It amused Calliope that Kayden appeared to be a cultured and erudite man. In her experience the best purveyors of violence tended to come from the lower strata of society but she had been watching Kayden since he arrived in the region and he and his company seemed as though they would suit her purposes.
“Heavy Cavalry will not be required for what I wish of you, not at first anyway,” she continued. As if on queue the door flew open and a heavily armored man tramped in, plate armor and chainmail clattering. He was tall and powerfully built, with a shaved head and heavy mustache. He wore a black enameled shield across his back, quartered with a crimson rose and three golden rings. A cape of silver trimmed black swished behind him. He bowed deeply to Calliope, a feat arousing much clattering.


“My lady,” he said in a deep gravely voice, then reached into the throat of his armor and produced a rolled scroll with a red wax seal. He passed it to Calliope who broke the seal and glanced over the contents.


“Very good Sir Knight,” she approved, and tucked the paper into a pouch.

“Kayden Caradwalden, this is Sir Otto Van Draken, the commander of my retainers,” she introduced. Van Draken performed a formal bow, his eyes speculative.

“A pleasure,” he replied with the clipped accent of a Riekland gentleman. Kayden stood and offered his own bow before turning to Calliope.

“Retainers, My Lady? We saw no one when we arrived, besides your man of course.” Calliope made an airy gesture to encompass Otto.


“I have eighteen knights with me, men who accompanied me when I was obliged to relocate here from Altdorf. They are just returning now from their own errand,” she explained.


“Is it altogether wise to leave yourself undefended in such  perilous country?” Kayden asked. Otto chuckled slightly and Calliope smiled.


“I am in no danger here, and the errand was one which required my men. I trust there was no difficulty Otto?” Calliope asked, the knight shook his head and poured himself a glass of brandy.


“None lady, though there were some questions about it, legal questions,” he replied, cutting his eyes towards Kayden. Calliope made a negligent gesture as though this was of no import.


“Herr Rutiger made very certain to have everything sworn in front of the Temple Clark,” Otto continued. “He said that if the terms were not fulfilled he would invoke the secular and religious authorities.” Calliope’s smile, already satisfied, became downright predatory.


“Oh I am sure he will,” she agreed enigmatically.


“Now that we have sufficiently established our cultural pedigrees, I think we can move on to business,” she told the mercenary captain. She fixed Otto with a look and nodded for him to depart. Otto set his mouth in a frown but bowed and departed, brandy in hand.


“Knights, so you have your own cavalry then?” Kayden asked. Calliope shrugged as though this were of little import.


“Family retainers for the most part, enough to escort me and look after my needs, but not enough for what I need. I have several tasks that I require, the first of which is to retake a mine that belongs to my family. Silverhill, a rather uninspired name I know.” She snapped her fingers and Mesmer appeared and spread out a map on the table, pinning the edges with an inkwell and glasses. She traced her finger up a road on the map, following the curve of the valley until it mounted into some low hills.

“Greenskins apparently,” she explained, shaking her head in dissapointment at the universe.