Laird the hunter thought about her offer. She could nearly see the gears grinding away in his head, gummed up with liquor and trace amounts of fear. He looked at Savis, he looked at Madeira, and he leaned back in his chair while his lips curved into an insolent grin. He merely nodded at the Nuit, obviously not wanting to touch her, but to Madeira he extended a hand.
"Aye, I'll 'ccept your most generous offer, milady", he nearly choked on the word, his extended hand wavering and slightly off balance. So, this is what their machinations had bought, Madeira reflected, watching his sickle smile gleam like a mouthful of kina. Laird was a greedy, uneloquent and rude drunk, but now he was their drunk. No doubt he had the hunting skills she needed, and, properly placated, would have the temperament Savis could deal with. Too bad Madeira disliked him so much. Well, with luck she might have to see him only to retrieve her corpses. It was Savis who would have to deal with him for bells at a time.
Still, she was a woman of good breeding, and smiled all the same.
"I'm glad to hear it, Laird. Here's to a long, fruitful collaboration." Her small hands were lost in the large hunter's paws as she extended to meet him. His were rough with callous and dark with exposure, hers pale and delicate and soft with lemon scented skin cream. The differences between the two were almost comical. Madeira might have laughed, but he was doing the macho handshake these rough men preferred. She had to keep her mouth closed just to avoid hissing with pain as he crushed her fingers between her rings.
She shook out her fingers under the table as talk turned to more practical issues.
"So", the man settled back in his chair, completely at ease now that the decision had been made. "We meeting 'ere when you got a job for me?"
Madeira glanced around, from the dead eyed deer looming over them to the boisterous hunters deep in their cups, and sniffed deep of the scent of smoke, stale fur and ale that surrounded them, and decided she would never be back. At least not if she could help it. And definitely not to chase after and wait around for the hunter she's already paying.
"Can you read, Laird?"
"Aye, some."
"Then it'll be easier if we simply send you letters with jobs. I'll send you some instructions about what I'd like brought to me, and how. Savis will send you a summons when she needs you for her particular brand of magic."
"Summon. Like a dog, eh?"
"Like an employee. If it bothers you consider that generous coin you'll receive as a trifling little delivery fee."
The hunter's laugh was a low growl of a thing that came from deep in his chest. He downed the last of his drink and his hand fell to stroke the calico cat curled in his lap. Madeira headed him off before he could think to argue further.
"Where do you live?"
"Got myself a little cottage out in the Okomo Estates. Address it for 'Laird' and they'll find me. And where will I be... delivering these trifles to?"
"A small manor on Zintia called Infinity. That's also where Savis will call for you to meet her."
"And I'll get paid...?"
"In hand after delivery, and on the thirtieth of every season, assuming you can keep your word."
"Trust issues, eh? Aye, I've got some too. Guess we'll just have to see, won't we?" He went to drink from his glass so he could eye Madeira and Savis pointedly from over top of it, but found it empty. He slapped the glass down with a grumbled curse and banged flat handed on the table to summon a barmaid. "Why don't we have another glass, eh? As comrades."
Madeira smiled indulgently at his attempt to wring another drink out of her, but now that they had worked out the finer details her patience was finally growing thin.
"Thank you, but we should be going. You'll hear from us soon." Madeira stood to leave and motioned Savis to do the same.
"Bah", he huffed derisively and waved them away. "So petching formal. Loosen up a little, eh?"
"Have a good night, Laird."
The Hunters Guild had grown more crowded since they sat down. Or perhaps the people there had simply grown drunker and louder, so that the generous handful suddenly sounded like a swarm. Nobody looked at the two women twice as they slipped between the tables and the bodies and out the wide double doors.
The brisk breeze of late fall rushed from the mountain top of Satu and snapped playfully at their clothes. Madeira breathed deep of the cool, clean air and felt the stink of ale and musty fur wash off of her. She pulled her black cloak closer around her body and fell into step with the shuffling Nuit as they made their way back to the busier peaks of Lhavit.
