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It wasn’t quite a crowd, but Lilann felt comfortable as their group nearly doubled in size. She shouldn’t have, of course; for Tainted, more people usually meant more trouble, and emerging from the brush in a mask had likely not done much to settle the others. But that was by design. Mystique was its own form of natural protection, not unlike the bright colors of poisonous creatures, warning off potential predators. [i]‘Observe,[/i] it said. [i]‘admire, but think twice before you do something we may both regret.’[/i] 

It was hardly true, of course, but that was beside the point. 

As they made their way through Snakeburrow, she relaxed. She still kept close to Kyreth—he was the closest thing she had right now to an ally, and she figured the same went for him. He didn’t seem like muscle, in fact she wasn’t entirely sure [i]what[/i] he could do, but that was fine. He was aetherborn, and that too was a sort of mystique. One they seemed to share with others. 

She eyed the boy with shadowy hair, who she had heard named as [i]‘Ermes,’[/i] and who she assumed was his companion, the elf, [i]‘Ei.’[/i] It seemed Lord Mystralath’s business was attracting a rather interesting clientele, or perhaps it was more apt to call them would-be employees. Well, whatever their cause, she doubted they could be as bad as the hedgeman. 

When they finally reached the secluded lake, she halted on her way to the bridge. The man asleep at the gate was likely Jenson, who the orcish woman had warned them not to disturb. Something about answers and spears—not a mystery she was eager to solve, and not one she was particularly worried about. Passing him by shouldn’t pose a problem for most of them. She was slight, as was Ermes, Kyreth was sneaky enough and Ei…well, she was an elf. Elves were quiet and nimble, right? They were in the stories anyway. That only left their brutish swordsman. 

She turned to him, voice hushed but pointed. [color=skyblue]“I don’t suppose you do [i]subtle,[/i] do you?”[/color]