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[Tiruin]

Employers...

I'M A NOBLE-

Renart sighed as he pondered along the lines of economics of Adrien's words. "Adrien. Look at me and listen to what I say." the Marquis said, looking the man in the eye, unconcerned of the looks the others gave him and the mercenary. "I am not a man to be haggled with in times of danger and death. You may not know how much a Ducat is to one who handles money - bars of gold and silver of higher value than eight dozen crowns - however I need to know. Why give out your request at exorbitant prices, in this time?"

[Taricus]

"We aren't the sort that helps out of charity and kindness. And I do indeed know the value of a ducat, equipment and supplies for a regiment of troops is not cheap.

As for the timing? May not have been the best morally, but financially it was a pragmatic move. When it comes down to it though, we're no noble knights following a code of chivalry, we're mercenaries that stick around until the job is done and we get paid, and we don't give a shit about the politics."

[Tiruin]

_{"Especially the Haegar, no. Let's not mind the ravenous horde that threatens everything..."}

"What do you plan to do with it, and what can you give in return? I currently have nothing to add in terms of military strength at the moment - rebuilding what is lost and restabilizing order in Northwatch for me. Your Prince is right here, if you didn't notice."

[Taricus]

"Well, we intend to upgrade our capabilities to further better our ability to serve our employers. As for us, we offer our employers the capability of a well-trained infiltration unit, able to sneak into a fortress and scatter the leadership, or by cutting an opposing army's baggage train.

We are capable of front-line combat, but as I said earlier, that's a waste of our capabilities."

Adrien absently waved to Richard, not fully grasping the prince's potential reaction from his own choice of words.

[filiusenox]

Talk to the man, drink from the vial if it happens to be antidote. Double check just in case. If he tries to escape, knock him out cold.

[4] "Hmm...smarter than you look…No offense, of course.” another vial is produced, which takes a small swig from it and noticeably, calmly, swallows it down. He holds it out, other hand held out in the timeless sign of ‘gimme’. When you don’t hand the vial of dull green back, he shrugs. He slouches against the wall after the vial is taken from his hand, still breathing raggedly. Blood drips from under the mask, but he pays it no mind.

[3] The first vial is, from the heady, musky smell of Morning Glory, Belladonna and something Metallic. It’s hard to recognize exactly what this poison is, and it’s obvious that it’s just a suspension of  poisonous things mixed together and thrown into a vial.

[6-2=4] The antidote vial is dark red. Shimmering, nearly pink material suspended in the…blood. This is drake blood…and that would mean that the venom coursing through your veins is Ice Drake Venom, judging by the chill that’s creeping up your spine. Your fingers are stiff from the cold as you unscrew the cap, and swallow the blood down. The light aftertaste of booze is prevalent, but feeling returns in your extremities. The cold in your spine being chased away by a soothing warmth.

You know, from lore, that if you didn’t receive this antidote within the hour, you would have been struck by permanent paralysis, before your veins ruptured from your frozen blood.

[3][6]"A bit less than you. The wools have been spreading the plague via little bits of pointy iron weaved in. I‘ve followed you, simply because I’ve heard you’ve been investigating. I also heard you were the honorable sort, so I shot you to try and get an oath to bring me a few things from that warehouse you‘re going to raid or whatever.” he pauses here, for a few moments, breathing slowly, "How about a deal? I help you raid that place or investigate or whatever, and I get to take a few things home with me?”

Look out at the city.

[1] You fall off the drizzle-slicked tower after stretching a little bit too far to see in the gloom. Luckily a a neatly placed leather awning prevents you from dying on the cobbled streets below, but you're still winded.

Talinth and the Grinning-Masked-Man both hear the plang of someone or something falling on leather somewhere down the street.

[Tiruin]

"Well, we intend to upgrade our capabilities to further better our ability to serve our employers. As for us, we offer our employers the capability of a well-trained infiltration unit, able to sneak into a fortress and scatter the leadership, or by cutting an opposing army's baggage train.

