[center] [i]A collab post between[/i] [@gcold] [i]and[/i] [@Peik] [/center]


‘’Funny you said that, I thought I’d have to ask really nicely to get that offer.’’ Sadri smiled, if only for a second, and then leaned on a crate that was about the height of his shoulder. ‘’You will be leading the assault on the Forsworn flank. I wanted to settle on some things before our assault, prepare.’’ Sadri unsheathed his sword and pretended to examine it slowly so that Edith could see it, and deduce its properties. ‘’This here, it’s quite the weighty blade. Suited for lopping heads off.’’ Sadri sheathed it again with a fancy move, and continued. ‘’Eh, I’ll cut to the chase. I don’t think it will do much good in a mining tunnel. Things are bound to be cramped in there, not very good for swinging. I was wondering if you had something better suited for thrusting.’’ Sadri paused. ‘’I was also wondering whether you had a spare chainmail coat, or anything of the sort. I don’t plan to take this inside with me,’’ Sadri patted the collar of his padded coat to attract Edith’s attention to it, and continued. ‘’It’s too bulky. In case we have to do some potholing. The rest of my armor is fine, but I figured that some more would definitely help. Now, I’m afraid I don’t have much money to pay for all I’m asking – so I was wondering if you could simply loan them to me, for just the assault.’’  

"What can I say, I read minds." Edith joked, something Ashav would never do. "Not trully, I am not one of them mages from Winterhold. But still, looks like you have a decent weapon already." She commented on the Sadri's weapon. The Dunmer made an elaborate move sheathing it, which elicited a small grin from her. "Though you are correct, it would be less worthy for stabbing." Finally, someone had the common sense of protecting themselves, unlike a certain Imperial brute. She walked around Sadri when he brought attention to his coat. The first impression of it wasn't too bad; it would stop a limited amount of harm. But since no one else wants she steel handiwork, might as well put it to good use rather then letting it rust. "Just cleaned up a set of chain mail earlier, roughly your size but probably going to need tightening around the waist." She pondered, payment in addition to logistics. To be fair, Edith prides herself an honest woman, so after eying the strange gadgets Sadri possessed, she couldn't not find one suitable payment. "You could keep them, but only if you agreed to help me." She started, mind already returning to the arcane charges and glanced at Sadri's hand stump. "You must be familiar with enchantments, yes? How about aiding me in obtaining charged souls gems?"

Sadri considered himself lucky to be offered such a nice and protective gift in his old age (despite being relatively young for a Mer, Sadri considered himself to be old, even though he probably had about two hundred years in front of him so long as he didn’t screw things up), and smirked for a moment, forcing a breath from his nostrils to voice something resembling a laugh. But the Quartermaster’s counteroffer put Sadri in a bad position. He didn’t know how to soul trap. ‘’[i]I guess it’s time to educate this fine lady on how enchanting works,[/i]’’ Sadri thought to himself as he stopped leaning and flexed his facial muscles for a second, preparing himself for the talk ahead and thinking of his wording.  
 
‘’I suppose this,’’ Sadri said as he raised his stump and flexed the invisible muscles where his wrist once would have been, ‘’is why you’re asking me to fill up soul gems. I would be willing, though there’s a catch.’’ Sadri scratched his hair with his phantom hand and continued. ‘’You see, you can’t enchant anything without a soul gem, and a soul gem doesn’t work without… well, souls. But the ability to ‘trap souls’, that’s not a part of the school of enchanting. It’s something that Mysticism claims to itself. And the best my magic can do is to cure my headache. I usually buy pre-charged gems and then apply my own enchantments.’’ 
 
Sadri didn’t want to shoot down her offer completely, though, so carried on in a lighter note. ‘’I could, of course, look for someone who can actually cast the soul trap spell. And maybe help whoever that is fill those charges of yours.’’ Sadri stopped to think. There was no doubt that there were people more skilled in magic than him. ‘’Maybe that Altmer can do the job. What do you say? Maybe that Redguard could too.’’ He paused again. ‘’Worst case, I could just give you the soul gem for this thing, even though it’d probably fill only one of the charges. I’m used to having just one arm, though I reckon it’d diminish my effectiveness in the upcoming attack.’’ Sadri didn’t actually want those charges primed, as after all, an explosion underground could be very bad business, but he didn’t want to look completely contrarian and lose his chances of getting that hauberk. ‘’[i]Should’ve bought that Redguard plated mail when you had the chance,[/i]’’ his grumpier side mused in his mind. 

Edith's eyes narrowed at Sadri's explanation of soul gems. Her prior enthusiasm now slightly diminished, and it looks like this is not the spot for what Imperials called "one-stop-shopping". She grumbled under her breath, as much as she had worked through these days, she sincerely hoped they would finally receive the proper supplies they need. But lo and behold, only half of these charges arrived, and arrived without primers. The contemplation that was plain on Sadri's skin changed her mind just enough; one soul gem is not exactly worth losing his magical appendage. 
                
"I see," She nodded, eyes temporarily zoning out as she mulled over what she just heard. “Well, I believe the High Elf, Keegan, is on his way out to scout. I shall visit the Redguard then, wait.” She pointed to Sadri. “[i]We[/i] shall visit him. He might need your help.” Having made up her mind, Edith decided on Sadri assisting Jonimir as suitable payment.

Beside official business, she also caught on the Dunmer mumbling to himself. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, that would be her comrades hiding shady worries. “Anything else that concerns you?” Edith inquired, maintaining the most patient tone possible. He better spit it out, she thought to herself, there are still work to be done.

‘’It’s not a concern, I’m just complaining to myself. In the past I had a chance to get a suit of armor, of Redguard make. It was an excellent piece, mail reinforced with steel plates ‘sewn’ into the mail. But I didn’t, and now I have to ask for spare armor. I can’t say I like that,’’ Sadri mused. Perhaps in the future when he had more money, he could stumble across a similar piece in Hammerfell. But Anu knows where life leads you, after all – so Sadri decided not to linger on his past regrets, and ask about something. 
 
‘’Although I am wondering one thing – just how effective are those charges? I’ve seen military mining go very awry in the past because of awry methods, and I don’t think you would want to be buried alive underneath the soil just to get through a simple barrier. I sure don't.’’ 

“A good set of armor is hard to come by, that much I do know.” Edith concurred and nodded. At the mention of the charges, and their effectiveness, Edith first raised an eyebrow but then turned it down to a sigh. “Ashav assured us that the mages of Winterhold tested them before they were sent. Of course, I think they are much more effective than pickaxes.” Edith said, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm. “Truth be told, I have doubts about the risks too. But I am not an expert on this matter; we shall only see when the time comes.”

“Let's go find Jonimir now,” She nudged to the tent opening. “Perhaps he will know more.” 

Wishing to get the coat of chainmail without any problems, Sadri squeezed himself out of the tent opening and walked alongside the quartermaster towards Jonimir's tent, hoping to find the mage and get him to fill some gems.