The Drum - Lake Calenhad (Recruitment)

[Dwynwyn]

The tavern known simply as "The Drum" in Lake Calenhad was moderately attended with patrons as the afternoon softened into dusk. A company of warriors entered in good spirits, and in such a vein ordered fine spirits, as they enjoyed the first of the coin that their purses were flush with from a job well done. They laughed as they retold their battle stories of the recent and more distant past but one remained relatively quiet throughout as she sat with the group but somehow didn't seem to really be there with them in mind or spirit.

"Hey, Wyn!" One of the warriors calls for her attention. The Elf looks up from staring off at the place where a chair-leg met the cobblestones of the floor. The expression on her tattooed face was still relatively blank as she looked up at him then he lifted his hands emphatically as he asked: "Ya gotta tell us, how does a wee thing like you put so many men in the ground without so much as a scratch?" A chorus of voices went up in agreement but the Elf simply gave a sheepish grin. "Dumb luck, my friends, dumb luck and lots of it." There is a collective groan and a few gently punches to her shoulder before she stood and nodded to the table. "And plenty of rest. G'night!" The group waved her away dismissively, still sour that she wouldn't share her battle secrets, and she chuckled as she strapped her spear to her back while walking away.

Outside the dying light was still easy to see by and she enjoyed the crispness of the cooling air with a deep breath. She found a tree stump not far from the door to seat herself on and pulled out a whetstone to sharpen her spear as she decided what to do next.

[Delcan Damsein]

As soon as the Dalish elf stood up, so did a hooded figure in the back. However, the scholarly robes and books in his hand would remove any disillusion that he was dangerous. As she down outside, the tavern door creaked open again, the scholarly man moving through the opening confidently, closing it with a quiet thud as he took a deep breath of the night air. His eyes settled on the girl, watching her as she sharpened the spear, remaining silent for a few moments.

Eventually, he made his way over to her, and leaning against a tree not far from her, and waited.

[Dwynwyn]

Just before the tavern door opened the Elf shivered, though not cold, then glanced back to see the hooded figure step out. She turned back to her work quickly as though disinterested in the common sight of a patron taking some air with his ale. When he moved to stand near to her she looked up with an easy smile. "Evenin'." She greeted him casually, her eyes passing over him briefly as she turned them down to her blade. Curiously, however, her eyes darted back - not quite to him but near him - and they widened as she stared.

 

It took her a moment of staring at the air to remember that the stranger could see her odd behaviour so at that point she treats him to a friendly smile before determinedly turning back to her work.

[Delcan Damsein]

The hooded figure nodded to her as she greeted him, though didn't respond verbally. However, as he watched he saw something interesting, piquing his curiosity. "You know..." he started, before sitting on the ground near her, taking another sip of his ale. "Not many people can command respect like that from a group of hired steel. Women, even fewer." He then pulled down the hood, and offered a smile. "Dalish women, fewer still."

[Dwynwyn]

The Elf keeps her eyes on the blade she was sharpening as the stranger speaks. When he finishes she looks up, but not at him, out into the growing dark, and stares silently with her lips slightly parted. Finally she says: "Huh. I hadn't thought of that." Her head turns to the male seated near her and her pale-green eyes settle on him in earnest for the first time. "I had to earn it, like everyone does." Her tone was matter of fact yet quietly cheerful and she gives a small smile before she continues. "I find most times it can be earned but if there comes a time that they can't see past my looks then it's just as easy to walk away." She sets down her whetstone to pull out a cloth to polish the sharpened blade.

[Delcan Damsein]

Desten's eyes follows her as they skim the darkness, before turning back to her and quietly laughs as she finishes speaking. "Some people just aren't worth the effort." He pulls forth a small dagger from behind his back, and nods to her as he starts to sharpen his own weapon. "Thanks for the reminder." He sits for a moment, working intently, before speaking without looking at her. "So what's in the dark?"

[Dwynwyn]

She made no verbal response to his comment but nodded vaguely in acknowledgement as she finished polishing the blade. His next question made her jolt slightly and her head snapped up to stare into the night. "Wha-oh." She realised his meaning only halfway through her question. A nervous laugh escaped her lips then she grinned. "I thought you noticed something." She sets her spear against the side of the tree stump she sat on to put away her whetstone and cloth. "Probably many things, though..." Her tone carries more gravity than before and her hair falls over her face as she stares into the shadows once more.

