me something for my troubles' if I am not mistaken. I, Sir am never mistaken,"

How familiar are you with keeping a Lamia's health in fine condition considering their low immune systems?

Hm. While he wasn't that educated in their immune systems, surely it is was simple matter?
"Well enough that you needn't worry,"

How knowledgeable are you of their senses and feelings and how quickly they can develop?

He thought about this, and chuckled inside, his mind quickly filled with perverted thoughts, but he quickly forced them out, long enough for him to answer:
"I have heard enough to be careful,"

What makes you think that she will be willing to serve you rather than me?

Oh how many witty oneliners had entered his head. To sample one, rather crude example, 'the same reason your mother did'. But that would be silly, and but his health in danger, so, after a great deal more thought, he came up with a simple, yet, in his veiw, show stopping answer:
"She fears you. She doesn't fear me. People work more willingly with those they trust, rather than those they fear,"
He mirked again, damn he was good.

Are you willing to guard her life with the upmost respect?

He smiply nodded, and rested his left hand on the hilt of his blade.
"With this blade, and any other!"

And finally:
For what purposes do you want her?

It troubled him slightly that this was the last, because that awkward silence, between which everyone was thinking on their respective answers for all of those questions? That was spent thinking about the meaning of that question, and the preceeding words. What was he thinking? He was thinking, that he wasn't sadistic, yet everyman had his own... guilty pleasures, though he would not force himself apon her. He thought quietly, would it be best to tell him of all people that?The again, it would be best to be as open as he could.
"I am no sadist, yet all men have their own pleasures, though I will not, in any situation, force myself upon her, you have my work,"
He then added, through gritted teeth and a nonchalant tone:
"Not that it means anything to you,"

Now that the questions were over, he turned to Lillia. It somewhat troubled him that, while they were disscussing her very life, she was saying nothing, she was proberbly so afraid of what might happen, that she daren't not, so he decided to for her.
"Enough about us though, let Lillia have her say. It is her we're disscussing, after all,"

Lilia was still contemplating all of the little thoughts rushing through her mind. The questions constantly bombarding her and causing her to tumble into an endless slaughter of possible answers. The realisation that an actual sentence had been fired towards her brought her mindset back to present. Her thoughts cleared instantly as she shook off her momentary endazzlement, though she still remained confused in a sense that was unquestionable in itself.

He was silent for a moment, ticking off a list of boxes in his mind before spreading his eyesight over to Lilia. His eyes told it all, he wanted her to tell the male everything she had to share. It seemed as if the questions had been answered successfully and the gutsy treatment the lord has recieved only furthered his joy for asking the questions in the first place. It was probably a mocking sign, effectively yet undirectly showing the male that he did not care in the slightest. Her lord had started smirking in a very wise way. As if a plan he'd created way before he even knew what the answers fired at him were going to be had finally payed off. He'd been known for his rather pre-emptive methods of being able to identify exactly what people were going to do or say just by looking into their eyes. He gave Lilia a nod, alongside a rather cheeky wink.

She took a brief period to think, wanting to answer to her fullest of capabilities. Perhaps, I shall start by listing out who I truly am, and what I can truly do other than magic... It seems my lord wants me to present myself so that he can know more about me, before he intends to hand me over. She kneeled down, bowing her head in respect for her new master. An emotionless expression on her face.

"I am now required by law to inform you of my skills and talents before you have access to commanding me. I am Lilia Whiterose, a Lamia, -former- servant of my Lord; Iellidus 'Ironheart' and dignified ranger of Elwynn Forest to the East of this city. I used to travel alongside a very famous wizard named Draconin, or more commonly known as 'Dragontongue Draco'. There is high doubt in my heart that you have not heard of him amongst legends told my new and old. I accompanied him, and kept him motivated through meaningful bard tales and songs. In exchange for this, he guided me through the divine path of magic in hope that one day, I will carry on his legacy."
She took a moment to exhale, carefully thinking over her words so she wouldn;t screw up.
"I am a medium-expert close quarters combat fighter, a precise marksman with a bow, a mage in training with official grants and permits offered to me by King Kasselex IV himself so that I may study the darker arts that are currently illegal to even talk about in this kingdom. I can also cook, sing, repair, read the forgotten language and speak it. I know the basic fundamentals of Alchemy alongside other various skills I'm sure you'll be satisfied with."
She couldn't help but giggle at her last remark, trying to cheer herself up a bit.
"All of my wealth is under your control from here onwards, and before you ask, I have atleast 45 gold pounds on me, the rest of my currency is situated inside of a bank, I will refer to you as 'Master or Sir', and will obey any order given even if it means sacrificing myself in order to save your life. Please do not question my motives, I am merely here to serve. It was how I was raised. I also wish to inform you that my personal belongings, excluding the items within my bag at the moment are now yours to take. You also have permission to take a hold of any land that I own, and do as you wish with it."
Taking another rather large breath, she continued, not giving the male a chance to interrupt just yet.
"Additionally, I have permission to enter certain restricted areas of the land owned by the king, such as the coastal wizarding tower to our west, and the contract confirming this states that whoever 'owns' me in the time that this contract is still valid is allowed to accompany me into such premises. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask them now, otherwise you can sign the contract that regards you as being in possession of myself and be on your way."

The Lord gave the male a nod, confirming that all of her words were completely factual as he slipped a contract from his bag and onto the table next to a a short knife. He grinned, knowing that the next part may take him by surprise.
"I congratulate you on passing the test but it has to be sealed by blood, my lad. Please, use the knife provided and proceed." It was his own little way of seeing the male draw blood without having to harm in himself.

