Hands On Experience, Invitation-only thread

[-Dory]

((Malaya and Halley are npc's))

The sky was clear overhead, a cloudless azure expanse of invisible plains which could only seem to reflect the calm blue waters underneath. The afternoon had been an uneventful one, warmed thickly by the golden orb of light, too far overhead. A few seagulls swept low over the glassy tide, picking their prey from the shallow recesses of the ocean, and spraying water against the tiny ship gliding across it's surface. Those which did not raise with any success of fish, released a series of unhappy caws to fill the air with their disappointment before they simply tried again.

The sailboat moved as though directed by a ghost. No crew manned the sails, and there was no captain to shout directions; yet it stayed stubbornly on course. A single woman paced the deck, breeze whipping her crimson hair over her shoulder and away from her neck, and pulling at what once had been the garb of a priestess like a series of pearly flags; shredded in face of the unfamiliar terrain that blazing emerald eyes navigated now, to leave her legs almost entirely bare, and soaked to the knee. Never once did her delicate hands touch the coarse, thick ropes holding the sails in place, but as she turned her stormy gaze toward them, they did shift. Adjusting to the wind, most of which was synthetic to begin with, for optimum speed.

The younger of the pair stayed seated, crosslegged, atop a coffin-shaped trunk toward the middle of the deck, latched closed with some twenty or thirty heavy locks which rattled with every shift of deceptive wind. Quiet, now, for the first time in a long time, Halley fiddled with a small hand-stuffed doll upon her lap. Golden yarn for hair tickled her fingers as she pulled the needle through the edge of the doll's head again. One of the various daggers hidden within a garb more suited to her pirate heritage than the priestess she had become, pulled through the thread as she looked up at last with a quiet huff.

"I don't think this is what she meant." She raised her voice, sniffing and glaring over her shoulder as a seagull cawed just a little too close to her back for comfort. She spat at it, watching it spiral in terror away from the saliva before she looked back toward her flame-haired boss, reproached before the scolding could come.

"This is exactly what she meant." There was no anger, or even true attention in her voice as she spoke. Distant, eyes elsewhere with her mind; as usual. Halley sighed. Ever since their leader had officially renounced her Regency, some of the flame which had driven her surrogate had died. No longer could they call themselves the Priestesses of Alegrarse; and the fact had struck some of them harder than it had others. For Malaya, it had been devastating. The sisters had long ago come to the conclusion that they missed the scathing temper the woman had seemed to lose track of, but Halley didn't speak on the matter again. The Lady Xanthe's word may well have been gospel, but Malaya's remained law. Even now-- -especially- now, she wouldn't question.

Looking down again, she focused her eyes on a pair of cerulean buttons, knitted tightly against a loosely packed head, and tied off the thread.

"There!" Sudden. Halley nearly dropped the doll as Malaya raced to the boat's edge, fingers grasping the thin railing for the first time. She leaned over for a better view, a grin curling at the corners of her lips as air seemed to rush through her lungs again.

"It's the ship!" She looked over her shoulder, eyes alight and mad with excitement, before she looked forward again. Sure enough, as Halley rose to stand by her side, she could see as clearly. A mammoth in comparison to their own ship, just as had been promised-- they would know it when they saw it, their dinner plates had claimed; and they did; but the air which swelled Malaya's chest choked in Halley's throat.

"Where's Kali?" The younger girl spoke softly, fingers tightening around the doll's head as the unstuffed body lay limply against the side of her leg, and their sails tore away from the boat, pushed toward the larger ship. "I don't think they'll just take us on board..."

Malaya only grinned, let in on some unspoken secret as she watched the sail twist and spin violently through the air, and the single mast crunched and broke apart to drop in to the water behind them.

"Why wouldn't they?" she glanced toward the girl. "We're just a couple of silly shipwrecked women, after all..."

She looked forward again, grin broadening as one started on Halley's lips. "What harm could we do?"

[-Silvermoon]

Oceans were boring. That was the only answer to the question that Mai'Bes had been asking himself all day which was; why was he so insanely bored? There was nothing to do on the ship at all that was entertaining. Swinging from the ropes sounded like a lot of fun but something told him that the captain would throw him overboard which wouldn't be too hard to do. After all he was a measly 84 pounds of stringing muscle at most and only stood at 5 feet tall. A complete foot and 100 pounds short of the captain. The man had a gruff beard and the look of a seasoned sailor as was expected but shockingly the mad had a very large sense of humor. Also had a good chef on board which made dinner the best time of the day.

