[center]The Half-Elf girl seemed a kindly sort, as the followers of Gnara often were. Tempa watched, when she turned, the rapid change of expression both on her face and in her eyes. She warmed a little to the Druidess, then, knowing her kind to be generally receptive and patient with those who sought their counsel. The Iath also caught a momentary glance directed at her partially-exposed Moonscar, and was immediately thankful that the fullness of the jagged, ugly sign of affliction was not on full display. Her other scars never bothered her so much as that one...and probably never could. Even those that marred her face were badges of honor...not like the thing that had begun creeping across her chest. [color=FF4500]"Thankya, for takin' time an' all'a that. I'll try not ta bother ya too much, I know the Festival is startin' soon,"[/color] she replied with a surprisingly soft smile and nodded with relief, some of her usual enthusiasm in the motion. A Druidess she could trust with her burdens, but the others were unknowns...and, if her intuition was right, Thieves.

 She looked over the gathered group, again, and caught the Uquii girl eyeing something behind her. The Firebrand's attention had been elsewhere, so the approach of another of her kind had been outside of her notice. She had turned, slightly, to eye the man...fully expecting some trouble. Instead, he offered a remark. Tempa didn't think it over for very long before deciding on her course of action. She'd give the man a chance, as she would with most of her people who didn't seem to have an immediate grudge. Guilt nagged at her, from somewhere far in her past; but she brushed it aside and nodded toward him.

 [color=FF4500]"Yeah, they gotta habit'a doin' that. Neva heard it said that tha gods're good listeners, 'cept maybe once'a twice."[/color] her tone was an alchemy of bemusement and distant bitterness that produced a much softer volume than the Firebrand was used to exhibiting. Part of her wondered if it was weakness, but another part of her immediately roiled at the idea; knowing full and well that she was only beleaguered by thoughts of what was to come. If it [i]had[/i] to be weakness, it would be but a momentary display. Her attention had become briefly focused on the presumably blind Iath who had approached, as he grinned, watching with some caution; noting that his hand rested on the hilt of a sword. She wasn't the only one who had no hesitation when approaching strangers, it seemed. [color=FF4500][i]"Fiin Kyir t'uqua?"[/i][/color] Tempa didn't speak the language of her homeland frequently, but it came out as fluidly as ever, the tone light and conversational; the question simply being 'are you of Kyir?', an attempt to discern whether or not she should be on guard. The question was formal, by Iath standards, but it had become a habit of the Firebrand's to gauge the reception she was likely to receive when encountering another of her kind. 

 Still, it seemed appropriate to at least throw her own copper discs at the situation. [color=FF4500]"M'here for the Festival, yeah. Not participatin', just observin'."[/color] It was as casual as she could be about the grim position she had agreed to take up. She didn't respond to the rest, but listened nonetheless to the interruption, waiting for the Druidess' acknowledgement. When it came, Tempa managed a broad grin and followed along. 


[color=7CFC00]- - - - - -[/color]

 Isyph wasn't exactly sure what was going on, given the sudden arrival of two Iath and the swift change in conversation. She rolled with it as blithely as she could, hower. [color=FFDAB9]"No problem, Anne,"[/color] the Uquii supplied, giving a nudge to Dodger and a quick flick of her eyes toward the blind one, then the busty one, [color=FFDAB9]"we'll be waiting here. I don't think the Lunar Festival is due to start for another...hour or so."[/color] Her estimation of time was usually rather keen, though from beneath her hood it was somewhat harder to tell exactly where the sun was. It didn't really matter, in the end; she had no reason to want to hurry, anymore. Lowering her voice, she leaned slightly to the side, [color=FFDAB9]"Think we've got a chance of getting any of these people to join? Or, maybe, I don't know, making some coin?"[/color] The earlier hint about thieving from the temple hadn't gone unnoticed, but it seemed that the opportunity was slipping by...at least for the moment. 

   Sadly, the day had left her pockets in stasis. She recalled the count of seventy gold discs, from earlier, but still felt it a bit light considering this was her first trip into the Deladish heart. [color=FFDAB9]"So, sir,"[/color] she took a couple of steps forward, [color=FFDAB9]"you're correct in your assumption, for the most part. I think I'm the only one of this small group who can call Delad a proper home, even if I happen to be from a less-frequented part than most. Vaald is certainly different from what I'm used to. That being said,"[/color] she felt like she was prattling, but that had rarely stalled her before, [color=FFDAB9]"your glasses look to be of a fine make,"[/color] this was laced with years of enthusiasm for appraisal instilled to her by Daln, [color=FFDAB9]"Do you carry spares? I might be interested in buying a pair, at some point."[/color] That was not entirely the truth, but she did find the dark lenses rather fetching. 

 She grinned a little, realizing again her lapse in manners. [color=FFDAB9]"My name's Isyph Al-Delad, born and raised in Silverbrook,"[/color] the Uquii didn't want to go much beyond that, but did anyway, even though most of it was partially untrue, [color=FFDAB9]"and I'm something of a merchant, something of a songstress and something of a Guild co-leader. Who, exactly, might you be?"[/color]
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