Maria blushed sheepishly as the long-haired man helped her to her feet, and was about to stammer out a response when Aventus burst in to claim the potential recruit.

'Maria, do you think you could fetch our guest here some refreshments?'

She was a little sad to be away from the newcomer so soon, but Aventus seemed to have the situation under control. She hadn't caught the man's name, but hopefully he would stick around, at least until she came back to the tent.

Brushing her rear end free of dirt clumps, she made off toward the last place she thought she had seen the barrel of ale, which was near the stables. This was convenient, since she wanted to check up on Domino, to make sure the wyvern wasn't causing too much trouble. She passed the regular familiar sights on the way: people travelling, working, or even just exploring the area, which was always rich in things to see and do. In such a poor area of town, everything was always bustling. While Ostia Martin proper was a giant city with grand architecture, Maria loved the outskirts just as much. She had lived in a lot of cities throughout her military and mercenary career, and this was one of her favourite spots in the country. The bustle of the city with the fresh air and hard-working aura of the peasantry. And of course, this was where her home was.

The ale barrel sat right where she remembered, outside the rickety stable. Whoever cleaned and stocked the place (usually Maria herself) would sometimes sneak a bit of the stuff, but other than that, it had laid untouched for a while. After a quick check up on her friend, who was sleeping peacefully, Maria returned to her work. 

"Well, here it is, although... Did Ven say he wanted some ale for himself...? Or was it for the both of them? Maybe Ziria wanted some too?" The poor girl flustered easily and was naturally terrible at making decisions.

"Ooooh, I don't know.... This is too hard. I'll just bring the whole thing!" Dejectedly, and to the complete surprise of the people passing by and watching her, Maria grabbed the keg with both hands and with a small grunt, hoisted it above her head and behind her, carrying it on her back. It was an impressive... no, a ridiculous feat of strength for such a small girl, but it didn't seem to be giving Maria much trouble at all as she hummed a chipper tune and walked steadily back to the tents.