Sitting on the rail of the ship with his bow on his back the elf decided it would be a good time to just watch nothing. Why watch nothing? Because there was nothing to watch. After having been on the boat for a week Mai'Bes had the routines of the ship memorized thoroughly. The only thing he had yet to do was hunt seagull and the only reason was because they scrawny and wouldn't even feed him. The birds were just annoying and killing one of them was not enough to do anything. The idea of practicing his darker arts had came to mind but the crew was superstitious and likely to throw him overboard if seen so again; bad idea. The previous day there had been some sparring on the deck. Blades practiced to make sure they were ready in case of pirate. This was for the crew's sake but it had not stopped Mai'Bes from joining it. It was amusing to see the young cabin boy's face when his bow cut a scimitar in half at the hilt. That was right, his blade wasn't just for shooting arrows. The front edge wasn't decoration, it was deadly.

However the wood elf's eyes caught something in their view. There was a silhouette out on the horizon of a small ship. No it wasn't a ship, it was boat. Now why would that be out here? Silly peoples. Hopefully it wasn't wood elves or else he would just be embarrassed. Wood elves were not meant to be on the ocean, they were meant in trees. It didn't matter because he wasn't the only one who saw it. Sure enough a voice called out from the crow's nest.

"Ship on the port side!"

All hands scrambled to their posts and the captain appeared next to him, gazing across the sea at the lone craft though his long tubular metal magnifying thingy. Mai'Bes had no clue what it was called but it made small stuff look very big.

"It's a pair of girls lost at sea laddys! Turn to port! Let's go save us some damsels in distress!"

For some reason Mai'Bes had feeling about that one.

[-Dory]

Halley held her breath, fingers tightening around the head of the doll as she watched the larger ship slow. In the distance, she could make out the crew members moving to their port side, beginning to drop their evacuation vessels as Malaya grinned. Nervously, she lifted the doll to her chest, second hand gripping around the body and the plate of metal within.

"They're coming to save us." Malaya glanced over her shoulder, checking the mast's descent before she tore one of the pleats of fabric from her skirt, and began to wave it in the air.

"Help!" Her voice carried over the water, tinged with the desperation that she didn't feel. "Please!"

Halley's hands gripped the doll tighter, feeling letters raise against the surface of the metal under the fabric as her heartbeat began to race. As something collided with the base of the boat, she spun around and raced back for the coffin. She fell over it with the next collision, one hand grasping tightly around one of the locks to keep herself from flying overboard.

"We're under attack!" Malaya cried on, stabilized only by the railing. Another hole blasted through the boat's hull, and they were sinking fast. She looked frantically back again, and then forward, extending the fabric baring arm. "Please!!"

[-Silvermoon]

"We're under attack!" The woman cried. Calling out to the grew desperate for their aid. Under attack she claimed? Well there was a funny thing about that. Mai'Bes didn't see a damn thing. There was no other ship firing arrows or cannons or whatever it is they had at them. There were no giant tentacles trying to drag them under the waves into the abyss below. Tentacles, some reason that made him laugh a little. Wait he didn't even see a shark fen. What the fuck was attacking them? The seagulls?! Well damn those birds were getting really fucking ballsy then! However this fact must have gone unnoticed by everyone else. Yup everyone was running around screaming about needing to save the two girls in danger. What fucking danger?! He wanted to scream however all he could do is hold back the tears of pity he felt for this ship full of idiots.

"Why am I surrounded by idiots... " The wood elf grumbled under his breath, disbelief evident at his surroundings. The captain glanced at him but the elf shook his head confusion feigned but believable on his face. The captain grumbled then motioned to the others to move faster. Sure enough in minutes they were upon the girls and their 'besieged' vessel. Sure enough he still didn't see any sharks or monsters or pirates. Chuckling the elf disappeared up the ropes to the crow's nest while they brought them aboard. The ladies looked different then most he had seen but hell, at least they weren't wood elves.

