Lirrah shivered a little as István approached. He was still big and scary, and more than that, Lirrah had seen the [i]zest[/i] with which he inflicted violence during combat firsthand. It was difficult to reconcile Cadmon's words of his wisdom with István's animalistic brutality, but people had different facets.

And István's violence was on their side.

If anyone would enjoy her flasks, it would be a violence-monger like István. Of course, Lirrah didn't enjoy the agonized screams of melting men one bit, but carrying acid covered a critical weakness in her ability to do harm. Heavy armor was difficult to deal with, and so she came up with a practical solution just in case. She was about to hand István the flasks, when Cadmon interrupted. He wanted them for [i]free[/i], did he? Lirrah smiled up at the young noble.

[color=f49ac2]"You appear to have me at a disadvantage, Lord Demet,"[/color] Lirrah said, words sticky like honey cake as she weighed the pros and cons of the young man's suggestion, [color=f49ac2]"truly, you did help me a great deal. Lady Hraesleg will tell you that I do not forget a debt. Though did not know we were friends, I very much welcome your companionship. I am still very new to these lands, you see."[/color]

Lirrah blushed ever so slightly entirely on command, putting her palms to her cheeks as if nervous or insecure.

[color=f49ac2]"It can [i]p[/i]e very difficult for a young Nem woman all alone, without any of her old friends or contacts, you see,"[/color] she recited wistfully, [color=f49ac2]"so you understand, even for a friend like you, Lord Demet, free goods can [i]p[/i]e difficult. It may set an unhealthy precedent for future friendships, [i]p[/i]ut..."[/color]

Lirrah handed her satchel to István, and gave Cadmon a demure smile.

[color=f49ac2]"You may have the rest of what I carry, my friends,"[/color] she finished. The acid and explosive flasks were not cheap, but she had determined that the benefit of a young Lord's friendship greatly outweighed the cost, [color=f49ac2]"and furthermore, if you enjoy my product's efficacy, I will offer you [i]p[/i]oth a 15% discount until the end of the week. They do not go [i]p[/i]ad, so it may [i]p[/i]e wise to stock up. I am confident in its quality!"[/color]

Lirrah was hungry for a negotiation. A [i]real[/i] one. But that was not to her benefit, at the moment. In truth, most soldiers tended to be wary of dangerous flasks. For good cause. They were designed to shatter on heavy impact, so if a soldier was to carry them into battle, they could end up killing him if he got hit. If István made a good showing on the battlefield (which Lirrah figured she could count on), she was likely to get many more orders than the few flasks she carried on her.

[color=f49ac2]"Oh... and do [i]p[/i]e careful not to let the flasks shatter on your person. Try to throw most of them [i]p[/i]efore entering the fray."[/color]

Lirrah was going to warn them about splashing as well, but Kayliss took care of that. She seemed to have used acid before, which was heartening in a morose way. Lirrah felt a little vindicated.

[color=f49ac2]"Yes, make sure there are no allies near the enemies you target. [i]P[/i]ut if a few are clustered together... I have seen acid splash into near[i]p[/i]y opponents' eyes and onto their hands, rendering them incapa[i]p[/i]le of posing a threat. The screams are distur[i]p[/i]ing, though."[/color]

It was something of a gamble. The goodwill she might or might not earn with a Veltan Lord could not be easily quantified at the moment, but if István enjoyed her product as much as she thought he would, she'd probably be seeing some orders by the end of the week.

With that business conducted, an awful taste in her mouth for giving someone something for free despite the benefits she might reap later, she took Roger's order as well.

[color=f49ac2]"Hmmm... I have not yet tasted horse meat. Is it like camel? I will [i]p[/i]ring a variety of spices. Perhaps you would like to experiment, and I would certainly enjoy trying some myself. Oh, and give me any meat you do not use. I will make jerky later, with whatever spices we find that work."[/color]

Lirrah did enjoy trying new things, though she found Veltan cuisine as a whole woefully under-seasoned. If horse meat was tasty, she'd probably try making it in a Nemish style. Or perhaps she'd try combining the flavors of Velt with those of the Nemlands and see if she couldn't create something [i]delectable[/i].