[centre][h2][colour=DAA520][u]Yui Ren[/u][/colour][/h2][/centre] With the fighting done, Yui retrieved her weapon and let out a sigh of relief. [colour=DAA520]”By The Father and His Children, I don’t want to fight those again…snakes give me the creeps.”[/colour] She muttered, inspecting her rifle for any new scuffs or scrapes; hearing Jing’s reply, she laughed aloud and clapped him on the shoulder. [colour=DAA520]”You really know the way to this girl’s heart don’t you boss?”[/colour] [hr] The trip back was uneventful, if a bit more tiring due to the loot they’d acquired. During their evening rest stops, she reloaded the fired casings. Pouring a careful measure of black powder into a shell, she’d then cautiously press the powder tight with a wooden dowel; too loose and the next shot would be all smoke and noise but not effect, and too tight could risk setting off the Stone, which would be bad a whole host of reasons. Once the powder was set, she pressed a small wad of fiber on top of the powder and then set the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini%C3%A9_ball]bullet[/url] in place, setting it with a few careful taps with the handle of her knife. Reloading each shot took Yui about 20 minutes. -- During the trip back Yui, on several occasions, nearly made to try and strike up a conversation with the man mountain; she’d noticed him glancing in her specific direction more than once and part of her wanted to ask [i]what[/i] did he find so interesting about her? A small voice whispered in the back of her mind, that maybe he somehow knew who she really was and was looking to collect a reward, but she did her best to dismiss such thoughts. She never did end up trying to talk to Hafrbjorn during their trek however; he gave off the distinctive aura of a man who didn’t wish to be disturbed. [hr] Back in Gatehouse, such thoughts were quickly pushed aside by the promises of pay, drink, food and a [i]bath[/i]. After she’d finished Jing’s round, gotten a meal and a few more drinks, Yui snagged one of the Tavern staff and enquired about renting a bath. [colour=DAA520][i]If he’s got a problem with it, I’ll just tell him to take it outta my cut.[/i][/colour] She thought as she told the serving girl to just add it to Jing’s tab. The girl came and got her once the bath was ready and led Yui to a backroom that contained a large wooden tube full of steaming water. “Will this suffice, Mistress?” The girl, who couldn’t have been older than fourteen, asked a bit nervously. [colour=DAA520]”This’ll be just fine.”[/colour] Propping her gun against a wall, Yui began to shed her gear. [colour=DAA520]”Dear,”[/colour] She asked as she began to unlace her Jack and then the gambeson underneath. [colour=DAA520]”Could I trouble you to knock some of the desert out of this?”[/colour] She handed the girl a few soverns, and smiled. [colour=DAA520]”Nothing fancy, just throw them over a fence and beat them like a rug.”[/colour] “Right away Mistress!” The girl squeaked as she staggered off under the weight of the armour. Alone now, Yui stripped to her skin and stuck a toe into the bath. The water was almost too hot, but that was perfect. She hissed slightly as she stepped fully into the bath and the sat down. The tub was large enough that, with the exception of her head, her entire body was under water. Letting out a long sigh as the heat worked at her tired body, she leant forward and dunked her head, running her hands though her hair. Leaning back once more, she rested the back of her head on the edge of the tub and closed her eyes, and just relaxed. [hr][hr] [centre][h2][colour=6A5ACD][u]Isbeil Camshron[/u][/colour][/h2][/centre] Isbeil sat quietly in the room she’d been given, idly read though her grimoire, though her heart wasn’t in it. It’d been a few years since she’d had to do any mercenary work, a lucky find out in the sands had left her with enough soverns to work in peace, but those funds were getting down and she’d decided to shore up her finances [i]before[/i] any troubles arose. She’d been a bit leery of getting back into merc work as far too many Companies where just thugs with richer paymasters; but the Bloodrose Irregulars had a reputation of being an honorable Company. -- Now having, apparently, passed all of Hector’s tests, she found herself waiting to meet Master Sanada. Her thoughts were broken by a sharp whistle from outside. [colour=6A5ACD][i]Time to work I guess.[/i][/colour] She thought, tucking her book away and adjusting her clothing. Stepping out of her room, she saw the other new recruits exiting their own rooms, nodding to them, she made her way to the living room where Hector was standing with another man who must be her new boss. Approaching the pair, she kept her ‘withered’ arm tucked across her midsection and bowed. [colour=6A5ACD]”Master Sanada, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Isbeil Camshron.”[/colour]