[h3]Rionach[/h3]
[hr]

No matter whose face Rionach looked at in the glow of the campfire, all she saw was bored, uncaring, annoyed, bored, bored.  Some hadn't even turned their faces up when she'd split off from the path threading the center of the pass and made her way over into their midst, which perturbed her given the care she gave every day to her appearance.  Some nights, she reasoned, even the brightest stars in the sky went unnoticed by people who thought they had better things to do, though even that reasoning's implication bothered her since it suggested that nothing was literally better than paying her attention.  After planting her spear's shaft in the ground and beginning a casual lean upon it -for the one who stood tallest would invariably catch the eye, sooner or later- she learned pretty quickly that the group of misfits was uncommunicative as well as unwelcoming.  That said, one of their number, a sorcerer judging by his clothing, did begin to fiddle with some herbs and a teapot.  She split her gaze between his eccentric expression and the brilliant flames, until a couple of stocky, hairy men strode into the silent gathering to break the ice with a powerful belly-laugh.

Though a bit startled for a split second, Rionach didn't wait long to crack a smile.  The dwarf cut right to the bone: this was one awkward encounter.  Still, she felt confident and at east, and the others were sure to notice.  The notion of making an introduction appealed to her as a marvelous idea, but she caught herself before launching into one—better to wait until a few others had gone, so as to set up a contrast [i]and[/i] avoid looking too eager.  First to speak was the wizard, his words short and to the point.  He made an offering of tea to everyone, and Rionach's wheels began to turn.  [i]Strange sort of guy, but good manners.  Par for the course for a court mage of some kind.  If he's got ties with nobility or some kind of academy, he's definitely worth getting to know!  Since everyone's been super stark so far, accepting his tea will show I'm accepting of him, even if I don't drink it, which is probably for the best.[/i]  Tilting her head slightly in acknowledgment, Rionach gave Djeld a little wave.  With a nod of gratitude she received from him a cup, and she knelt beside her upright spear with it held in both hands.

Next to speak up was a mercenary.  The words he picked made his profession plain, though that sincerity struck Rionach as just a bit unusual.  Though in most cases the truth was easy to see, few mercenaries so barefacedly admitted that they fought for money instead of any principle.  Upon closer look, Rionach noticed that his clothes appeared to be of remarkable quality for some footsoldier.  [i]Expensive garb.  Upright bearing.  Either he's an incredible talent, he's from a rich background, or both.  Is he trying to convince us otherwise?  More than meets the eye.[/i]  Her attention turned to a third talker, who let slip scarcely more than his name.  Try as she might, Rionach couldn't discern much of anything about him, and her focus gradually slipped to the warmth between her fingers.  It was a female voice that roused her from her distraction, one belonging to a young woman who made no effort to disguise her high-class attire.  In fact, casual dialogue thrown out in the course of her greeting suggested that she held some kind of military authority.  For a moment the realization took Rionach aback.  Had she wandered into some private meeting?  What was a commander doing here, trading pleasantries with seemingly random strangers, instead of in some tent or at some meeting table?  [i]Rank and order, I guess?[/i]  

Following her was the somewhat snappy introduction of a female archer, who revealed with a little attitude that she held the same profession as the Jerod fellow.  From Rionach's perspective the two were as different as night and day, but she could not apply any more scrutiny right now.  She felt it was time to make her debut.  Rising up off her knees, she let go of the tea cup with one hand and put it on her waist, looking around from face to face for the second time.  “Hello, everyone!  I can see we're a pretty laid-back bunch, so I'll make it short.  My name is Rionach, and I hail from the city of Gadanka in Valentia.  I'll forgive you if you haven't heard of me, but I'm kind of a big deal.  Local heroine, jack-of-all-trades, and super modest, too!”  She gave a short, bright laugh at her own joke.  “Seriously, though: it's great to meet so many interesting people.  I hope I can compare!”  With that, she leaned back against her spear -which curved slightly beneath her weight- and pretended to take a drink of the tea.