We are capable of front-line combat, but as I said earlier, that's a waste of our capabilities."

"Tell me Adrien." Renart said, standing up. "Do you know the value of a ducat - nay, a ducat and a half, when it comes to terms like these? Labor is earned through toil and trouble.

"What line is the front, but the side you face the enemy?

"And where were you, when Northwatch called for aid? In the moments ere the Haegar horn, where was your banner amidst the peasantry? Where was your figure, as a leader of a regiment in the masses?

"You earn your keep by working for it."

[Taricus]

Adrien could barely restrain his laughter, the fool had the gall to use THAT as his arguement. Time to explain the virtue of "Real" work to a blueblood.

"Well, first off; neither mine or any of your forces participated in the battle alongside the royal army. Niether of us can claim to have done that since both of us were watching the battle from the castle.

The side we try to attack our foe is the three non-frontal directions, and we're good at making sure we hit those sides. Only a fool tries to charge a the direction the enemy is able to defend.

Now, I feel I have to stop you going on about your tangent about hard work before you turn yourself into a hypocrite, blueblood. You see, a noble has no actual experience on what actual work is. All you lot happen to do is sit around, wave your sword menacingly and anyone that you consider beneath you and extort them using a thing called taxes. All that has just about nothing to do with work. If you want to know what work is, you can go work as a miner in Spiritusaer, or a dockhand in Altaregia for about two or three years. Only then would you have the right to demand that someone "Work" as part of your arguement."

[Tiruin]

If an aneurysm could be felt. Renart was sure he was having one at listening to the man's words. They were just as every other man who doubted his work say to him. A challenge, the obvious path.

Instead, he used the same tactic when facing Osir.

He smiled.

"It takes much to infer, Adrien. I'm sure you know that. I also believe it takes much to infer, that work is deigned by a man's ability in utilizing his skills at hand, yes? Work - a menial task delegated through the use of force."

He strode out of the tent and beckoned Adrien outside, leaving his spear behind. He pointed at Northwatch, including the men and women moving about, still clad in whatever armor they managed to scrap including the multiple bands of levies.

"All these people. Workers. Aye, I have to agree with you there, I extort my people for their aid and tax them for living on my land. I am a hypocrite both in word and deed, for I haven't bled for my people and defended them over petty details."

He shook his head to pierce the veil of sarcasm. Gesturing towards the Royal Army camp, then at Osir's general direction. "If it were not for Richard, my friend, my head would be resting on one of those spears as well as this land. Purged of all symbiotic relations. We had not known a force as mighty as the King's hammer would arrive to save us. We had not expected Osir to lead the Haegar horde. We had also not known that a band of mercenaries would disappear the night ere the battle."

He then turned to face Adrien. "I have seen blood and death. I have seen beasts greater than a battalion of men, live and slay my kin. I have seen a whole Order of the Old Guard shrivel and die to overwhelming odds. I have seen my own vassals - Lords of Northwatch, leave my side when I issued the call for arms. I have lived through the Iron Queen's reign and all her abominable acts! I have seen my own Commander face tribulations greater than any man I know alive!" He stepped forward to face the man in melee.

"Tell me, my friend. All these people: Men, Women, Children. I take responsibility over them. I am a shepherd of this flock. I take the blame when a subordinate would cower under the consequences. I have seen what would cause a general to retreat in shame. I carry these people's lives by my word and command. Any mistake - even as small as a hair on your head - would cost more than what you can imagine.

"I may not be a worker in your eyes, friend. Swords can win wars, and glory can be earned by a reckless man. But words can calm the Leviathan. Words can end all wars where brute strength cannot win.

"Therefore heed my word, Adrien. I do not take insults kindly, but mayhap, I believe you don't see the big picture here above all the miniscule details. An axe is a tool more than a weapon, aye? Better than swords - only for war, they be. I say now, if you believe me to be a man unbecoming of my position. Drive your axe through me. Let no word be spoken, for this hypocrite speaks on."

