Sirgala had watched the first new arrivals move in... [i]multiple elves...at least one human...
 
Gnoll?![/i]
 
Gnolls didn't usually align themselves with the Mad King. The dark magic left the bodies un-eatable, and even crazy people were uncomfortable working with what they often perceived as brutish beasts. So was this a change? A meeting to decide on an alliance? It seemed equally unlikely that it would be an adventurer - [i]but I'm judging him before I've met him again, aren't I?[/i]
 
Deep in thought, the hunter fails to notice the telltale sounds of motion as Andin stumbled upon her. 
 
[color=steelblue] “H-hello there, friend!”[/color] he stammered nervously as he crept back. Equally startled, Sirgala moves on autopilot, rolling away while unsheathing a knife in a fluid motion. "And a good morning to you," she replies.
 
Andin flinched away as a woman burst from the bushes and drew a knife. It gleamed in the bits of sun that cut through the ash and leaves. The halfling gulped as he held up his shaky hands, showing his lack of armaments. He took note of the woman's sharp ears, not quite as long as an elf. What was intriguing was her strong frame. Elven blood typically developed slender frames with wiry muscles and while humans were a bit broader, half elves typically would be rather lithe, somewhere between the parent races. That was neither here nor there though. The real question was not about her blood but about if she was here to spill it.
 
[color=steelblue]"Oh, I...I hope so! Did you see the posters as well?"[/color]
 
Sirgala takes pause - unarmed of physical weapons means nothing in a world full of magic, and shaky hands can be nothing more than a front to something far more sinister. She cocks her head at the mention of the posters, playing dumb. "Posters? Explain."
 
A look of puzzlement spreads over Andin's face at the question. They seemed to have been everywhere. She had to know, though these games were fair when their destination had been burnt to cinders. It'd be better to play along though, would be a shame to get stabbed when the destination was but a skip of a stone away. [color=steelblue]"Grand Wizard Mulad put out the call for able-bodied folk to meet at the Six Corners,"[/color] he said as he pointed over the woman's shoulders toward the smoldering ruin of the trade town. [color=steelblue]"Unfortunately we were beat here, weren't we? My name is Andin, I'm a surgeon. You?" [/color]
 
Not particularly worried about the content of his response, Sirgala was using the time it took him to explain to survey the area in greater detail, until she was certain that there was no ambush waiting for her in the bushes. When her sharp eyes and ears caught nothing, she decided it was safe for now. 
 
"I apologize for my caution," she says, flipping her knife back into its holster, "but it was necessary given the circumstances. Sirgala, hunter." 
 
She glances back at the smoldering ruins of the city for a moment. "there's already a few in there; two humans and two elves - both look to be travelling adventurers, the kind you'd expect to see in a call like this. There's also a Gnoll and a rather confused looking young lady," she finishes; fishing around in the bushes for her pack, then dons her gauntlet and hooks her mace onto her belt. "I was worried that they might be cultists, setting up an ambush. Doesn’t look to be the case though - they certainly haven't done much preparation. Plus, I have backup now" she remarks to him as she start towards the city.   
 
This woman, if she wasn't trained had remarkable natural finesse. The knife disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. The halfling quickly got to his feet, visibly relaxed in stark contrast to a moment prior. [color=steelblue]"It's smart to be careful...but not too much. Otherwise, I'd be out of a job!"[/color] the halfling said with a chuckle as he adjusted the bulging bag on his back. The cast of characters she rattled off seemed strange, as if it had been ripped straight out of a storybook full of misadventures and wacky hijinks. If only this was that kind of situation. 
 
Andin caught up and fell into step with her. Things were tense and their mutual trust was on shaky ground at best, exemplified by the safe distance between the two. Just a little longer than an arm and mace's length but hey, a shaky start was a start nonetheless. Andin could see the group of gathered forces in the distance and he could only imagine what they looked like. Almost seemed like the beginning of a bad joke. A half elf and a halfling walk into a burned down bazaar...