He sat there, waiting for acceptance, or denial. He didn't mind which, though after going throught that... brutal interregation, he would be frustrated not to have past his little test. Then he saw the sign. That silent sign that two people who'd have known eachother long enough to prepare somthing like that, the kind that said 'Do it, do it now!' or some other aproximation. And then she did. Oh god did she. He started by laughing at the name Ironheart, then nodded to each possession and skill as she said it. By god, her wealth must've been on par with The King. It certainly exceeded the Lords.

He waited patiently for her to finish, though it seemed like an age. She must've been worth at least a Platinum! What he wouldn't give to see a Platinum. He expected that her skills alone would have warranted that price, but by The Everbringing, this Woman surely had the wealth of a kingdom, how did she amas such wealth?

When question time came though, he resign from asking that though, opting instead to reserve it for later. He looked up to The Lord, his eyes wide open, his face, a little blushed. This was outstounding. He could just manage a wry smirk as he heard The Lord's comment about signing the contract with blood. How he knew he would take great pleasure in this. *He turned to the contract, giving it a quick glance through, though not very thourough, and with his own sword, rather than the knife he had given him- he was still determined not to draw blood completely on his terms- he cut a nick into his left pinky, letting the blood drip down onto the page, resisting another smirk.

Lilia, who was still kneeling majestically before her new 'master' tilted her head upwards in order to get a good observation of his facial expressions. The startling factor that she could witness no signs of 'impressed' or 'surprised' outlooks matched upon his face only caused her to become slightly annoyed.

I'm a onmi-talented female slave dedicated to him from now on, and despite my best efforts to introduce my wide range of skills like such, he doesn't seem at all glorified that he has just gone from being a possibly lowly-payed mercernary all the way up to a rich status. Is he just holding back because the lord is still here, or perhaps he is not at all interested in any of my skills and simply wishes to use me for other purposes. Though I highly doubt that is the case, I have to consider it a possibility.

She shook her head, dismissing the thought pondering through her ever-so-clever mind. Or so she liked to think that she was clever, in her own little way ofcourse. From her point of view, it seemed like her new master was more interested, or better put, 'amused' at the lord's nickname 'Ironheart'. Oh, it'll change. There is no way he can just dismiss it like that! I mean, come on, I'm a great slave... Right? She had doubted herself momentarily, but the small incident with the blood-signed contract had caused a cheesey smile to cross her lips, almost as if she were about to burst out laughing.

"Master, may I have the privalage of showing you my combatical assets in person?"
Lilia cleared her throat for a moment, then continuing to speak with a very polite tone to her soft, feminine voice.
"It'll give us both a chance to get to know one another, and in all honesty, if I'm going to be working for you now: It's imperitive that you know what I'm capable of and that you needn't worry defending me unless absolutely nescersary."

The lord himself had let out a brief chuckle, leaving the signed contract in the hands of a new destitutional owner of what could possibly be the start of a whole new adventure. He'd left the room with such pride and accomplishment that it was hard to believe he actually genuinely cared for Lilia respectively. It must of been hurting deep down inside for him to just 'toss' her away like such. From here onwards, things will only become even more interesting...
The final words the lord spoke before leaving were to take into consideration, by both of them: "Treat her well, lad. She may be obedient but sometimes she acts too quickly when you give her commands. I expect you to treat her fairly. However much it aches me to part ways here, I believe that you two will become a decent pair. It almost brings a tear to my eye, that you'll be on your way towards Elwynn in a matter of hours..."
The second part of his last remnant being aimed towards Lilia: "Don't let him treat you like crap. If he does, be sure to spit him in the eyes for me, would you?" He chuckled, giving the male a satisfied smirk in attempt to mock him in friendly rivalry one last time.
"I expect you to become a fine magician one day, girl, do not disapoint me. It'd be an aweful shame for Draconin to see you become some diluded malificarum that cannot put magic to good use..."

Lilia peered between them both, still kneeling before her new master with some pride. She couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia overwhelm her feelings for a moment, and it was probably visible in her eyes too. Speaking of which, her eyes flashed the lord one last glance as he made a weary exit, granting a waving gesture over his shoulders as he walked away.
"Goodbye, my lord..."

His mind was flowing in infinate, invisible spectrums of thought. They spead out, like the colors of a rainbow, trying to reach some true conclusion to what he was thinking. Everything was so jumbled, and he just wanted to make sense of it, find a clear path, a true way, a correct ending, but it was like somthing was determined to keep him confused.

His leaning on the back of the chair had become uncomfertable, he could feel the numerous aches and pains in his upper back become more exaggurated. So he moved his legs up onto the chair, bring his behind in the air, and curled, making his upper chest lean over his knees. By the time he was done, it looked like he was crouching on the chair.

Now his mind returned to his thoughts. One district in his mind was trying to compress the events of the night before, another was trying to conjour all the uses he could think of for this new slave. He didn't like that district. It was rather disgusting, and aloot of the time, the product of it's thoughts were vulgar, and chilled him to the bone.

The last district, his favourite, wanted to know if she was the genuine article, if she could do what she said she could, and to what degree was she capable of performing at her listed skills. Then she spoke. It was like she was speaking his mind. So, she wants to show her "Combatical assets in person?". Now his pride was being targeted, this was a challenge. This worried him slightly. Sure, he was confident in his skills, but he had never had any formal training. Unlike, he suspected, her.

