As soon as he called her name, she drew her knife and her whole posture changed into something much more aggressive. Rohaan knew it when he saw it, she knew what she was doing and wouldn't hesitate to kill him if she thought the situation warranted it. As someone who spent a considerable amount of time in the shape of an animal, he knew a lot about nonverbal cues. He didn't just know how to read them, he knew how to give them. Still, he always thought Berlin was better at this kind of thing. It'd worked on him, after all.

Rohaan kept his hands up and shifted his weight back, his stance somewhat relaxed and informal except for the edge of tension that lurked under everything else. He had a lot riding on this. He had to get her to Last Vigil. And he thought that he might just be able to drag her by force, but he really wanted to avoid that at all costs. He tried to think: what had Berlin done to him to win him over in their early days together? Rohaan had been a nearly feral child, starved and abused and did not speak the language of men, yet Berlin had not only tamed him, but he was something like a father to Rohaan. Honesty, he thought. Aside from his many other talents, Berlin had always been straight with him.

The shifter tossed back his hood, revealing his own eyes. But he kept his distance, kept his hands where she could see them. "My name is Rheoaan Rohaan Rio Ja'aisen--call me Rio--and I'm the most notorious thief and criminal this side of the sea. Maybe you've heard of me, maybe you haven't. I've done a lot of terrible and illegal things, very few of which I regret, but I've never kidnapped a person, and I've never just outright killed someone without reason. I don't intend to break that tradition today, so calm your waters and stop thinking about how best to stab me.  Long story short, your father has no heirs besides you and I think he must be on the decline or something because he stuck a hefty deal to get me to come and find you for him and bring you to Last Vigil. I don't care, it's not my business why he's so bent on this all of a sudden, but if I fail, thousands of innocent people will be executed and I'm VERY motivated not to fail." Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but let an edge slip into his tone at that. "You don't believe me, do you? I know your mother died when you were very young. I know your father called you Astrid but Lord Durgan or whatever his name is, named you Asharavasti. And I happen to personally know that you have the same eyes as your father, too." 

Rohaan spoke quickly, realizing that at any moment she might be done with him and try to run or attack him. He had to get the highlights, and in his haste he neglected to tell her that the Emperor conceived her during the war with the Centaurs, and that she was the bastard daughter of the Emperor. Frankly, that didn't seem like highly relevant information at the moment. It would be if she took anything he said seriously, but she had to first believe that he wasn't a highwayman with a little basic knowledge. Besides, if someone told him he was an Emperor's bastard, he'd laugh in their face.