"So..." Madeira began. "Looks like we have our lackey. What do you think of this Laird?"
WC: 884
"Aye, I'll 'ccept your most generous offer, milady", he nearly choked on the word, his extended hand wavering and slightly off balance. So, this is what their machinations had bought, Madeira reflected, watching his sickle smile gleam like a mouthful of kina. Laird was a greedy, uneloquent and rude drunk, but now he was their drunk. No doubt he had the hunting skills she needed, and, properly placated, would have the temperament Savis could deal with. Too bad Madeira disliked him so much. Well, with luck she might have to see him only to retrieve her corpses. It was Savis who would have to deal with him for bells at a time.
Still, she was a woman of good breeding, and smiled all the same.
"I'm glad to hear it, Laird. Here's to a long, fruitful collaboration." Her small hands were lost in the large hunter's paws as she extended to meet him. His were rough with callous and dark with exposure, hers pale and delicate and soft with lemon scented skin cream. The differences between the two were almost comical. Madeira might have laughed, but he was doing the macho handshake these rough men preferred. She had to keep her mouth closed just to avoid hissing with pain as he crushed her fingers between her rings.
She shook out her fingers under the table as talk turned to more practical issues.
"So", the man settled back in his chair, completely at ease now that the decision had been made. "We meeting 'ere when you got a job for me?"
Madeira glanced around, from the dead eyed deer looming over them to the boisterous hunters deep in their cups, and sniffed deep of the scent of smoke, stale fur and ale that surrounded them, and decided she would never be back. At least not if she could help it. And definitely not to chase after and wait around for the hunter she's already paying.
"Can you read, Laird?"
"Aye, some."
"Then it'll be easier if we simply send you letters with jobs. I'll send you some instructions about what I'd like brought to me, and how. Savis will send you a summons when she needs you for her particular brand of magic."
"Summon. Like a dog, eh?"
"Like an employee. If it bothers you consider that generous coin you'll receive as a trifling little delivery fee."
The hunter's laugh was a low growl of a thing that came from deep in his chest. He downed the last of his drink and his hand fell to stroke the calico cat curled in his lap. Madeira headed him off before he could think to argue further.
"Where do you live?"
"Got myself a little cottage out in the Okomo Estates. Address it for 'Laird' and they'll find me. And where will I be... delivering these trifles to?"
"A small manor on Zintia called Infinity. That's also where Savis will call for you to meet her."
"And I'll get paid...?"
"In hand after delivery, and on the thirtieth of every season, assuming you can keep your word."
"Trust issues, eh? Aye, I've got some too. Guess we'll just have to see, won't we?" He went to drink from his glass so he could eye Madeira and Savis pointedly from over top of it, but found it empty. He slapped the glass down with a grumbled curse and banged flat handed on the table to summon a barmaid. "Why don't we have another glass, eh? As comrades."
Madeira smiled indulgently at his attempt to wring another drink out of her, but now that they had worked out the finer details her patience was finally growing thin.
"Thank you, but we should be going. You'll hear from us soon." Madeira stood to leave and motioned Savis to do the same.
"Bah", he huffed derisively and waved them away. "So petching formal. Loosen up a little, eh?"
"Have a good night, Laird."
The Hunters Guild had grown more crowded since they sat down. Or perhaps the people there had simply grown drunker and louder, so that the generous handful suddenly sounded like a swarm. Nobody looked at the two women twice as they slipped between the tables and the bodies and out the wide double doors.
The brisk breeze of late fall rushed from the mountain top of Satu and snapped playfully at their clothes. Madeira breathed deep of the cool, clean air and felt the stink of ale and musty fur wash off of her. She pulled her black cloak closer around her body and fell into step with the shuffling Nuit as they made their way back to the busier peaks of Lhavit.
"So..." Madeira began. "Looks like we have our lackey. What do you think of this Laird?"
WC: 884
x
