The newcomers smiled the same eerie smile simultaneously at Evyr, and uttered the same word, also synchronized. "Yes." They continued into the village with a strut of confidence, and stood by the tree. "But since you asked, we have a story to tell, as well."

Meanwhile, the firbolg woman looked confusedly at Draj, and the firbolg leader was equally lost at Harriet's expression. Both bemused individuals quickly caught on to their addressers' meanings quickly, however. The grizzled druid held up his hand in an equally universal (unspoken) gesture of "calm yourself, impudent child." The woman Draj spoke to nodded, looking for any excuse to leave these newcomers. "Ainai na promisen ta entertainy, but shown youn around I can." She takes Draj's hand and pulls him actually somwhat aggressively to the opposite end of the village.

The unwanted visitor who seemed to carry himself as more of a leader than the other began speaking. "You lot experienced this story. But you new folk may have heard the tails already. See, we'd visited this village before. Many times. We were traders, you see. We brought our merchandise through here, using this as a rest stop. With their blessing. We were quite the enterpreneurs.

"But these folk don't take too kindly to some things. Like having their young ones snatched away in the middle of the night. But see, we like money...[i]liked[/i] money more than sentient lives." He nods to the elder with a strange expression of reverence. "But this little girl, we knew she'd be worth a lot of money to the right buyer. Natural telents you wouldn't believe. Only 9 years old, could already use magics this one can't." He pauses, locking eyes with the elder. "I mean no disrespect to this man. He has wisdom she had not yet earned.

"But we took her all the way to Hassmer. No trees there so no reason for a buyer to think she could escape. But turns out when we found a buyer, he thought we charged him too much when she didn't perform for him. She was not broken yet, we'd said. We had hoped he would provide her a decent home and education to enhance her raw talents, not force her into servitude. But, as you are probably aware, we were...less than correct." His face shows pensive sadness, but his eyes remain dry. "And he believed as recompense, he should be rewarded with all of our remaining property. Being a man of such high station, we had no choice but to acquiesce. But most of our company lacked our...honor, so to speak, and were themselves killed or taken as slaves.

"So our cold welcome is understandable, and we accept that we are not wanted here. We will stay until the morrow and be gone before sunrise. We will take no slaves. We are no longer in that business. Your people are safe." Not once through his entire story did he take his eyes off the elder.

[Hider=Firbolg Common]I'm not promising to entertain you, but I can show you around.[/hider]