DrowsyPangolin

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Alec smirked at the lieutenant's implication. "That depends on what you consider business, lieutenant." Alec leaned back in his chair again, crossing his hands. His eyes glanced around the darkening room. It was clear he wasn't getting any answers out of the lieutenant, regardless of how drunk he was. He wondered when he'd get a chance to see the Scouts in action. He turned slightly, so that he was closer to the fire. The flames illuminated one side of his face, shimmering in his eye and outlining the deep cross-shaped scar on his cheek. He glanced down at his side, to the black iron morning star that was attached to it. It'd been too long since he'd used the weapon. The wait would soon be over, though. He had no doubt it'd be drenched in blood once they set out. Something told him told him the rebels likely wouldn't cow down, especially to a foreigner.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

The corner of Alec's mouth curled into a slight smirk as Milo spoke. Clearly the brandy and loosened the man up quite considerably. Alec leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning up and down the young man. The lord sat his chair back down and spoke. "Perhaps, I'm not really one for formalities though." His voice was slightly faster and less smooth now. His eyes widened a bit, any attempt to hide the bloodlust behind them was now gone. "Well then, tell me about Arcartus. What's it like, what do you think of it? And what exactly is the nature of this rebellion that we'll be dealing with?" Alec spoke slightly quicker now, and with a greater intensity. He drummed his gloved fingers on the armrest of his chair, watching Milo and waiting for an answer.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Alec nodded as the lieutenant spoke. It seemed the alcohol had begun to have an effect on him. Alec walked towards the fireplace, dragging an ornate-looking wooden chair from a table and placing it near the fire. As Milo removed his jacket, Alec noticed his weapons. The lord unbuckle the brooch at his neck and placed his long black cloak over the back of the chair. The removal of the garment revealed what Alec had been hiding beneath it. His crimson vest shown bright in the firelight, and the dancing embers glinted off the hilt of the dagger at his side. His morningstar, being made of unpolished black iron, was merely silhouetted against his side. He turned the chair towards Milo and took a seat, allowing his cloak to dry while they talked. He put his gloved hands together, making the spiked knuckles on his gloves rather noticeable. His figure was slightly darkened from having his back to the fire. "Certainly, Lieutenant Ranier... now where were we?"

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Alec slightly raised his eyebrows at Milo's assurance that he could trust the Scouts. He'd been about to comment on the young man avoiding his question, but was pulled from his train of thought when the carriage came to a halt. He followed Milo out of the carriage and back out into the rain. The sky had darkened, and though the sun was near invisible behind the clouds, it didn't take much observation to realize the day was drawing to a close. Alec entered the building. It wasn't as illustrious as the Branch Office had been, but it had a certain charm about it and every fixture of the wooden building looked intentional and well-crafted. The appearance of the building didn't particularly interest the lord, however. He'd slept on a stone floor for six years, anything was better than that. Alec looked towards Milo with a look that seemed to ask 'What now?' He still had a number of questions, but it didn't seem Milo was very open with information. That was fine, he'd learn enough to do his job, one way or another.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom was a bit surprised by Soah's offer. Up until this point, he had gotten nothing but hostility from the young man. Perhaps there was more to him than there seemed. Regardless, Crom saw no reason to reject the offer. He wasn't one to turn down a free drink, and perhaps it would serve as a means to patch up the animosity between them. He was also somewhat curious to find out more about Soah's ability to turn into a werewolf. He had never seen such a creature in his entire life. Crom nodded, following Soah as he walked down the alley. The mercenary spoke with a more relaxed tone now. "Sounds like a plan." He nodded to Adrian as he walked. "So, did you two make it through the mountains alright?" The soldier took a swig from his wine bottle as they walked down the street.

It was clear Milo had no intention of sharing much else about himself. Alec listened to the young man as he spoke, watching him carefully. He nodded along. "Useful skills to have..." the lord said, before turning his head towards the window. "But tell me, Lieutenant, what actual combat have you seen?" The black-clad foreigner's voice deepened. Alec was not used to commanding foreign troops. He knew his soldiers and what they could handle, but the Scouts were a mystery. The way Milo described them, they sounded to be expert soldiers, but Alec was unsure.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom remained unfazed by the werewolf's retort. "A naked man who tried to tear out my throat moments before." He corrected. He hadn't been thrilled with the prospect of leaving the man, but he also didn't find keeping a man who had just tried to kill him nearby particularly safe. As for Adrian, Soah was probably right, but it was what the boy wanted to do. He doubted anyone could stop him. Crom looked to the ground for a moment. "Maybe you're right, maybe I don't have any honor left." Crom remembered back to his days in Esterl. The honor he'd had as a knight was long besmirched. Maybe hanging on to the memory of his past was pointless. He shook his head, taking a long drink from the bottle in his hand. He spoke again. "So is the boy still w-" His question was answered before he could ask it. He looked up to see Adrian at the end of the alleyway.

