Vance's winning smile falters for only a second. Had Aidan been refering to some flaw in him?
Nonsense, he thinks. The young lad is jealous as most men are.
"I believe your Ma left you off her aporn strings to..." but whatever Vance was trying to say was lost as Lora spoke up about Martomum.
The lord listened and smiled tucking aside his questions like Brend had taught him. Interupting always led to people going silent. Either they didn't like to be interupted or figured out they were talking to much. So he sat there and listened and enjoyed the view.
I wonder what it looks like when she smiles, he said to himself after she was finished.
"Yes I know Martomum, Dellex, and Lord Bear. They were here with another man, Fallon, the four of them solved the gnoll problems that were plauging farmers near Harkon Manor. After they were finished they needed to hurry back home and took The Spider's Path, even after all the warnings. I was younger then and Lord Bear inspiried me to choose the life I now lead."
Vance goes silent as Brend returns holding open the door to the wayhouse. The barkeep, Frella, and another man wearing a cook's greasy apron come out bearing more trays of food. Their shoulders are hunched and the look at no one and say not a word as they put the trays on the table and then return inside. Brend takes a postion standing behind Vance arms folded.
"Now you say you were part of Lord Bairin's army," he says helping himself to some of the steaming food brought out.
"That Dellex has takin charge of Lord Bairin's force and instead of marching to war with the elves to the east, he had the army head north." he pauses to take a bite seemingly lost in thought.
"Then the most incredible part of your story," he continues.
"Is while on your way here, you encountered a villiage completely destroyed by the Treylor." He shakes his head and everyone notices Brend's eyebrows' raise in surprise.
"The Treylor can not possibly be in Pesh. They have to get through the mountains and then by the Great King's city Siere. And by all reports it will be months till they get through the mountains."
Brend steps forward to say something to Vance in a language no one understands(except Onesimus). Vance frowns and says(in common
)"Is anyone present?"
"Kase and Robert." Brend says in answer to the odd question.
"Then send them south and tell them to be back quickly." Vance says over his shoulder then returns to speaking to the group as Brend again darts inside the wayhouse. Vance's stare is now on Tira, but it is not the admiring looks he has givin to Lora. More a penetrating stare as if he was trying to find the truth.
"You just arrived here?" he asks her.
"Yes, and it is true that I have never met these people before." she says a little more enbolden. Perhaps she doesn't like the feel of Vance's eyes or the fact that she was called a spy.
"My people only wished to know if it was true that the elves and humans are at war."
"
And what if we are, do they plan to join the Treylor?" Vance snaps at her.
"Are the Nandirly finally ready to rejoin their brothers the Treylor?" he asks angrily. Tira clamps her jaw shut noticeably, and Vance turns to Lora with softer eyes and a smile.
"Miss Lora I believe you have misread what Dellex is doing. If the Treylor are on their way here it is not to fight us, it is to fight the Nandirly."
Turning back to Tira he says in a saddened voice.
"The elves and humans are not at war, it is the elves of the east who are at war with the elves to the north. And humans are just in the way."
[sblock=High Speech] The barkeep said something about one of the deliveries from the south being over two days late. [/sblock]
[sblock=ML] No other checks I think you have figured out their relationship.
Great job!!
[/sblock]