Now The Lord was going on about some sentimental Priest-shit. Of course he would look after her, and well! Better than he, he was sure of that! If it had hurt him so much, then he would've been more cautious in his wording. He was "The" Lord, after all, he knew that people like he, people who had been, or are, part of a house, would exploit every possible loophole to his advantage. They had to. He had always done well in negoiations.

After he had left, he stood, stretching his limbs until they let out a satisfying click. He then walked to the door and closed it, only to turn back to her, and sit back where he was. He gestured for her to sit in the seat next to him, accompanying the action with the words:

"I think, I would like to see you 'Combatical assets' after I have gotten to know you better through words, first,"

Lilia, with a somewhat satisfied smile eding across her lips couldn't help but take a seat next to him at the opposite side of the table. The fireplace that was blazing away just moments ago was no more than a grave of ashes emanating absently regarded heat from cooling lumps of coal that was basically worthless at keeping the room warm. She could feel the minor temperature decrease, though it was probably not noticeable unless you had extremely sensitive skin.

He wants to get to know me with words first? How strange, all of the other nobles had me get ready for combat almost right away, just so that they could see my 'flexible fighting style', only to end with a hopeless flirt like: "Oh my, I'll definately enjoy accompanying you if we are to be amongst a battlefield. A battlefield regarding that of which takes place in a lovely, peaceful bedroom, that is..." Perverts... I'm glad I knew not to let anybody take advantage of me, even if it causes a slight 'disturbance' and I am tossed out into the streets. Not that it mattered, with this kind of wealth.

Her mind was still drifting through some past time events, and if looking deeply enough into the female's eyes; it would most likely be a sign of nostalgia glistening under the embracement of dim light. Either that, or something very deep. Something she'd not want to talk about unless absolutely nescersary.

I sincerely hope that the male before me will truly be the one I can stay with forever, not in a romantic sense, but that of which I will not have to consider searching for a new master. It has become tedious building up mutual friendship for an 'employee' and then being tossed out in the moment you thought everything was going ever so well... Nonetheless, I may have faith in this young mercernary. It's all down to fate now...

Her eyes flashed upwards in recognition, nodding respectfully towards him with true intent.
"Yes, master. I understand."
She cleared her throat, unscrambling her jammed triplet of vocal chords.
"What would you like to know, sir?"
She was positioned in a very polite and formal way, eyes directly peering into that of the males opposite. Her skirt, for a period of short length, had been tilted so that she may adjust to such a small and 'hard' chair, quite obviously not being used to the fact that these inns were for a nights stay at most, rather than supplying comfort for long periods of time. Other than that, it was quite obvious that a very pale blush had spread itself across her pale cheeks.

With that, all she could do was wait. Listening to the ever-so-dramatic world outside as the lord mounted his steed and drove off into the distance. The clattering of his hooves soon faded, and the only cryptic thought left within her mind was the fact that he had stated, just moments ago, that they would be heading for Elwynn Forest. It was true that she was indeed a ranger of that territory, however, it was unlikely of her to depart towards such a location during weekdays; nevermind with somebody else; and that somebody, being her new master.

In await for his response, she pondered some more thoughts, digging deep into her mind for something worth thinking about. I can't help but think about the rain last night, and the sudden change of the city's recognition of such. Has everybody forgotten about the event, or have they become foolish enough to totally disregard the fact that this was no mere natural event. I cannot help but think that this was a reminder from the old wizard himself still.

He tilted his gaze downwards slightly as she sat, accomanying it with a modest dip of his head, and a small blush, creeping out of his now roasy, usually pale, cheeks. He knew it was noticable, and he knew the cause. Her smile. It just... got to him, and he was embarrassed to admitt it, he didn't know what it was. His eyes looked to the dead, or dying fire, trying to avoid her piercing gaze for a moment. He didn't want her to see his cheeks so excited, he was, for a moment, mortified.

He started to think what she thought of him, whether she was nieve and optimistic enough to think that she could stay with one master forever? While he wouldn't let her go unless he had to, or if she went to her freedom, he certainly could not predict the furture, thus, he could not make any promises. He wondered what she that of who he was, the 'simple' mercenary, in possession of such a clever beauty.

He shook his head, sharply, shortly, and suddenly. He had to stop thinking like that, she was he slave, nothing more. In either case, he was simply lost. Just... appretiative. A flight of fancy. Besides, she was a Lamia. He was sure, once he remembered his upbringing, his lust for her would dwindle quicker than a cheap fire in an out-of-place-fireplace.

He let out a slight chuckle, knowing that she would never know the thoughts that penatrated his usually focused mind. It wasn't like he didn't have an excuse, he had just... He hated saying it, but he had just come into... possession of perhaps the most expensive- No, now he was sounding materialistic, like the lord. He wouldn't allow himself to be corrupted in that way, she wouldn't be a slave to him, just simple friend, nothing more, nothing less. She would simply be company, that was all. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Heh, he liked that, he should let it get written down somewhere. How ironic, how strange, scary even, that he, of all people, the nobilic failure, would be the exception. How idealistic.

Now, to turn his head back to her, to her question, to his... friend. He cocked his head a few degrees to the side when she called him Master, and a few more degrees when she adressed him as Sir. It was strange... and a little frustrating. He knew it would annoy him soon enough. He let a smile crawl through the cracks of his sanity- his doubt in idealism- as he let his skin colour return to normality. He replied to her quiery with:

"I would like to know about... you, I guess. Tell me things about you, what do you like, dislike, what do you enjoy, or find boring, pet peeves, funny jokes, you may choose. And please don't treat this like an order, it is all optional. The first 'order' I will give you though, is, from now on, if you could refer to me by name. I am Raemus Mitpes. I am not Sir, and certainly no master until I manage to, through my own acts, not yours, aquire a title."