((sorry for the shortness. Next one will be better))

[-Dory]

"Oh thank you!" Malaya cried as the men drew near to the boat, catching on to extended arms and letting them pull her from the sinking ship. "Thank you, Thank you-- I don't know where it came from, I--"

She looked over her shoulder as another blast crunched through the ship's base, nearly splitting the damn thing in half. Halley let out a howl of a scream, clutching desperately at the lock the size of her palm though she swayed, nearly knocked off of the coffin's surface entirely. The terror in her eyes was palpable as the boat began to bow, and the coffin slid across the deck toward the sea below.

"Halley--!" A name caught without breath in the redhead's throat. She spun around entirely, reaching desperately for the girl's hand. "Let go! Reach for me!"

The girl shook her head sharply, though tears began to edge at the corners of her eyes as she tried to pull herself back up. She managed to jam an elbow between one lock and the coffin itself, and used the leverage to pull her toes from the crystal clear water below, but it was no use. The mammoth of a coffin slid further with her struggle, and she fell still, eyes wide as she pressed herself against it, clinging for her life.

"I can't!" The younger girl sobbed, and only held on tighter. "You know I can't!"

[-Silvermoon]

Now this was getting annoying. Men were running to and fro and ropes were being thrown over to help the lasses. The crew began to board the ship. Most converging on the smaller of the two and the coffin she was on. Now she was about to slide into the abyss below when a man grabbed onto the front of the coffin pulling away from the hole in the ship. Smirking Mai'Bes watched the show but mostly he watched the taller one, the red head. Now something just didn't seem right with her. Their story was full of holes and so was their ship. Now if he were someone who was sly the elf would probably try to figure out a way to give the girls a chance to become more... honest with everyone. After all it was not pleasant to lie to your "saviors". However again the Captain was of the lot that liked to throw off anyone who seemed to be a curse. So revealing a potential spell caster.

At this point they began to pull the coffin to safety and the young girl along with it. So they were to be saved by the ship Mai'Bes was on then what? Was there a plan or were they merely seeking free travel to the next city? Hopefully soon Mai'Bes would find out. After all they were more or less in safe hands now right? Next move would be the ladies. If they made a mistake however they would find that a bow held by a wood elf was deadlier then any force on earth or heaven. Chuckling he strung an arrow and waited. Now girls don't mess up or else the first bolt would be the red head's ticket to the afterlife.

"Come on lasses... get on board... I'm tired of seeing you two play pretend..." Mai'Bes whispered. "Just get on board and let the good ole captain show you to quarters. When he does I'm having a look at that coffin for I don't think I'm sensing any death amongst your ship"

[-Dory]

Malaya withheld the smirk that came as the initial reaction to the whisper's threat, pulling Halley forcefully from the coffin as they found themselves on the safer deck, and making some quiet effort to pull her in to an embrace, which the younger girl stubbornly refused. What fight there might have been on the matter, though, was kept silent. Barely even notable, as the girl moved stubbornly back to the coffin's side.

I think we've found our man. A whisper for Halley alone, and the girl tossed a quick glare over her shoulder as she set to checking the locks. All twenty seven of them, each of a separate design, were undamaged. Their keys had been melted down before the pair had even considered leaving the haven which was Alegrarse, but the younger girl still wasn't quite convinced that the measures reached far enough to suit their purpose; and she sure as hell wasn't sure that Malaya's methods had anything to do with much of anything which might have helped them.

"Thank you, sir." Ignoring her entirely, now, Malaya turned instead toward the captain, ringing her hands before her stomach as she looked nervously over her shoulder. "I don't know what we would have done without you." And it wasn't a lie, not by any stretch of the imagination. "My name is Malaya. This is Halley. We were priestesses under the Lady Regent Xanthe's regime over Alegrarse."

Here, she paused; emerald eyes flickering for just an instant-- upwards. The mischief did peak, for just an instant within those eyes as they focused on nothing in particular, but she looked, just as quickly, back toward the captain again. "The Lord Marquis has since resumed control... and so we flee."

"We're trying to meet up with her." Halley intervened, patience for games sheered away when her life and the life of the operation had gone at stake. She strode away from the coffin to step between the pair, arms crossed over her chest as though as a thin veil for the fury burning just barely under the surface. Malaya may have had all of the intentions in the world of playing it safe, but as had just been displayed, her version of 'safe' wasn't exactly one that the rest of the world-- much less their lady-- shared.

"She was taken prisoner by the Aesir, months ago; but we have reason to believe that she's escaped, and is alive and well somewhere in Ardania."

