[h3]Lissa[/h3]

[b]“Hmm… strange. From an outsider’s perspective, I agree, it sounds rather engineered. To what means, though? Persecuting merchants or traders is self-destructive, unless you intend to isolate your village and community from the outside world. Either that, or… he’s trying to play to his populace over something that isn’t obvious,” [/b]she decided to offer, voicing some of her thoughts aloud. She was about to tuck an arm under her chest for a bit of a thinking pose when Jolca suddenly stepped over, grabbing her hand. 

[b]“Eh? A bit forward, aren’t you?”[/b] Lissa raised her eyebrow as the other girl more or less began to fondle her hand, although she refrained from jerking her arm back for the moment. Deciding to ignore her question, she instead focused on Ambros’. Were her actions that transparent? Why was Jolca playing with her palm so much, anyway? Checking for a pulse? 

She tapped the girl on her free shoulder with her other hand. [b]“Ahem… Is my hand really that interesting?” [/b]

That little bit of dialogue, however, was cut short when Ambros descended from his throne to approach her. He was a large man, but despite the size difference, the smaller Raam was not intimidated. There was the obvious deceptive strength parity, of course, but enough years of experience had immunized her to such a tactic, despite her bright-eyed, sometimes flustered personality. 

[b]“Hmm… I will, but conditionally,”[/b] she responded, keeping her same stance, although she affected a thoughtful expression as she dropped into her merchant mode. [b]“It’s… obvious that the current situation doesn’t benefit anybody. This de facto embargo on merchants is devastating other villages and communities up the road, without access to vital goods from traders like Mie; I’ve seen it in person. If you can clear the roads for Mie, or other merchants like her, then you’ll also gain the good graces of others in the neighborhood. If you can do that, then I won’t have problems lending the full assistance of me and the rest of the resources at our disposal.”[/b]