 

She is still for a long moment before she stands to strap her weapon to her back, giving it a swing as she turns it, while her hair obscured her eyes. The visible half of her face grows a sly smile that cracks into a strange grin. "You really follow me out here for small talk?"

[Delcan Damsein]

Desten shrugs, before reaching up to offer her some of the ale in his hand. "Sometimes the company is nice. But no, I didn't come out here for just small talk." As he rises off the ground, he tosses another look towards the darkness and smiles. "And judging from those looks you can shooting the tree-line, you're definitely worried about something."

He stands across from her and folds his arms, simply waiting for her next response as wolves howl off in the distance, finally filling the night with some noise besides the buzzing consistency of the bugs near the lake.

[Dwynwyn]

His answer disarmed her somewhat, as did the smile which she found herself returning with warmth, and she accepts the drink offered. She takes a swallow of ale and her brow creases briefly as she swallows while returning it to him.  Her hand twitches as they hear the wolf-calls and she begins to say: "Had this bad feeling for days-" but cuts off short. Her hand whips behind herself and in one stift moment she launches her spear across the distance at whatever had made the faint rustling. There is a brief squeak then she squints to see the weapon stuck through a rabbit as the handle still quivers while protruding from a tree nearby.

A quick laugh of relief escapes her as she shakes her head. "Be a fool not to be worried, what with everything going on, right?" Her attention turns back to the man and there was caution in her mossy-stare. "I'm Dwynwyn, by the way, but most people find 'wyn told off the tongue easier."

[Delcan Damsein]

The mage simply blinks at the woman, a bit in awe of the quick motion and the deadly precision. He wondered if he could make a stew out of the rabbit...however, just as quickly as his mind races from him he reels it back in. "My name is Desten. A pleasure." He takes another healthy sip of his ale as he finds it back within his possession, and then continues. "So...I guess I'll just cut to the chase then. I've got dangerous work. Work that involves the skills you just proved on that hapless bunny." He offers a grin, jabbing a thumb in the poor thing's direction.

[Dwynwyn]

 Dwynwyn nods slightly at the revelation that he's looking to hire her then bows her head at his comment about the shot. When she lifts her head again her cheeks are a little flushed. "Bit tense, sorry. I wasn't trying to show off. I..." She gestures to her spear, blade still buried in the tree, as she continues.  "l better go get that."  

 

She turns and walks away, moving with practiced ease through the brush, to retrieve her weapon. She holds the lifeless rabbit by its hindlegs and her spear in her other hand as she returned with a smile that was only slightly flustered now. "So, what's the job? Most work for a sellsword is dangerous so either you don't have much practice with haggling or this job is more dangerous than most."

[Delcan Damsein]

Desten's head tilts a bit as her face reddens, but simply offers a smile to try and help her ease up. "A good show is a good show. And that..." He turns towards the brush as she begins to walk towards it. "Well, you know."

He frowns a bit as she begins to ask more about the job. He didn't exactly know how well this would go, especially now. He cleared his throat a little bit. "The latter, sadly. And...illegal, though for a good purpose. If that helps..."

[Dwynwyn]

Her eyes grow wide at his words. She starts to speak then glanced over her shoulder before stepping up closer and ducking her head as she speaks in a harsh whisper. "Illegal? Mister, I think you got the wrong idea about me. I like to stay on the good side of the law. I respect the laws of man and do my best to avoid those that enforce them." She turns her body as though to leave but stops as she seems to be listening to something.

The Elf sighs then gives him a helpless smile. "But it's only fair to hear you out, I s'pose. What's the job?"

[Delcan Damsein]

Desten sighs as he scratches his head while the Dalish's tone turned, punching himself a bit for not realizing this is the reaction he would get. However, when she stops and waits, his face doesn't hide his surprise. He offers a bit of a dismayed smile before he tries again. "My order is fighting a war...with the darkspawn, which might have been what you were referring to earlier. We're, well, trying to find some more helpful hands." He then points to the rabbit. "That just kind of proved it."

[Dwynwyn]

Her face became flushed again but she didn't appear bashful as the whites flashed around her eyes. She turned away from him then paced away a few steps before turning back and returning. The frown on her face appeared to be thoughtful. She opened her mouth to speak then closed it again. She swayed slightly on her feet then planted her behind on the tree stump again while the butt of her spear rested on the ground.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Her tone was incredulous and expression searching as she looked up at him. She set her jaw as her tone turned serious. "How do I know I can trust you? What's your Order, then? Just who are you, Desten?"