[center][h3][color=C0392B]Rudolf Sagramore[/color][/h3][/center]

[color=c0392b][i]Could you [b]please [/b]be a bit less off-the-cuff when talking about 'burying' this lady? She already hates a third of us, I still think she wants to kill me in particular![/i][/color] he attempted to beam his words into Esben's messed-up brain through raw force of will beneath his placid mask. Of [i]course[/i] the frigid cuts in her gaze over the recognizably Edreni complement within their party hadn't gone unnoticed— He thought poor Robin was gonna freeze over entirely, and had just been playing it cool himself.

He tugged at the high collar masking his face from dust and wind absently, as his eyes flickered between whichever of the assembled group and their envoy from this would-be benefactor. His gear had covered him fairly well all told— that much was the idea. Between the hat, collar, and cloak, that was surely enough to blend in behind the eyes as "some anonymous mercenary", right? He wasn't wearing any crests, his face was fairly obscured, and platinum blondes were rare but you could find them from any one of the five nations at play here. He clicked his tongue and grimaced beneath the fabric as her shift in weight was noted in his head, and a second stock was taken of her armaments. Shortbow. Quiver. Paired daggers. Either all the way in or all the way out, not one to look for protracted exchanges. Explained her attire, light and naturally-aspirated. Explained why she was up here approaching nine as one with an invitation and not a challenge. Whatever she was hiding was behind that smile, not on her person.

He glanced back to Esben. Better assume one or two more hidden somewhere. Could [i]probably[/i] rule out the whole chest area.

He should have played it cool[i]er[/i] and kept his mouth shut, he concluded momentarily. It had to be his [i]voice[/i] that had earned him the "get out of my sight, you disgusting invader" look, so similar to the stony visages of his upbringing. He'd have been roasted by the sun overhead if he wasn't sufficiently covered— of that he was sure. But he couldn't, or hadn't yet thought to, hide his accent. The moment he spoke he'd given himself away.

Her ears twitched, reading sound he couldn't pick up. Maybe a shift in weight, or a conversation a street down... but if that was the case, his goose was cooked from the word "go". She'd pinged their voices before any of them had even felt her eyes on their number. Couldn't be helped in that case but... [i]damn[/i]. Cold comfort. At least Miina was gonna be having a grand old time.

[color=c0392b]"We're going that way regardless. And making a scene here."[/color] he nodded, nothing left to do but live with the situation as it stood. His gaze momentarily floated from the Viera to Izayoi. [color=c0392b]"Push comes to shove, nearly a full day out is plenty of room to find a moment where the quicker ones could get some scouting done ahead of the main if we really wanted to freeball it. 'Trust but verify' and all that."[/color]