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[Arynea]

Arynea perked up as she was addressed. "W-well, um...I was always taught to even the odds, even without knowing the situation. I'm really not from around here and it appears you did not need my help, but I always have to give it if I can." Any fool could tell she was debating in her head if she would ask him something.

'What if he thinks it's too much to ask. Of course, he can teach me nothing about my heritage, but surely he can handle himself in a fight. Could he be the teacher I've been looking for? I've searched for long with nothing to show for it. Could my luck have changed?'

The silence seemed like forever in her head. She finally spoke up. "I actually came into town to find a master, someone to teach me the art of swordsmanship. So far, I've found no luck." She looked extremely nervous. It was obvious she hadn't dealt with many people.

[Aithne Breagh]

Dismissed.

Like some sort of school student who didn't make the grade. Elysillien's eyes narrowed briefly (very briefly) to the affront, but she pushed it aside just as quickly. She waited while he turned his attentions on the cleric and then even gave pause while the woman answered his question. The moment she fell silent, however, Ely leaned forward closer to Fenris. Maybe he would feel the need to guard his person, but she meant him no harm. Eyes so pale they looked like chiseled ice met with his and she lowered her voice to little more than a whisper as she spoke.

"Fine. But you should know that there are three men to our far left who took quite an interest in your good fortune, a woman near the entryway is considering propositioning you to get you to the back alley for a quick stab and grab, and the barkeep has already sent his kitchen scully to wait out in the shadows for the moment you won't be paying attention."

She pushed her chair back and stood gracefully. Her fingers were placed against the table as she leaned against it for a moment, giving her an extra measure of stability and balance. Ely's gaze turned on the cleric. She gave the woman a nod and spoke to her in that same hushed tone.

"Someone so innocent should avoid taking a room here. The man behind you has been eyeing your arse ever since you walked in."

The thief paused a moment as she gave a cursory glance toward the 'gentleman' in question, then pursed her lips softly before speaking once more.

"I wish you luck in finding your master. Though I fear you will not find him here."

With that she pulled away from the table and stood to her full, unimposing height. Her words were not meant to be a jab at Fenris' honor, but she knew that he would have little interest in teaching his swordsman skills. Ely's gaze flittered over Fenris one more time before she turned to take her leave. Her steps were not rushed, more predatory in nature. As she reached the door, she glared at the woman waiting there, drawing her attention away from the table she had just left. That single look was enough to make the other find more interesting things to look at down in her drink. Quietly the thief pushed the door open, intent on taking her leave.

[Murdoch]

Fenris has to resist a smile. Although it wouldn't be a smile by their standards- no more than a slight twitching of his lips- it would still be far too much of a give away of his hand for his liking. He always considers all approaches, and these two certainly exceeded expectations. The thief, despite her haughty pride, is certainly skilled in more ways than one. Her observations, although not news to him, were certainly impressive, if a tad moot. The woman at the door 'looking to proposition' him? He doesn't engage with back alley sleepers; too dangerous. He rarely has the urge so strongly that he will pay somebody for it, and if he does, he takes a dip in a nearby river to cool himself off a little, so she wouldn't have been a problem. The innkeepers thief is unlikely to be of a standard that can catch Fenris unaware, and besides; the thief would have to be supernaturally good, even by Fenris's standards, to get money from the pocket that he'll transfer it into as soon as he's left. He has several hidden pockets built into his clothing, and searching all of them without getting caught is impossible. Rule #3: Pockets are your friends, especially hidden ones. As for the three men? Imbeciles. The amount of alcohol that they have ingested will leave them clumsy and loud, and they would be dispatched as easily as sending a strong wind in their direction. Not quite as easily as all that, but close. Besides, he tends to stay out of dark alleys. Good things never happen in alleys.

However, the girl took the bait and proved her observational skills, at least. If her fingers are as nimble as her eyes, he might well have a use for her. After all, the men he has lined up for his next job are good, but not as good as him, and if this girl is even half as good as Fenris, then she'll do wonderfully to help him lead them. Of course, he would have to work on her pride; she could easily be drawn in and manipulated through it, as he's just done, and that is her fatal flaw. Oh, Fenris has one as well, but he knows what it is, which allows him to regulate it a little.
"Girl," he says simply as she starts to head out in a huff, "You've passed. Sort of. Sit down. We might be able to work something out." Let her know it was a test. That might salve the sting to her pride a little...although, he will have to decrease her sensitivity to such things if she's about to work with him. But, just for now, he won't let her know that her observations were redundant. The waitress comes back over with his water, and he orders a round on the house- which gets a cheer- which comes to about three dragons. He has a lot on him, but they don't know that. Besides, let the patrons get more intoxicated...it will be that much harder for them to try and rob him. Every advantage helps.

