Orc Ire and Dragon Fire. Valerie had already had her fill of one for the day, that was for sure. Perhaps the Dragon Fire referred to the drink. She certainly hoped so; a dragon being thrown into her day would probably be too much to survive. In all, the mood inside the place was lighter than Valerie had expected, and it brought a small smile to her face as she sank into the cushioned chair. Only leaving her home behind could truly make her understand the value of a good cushion. Her current chair was a little flattened from overuse, but it certainly beat the back of a wagon.

It was a rather unique place, as far as venues for her first dates had gone. Was this a date? Her gut said no, it wasn't, she and Markus were just fellow mercenaries that had survived a hard fight together, but the fact that he was off buying her drink made her feel like it was. Whatever it was, Valerie felt like she'd missed out on establishments such as this when she was younger. High-class taverns were overrated.

"Mm," she said after taking a drink, "I have to admit I expected much worse." The ale was excellent in all honesty, and Valerie felt the warmth of it snaking down into her belly. It was strong, but not overly so. She wasn't embarrassingly lightweight, but heavy drinking was not among her talents.

She grinned somewhat sheepishly at Markus. "Not the best I've looked going for a drink. I think there's still some blood on me, honestly..." She glanced down at her breastplate, which she hadn't bothered removing. "But I suppose everyone here is a little beat up."

Valerie reached behind her, untying the knot her hair was in and letting it fall past her shoulders. It was a bit of a mess, but she ran a hand through it and ruffled it behind her, trying to get it in some sense of order. "So, you said you've some noble blood? I wouldn't have guessed, actually, but I mean that in the best way possible." Nobles tended to have certain qualities that left them feeling elevated above the rest. Valerie was still trying to stamp out some of those qualities in herself, but it was a work in progress.