Lilia had always been interested in the biological structure of the human race and the scientific reasoning that made them 'click', or so she had once heard a travelling merchant say to a very mysterious companion that was hooded, accompanying him on a rather long journey towards the unknown. Though, it was slightly off topic from the whole situation, she couldn't help but satisfy her ever-so curious mind with flashes of possibilities on the reason that he had chuckled. Have I come across as amusing? Or is there something wrong with my appearence?

Nevertheless, she had a response to make, and simply nodded at his statement that issued her to regard him by name. Raemus Mitpes... Raemus Mitpes... She repeated it continuously inside of her head. Have I got it memorised? Yes...

"Yes, Raemus. As you wish."
She blinked for a moment, trying to think about her very private personal life, but most of the obvious thoughts struck her mind instantly. She listed them, similar to the way her former master had done in the past.
"My hobbies, admittedly albeit embarrasingly enough, include every single one of my skills. I take pride in what I have learned from Draconin, and what I have learned amongst my many travels with him. I do not favour combat, however, if nescersary, I will not hesitate in committing to such actions."
She took a moment to breath, only just realising that she was a little shorter on air than expected.
"As for the more personal hobbies, I enjoy reading and taking nightly strolls within the nearby forest of Elwynn. I have no friends, for a very simple reason. If they are to become jealous of my skills, or my rather charmingly good loo-"
Her eyes widened for a moment as her more personal side shone through. She simply tried to brush it off by clearing her throat.

"Well, in Laman's terms, I do not wish to become close with anybody under a variety of reasons. Jealousy being an issue I've had in the past. I'll admit, it did not end well for the other person."
She wasn't sure how he'd take that, but decided to carry on before he could get a chance to cut in. Lilia tried put across a lighthearted joke that she thought he would find rather amusing. It made her feel more comfortable, and it was a way to show what her 'humorous' side was like. Two birds, one stone...
"I do not find many things boring... Apart from perhaps, those rambling preachers outside of the church claiming that their so-called God has demanded that the only way to reach heaven these days is by donating a purse of hard earned coins towards the benefit of the previously mentioned."
She took another breath, being sure to issue the male a very friendly smile.
"If there is anything else, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

As the conversation started going, he leaned forward, over the table, resting his head on crossed arms. The chairs were very uncomfertable and he had always found more comfort in leaning. He looked up into her eyes, and found himself captivated in her gaze. It was a deep, forest like green, and when he looked deep enough, he found it like it was a different person he was looking at, a less forcebly polite version, the free version. It was like she kept herself to her thoughts, no matter how personal what she said was.

Considering the thoughts that had just gone through his mind, he was confused when she started her hobbies. Was everything that he had just though, absolute rubbish, and she wore her heart on her sleeve, or perhaps she changed her details all the time, and she was just superficial. He opted that he had been wrong, she was telling the truth, and he knew next to nothing about Lamian phsycology.

They were interesting, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing unexpected, considering what skills she had told him earlier. He was happy that she had called him by name, though it was odd, strange, that someone was taking his orders for once. It felt wierd, though he was glad to be out of the same old rut, he knew, that since he was committing to claiming none of her ownings for his own, he knew he would have to take another job sometime soon, unless he was careful with money.

which brought him nicely to his next thought. He needed to get out of here, this room. It was overpriced, and the price was rising. He stood suddenly, and explained this point to her and he strolled out of the room. His head then poked back through the door, gesturing for her to follow. He then went downstairs, and quickly passed through the filling bar, leaving an extra few silvers at the to the bartender, to cover the extra time spent.

When he reached the outside, he covered his eyes- the sun glare was intense. He leant against the outside of the bar, blinking heavily, as he waited for his companion to follow him.

Lilia met his gaze with her own, almost pondering a thought or two about why his glare seemed to show an enthusiastic side to it. Was he admiring me, or did he simply not notice that he was staring at me? Or was it both? She cherished the thought that she could quite possibly have made a positive introduction of sorts, and granted him a smile to show her appreciation. Following him down the wore-torn stairs and through the seemingly empy bar, she scanned her slightly colour-blind sight into the vast and busy world outside.

It seemed the weather from the night before had certainly made a change of form; creating a bliss world of white enthropic snow out of what seemed to be a disgusting oily and demon-alluring rain. She could almost immediately feel the sensation of ice-cold air gracing her scaley skin as her warm blood co-interacted with the vivid feeling of nostalgia. She'd often had an offering or two to accompany her old friend on a journey to the northern lands, and thoroughly enjoyed the snow. The only downer was the coldness of it all, which she could feel twice as heavily than any human, though at the moment, being cold wasn't such a bad thing. It was a reminder of the good times she used to share with Draconin.

The sounds of merchants echoed through the white-blanketed streets of the city, calling out to passers by in attempt to advertise their market. Most of which were quite cleverly selling furs or clothing of sorts. A few discussions Lilia could pick up involved something along the lines of "Letting the children have fun" and a few of the more curious minds conversing: "I honestly do not know what brought that weather last night, but I bet the church are spreading some very dramatic rumours again."

Small snowflakes elegantly danced through the morning air, twisting and twirling in a spiral-like pattern towards the ground, only to be met by thin layers of its own kind in a more vastful and spreadout form. The only scents she could pick up were the smells of the local bakeries cooking varieties of pastry and other culnary assortments, the stench of the body odour from adults and what-not aimlessly struggling in playful battles of clumped up snow, a few dogs and a vivid scent she'd already acquainted herself with: The male next to her.