He turns his attention away from the thief to the cleric. It isn't completely away- he keeps an eye on everything around him at all times- but still. The cleric is interesting...even the odds? That naivety could get her into some sticky situations sometimes- Rule #20; things aren't always what they seem- and that would never do. There are some situations in which no amount of skill can save you. Of course, if she can use any of that Clerical Magic, it gives her an advantage over most people.
"You will not find a mentor worthy of the title in a place like this," he says gesturing to the tavern around him, "or, indeed, in a town like this. It isn't central enough." Of course, he's here, but against his better judgement. Sometimes the best way to get a negotiation flowing is to allow them to think that they are in charge. To be honest, he is more than tempted to take the cleric under his wing. Assuming she knows no Clerical Magic, a skilled warrior loyal to him, or at least in his debt, is a great thing to have in any situation. Besides, even if she only owes him in money, it's another stream of revenue. And if she does know Clerical Magic? Well, so much the better. Besides, his expedition is lacking a Cleric.
"How much were you willing to pay to learn the art of the warrior?" He asks, regarding the cleric coolly. "A decent Master is unlikely to be cheap."


((Guys, I will be on this weekend, but after that, I am not sure...I might be on a few days after the weekend, but worst case scenario, I won't be on until 14th October...sorry!))

[Arynea]

Arynea was surprized by the man's answer. She wasn't even thinking about getting aything like that. She had to think for a moment. She had never thought about how much she'd be willing to spend. Afterall, most of the time people ignored her. "Um...Well..." She spoke softly. "I would pay all that I could, not saying that's much. Where I came from elves weren't allowed to do many things. That's actually why I became a cleric in the first place. I was told they would never take one of my kind as a soldier. You don't make the most money working in the temple, but it has helped my parents a lot." She stopped there. She didn'y want to give him her whole life story, but nobody had ever listened to her. It was weird to find it. One person had even tried to burn her alive one time. She had narrowly escaped that one. In fact, there was still a scar on her chin from where the flaming arrow had hit. The archer hadn't been very skilled and missed all her vitals, lucky for her, sort of.

[Aithne Breagh]

((Murdoch, you'll be sorely missed. We'll be looking for you upon your return.))

Elysillien paused at the door, her back to Fenris and Arynea. They would not be able to see the faint glimpse of a smile that flitted over her lips faster than the blink of an eye. It wasn't only herself that had been tested, Murdoch had also been under the spotlight, so to speak. Whether he passed or not remained to be seen, but she did feel a sense of accomplishment as he called her back to their table. The pale ghost of a woman turned, her eyes settling on the duo she had left sitting there. Apparently that was enough for the scallywag of a woman who had thought to try for the quick 'stab and grab'. She finished off her drink, got up and slipped out without another glance back. Ely returned to her seat and lowered herself gracefully to sit, lifting a delicate booted foot to rest upon the edge of her chair. Let him deal with the cleric, that was fine by her. Lords knew that the girl needed guidance; the thief wasn't so certain that Fenris was the right person to give it to her, though. Not that Ely felt she would make a better teacher, she knew very little of sword fighting.

She listened to what Arynea had to say, curiosity piqued by her admission of parental care. The thief's own parents had abandoned her at an early age, so she could not fathom why anyone would want to care for theirs. Ely wasn't certain who had told the elf that her kind would never make good soldiers. The thief had crossed paths with many elven fighters, each formidable enough to hold their own. In fact, she had learned that they had many skills that always came in handy. Their only fault, that Ely could see, was their wholesome good and trusting natures.

As the other two spoke of the intricacies of apprenticeship, Elysillien turned her attentions upon the other patrons of the tavern. Even though she did this, the others would not realize they were under her scrutiny. She was a master of observation, after all. For the most part it seemed like everyone had gone back to their own business, forgetting about the pouch of dragons as they deemed them unattainable. The barmaid returned to see to the trio's drinks. Since the round was on Fenris, Ely ordered another ale and waited to see how things would transpire between the cleric and her new boss.

[Murdoch]

((Back for a couple of days, and after that, I'm not too sure...))

Fenris listens, but without real interest. As far as he can tell, there is nothing important in that rambling answer other than 'she can't afford much'. That means that she is desperate, and desperate people get taken advantage of. Of course, he wouldn't dream of taking advantage of her unnecessarily; why do that when he can offer her a job and an apprenticeship at the same time? All that she will have to do is accompany him on his next mission- and a few after that- and then she should be able to boast of experiences very few have had in one lifetime. Of course, she has her naivety to hammer out...it will require a light touch, but he has a feeling that her illusions will be destroyed long before that.

