[h3][color=44833C][b]STUR[/b][/color][/h3]
__________

Stur scratched a bit at his beard. He knew that by turning her back on him so pointedly, the half-elf was trying to wound his pride. Despite that particular bit of knowledge, he still felt himself rising to the bait, the words of an equally biting reply forming somewhere inside. Reluctantly, he clamped down on his tongue. The only thing that mattered right now was the mission, the the coin that came after. He needed that reward, needed it more than he needed life itself, and so couldn't afford to drag things out any more than they already were.

He let out a long breath, still watching the half-elf as she leaned threateningly toward their masked guide-to-be, dispelling both the eager banter on his lips and the last remaining bit of mirth he had in his system over the situation in the first place. The elf - Aoné - introducing herself as a barbarian nearly started him up again, but Stur held firm, his face once again carefully composed.

He listened to the introductions once more, names starting to become more familiar to him this time around. Solveig, Imalessa... the one that perpetually looked like she had swallowed a lemon was called Brynan. So she [i]was[/i] in the king's employ, after all. 

[i]And there it is: the shame, the frustration... the helpless, hopeless anger.[/i] The aging mercenary was all too well acquainted with feelings like those. He nodded just slightly to himself - he couldn't bring himself to care much, but he felt like he understood a bit better now.

Gentle had moved off to talk directly to the huntress, Imalessa. Stur felt it was time to say his piece, again. He moved a bit to the front of the group, back in the vicinity of Nathaniel and Brynan. 

"Stur Stonetalon. My business of late is mainly breaking stubborn heads. Though," a quick glance towards the bull and the dragonborn, "looks like I've got some decent competition there. Fortunately for us, I'm a bodyguard of sorts, just like our Royal Protector here. I can keep the less... sturdy among us out of harm's way, if need be."

That's not all he could do, of course. But that's all these few needed to know, for now.