Claus Rotstein had prepared as well as he could. He had gotten hold of some plans for the keep while consulting Alice Rallar, stationed men in crucial positions to easily get to different locations in case of an attack, and also posted a few patrols, mostly to look fancy since it was the lookouts job to sound the alarms should it be needed.
The lookouts were crossbowmen and the scouts, evenly distributed on high grounds along the keep, keeping an ever watchful eye for would be mischievous activities. With a few simple small bugles handed out so every group could call the alarm, and pass on the orders of Claus in the form of rudimentary horn calls.
The main force of the company was stationed close by, in taverns and such and waited for the signal of mobilization should the need arise, they were also going to regularly exchange the guards over the course of the event.
For the inner security, Claus had gotten his personal guard, his most skilled men, and one woman, who all wore the standard gear of the company, but had a few gold trims on their armour and some nice feathers on their helms. Armed with nicer looking halberds and maces, they sure shouldn't be seen as filthy plebs by the fine folks Claus hoped. There was some fifteen-ish people in the "guard", i all truth the steel fist didn't really have a guard segment. There were just some who were more successful than the other troops, and had gotten a few rewards for their hard work. And thus bought some nicer gear with their extra cash to show off.
Since Claus often needed the best in the company on special tasks, and used them as a mini vanguard within the main force led by himself to strike at targets in war, it's nothing strange with the fact that Claus also know these people better since he spends more time with them.
The guard was led by Claus in person, to show that he took this task most seriously. While the whole layout of the guarding wasn't very planned, they kept an attentive eye for problems, and walked straight backed and worked hard to look the part.
Claus himself had made sure to give his armour an extra polish, and gotten a nice small red cape to wear over his left shoulder with some simple silver lining. He also carried all of his weapons and his battle horn.
As he walked around with all the noblemen around, Claus tried to look professional but in truth he had no idea what he was doing. He was a battlefield tactician, not a bodyguard. Sure he had formed a vanguard for a few elven nobles in battle, but a battlefield and a party are two very different things.
Regardless of his expertise in the area, he had no plans for letting any of the people in the keep get attacked on his watch, and as such kept an ever watchful eye and constantly patrolled the party.
None of the nobles struck Claus as pure fighting people, none walked in that unmistakable way of a warrior or a soldier. It was clear that the local nobility was more the diplomatic types. Or more precisely the talk nice and then have you back-stabbed types.
To be honest, Claus was starting to get bored, he helped himself to a drink and took a slight pause while leaning on a table.
There he saw something that stood out.
Claus had seen a few of the nobles with some sort of armour, most carried a dress weapon as well. But none were like this woman he saw now.
The unmistakable march of a soldier, finely fitted full plate armour of intricate design and armed with a.. wooden? greatsword?
Claus was intrigued, not only that women usually weren't the fighting types, but this one seemed to just reek of combat and honestly didn't fit in here at all. Claus just couldn't contain his curiosity, and moved to intercept the woman.
He took a few fast steps dodging a private conversation and a server and managed to get in front, and turned towards her and made a slight bow while addressing her.
-"Milady, would you mind answering a question or two?"