"Halley!" Malaya gasped, mischief dying in to anger as she turned toward the girl, but she just kept on talking.

Never had the Lady lied to them. There was no reason to believe she'd have had them start.

"She's sent word." She pushed on stubbornly. "That the Empire may bow, Alegrarse may bow, but the Silver Falcon and her Flock will not."

"Halley!" This time, Malaya turned, shifting to grasp at the girl's arms, but she was quicker. A simple dodge, and the older woman fell with her own momentum to the deck.

"We're in the middle of the fucking ocean, Malaya, I don't think the Aesir are going to hear us." Shaking her head, she looked back toward the captain, and seethed, "In that casket is the corpse of the First Sword Archivad Covenant; the first of three who tried, and failed to clip our wings and silence our voice. It's a... gift, for the Aesir." She paused, eyes moving further over the crew as she sucked in a shuddering breath.

"So my question to you, gentlemen," She looked over each one carefully. Not pirates, but she hoped they would appreciate the straight forward nature of one, if only for as long as it took to get to Galam. Now that Malaya had done a wonderful job of taking away any of their alternatives-- and not the crew's-- everything was on the line. "Will you help us?"

[-Silvermoon]

"Hell no!" Mai'Bes yelled out, having listened to everything said. His eyes glaring at the two women. His string drawn taught and his shot lined up on the two girls. Yes he was aiming at both at them, the buster arrow was a beautiful thing. If he wanted to hit both of them it would not be difficult. Just needed to aim in between them and if the elf had his timing and distance on the shot right which he was rarely wrong. If he aimed just beneath left shoulder blade of the younger one. When the arrow broke apart the the smaller shafts would spine tap them both with the large arrow breaking through and possibly puncturing the lung.

"Why the hell would we do this?! Come men, think! What could they offer us to make us want to help a small 'flock' yes lock was the word right? Help a flock of what are you? Concubines? Trust me I've been around there is no such thing as a 'good looking priestess'. I say we return the body to it's people, let it be honored like it should be and let the Empire use these women for they see fit. I bet they're willing to pay much much more then anything these women can offer! Prove me wrong!" Mai'Bes smirked the entire time as he spoke. His eyes had a coy mischief in them.

Now there is something one needed to know about working with Mai'Bes, he didn't like liars. The wood elf was always honest and expected it in return. Could call it a product of his raising but it made him honorable he supposed. Poised and ready for the girls to make any move. If they so much as made him sense a danger he would let his arrow loose and they probably couldn't tell but while the arrow was drawn a clear but potent liquid had run along the shaft and over the arrow head. Call it insurance but Mai'Bes believed in getting the job done right.

"Now girls why would I- we want two help two murders. Or are you assassins? Does it matter... " Chuckling a moment, Mai'Bes kept his bow trained on them. "Also care to explain your ship. I still have yet to see this 'faceless attacker'." The wood elf's tone was cocky, mocking them.

The men of the ship hadn't moved but watched both sides with keen interest. Some looked at the coffin with a renewed curiosity. One or two men took a half step closer to it and others placed a weary hand on anything close to them that could be used as a weapon. The name Xanthe was unknown to Mai'Bes though it might have been known to the sailors. The wood elf kept his cool during the situation. The gruff voice of the captain broke the silence.

"Put the two girls in their own rooms. I want two guards on them at all times. Put... this" The captain kicked the coffin with his foot. "somewhere it won't be lost. Until I decide what to do with our two new... guests. No one is to lay a hand on them... especially you elf" The Captain's eyes matched Mai'Bes' gaze but the elf just smiled it off.

"You know me Capn'. I don't fist fights... " With that the elf eased the tension from his bow and put arrow in his quiver but his eyes didn't leave the two women for a moment. "I just hope you don't make the mistake of letting these two free... it's all our necks on the line if they do something stupid..."

"Silence Elf!" The captain glared before smiling politely to the girls. "If you would please... " He motioned to the stairs below the deck.

[-Dory]

Halley's eyes twitched upwards as the estranged elf started on his tangent, irritated, but not intimidated by his display. If he had the desire and the option of killing them, he'd've done it long ago-- besides, being a part of the flock meant that she was never truly alone. So long as there was metal somewhere beside them, they had nothing to fear.