She twitched her nose, inhaling his scent for analysis this time, rather than out of instinct. He smelled of various scents, a man who travelled alot, though most of which were of country origin there was still the very en-nerving smell of blood left on his blade. At first, she could pick up his own scent of blood, but that would have been normal considering the contract. It smelled naturally clean, and there was hardly any alcohol present within his bloodstream it seemed. She found that rather uncommon, most males of his age would be atleast bound by some sort of drink. The second scent of blood had obviously been wiped clean a while back, though she could still detect that it was not of his own origin this time, but rather that of somebody else. It sent a shudder down her spine, but it was not her place to question, so she simply shrugged it off and sighed happily, pretending to admire the view. The other smells that lingered around him like some sort of aura brought her to the conclusion that he was a lonely man, never to interact with anybody else unless nescersary. Easy to believe for a mercernary, but then again, there was the reason she was not aware of.

"Raemus, what is our destination?" Her voice echoed out softly, with a flowery british-esque accent that she usually used to comfort those she spoke to.
"You could always check out the bank and view your standing in wealth now, aren't you at all surprised that you are now richer than everybody in this city excluding the lord and the king?"

As the glare died down, he found himself at the corner of a T junction. Opposite him, was the stables. It was a small, building, made of stone and wood, with a thatched roof, one that was made of straw. Most buildings were made like that, made out of cheap materials that were in abundance.
It meant the King had more money for soldiers, and his own comforts, which he was sure involved "provocative pikemen", or so he had heard. The King was queer in many ways. He always seemed so indecisive and fickle, unwilling to do what was necessary. He had recently often taken the path of tolerance and compassion. It wasn't that he found it unwelcome, far from it, it was that he seemed to only do it in an attempt to win favor with his Son's new wench, the so named... what was her name? Sabrina? Somthing like that. He may be wrong, but ever since she had showed up, she seemed to have the Kings ear like he was a magpie attracted to silver.

That was probably why she always had he attention.

He chuckled, the King had always been a notorious womanizer, but recently, he had heard rumors that he had been... branching out, so to speak. While it was, of course, no bussiness of his, it had caught the rabble's attention. They were so obtuse in their opinion, of course they wouldn't want an intersexual King, but they didn't have any say in the matter.

Why it was on his thoughts, he had no idea. His own thoughts seemed to have become sporadic, finding the slightest bit of news, and then running with it, like a town crier that had been promised a pay rise.

He blinked, literally forcing his mind back to the present. He raised his hand to his forehead, dipping his head slightly, and let out a sneeze, making sure to rear his face away from any passers-by. This cold was getting to him. How annoying. Now that he was looking down, he saw his boots , saw how thick the snow was. Then he noticed the shadow next to him, and saw it was Lillia. He smiled politely, dissmissing the sneeze as if it had never happened, and answered her question.

"Well, first, it would I need to take another job, as my pocket dwindles,"

On the note of checking his her wealth, he declined with a swift shake of his head.

"What is yours is yours. What is mine is mine. Though I have dominion over your body, I leave you with control of your assets and possession,"

The least I could do, lest I forget, she saved my life as well last night, for which she still has gained no reward. Hm...

"Disregard my first statement. As a simple token of my apretiation for keeping me from the Kings dungeon-"

He laughed at this. And the King!

"You may choose what we spend the majority of this day doing,"

Lilia stood with a blank expression spreading across her pale face. It seemed she was now in a position she regarded as being 'democratively albeit undirectly in charge and able to change the events of the near future' just by merely choosing the location of their next visit. She'd been so used to following, she had almost forgot how to lead. Speechless, or rather, in desperate need of some time to think about it for a minute or two, she had no option but to ponder the various locations and make haste in a decision.

The park?
Very nicely decorated, and well cared for by the 'royal gardeners' the whole year through. Usually quiet, but because of the recent change in weather; it's bound to be swamred with little children and their parents, inevitably using the grounds as some sort of military HQ for their little snowball wars.

Another tavern?
A sensible option considering warmth and seating with a possible hint of privateness but... Too repetitive. Anyway, I can't stand the foul stench of alcohol and the lingering arousal of prostitutes. It's ghastly. Not really an option in my, and probably, his opinion too.

Elwynn Forest?
Lushious scenery and probably glittering with a vivid sense of wildlife and appreciation since the departure of the storm, but... It's packed with the unwanted attention of my fellow rangers, and quite possibly holds a chance of ambush if the numbers of the previous said are lacking today. I have days off for a reason.

A trip to my own home?
Very, very quiet and peaceful with graceful surroundings. Perhaps a little -too- much.Highly embarassing and a rather long journey, I doubt the male would be impressed by the mess my cottage is in at the moment. Though, thinking about it, he'd be more interested at the assortment of 'clothing' tossed around my bedroom, if I were to relate his personality with the foremost of males around here. Not going to happen anytime soon.

Or... There...?
Secretive, quiet, warm if need be, places to sit... I am the only one to know of it's location considering I am the one who created it... But, am I willing to reveal my very own 'safe-haven' to this newly found male?

Taking a deep sigh, she scrolled through any of the other possibilities whizzing through her mind. Despite being a rather intelligent young girl, it seemed to have no effect on choosing a location.
"I.. I do not mind where we go. There are many, many places. However, I'm not entirely sure if any in mind are of value to us if you wish for a nice conversation without the unwanted attention of others."
Again, her voice lit the area around the pair with a soft, flowery cheer that seemed to brighten the day of oh-so-many others.

