Marius was dumbfounded. 

Sigmar had actually come to his aid, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine it would be from some dark haired warrior woman out of the tales. He could smell the blood even above the unwashed, soiled clothing of the dead bandits. It smelled strange, like rust. He saw steam wafting from the wounds, but his eyes did not linger on the bodies. The woman spoke to him and presented his sword before his face. Marius was a smart man, but he felt particularly dumb at this moment. For once he didn't know what to say. 

She shook the sword before him, and it spurred him to movement. "Yes, they uh, they smell like shit." It brought a curt nod and a small smile from the woman. He got to his feet and took the sword, a ribaldo his tilean fencing teacher had called it. Too bad the lessons never did stick. Oh, he was a passing swordsman, but anyone with military or real combat experience was a dangerous opponent to him. He tended to like his chances better than a coin flip every time he crossed blades with someone. He grabbed his scabbard and re-strapped it to his belt, before sliding the blade into it again. 

"Thank you. I honestly thought I was dead or worse." 

"You szought they vould cook or eat you?" She asked with her strange accent again. She was obviously kislevite, and though Marius had never been so far north, he had met one or two of her countrymen before as tradesman on river barges. 

"No, but I would be broke. And I would rather be dead than broke." Marius mentioned, taking his coinpurse and tying back onto his belt. At that, he began searching the men with one hand, holding his nose with the other. Sigmar smiled on him again, for he found a few more krowns. As he pocketed the coins, he turned back to regard her. "If I have no money, then I can never go back home or make a living in Wolfenburg. By the way, I did not catch your name fraulien...?" 

"Natasha Andropolovskya, daughter of the march warden and boyar Adrov of the troll country." She said proudly, her head rearing up like a stallion. Marius was suitably impressed, and any other circumstance would have irked him because she was one of the few people who had a pedigree higher than his own. 

"Marius Schwarz, son of Ludewig Swarchz of Nuln. Of the Gold and Kettle company." He said. "We ship goods reliably and swiftly across the breadth of the Empire." He said with a bow, one hand placed upon his chest. She saluted with her sword in a queer fashion, and he really wondered what had led this valkyrie so far south. 

"Did you szay you ver going to Wvulfenburg?" She asked. 

"Yes."

"Isz that noot szouth oof here?" 

"...yes." 

The last thing he expected was for her to offer him a ride, but he accepted wholeheartedly.