The Empire is dead. Their entire populace was massacred or enslaved during the second battle of the great war-- or have you been living under a rock for your entire life? She sent the whisper as Malaya picked herself up off of the deck, but followed the captain in cooperative silence.

There is no name for what we are; but don't worry, I won't call your bluff in public.

Silently, resentfully, Malaya followed the group toward the bowels of the ship, eyes flickering this way and that as she made a mental map of every step taken.

And his life wasn't taken by our hands; but by hers. Please feel free to direct your questions to the proper source.

((Short post. x.x))

[-Silvermoon]

Mai'Bes kept his smile the entire time as this pathetic voice filled his head, telling him off as though she was superior. Girl was a fucking child and she acted like she was a grown up. Fucking adorable by all standards. Already she was annoying, must be the hormones. Made him half wonder if there was a rag forced up anywhere to stop from any certain red colored liquids from dripping onto the deck. It took a lot to stop him from just laughing at her.

"Girls... meh just a pair of harlots that spent enough time in a rich bed to make them think they're better then everyone too. How much do you think a brothel would pay for the young one? I bet she'd make a lot of customers..." The elf watched the stairs where the two had disappeared below before turning his gaze to the coffin. "And the coffin, if that is indeed the first sword of the empire... I still say we return it to the lands to whom it belongs. Empire 'destroyed' or not. It deserves a proper burial, not to be a trophy for those zealots in the Aiser."

The man who stood next to him in the Crow's nest looked at him. A graying beard on his face and sun baked cheeks. His hair was wild, kept only in place by the bandana upon his head.

"I think you expect the captain to side with you but you have a point, the bodies of the dead deserve proper burial. However the empire is destroyed and I doubt the captain be of mind to turn back after a week at sea..."

"I hate it that you're right... I still say helping those girls will get us all killed. I don't think the blades of the empire are quite so dead as believed. There are always those that survive and those are the deadliest and they will be the ones that will appear from the darkness to extract vengeance."

Below the captain and a few crew members marched them to the first officer's cabin. It was nicer then the average crew's quarters but not overly large and with only one bed. The two would have to share if neither of them wished to sleep on the floor. However while this was going on Mai'Bes had dropped to the deck and was now bent over the coffin. Running his hand along the top while looking at the locks. He could get past those easily. Somehow he had missed the aura only a dead body could provide coming from the box, it must be the sea air. Glaring at it, he glanced to the side of the ship. Tempted to just kick it over board and give it a sea burial. On the edge of hearing he could hear the crew discussing the girls. Most wanted to aid them for whatever stupid reason. Stupid humans, those women were bad luck if not worse. It'd be best to be free of them, by either slavery or death. However he was probably the only one who thought this so it wouldn't be worth it to try to pull it off alone. However this coffin held the body of the first sword of a fallen empire. Who had felled him and how did they do it? Those were good questions.

[-Dory]

((A few hours later))

Halley paced the floor of their shared champers, doll still held tight in her fist and swaying violently as she moved, fury steaming underneath of every step. There had been screaming, but all of that had long gone quiet with the Captain's announcement that they'd be allowed the night.

"Why did you have to break the boat?" She seethed quietly, eyes turning sharply toward the redhead seated neatly on the corner of the bed, arms swinging with every heavy step. "If you hadn't've broken the boat, we wouldn't be -in- this situation! Where are we going to go tomorrow, Malaya, where?"

"I was..."

"If we had just told them the truth to begin with, they might have helped us!"

"We're asking them to smuggle us in to Aesir territory." Malaya sighed, rubbing her forehead, "With the body of a war criminal."

"And they deserve to know it as much as we deserved to know what the Lady had planned for us when she took Alegrarse." The younger girl bit sharply, "She told us."

"I had to test them, Halley. Only one of them realized that we were faking--"

"-You- were faking anything?" The younger girl finished the statement and slowed to a stop, crossing her arms over her chest. "And he's the most ignorant, infuriating--"

"Appropriate--"

"Go fuck him then!" Throwing her hands up in the air, Halley sighed and spun to sit beside her sister on the bed. Covering her face with her hands, she sighed, and shook her head. "So how are we going to do this?" She questioned lowly, trying and failing to pull the rage from her voice as her hands dropped back to her knees.

"We're not." Malaya answered quietly, calmly. "The Lady will. We only need to guide him to her."

