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Message: <blockquote data-quote="arwink" data-source="post: 1245578" data-attributes="member: 2292">Geoffrey glances across the table to the dwarven wizard.“He recognizes you?” He asks.  It’s obvious from his tone that he isn’t going to like the answer.“Yes,” Halgo says.“Was he one of the living last time you met?” Yip pipes up, but everyone ignores him.Kelpreth ignores their reactions, walking across the room in a smooth glide to stand at the head of the table.“Well Halgo, would you care to introduce your friends?  I already know Amarin, we have had a long relationship with his family, but everyone else is unfamiliar to us.”Halgo glares at the pale-skinned merchant, his face less than pleased.“This is Geoffrey,” he says finally.  “He’s a priest.  Yip and Blarth.”“They say don’t feed Yip,” Amarin adds helpfully.“We wouldn’t dream of it,” Kelpreth says smoothly.  “We have met others of the same breed from other worlds, and they have proved to be quite cantankerous from time to time.  We would prefer to avoid offending them if at all possible.”“There known to be a little surly on this world too,” Halgo mutters.  “And you are?” Geoffrey says.  Instinct causes him to extend his hand, but he jerks it back quickly when he catches the golden gleam in the host’s eyes.“You may call me Kelpreth,” Kelpreth says.  “Our organization serves as a procurer of goods for beings beyond this world.”“Oh,” Geoffrey says.  “Sounds like a lucrative business,” Yip suggests quietly, but for once a distrust of the creatures otherness overrides Geoffrey’s desire for gold.“What that got to do with us?” Blarth asks.  “Nothing,” Kelpreth says blandly.  “We were here to establish trade with the dwarves.  Their weaponscraft is excellent, they have access to mithril, and they have fewer outlets for trade than many dwarven clans.  It seemed that their isolation would work to our advantage – we have certain contacts that will pay handsomely for such weapons.”He pauses, his eyes flashing as he considers the profit to be made from such a deal.“You can imagine our surprise when we discovered young Amarin here,” Kelpreth continues.  “His parents had said nothing of his wanderings when last we spoke, and we must say that it is quite fortuitous that we have found Halgo and his companions here as well.”Eyebrows shoot up around the table.  Halgo shifts uncomfortably in his seat as everyone turns towards him.“So…where do you know Kelpreth from?” Geoffrey asks.  His tone is polite and controlled, but there’s a dangerous undercurrent to the question.“From trading, of course,” Kelpreth says.“Of course,” Geoffrey says.  His eyes don’t leave the dwarf.“Of course,” Halgo says.  He coughs slightly and looks at Kelpreth.  “Fortuitous?  I assume this means that we have something you need?”“Oh, trading,” Amarin says suddenly, his eyes lighting up.  “That reminds me.”He digs around in his pack and pulls forth a coiled strand of wide thread.  He leans over the table and taps Yip on the shoulder.“Could you put this along one of your toes?” He asks.  Yip glares at him.  “Go on,” Amarin urges.  “Put it between your toes.  It’ll help me measure how long they are.”Yip snarls, his tail starting to twitch dangerously.“No, well perhaps you can answer some questions.  How tall are you?  Where you born in captivity, or did they train you from the wilds.”“Just so you know,” Geoffrey says, his gaze still not moving from Halgo.  “If Yip attacks your face, I’m not going to pull him off.  As he claws his way into your brain, I’m not going to pull him off.  Understand?”Amarin pauses, tape measure half-unfurled and pressed against Yip’s skull.  For the first time he seems to notice the kobolds angry gaze, and he slowly takes the tape away and returns to his seat.  Oblivious to the rising tension in the room, he starts taking notes.“As you may have noticed, Amarin here has a curious streak,” Kelpreth says.  He smiles gently as he says it, and his tone slides towards the paternal.  “We noticed,” Geoffrey says evenly.  “Tell me, Amarin, during your childhood did you ever find and ants nest and stick flaming rags in it?  Only to be bitten when they all came streaming out?  This ring any bells?”“Well, not a flaming rag,” Amarin says.  He puts a finger to his chin and stares thoughtfully at the ceiling.  “I just shot things down the hole like this.”He points a finger and the ceiling and fires a short burst of flame.“That sends them boiling out.”“Uh-huh,” Geoffrey says.  “And how many stung you?”“Well, none,” Amarin says.“Uh-huh.”“I was hanging off a tree at the time,” Amarin continues.“Uh-huh.”“It’s just be silly otherwise,” Amarin finishes.  “I mean, you don’t want to be that close to some angry ants.”“Right,” Geoffrey finishes.“As you can see, he has a tendency towards the analytical,” Kelpreth says, the soft buzz of his voice capturing people’s attention once more.  “A thirst for knowledge that can lead to problems if left unchecked.  This wasn’t a great concern when he was among his own kind, Charos is relatively civilized as such things go and his family was close enough to keep watch over him, but Borr is something of a different circumstance.  As a favor to his parents, we were going to look for some dwarves that could keep an eye on him, but given your presence here and our preference for dealing with those we know, it seems logical to offer Halgo and the rest of you the job.”He pauses, cocking his head to one side with an insectile buzz.“Assuming Halgo is willing to vouch for your competence, of course.”“Of course,” Geoffrey says.  “Now, if you’ll pardon me for being blunt, what’s in it for us?”</blockquote>

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