Colors grinned, placing a hand on his own chest as he leaned slightly forward. "I am a perfectly upstanding and productive member of my clan. Of everyone's clans, really. It just so happens that being a so-called 'scoundrel' is my job."

Walking back over to the table, Colors pulled out a few chairs, then took a seat himself. He gave his attention to Sabine as he answered her. "Well, my orders first came from Ri'kalesh, after he became clan leader. You know how I used to be a smuggler? Well, I've taken up the trade again, just in service of the clans now. I help move valuable and delicate goods between clans, among other things. A lot of things, actually. I do quite a few jobs. When I'm not moving goods, I use my, uh, intuition to help build out contacts for clans that don't have many of them. I'm pretty good at finding business associates that don't ask a lot of questions. Nowadays, I take orders from all kinds of different people. Mostly clan leaders, and the spymaster. The one I'm guessing is in your clan. He doesn't give his name to lower level agents like me, but he and his people use anyone they can for their plans. We don't usually see the results, but at least I know I'm helping."

Colors started to lean back again in his chair. "I never thought I would see you all again. Though I guess with how much I travel, and the fact that there are only so many clans, I was bound to run into you all eventually."

"What about the rest of your pack...or, um, pride?" Kaleeth asked. "Are they here too?"

Colors shook his head. "Sadly, no. My skills never really fit in too well with theirs. Ri'kalesh became clan leader, so he can't really travel that much, and the others were more at home there. La'khay considered joining me for a while, but the life of a smuggler wasn't really for her either. A pride, or pack, usually doesn't stay together forever, though, so I can move past it, and remember them fondly. I can't complain too much, though. I mean, I have my own ship now! With my own crew. It's not anywhere around here, of course. Most of my crew is protecting it at the coast. Or, at least, it better be well-protected. I'll have my first mate's head otherwise." He chuckled. 

Colors motioned his hands towards the trio. "But what about you all? How are the rest of your friends, and your pack? How is Ahnasha? Janius? Peiter?" He asked. 

---

Saras, overall, was hardly unprepared for surprises. He had a notion of the ideal way he would like events to play out, and he would try to push them in that direction, but he had been given plenty of time to plan contingencies. Their cave had two exits, and the second was not close to the primary entrance. They had secured their escape route, which he had ensured was well-hidden, and was not since used to avoid drawing attention to it. He had at his disposal numerous, disciplined soldiers that had been drilled on the progression of contingency plans that Saras had established. They had defensive fortifications, ambush points, and if necessary, they had prepared a controlled collapse of the cave to ensure they could have a safe and speedy escape. He had enough warriors armed, armored, and ready to hold against an attack through the narrow caves, and those who were posing as non-combatants could ready themselves quickly to reinforce them. Saras himself had styled himself as the clan leader, though he was dressed in simple furs like most of the others. 

Even once what were presumably the agents were detected alarmingly close to the caves, Saras remained calm. They were prepared, and they were on alert. Even skilled mages could not conceal a force large enough to outright overpower the defenses they had established. It was just a matter now of allowing the confrontation to proceed. Saras, if he was to keep up the illusion of a normal clan, could not be waiting at the entryway for them to arrive, but he had his best soldiers on that task. They were permitted to defend themselves if absolutely necessary, but they were not to incite hostilities. Saras wanted to speak to them if possible, and preferably on amicable terms.