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[Blade Master Model 42]

"It's going to make the back half of this job way harder than it needs to be." Grae's voice was level, but Claire could recognize his irritation. His words gave away much more than his tone anyway. "The lordling wants to throw his weight around, and we can't stop him... At least, not without upsetting the Princess. Or getting the guild kicked out of Morcia. Or more."

[Gaterhyme]

"That's how royals are, huh... We did try our best to convince him – well, I just followed your lead."

"With the war going on..." She didn't pretend to understand the details of politics, except when it mattered to the guild. And it sounded like whatever might happen to the prince – to Morcia – might be something that mattered in that way. "I wonder if he won't be in danger going there instead."

[Blade Master Model 42]

"He's bringing his own soldiers, which is prudent. But we may have an additional contract after returning the Princess."

[Gaterhyme]

Claire nodded slowly, and then gave Grae a small smile. She wasn't sure if she had gotten across what she'd meant, exactly, but his response was more than good enough for her.

"If it's good for business, then I won't worry about it anymore."

[SeriousConcentrate]

Joachim decided that getting away from the humans would probably be best for now.

"Wherrre arrre the otherrr Laguz? I'll go check on them."

[Blade Master Model 42]

One of the nearby soldiers who had already been treated looked over at Joachim's question. "...The prince said you had access. Follow the hall you came in, but take the path all the way back. Stairs are on the right. While you're down there, let them know we'll be escorting them back to their homeland tomorrow morning."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"No, I'll be escorrrting them home. You'rrre just going to be fleas on my pelt - unwanted and irrrrrritating tagalongs."

Joachim didn't wait for a response and immediately headed down to find the Laguz.

[Blade Master Model 42]

The soldier grumbled a bit to himself, but offered nothing else as Joachim left.

The Laguz passed by several soldiers on his way, and none of them spoke to him. The way was just as described to him, and on opening the door into the basement, the familiar scent of a group of Laguz met Joachim's nose. There was a sudden stillness as he stepped into the room, followed by a cacophony of voices.

"That's a Laguz!"

"Hey, why's he out there if we're in here?"

"What's going on? Did you guys get beat?"

"Let me out of here already!"

"Hey, we're hungry in here!"

There were... probably about 15 Laguz of varying size and weight, most of them riddled with old scars (though no bandages or fresh wounds in sight). They were standing in what appeared to be a pair of spacious, hastily erected cells. Heaps of gnawed bones were in the corners of both cells.

There was one soldier sitting just out of arms reach of the cells, and he tore off his helmet and threw it to the ground, frustrated with the flood of voices. "Would you all shut up? The hunters will be back when they get back! I don't know what's keeping them, alright?"

One of the Laguz in front, a small, angry looking young man with black hair and a sleek black tail, pressed his face up through a gap in the bars. "If you'd let us go out and hunt, we'd already be back. And we wouldn't be so rowdy."

The guard pulled at his face. "How many times do I have to tell you? You are not permitted to wander freely, even to hunt! If any of you are spotted and reported, the war is going to escalate!"

A much larger tiger Laguz toward the back of one of the cells shouted out. "Who cares? We'll fight a war with humans any time, and win!"

The soldier sputtered for a few moments, and pointed an accusatory finger at the entire group. "You couldn't beat off a pack of slavers, you can't expect to roll over us in a war!"

The general din quieted some, replaced with indignant excuses.

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Bold worrrds frrrom someone whose prrrince and fellow guarrrds werrre completely thrrrashed. We alrrready know the slavers used trrraps and drrrugs, so don't get full of yourrrself."

Joachim raised his voice to address the entirety of the Laguz.

"My name is Joachim del Navarrrrrre! I was sent by King Himos, and I'm not alone! We will be rrreturrrning home tomorrrrrrow!"

[Blade Master Model 42]

The short one in the front nodded. "The King sent for his daughter then? That's pretty lucky, she's been playing lovebirds with the Prince long enough. I wanna get out of here already."

The shouting returned in force as the others joined in.

"Tomorrow? Why do we have to wait?"

"Yahoo!"

"Who cares? When do we eat?"

"Let me out of here!"

The guard rubbed his free hand over his face, and looked pleadingly at Joachim. "Can you please get them to shut up? My skull is pounding so hard I can't think."

[SeriousConcentrate]

Joachim nodded back.

"I don't like it anymorrre than you do."

He then turned to the guard.

"I'll do it forrr them, not forrr you."

The cat raised his voice again.

"I was chosen because I am the best hunterrr Navarrrrrre can offerrr! I'll go catch food forrr you, and I'll be back soon."

Joachim padded out, dropping into full cat form as he rounded the top of the steps. He'd have to work hard for those poor Laguz; there was no chance he could let them out without repercussions for Grae's group, and he liked the old man well enough that he didn't want to cause more trouble for him than he had to. This was just the compromise he'd have to live with.

[Twinwolf]

Aurelia, seeing as the important conversation seemed to have wound down, quietly extricated herself from the room. She was... rather embarrassed about the comments she'd made without realizing the implications. She didn't have any specific things to be doing - besides maybe helping drag the wounded into a line to give the healers easy access, but then that was mostly done by now too - so she kinda just wandered the hall, thinking over what had happened and trying to process the new information that she was apparently a bit part in some overly dramatic romance play.

[SeriousConcentrate]

As Joachim rounded the top of the stairs, he nearly bumped into Aurelia. Well. She might not be his kind of a Laguz, but she was still one regardless, so he rubbed a shoulder against her leg companionably on his way by. After a few steps, though, he stopped, turned, and resumed his normal form.

"Therrre arrre some hungrrry Laguz down therrre. Want to help me catch some food forrr them?"

[Twinwolf]

Aurelia was a little surprised at the sudden large animal at her feet, but she quickly recognized Joachim.

"Oh, hey - the laguz are alright then?" she asked, as Joachim swapped to humanoid form.

"Uh... sure? I haven't really hunted before, but some extra eyes in the air can't hurt, right?" And it was a good way to be useful, and get in some more practice on the side anyway.

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Mostly fine. Some of them arrre still rrrecoverrring frrrom the mistrrreatment the slaverrrs put them thrrrough."

He gestured for her to walk with him as he made his way outside.

"Hunting is easy, and morrre imporrrtantly, it's fun. Well, I guess it will be differrrent forrr you, since you'll be attacking frrrom above, but it shouldn't be too harrrd. I'll teach you as we go."