Aust frowned down at the polished blade of his dagger, considering its edge. Of course the young human king disliked the raids they performed. While the elf didn't agree with the methods, he had come to believe them necessary. The important people never listened to a lone human or elf with warnings of impending disaster. They were tied down to one place, and would not leave it until they were forced to. Sadly, some would never leave the homes they chose to protect. Though every one of them had been made in the course of protecting his own life or that of one of his companions, Aust regretted every wound he had left and every killing blow he had struck.

[color=silver]"You both know I will not hurt anyone unless I must. I wish as much as you do that we did not have to do this at all. We do what we must to make ourselves heard, and nothing more."[/color] Aust was sure Lothren was keeping something from the others, but there was nothing for it. His old friend would come around in time, or the truth would otherwise make itself clear. The Ytharien would not be on the path they had chosen if they did not have trust in their leader, and something of import must be on the horizon to guide them to such drastic action.

[color=silver]"I'm sorry, Alan, but I can't promise you that. I can only account for my own actions. When and where I am able I will do all that I can to ensure that this goes without injury. That goes for every living being that will be in that conflict tonight. If it is possible, I will see it ended without blood. That, I can promise,"[/color] he said, finally looking up from his blade to the others around him. As he slid the dagger into its sheath, hoping he wouldn't have cause to draw it forth later, he studied their expressions and reactions. Alan was young and naive, but he had potential. He didn't truly belong among them, but Lothren allowed him to continue his charade. Anara was more difficult for the elf to read. She possessed some quality that interested him beyond her physical features, but he could not yet name it.

Glancing over his shoulder, Aust took in Lothren and Juna as they parted company. The Ytharien's leader was very much the same as Aust had known him before, but also very different. It was understandable, with his brother in the hands of humans. There was something else weighing on him though, something the other elf couldn't quite see. Juna he was less familiar with and had not spoken to as much as the others since he had come. The she-elf was certainly alluring, and he admired her skill with her voice and a harp. She was a skilled warrior as well. Still, she seemed to hold herself a little apart from the others, or perhaps they from her.