He let out a soft chuckle. He understood that it must be strange for her to be in charge, to make a decsision, but, if she wanted to leanr, she would have to be thrown out of her comfort zone, no? He smiled, watching her blank expression, yet skillfully avoiding her gase. His head instead turned out to the city, as he regarded the places she might be thinking of going to, and his own opinions on them.

The park?
Very nicely decorated, and well cared for by the 'royal gardeners' the whole year through. Usually quiet, but because of the recent change in weather; it's bound to be swamred with little children and their parents, inevitably using the grounds as some sort of military HQ for their little snowball wars.

Another tavern?
He hoped she wouldn't want to visit another tavern, as he would insit on being a gentleman about it, and pay, even though he was low on coin. Besides, if she wanted to go to another tavern, which she doubted, she wouldn't have been so eager to leave the last one, would she? He also doubted she'd want to get those horrid smells in her again.

Elwynn Forest?
This place somewhat... intrigued him. She had claimed to be a ranger and a marksman, and this would seem the likliest place to show off such skills, and wouldn't she want to prove herself, or maybe she thought she had already proved herself with saving his life?

A trip to her home?
Though he had wanted to visit the estates she had mentioned, he felt it incredibly rude to order her to let him in her home(s). And why would she want to show someone she just met into her house? She wouldn't. No one would.

Or... another job?
This seemed like the option they would probably take, as he was skint, and he would need to take new jobs far more regulaly if he was looking after two people now. Though he would regret taking a new one two early, as he would have prefered to see how capable she was. Alas, we can't have everything we want.

He smiled again after she had spoke, a smile brimming with tolerance and consideration. One of a master politition. He would, naturaly, and as expected, be forming some kind of master stroke to trounce all ideas before it. Unfortunatly, while the smile was spot on, he was no politition, and no master stroke came to him. He shrugged slightly, and out a strange puffing sound, and replied:

"I'm not quite sure either, but either way, I need to go check the church boards in town, see what jobs they have for such a simple swordsman,"

Lilia gazed around, observing the melodic patterns of the ever-falling snowflakes dancing around her. It seems she had lost focus and was now daydreaming quite vivdly; unaware of the fact that her new master had stated that he needed to go and visit the church board for a job. She shook her head back to reality; dismissing the thoughts she'd rather keep to herself for now (Herself? I can use it like that, right? ). Her medium-long blonde fringe scattered over her left eye obscurring part of her vision - not that it mattered. Lilia then took her attention back to her master and smiled politely.
"Well then, you said something about the chruch-board, am I correct?" she took another brief moment to think this through.
"Well, we better head there now then, right? We don't want all of the jobs taken by the time we get there. People are going to need the money now that winter is breaking in..." Her voice partially lowered, as if undirectly suggesting something.

It seemed the street had become lower in activity since the arrival of the lord, but that was to be expected, or atleast that's what Lilia thought. Civilians were quietly 'bickering' to one another and shady characters swooped through the darkened alleys as usual. It was commonplace to see in this human inhabited city, so nothing out of the ordinary caught her attention. 'Just how I like it...' she thought. If it weren't for the constant snowballs flying past, Lilia would have half-expected the street to have dulled into a more 'cautious' sense of nature. She raised her right arm and pointed towards the Eastern side of the street, where most of the inhabitants seemed to be coming from. The church's steeple towered high above the city grounds, casting a huge black shadow over the snow.
"We'll be heading that way then, mas- I mean... Raemus...?" A slight blush coursed through her pale cheeks as she realised she'd made a very minor mistake.

A heavy breeze rushed down through the street, tossing a snowy powdered mist that almost debilited all vision if not expecting such a thing. She dug into her bag for her scarf and immediately pulled it out. She then fought with the cold wind to wrap it around her scaley neck. Her free hand remained pointing towards the chruch steeple for now; indicating for Raemus to take the lead.
"Well, off we go..."

His mind was wandering. This junction was slanted, as if on a hill. The young warrior children weren't taking advantage of the highground, they were throwing the snowballs across the road, not down it. Didn't they realise that they would get greater distance from their throws? He didn't expect much for the lower classes, but surely they would be able to have a simple grasp of rudermentary military tactics?

He shook his head, and smiled grimly. His arrogance was a beast that needed to be kept in check, lest in run riot. By letting it into his thoughts every so often, it stopped it from entering his speech.
Strange metaphors on noble arrogance aside, he turned his aching neck to the steeple, following his accossiates pointing hand. His lips smirked. The church seemed to controll everything anyone did, whether it be trade, or fashion, to prayer, to mercenary jobs. At least the polytheists new how to have a good laugh; they were young and vibrant. These monotheists- worshipers of this God creature, were old and decrepid, absolutely no fun whatsoever.

Bringing his mind to the present, he started off towards to church, at a leasurely (Sp?) pace. The wind was growing colder, as if to force the younger childeren back inside, so the older, the teens and young adults, could get to real warmaking. He knew this would probably be affecting Lillia, so he didn't want to exhaust her this early in the day.

The church itself, was a large building, with a giant steeple. It was built to accomadate for the entire city- there would be no other place of worship in this city. Its giant, gothic walls reached up into a giant, conical tower, with a large golden cross at the top, with glittered in the daylight, blinding all those who dared to look apon it- a perfect metaphor for the church as an organisation as a whole.
Raemus now turned to the board, which was near the fenced entrance, and was dissapointed to see a man making an important announcement on a box- surrounded by other mercanary types. It wasn't that he didn't relish the upcoming challenge, he just hated being veiwed as somekind of commercial entity.