[-Silvermoon]

Blinking awake in the heart of the ship, Mai'bes heard a racket at the tail of the vessel. Someone was happily yelling about something. They were certainly doing a good enough job of waking him up though in their defense Mai'Bes a very very light sleeper, a product of living in the wood. Groaning the wood elf climbed out of his bed and flopped onto the floor drowsily. It was off the ground, he had forgotten that it was raised off the floor a bit. Fucking hammocks he grumbled then got up on his feet. The wood elf wasn't wearing a shirt, just his pants. Making sure his bow laid on his bed, he nodded and stumbled slowly down the hallway. His walking slowly improving the more the blood began to flow through his body and sleepiness wore away. The noise of a young girl ranting was helping fight that off.

Finally he was at the door and the wood elf nodded to the two 'guards'. One was asleep and one was halfway between ready to butcher the girls and wanting to sleep. Chuckling he patted the one that was awake happily then knocked on the door.

"Room service, we are having many complaints about loud noises, ja. If you wish to do things like zhat you are going to need to bite your tongue or fingers ja. No loud love making aboard ze shippah. This is not the HMS love nein... but if zhere is anyzhing else I be happy to help ja" The elf's accent was coy and mocking but got the point across of "Shut the fuck up".

Chuckling he ran a hand down his chest to bring some light warmth to his chest. Feeling the lines of the blood ink tattoos that ran the course of his entire torso, upper shoulders and legs. Smiling he began to turn around. Maybe now he could go to bed.

[-Dory]

"Room service, we are having many complaints about loud noises, ja. If you wish to do things like zhat you are going to need to bite your tongue or fingers ja. No loud love making aboard ze shippah. This is not the HMS love nein... but if zhere is anyzhing else I be happy to help ja"

"Oh that is it!" Fury renewed, Halley lept from the bed to storm for the door, hands already balled in to fists before she had ever drawn close, but Malaya managed to catch her wrist and force her to a jarring stop before she could do anything stupid.

You think you can handle this? She questioned silently, and the younger girl scowled, ripping her arm free.

You think you could be more of a bitch? She retorted, and sighed, taking a moment longer to glare at the woman before she spun toward the door and sucked her breath back in.

A moment of silence, and she'd have wagered her life savings that the lazy git was on his way back down the hall, probably in hopes of getting more sleep. Fat chance on that one. She pulled the door open, and stepped outside.

"How does 'more gold than you can carry' sound?" She called down the hall as she crossed her arms, doll hanging limply under one elbow. She gave the words a moment to sink in before she began to move, taking long, slow steps toward him. "Maybe you'll get lucky. Maybe she'll give you a golden carriage to carry it all in, too. She's a metal alchemist, after all. Not like it's costing -us- anything."

Slowing to a stop, she sucked in a deep breath, and extended the doll baring arm as she looked quite pointedly away.

"I don't like you, for the record. You want the money or not?"

[-Silvermoon]

Stopping mid step the wood elf turned slowly to gaze upon this short girl. She was young though her body was almost fully grown. However he did not know much about the human life span or development. However she could not be any older then he. Chuckling the elf shook his head.

"I'm sorry? Are you trying to hire me for something? I'm sorry but I'm not a 'man for hire'. I understand why you might be attracted to me and I assure you. I am a good time but I think you might be a little young to be hiring men to bring to bed. Now if you were wanting me to do something not quite so creepy or possibly do something worth my time... I'm all ears. However... this payment you're offering... hmmm" Walking forward Mai'Bes passed her by and walked in the door to join the ginger.

Looking at the young one he motioned for her to join them in the bedroom. His eyes serious and his fingers rapping on his leg in the beat of some distant nation they probably didn't even know of. The light of the flaming candles made his tattoos dance on his body, moving to and fro on his chest and back while the shadows played on the floor.

"If you're serious... let's talk about this in private... For the record... I don't accept jobs without knowing the details first and for another thing: Why would I give a damn about your feelings for me? I'm sorry but I have no interest in bedding you so I hope you're not going to try to hire me for that one... "

[-Dory]

Halley let him talk, and talk, and talk away at her with a quiet look of irritation, arms crossing over her chest as she cocked her head to one side, and watched him move to pass her.

Turning on her heel, she followed him briskly in to the room and closed the door behind her as Malaya rose slowly.