Alec listened intently as Milo spoke, though his blankly staring out a window might've suggested otherwise. The Scouts sounded like they would likely be able to handle themselves rather well. It'd take a bit for the lord to get used to commanding troops other than his own. "Good, good. It sounds like you all will be quite helpful." He sat in silence a bit longer before turning back to Milo, who was still nursing the bottle of brandy. Alec's eyes peered into the young man's. It was as if he could see into his very soul. "And what can you tell me about yourself, Lieutenant Ranier?"

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom stared into Soah's eyes as the young man got closer and closer to him, his words becoming more venomous as he went. Crom didn't flinch as the lycan stopped a few inches from his face. Crom shook his head as the werewolf finished his rant. "You look human enough to me, mate. Being a monster doesn't have anything to do with it." He sloshed the bottle of wine by his side. "I won't kill a man for no reason. I may not have much honor left, but I'll be damned if I throw it out the window over another man's sharp tongue." Crom narrowed his eyes at the young man.

Alec followed the young officer out to the carriage in silence. The light rain still poured from the sky. As they entered the vehicle, Milo grabbed the bottle of brandy, taking a long drink from it. Alec observed the lieutenant's action with invisible curiosity. It seemed he really was nervous. Whether it was being thrown under his command, or being separated from his comrade in the Office, Alec couldn't tell. The carriage began it's trek towards the inn. The lord stared out the window for a while before speaking. "So, Lieutenant Ranier, it seems you and some of your men will be joining me for a while. Tell me about the Scouts." Alec's voice was light, but still relatively disconcerting.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom sighed and took another gulp from his wine bottle. Soah was clearly not happy. He remained where he was, but made no hostile movement as the young man approached him. Crom pondered Soah's question for a moment. He wasn't really sure who he thought he was anymore. He was once a knight of Esterl, a man of honor. But those days were long passed. Now he was little more than a wanderer. He looked up at the young man after considering his reply for a moment. "An old drunk. And a traveler, like yourself." He said the words without even a hint of aggression. He was uncertain of his ability to defuse the situation, but he wouldn't go without trying. He took another sip from the bottle. He could feel a faint warmth in his stomach. Crom still made no effort to move, either to back away from Soah or to defend himself.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Son of a bitch, luck would fuck me again, wouldn't it? Crom thought, cursing to himself. He really wasn't looking for a fight. The werewolf had beaten him quite enough already. He watched as Soah bolted up to his feet and took an aggressive stance. Against his better judgement, he decided to try and take the peaceful road. There was the chance the lycan would just pounce on him, but he was willing to do whatever it took to avoid another conflict. He took a long drink from the glass bottle before swallowing and lowering it to his side. His other hand hung loosely at his waist. Because his cloak was back in the room, both hands were clearly visible. Crom made no effort to go for a weapon. Soah spit angrily and chastised him for kicking him out of the group. He knew the decision would come back to bite him in the ass, he just didn't think it'd happen so soon. Crom shook his head at the young man's statement. "No. Actually just was taking a walk." He spoke calmly. The bandage on his shoulder was clearly visible.

"Certainly," Alec replied. He noticed a slight quiver in the young man's voice for just a moment. It wasn't uncommon for people in other countries to be a bit uncertain about him, given his reputation. He wondered just what the young man had heard. The young man looked back to the woman who stood in the hallway. They seemed to both be from the Scouts, if their uniforms were any indication. Alec noted the brief flash of worry on the young man's face. He wondered just what the connection between the two was, but brushed it off for the moment. He had far more pressing matters to attend to. He continued following Milo through the Branch Office and out towards the carriage.

Fire in the West (Freeroam)

Crom nodded as the man finished his work, pulling his tunic on over his bandages. "Thanks mate." Crom said, waving to the man as he left the room. The way the man talked, they'd be doing whatever they were hired to do later that night. Despite his exhaustion, Crom decided the suggestion of a walk sounded appealing. He stood up, steadying himself. He'd have to get used to the feeling of the bandages, but it was worth it to heal more quickly. He walked out the door, grabbing the bottle of wine which he had left on a table in the room. He walked out into the main portion of the inn, taking a swig from the bottle as he walked. He shuffled through a small crowd of people before sliding out of the building through the back door. The thick wooden door opened into an alley, which was slowly darkening as the sun sank in the sky. He took another gulp of wine as he turned to walk down the alleyway, seeking to find Johnathon and Griff. He froze when he realized who was sitting at the end of the alley. Crom stood where he was, unsure of what would be the best course of action. He had no intention of getting in another fight at the moment, but he imagined Soah wasn't overtly thrilled with being banished from their party.

Alec nodded to the officer. "Excellent. We will leave as soon as possible then." He was curious to see just how well-trained these Scouts were. As the Marshal opened the door, Alec followed him out, speaking as he walked. "A pleasure doing business with you, Marshal." Alec still had the same eerie smoothness to his voice. As he exited the office, he noticed Milo standing outside along with a woman in similar attire, who he imagined had joined the young Scout during the meeting. Alec turned to Milo and nodded. "Where are we off to now Lieutenant?"