Lilia ignored the fact that the children's snowball fight tactics were clearly unimpressive and unimaginative. She simply shrugged them off and sighed, knowing it was none of her business to lecture random children on the functionalities of making a 'perfect' snowball or using the correct amount of thrust and power so that it would have an effect on how the snowball 'shattered' on impact. Perhaps if she were in a snowball fight; she'd be more interested in the logistics than the figthing itself. She had always liked to look at the logical side of issues like this and being one that favoured a bow, she knew almost everything there was to know about 'flightpaths' and 'air density'. 'I highly doubt they'd appreciate my advice and in all honesty, I doubt they can even pronounce aerodynamics, nevermind understand its definition...' She snapped her mind back to reality for a moment and thought in a slightly more critical sense: 'Wait a minute... Am I seriously looking into the scientific side of a snowball fight?' Perhaps she could try and impress her new master with such information at a later date... Looking at the sheathed blade he carried, perhaps he wouldn't even be interested unless he suddenly thought that his sword was now some sort of throwing spear. The thought of it made her giggle lightly.

Despite the cold weather conditions, Lilia kept a polite smile edging across her lips as they approached the noticeboard; alongside the man shouting some religious essence of worthless bullshit. Something along the lines of:
"Take one of these jobs and you'll be rewarded by the God himself..."
Lilia took note of the 'himself' and shook her head lightly from side to side, letting out a sarcastic puff of condesational air to show her disbelief.

She simply prompted her master to follow and 'politely' pushed past the preaching man to get a decent look of the board. It seemed to be full of jobs that required knowledge on how to make a journey through some poisonous wasteland somewhere far in the distance. The types with huge rewards if you manage to survive. 'Highly unlikely...' were the words crossing through her mind as she scanned her vision over the board of seemingly endless scraps of posted papers. Eventually, she pointed out a specific job that asked for a party of two or more people to escort a carriage of food supplies to the next town over. The rewards seemed reasonable and the risk of being ambushed was, calculated by Lilia on the spot, was edging under the 13% mark. Regardless, she turned towards her master and flashed him one of her nicer smiles before parting her lips to speak.
"How about this job, hmm? Seems like easy money to me." She tore down the piece of paper and held it out towards the male beside her; evidently offering it to him. It was more of a prompt than a suggestion to take a closer look.

He looked down to his compadre as she moved ahead, pushing through the crowd. He liked her style- normaly it would have taken him a while to wade through the mercenaries, but, with her agile body, and because people where naturally wary of her kind, she almost made a path for him to walk through, it was childs play. Well, no, it wasn't, actually. If it was, it would be a pretty bad game.

When they got to the board, he breifly scanned about the more intersting notes. Though there was a varied selection, it annoyed him to no end that people thought a job for a mercanary- a paid soldier, probably ex-army, were meant to rescure their kittens from trees. For 5 coppers. He sighed, ripped that piece of paper off, scrumpling it up as he threw it away.

Now Lillia caught his eye. She was holding out a piece of paper, a job, one that had caught her eye. He gently took it, and examined it carefully:

"Job requested by: Menerus Lightspawn
Job: I would like a party of 2 or more mercanary types, to help escort a convey of supplies and arms to Lecreyt, which as you know, is barely 10 miles away, a journey I doubt to be little trouble, for ones such as you.
Payment apon completion:10 Gold sovereigns (dependant on job satisfaction."

He read it a couple of times, looking over the details. It seemed easy enough, with a generous reqard to. Obviously there was a catch, possibly an enchanted forest of nymphs lay on the trail, but he doubted it. More likely that everbringing had been rumoured to have invested the area. Never-the-less, it was a rather short journey, and it would serve the purpose of getting him out of town, with a decent amount of travel money, smiled to Lillia and took the job to the local preist, who told him rather quickly where the job could be accepted. He suspected that the old man thought him a drunken vagabond, and wanted nothing to do with him.

Lilia looked over the note one more time, making sure that the details she had perceived were correct. To her slight satisfaction, the details supplied seemed to outline the guideline of the job nicely despite the untidy handwriting she could barely make sense of. Regardless, for this amount of money; there had to be some sort of catch and it was probably the reason it hadn't been taken yet.

She thought for a moment, contemplating whether or not that the man who posted this job would complain against her. Not that it mattered, if the person who posted this job wanted it done efficiently by perhaps two of the most capable people in the city; he'd accept the offer from a Lamia, despite the fact that her kind was frowned upon when taking jobs that differentiated out of the bounds of slavery and prostitution.

The priest, who seemed to be un-appreciative of her own kind seemed to be displeased with the fact that the mercernary she accompanied was harbouring her as a friend. His glare was more than enough for them both to realise that they weren't really wanted around here for much longer. With that, she decided to memorise the directions given and nodded before prompting her master onwards once again so that they could accept the job.

The city people were now pushing and shoving each other in the crowd just metres behind the pair. Shouting soon followed and even a mockery of intimidation between fellow mercernaries; causing a few of the more 'bulky-toned' males to push forward and make a dash for the noticeboard. Lilia took a swift hand and grab her masters wrist, innocently pulling him out of the way. She sighed another puff of condensation as she tugged her chin into the breaches of the scarf dangling around her neck.

"Is it always this... Err... How do I put it in simple format... Rowdy?" She smiled one of her brighter grins and chuckled kindheartedly.
"Raemus..." She cleared her throat and continued to speak.
"How good are you with that blade of yours, hm? I believe your going to need to be rather dexstrous with it during this job. I mean, he wouldn't pay such a handy price if it was an easy job, would he?"
Lilia tried to make idle conversation as she began walking towards their simple destination just down the road in order to meet their contact for a more in-depth explanation.

