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Ceolfric lurked the streets with little of the determined haste he'd possessed the day before, fur-lined cloak drawn about him as though he trudged through a Draniran blizzard rather than a misty autumn morning. The buzz of aether around him still laid relatively dormant, with most yet to stir from their homes. He doubted the respite would continue for very long, but he also supposed it wouldn't be his problem for much longer either. Good riddance. This town certainly emphasized the [i]Soft[/i] in Soft Haven, but at least he learned Finnagund could barely afford to keep its roads safe. If this job fell through, he might have a career in these lands yet.

The north gate came into sight, and beyond it, a cart he assumed held the red fern shipment. Filled to the brim with product and only a single horse; he'd have stolen such a prize with ease had he a mind to do it. Of course, that assumed the guards were mundane men. He could only hope any threats they encountered along the road would make the same fatal assumption. Cerric had arrived on the scene already, conversing with one Ceolfric could only assume was their client. It was confirmed when he caught a name on the approach - Esvelee - the Buckman girl Aleka mentioned. The Verazian had also made it sound like this was her first time managing the shipment. Whether she'd accompanied a trip before or not, Ceolfric didn't trust her judgement as far as he could spit, which also meant he'd have to be more vigilant than usual.

[color=AA4A44]"I might take you up on that offer, Miss Buckman, if you'd permit me,"[/color] Ceolfric chimed in as he approached, the usual bite in his voice dulled by the morning hour. He certainly wasn't going to haul anything he didn't need to with a cart right within arm's reach, especially when some Misophaes-blessed horror skulked around their projected path. [color=AA4A44]"Ceolfric of Dranir,"[/color] He introduced himself with a dip of his head, [color=AA4A44]"Let me know which direction you'd like me to cover, though I fear the weather might be our first opponent."[/color] Though unpleasant, the bandit wouldn't be cowed by a bit of rain, but it'd be a different story if the cart ended up lodged in the mud. Had he intended to pillage the shipment in the rain, Ceolfric certainly would've picked the swampiest length of road to stage an ambush from, and he doubted he was the most uniquely creative brigand in the land. He'd probably find himself pointing out potential ambush spots quite a bit, if this girl was as green as she seemed.

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