[Taricus]

Adrien kept a calm face, his mouth wearing a smirk al the while throughout Renart's speech, before finally speaking up.

"Look, are we getting paid or not?"

[Tiruin]

"Yes, you do. Come back into the Prince's tent with me.

...

"Did you hear all that, my Prince?" Renart said, assuring that the record hadn't been lost to the ears of men.

[adwarf]

As Renart finished speaking Trent came from the shadows of the tent with his bow in hand, with a flash of movement he knocked an arrow and had it pointed at the mercenary's head. Looking at the man cold fury raged in Trent's eyes, but his stance was determined as he spoke,

"Mercenary, I will warn you of this once as it seems you must be told of the obvious, speak one more word against the Marquis and your head shall decorate a spike as surely as any Haegar's, and your corpse will be tossed into the sea so no burial will await you and the after-life will for ever allude you as surely as it shall me.

The people of Northwatch, our Marquis, and the soldiers who guard it have seen wars that would make you fall to your knees and weep. As it is said, 'If it is a Fool who will insult a Northwatchman, it is an imbecile who will insult the King of the North. Both will bring death as surely as the other, the last will simply leave your corpse to rot.' Which are you the imbecile, or the fool?"

[Shootandrun]

"Be quiet."

Richard's voice had an empty ring to it - not angry. Perhaps tired, perhaps sad.

"Must is not a word to use upon lords, Mercenary. While I do appreciate your enthusiasm in setting a tent on fire, I will remind you that the army you scattered posed no threat whatsoever to us - I defeated it while it was twice that size without loosing much men - and that we had, anyway, no intention of confronting them again. Renart is not in your dept, and you have no right to demand payment for a service which was not needed.

As for you, Commander Trent, while I can understand that you are quite loyal to General Renart - or Marshal Renart now - I thought I had told you to remain in the fort last time I saw you - an order you obviously violated. Do you have anything to say for yourself, fool, or shall I simply call my guards?"

[adwarf]

"No disrespect meant Prince, I simply wished to ensure the Marquis's safety, and bring my troops with the army in case you had need of them nothing more. I don't much like sending my men to war if I must stay behind and seem like a coward to them, they follow me because of the deeds I have done through luck, if they do not believe I can live up to my title, and the promises I have made then what kind of Commander am I?"

Trent said as he put away his bow and gave a partial bow before straightening back up again, this time he looked the Prince in the eye and spoke again,

"I also wished to see more of the character of the man the last of the Rangers shall pledge their allegiance to like so many Kings before, my condolences to your loss."

[Taricus]

"Well, Despite the fact you happen to be the new king, you lack one vital thing a king needs: Foresight. Even if they were no threat at the current time, those haeger regiments would've likely struck once the royal army left. In essence, we made sure they could not have the capacity to launch a retaliation attack.

As for the payment, we didn't come out here for nothing, and we aren't intending to leave empty-handed."

[Shootandrun]

Richard looked at the two of them and shook his head with a tired look.

"Trent, next time you disobey a direct order from me, I'll have you hanged. Now get out of my sight."

He turned towards the mercenary - this time, a dangerous note appeared in his voice.

"There is a fine line between pride and arrogance, merc, and you crossed it. You speak much, but you think little and you know even less. My vassals convinced me to negotiate a peace treaty with the Haegars. That idea died when you set their camp on fire. You were not hired to do so, you were not needed to do so - and you will not be paid for your actions. I do not offer money for charity - not in these sums, in any case - and I will certainly not spare a coin for the likes of you.

What you intend to do is irrelevant, mercenary. You act like you can extort money from us - well, I have a little something to tell you. My army is fifteen times yours' size and generally better-trained; you are not in a position to make demands, much less to attempt to intimidate. Now, unless you can find someone with a more charitable soul than me, you'll either leave my camp empty handed of your own will, or be forced to do so."