He turned from the preist, not hiding his disgust. Many would've thought it somewhat brave, but he knew these men of the cloth to be cowards. They would dare to accuse an innocent mother, yet never a drunkard with a blade.
He walked out now, the crowd was growing in frustration, the best jobs must've just ran out. They were always like this. The best and most experienced would know to arrive early, but these never did. He recognised all the faces. They were not soldiers, they were peasents, refugees looking to win some bread for mothers and daughters. Most wouldn't survive their first job. Those that did would enevitably be 'sponsered' by some noble or trader, and with that kind of contract, they would probably wish some wolf had claimed them.

He smirked as he was pulled out of the way of the growing masses by his 'servant'. She had rather... admirable reflexes, he had to admit. When she asked about his skills with a blade, they were far from the crowds, walking the backalleys of this ancient city. It held nothing to him, its people were dead, and its walls were a cage. He wanted freedom. This place held to many memories now, he just wanted a new start.

He turned his neck downwards, smiling slightly, happy that she now spoke freely.
"I think I would rather wait until I have to use my blade, then take it out in a crowded city. Don't worry, if I wasn't any good, I wouldn't have been a Merc for so long,"

Lilia couldn't help but let a small flush of scarlet embrace her cheeks; having thought that her last question, alongside his answer, was a rather stupid question to ask. She shook her head, keeping quiet as her semi-reptillian eyes scanned through the endless crowds. The snow seemed to have clinged to the foremost of those wearing furry leather clothing or thick-fibred robes. Everybody looked the same, coated with a sweet layer of heavens dust. The air was still cold, yet her inside-warmth ensured the condensational puffs of air emanated from the origins of her lungs.

Her agility was impressive to say the least, having pulled the male alongside her with hardly any effort required. You would have heard the soft snow crunching under her feet if she weren't so delicate with her strides. Regardless, it seems the hoarding mass of people looking for 'mercernary' work were shouting at one another, so it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway. Though her grip was soft, it was definately ready to keep a hold of his lower arm if need be, however, that was not the case and before she knew it; she had succesfully 'slithered' her way out of the crowd with the apropriate poster in hand. She smiled at him, blushing after realising her hand was still gripping his lower arm. She immediately loosened it and turned her head to hide the embarassment.

"Where were we heading again?" She looked around, trying to regain her thoughts.
"Ah yes, that's right... Just down the road..."
She flicked the golden locks of her fringe from her eyes and tugged her thin cotton scarf over the lower half of her face; nose downwards in order to keep herself warm. Lilia then sighed, and took lead; beckoning him to follow with a simple gesture of her pale hand, which were evidently showing her scales more than ever under the bright winter sun.

As they walked to their short-term destination, she thought to herself, pondering something that just sprang to mind.

Hmm... 20% chance of getting attacked by bandits. That was what I worked out, wasn't it? Well, that may have been correct but... I think the chance of a encountering the elves are much higher. We will, after all, be travelling through one of their woodlands. I am not entirely sure how they will react but it is almost certain that they will confront us for no other purpose than to ask us questions whilst having their archers trained upon us with arrows. I wonder how they will take to seeing a Lamia... We shall soon see for ourselves...

Outside the city, was where he could accept the job. Not one mile, as the caravan was said to be waiting by the aptly named 'Lonely Oak'. To be more explanitory, the Lonely Oak, is, obviously, a standalone timber. Obviously detatched from the main forest. Not so obviously, its bark is black, on one side, a red hand print, said to be the blood of soul dealers, as a warning to mortals foolish enough to make a deal with them and try to weasel out of their bargain. Quite why demons, a naturally desructive force, would want to place their warning on a tree, often a symbol of life, was beyond him. Maybe even Abaddon had dunces.

Blink.

He looked about suddenly, as his mind was forced back to reality. His head was dizzy, a sharp pain struck his mind. He simply gritted his teeth, simply not showing the pain. Such things happened all the time, but he shrugged it off. If he was in public. Besides, it served to bring him back into focus, make him see what he had lost, in a way. Normally, it just brought him out of thought and into verisimilitude. And caused frustration. The pain came, again, throbbing and thumping, but not the frustration. He simply felt peace. Which evolved into worry. He looked down at his hand. She had been gripping it too long. He blushed, his face flaring. How... annoying, how... uncharactaristic of him. She noticed that she had been holding on too long too, and mercifly pulled her hand away, as his reaction dulled. He wondered if she saw.

She now gestured him to follow, and he did, taking big strides. He wanted to get this job started, these... distractions were becoming somthing of a nuisance. Did she mean it, or was it simply accidental? Either way, he had to admit her antics were rather charming. Was that the word? Was he being charmed? Surely not, she would have no reason to. Even if she did, it would be fruitless. He would surely be able to resist.

Because you've done a great job so far. It hasn't been a day, yet I wager she could bed you by nightfall!

He ignored his mental manefestation of his imputance, and self doubt, and marched onwards, determined not to be delayed by anything short of assassination. He had started tapping his right thigh with the corressponding hand, showing his impatience. He kept it in well enough though. He didn't want to be rude, after all. What would the family think? Hmph. Why did he delude himself with such nonsense? They had abandoned him a long time ago, so why did he still beg for their forgivness in such a way? Why did he still pretend he still wanted to be a part of their lives? It was pityful remorse, he put it down to. Needless sympathy for a crumbling regime.