Ash tapped his foot somewhat. He was still there, standing tall, waiting for his cue to answer to Gregar. And then, the doors opened to receive three people of mercenary companies. Ash knew those three well- they were not the sort of people you usually trusted to do something, for very specific reasons. While their names sounded eerie and impressive, truth to be told those companies usually had to fight for the scraps of bigger ones, just like the former company of the whoreson, The Black Company.  Ladykiller, the blonde commander; Hamstring, the old geezer and Weasel, the crude-looking leader of the Hillmen. They all liked to try and be shrewd and cunning, but truth to be told, they were usually outsmarted by bigger thinkers. The three of them surely had heard of the war... but they were smart enough to not try and fight for the Whitelands.  They were up to something.

Ash could feel the stares of some. Some were condemning gazes, some rivalry ones, and some were plainly stares in awe, from the most impresionable of the file and rank that had accompanied those three. So he had been recognized. He had to be deceptive if he were to pass a message about their true nature. Truth to be told, Gregar's offer for knighthood was well worth telling the true rotten nature of them.

But how? Gregar asked people to speak up. But obviously he couldn't say they all were liars and cheaters from the get go. So he tried something... [i]different.[/i] He raised his voice.

[b]"Pardon me, m'lord, but I, Ash the Knightslayer, of the Black Company, can attest the truthfulness of these men. I swear upon my mother's [i]life[/i] that these men are to be trusted."[/b]

Of course, for all people who had been and listened to Ash tale, they'd have realized what this meant... [i]for Ash was visiting his mother's gravestone earlier. [/i] He did a final small nod to the duke, and waited for the resolution. Perhaps his blade would be needed.