He only glimpses at the other girl as she sits back down. She is watching the room carefully- a wise move in any case- but perhaps a little too obviously. Although, anybody watching them would instantly look in a different direction as soon as they saw someone else watching, so an obvious watcher has advantages. Besides, not everybody can have the ultra-senses that Fenris has.
This priest requires a teacher...well, Fenris is in need of a cleric, and here she is. Looks like they need each other.
"Any decent master would charge quite a lot," he says bluntly, "and would be in high demand. However," he leans forwards slightly and takes a sip from his water. He sets it back down carefully, and looks straight at the cleric, "I have a job that might interest you. I am taking on a job within the next forty-eight hours, and I find myself in need of a Cleric. Tell me, do you know any of the healing magic that Clerics are famed for?" A brash, reckless move, perhaps, but he is not really telling her anything that she doesn't need to know; he is just cutting the fluff of the negotiations and getting right to the 'You have what I need, I have what you need' that is the basis of all negotiations. He really doesn't have time; he's supposed to be meeting his crew to iron out the supplies in an hour or so, and he needs to have these two loose ends tied up, one way or another. He would prefer to hire them, but if not...well, he'll cross that bridge if he gets to it.

[Arynea]

Arynea's gaze dropped slowly at the factof cost that she had failed to realize. Then came the but. He had a job? She wasn't too sure of this "job" he spoke of, but it was her onl chance. She had to statch it up. Then came the question of her abilities. Naturally he would want something in return and her magic was almost too easily given. She smiled slightly. "Truthfully, healing magic is what I have always excelled in. My sudies were okay, my fighting superb, but my healing abilities were not matched by many."

The elf wasn't one to brag, but this was very true. She definately excelled in healing where others usually did not. It was something he could not begin to explain.

[Murdoch]

Fenris Nods fractionally, almost to the point of it being more a reflex of breathing than an actual sign of being pleased. So. The girl is a cleric, can heal and needs a master...good. If he's honest, he doesn't think she could have found a better master, even if she had the money; most of the masters in this part of the world are either idealistic old men or hotheaded youths whose swords are sharper than their minds. He is probably the most cynical person alive, and that is for one reason alone; he has lived. He's seen things most people wouldn't even imagine in their wildest dreams- or darkest nightmares- and he can think of no better person to teach this Elf how the world really works. Call it arrogance, but he has not met somebody yet as travelled as him. True, he usually goes to these places and kills somebody before leaving, but he's travelled nonetheless. Besides, as per rule 55, he has trained in every weapon he's come across. His favourite is by far his spear, but if he finds an axe or a longsword or a scythe, he will be able to defend himself with it. Of course, his hands are just as dangerous...but he doesn't broadcast that fact.

"Well then," he says, looking at her intently, "Are you in or out? Come with me on my travels, or take your chances trying to find a master for a pittance...it's up to you." As for the thief...well, he'll get to her later. Once he has the Cleric on board, he may have a role for the Thief...if she proves to be as good as she says.

[Arynea]

Though it was the best offer she could hope to get, she was still hesitant. She hadn't relly met many people in her lifetime that actually paid her any heed unless it was to hurt her. This man, however, seemed at least a little trustworthy, not like someone who would just stab someone in the back. Now the theif, she wasn't so sure about. Nonetheless, he made up her mind. "I'll accept your offer. I've always wanted an adventure anyways." The last sentence had a hint of sarcasm in it, but tht truthfully showed that she wouldn't back out.

[Murdoch]

Fenris nods almost imperceptibly. She showed a small amount of hesitation, which is good; rash decisions have a way of hurting all involved, and hesitation just shows that you are thinking about it carefully. You should always hesitate when faced with a big decision; it could mean the difference between life and death. Obviously there are some situations in which you can't afford to hesitate, but those are not the situations you want to be coming across regularly...it's too easy to make the wrong decision on the spur of the moment. Wars have been lost over simple, under-thought plans.

But he has a healer now, which will serve him well...and if she is half as good with her weapon as she has implied, he has one more skilled fighter on his team, and one he doubts will betray him in a hurry. It's a possibility, but as long as she is in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people- all of which are loyal to him, after a fashion- her best bet would be to keep him alive. For now, he can afford to trust her, at least a little.
"Good. Just know, though, that training with me will not be easy. Every mistake will be exploited." That may have come across as slightly overconfident- arrogant, even- but that is not how he meant it. He is good, and he knows it...and he can at least give her a tough go at it. At the least, his spear should give him an advantage over her sword, and if he decides to remove the blade of the spear to make a sword, he'll show her some really flamboyant moves. He's learned a lot in his travels; all kinds of weapons, all kinds of fighting styles and outlandish moves...it's what makes him such a dangerous fighter. One minute you could be facing a stiff, methodical, impenetrable Alesian Defence, the next a lightning-fast, dexterous and absurdly flamboyant Crixican offence. You never know what you will face.

He turns his attentions back fully to the thief; he's been keeping a close eye on her throughout his conversation, but now he can afford to pay her more attention. "And you?" He asks simply, "What can you offer to my enterprise? And, more importantly, why?"