"She takes you to be the same as any other on this wretched planet." She answered smoothly a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Someone who likes shiny things, which buys them shinier things."

She paused, emerald eyes shifting slightly to watch as the younger girl's hand hovered over the doors edge-- filling the cracks and keyhole with the soft blue energy of protect; and her smile grew ever so slightly. Her eyes turned back toward Mai'bes.

"We don't know all of the details, ourselves." She looked away, directly past him and toward the very small table which graced the edge of the room. A moment, and she began moving-- long, purposeful strides which brought her across the already small room in seconds. "Our group answers directly to the lady. Individually." Drawing to a stop before the table, she lifted the ornate metal mirror which hadn't been there before their arrival, fingertips brushing over the iron curled around the glossed surface. "And so we are instructed, individually; in such a way that even the Lady has no way of knowing precisely what we'll do."

"The role we have in mind for you, though," Halley turned around, "Is actually very simple. You get in to Ascantha, you survive, and then you get out. Think you can handle it?"

Laughing softly, Malaya lay the mirror back to rest on the table, and looked over her shoulder. "It's a little more complicated than that, I think." She pointed out lightly, "If the Lady wants to see him first."

[-Silvermoon]

Part of him was offended of course, to assume he'd do anything for money was just insulting. There were standards involved, there were rules but there were prices. No Mai'Bes would not kill a child, no Mai'Bes would not kill a woman (without good reason) but there was a lot Mai'Bes would do. This job seemed a bit too easy for his taste but then again the wood elf had yet to get the full story on what to do. Chuckling his eyes looked them up and down to size them up then just shook his head with a light chuckle.

"Details ladies, details. I need to know exactly what I'm doing if I accept this job and I need to know what the payment is. Believe it or not I DO have a rule system in place and if you break it I don't do the job and if you break it while I'm on the job, then I break you... thoroughly."

Smirking lightly the tiny elf sat on the bed and looked around. These two women were go betweens for this 'lady' nothing more. It was always nice when clientele were so devious to seen these sort to him. Meant nothing could be trusted, especially payment. Cracking his back lightly, he felt his spine pop in two or three places and the immediate release of tension. Much better. Running a finger along his arm to feel the muscles though his arm wasn't very bulky, he grinned. They were growing soft, not soft to another's feel but they weren't quite where they usually were. The trip was getting to him.

"Get your lady to me and quickly... and have her fill me in on the details... then maybe, just maybe. This elf will be your's. However payment is at my discretion not your's... so please stop making the comment about shiney things... non shiney works as well. Can you handle that darling?" The last bit was more directed to the small one, the moody one. "Now if you need any cloth like objects for any... woman problems.. I'm sure I can find you a piece of linen somewhere..."

[-Dory]

Malaya grinned softly toward the mirror and tilted her head very slightly to the side as she lifted it again, watching the going-on's behind her through it's ornate frame. Halley was absolutely livid-- bicep's twitching, fingers tightening in to a fist around the Xanthe-doll's neck as she fought every instinct to move that grip to a more rewarding location. The redhead was anything but surprised. She was a good girl, and a better agent-- but she was still so very young. Prone to jumping confidently to conclusions without so much as a glance behind. One day, the habit would prove to be one of lethal brutality, but at the moment it was little more than a source of amusement, however adorable.

"If she could meet us, don't you think she would?" Halley snapped, turning her gaze momentarily upwards in a silent bid for patience. She was quiet for a moment as slowly Malaya rose to answer her prayer. She crossed the distance between them quickly, and as the younger girl's grip loosened, she pulled the creation from her grasp to turn toward Mai'bes, examining it as she moved toward him.

Though primitive in it's make, the likeness to the woman it represented was almost astounding. A black stitch marked each thick eyelash, cerulean buttons that gleamed in the light, for eyes. Gold and brown and black was her hair, buckled black and white straps criss-crossing over her stomach precisely as she remembered. The doll's pants even had pockets, weighted with tiny representations of bolts. Beyond the stuffing, she could feel the plate of metal which had become of what once had been a large iron key. Through the cotton, she could almost feel the raised lines of blocky letters, but she couldn't tell what they said.

Coming to a stop, she extended the doll toward the elf, letting it hang by one metal-boned arm. "She has her ways of communicating. The details are in here, but taking the doll doesn't mean you're taking the deal. That's between you, and her; and none of our business."