The quaint little town of Esterfell, a small settlement near the towering Jagged Peak mountains. It's population of nearly 200 people is near silent as darkness has shrouded the town, the moon high in the clear night sky. As usual, it is cold in the town, but it would be called a beautiful night by many as the sky is wide open, the stars shining in the pitch black sky, it is almost picture perfect the way they sit motionless above the white capped mountains so high they seem to grow.

The only sound emitting from inside the town is in a small tavern right by the The Spotless Rock Inn, a popular spot in town that at this time of night is active inside. The bar room, a sprawling but simple place, a bar on the right side of the entrance, several stools lined up in front of it, tables all around,a small stage to the left side, currently on it is a large black piano, a short human man somewhere in his forties dressed in all black sits at the instrument, a glass of booze on top of it, his fingers on the keys playing a calming melody for the quiet bar, a few stragglers sit around, a single aged male bartender stands rubbing a mug clean, a pretty bar maiden stands around, speaking with the bartender as the piano plays.

Two men sit at a table, a mug full of ale in front of each of them, they are both silent, either unsure of what to say, or just not want to say anything. Another man sits alone at a table, he is decked out in thick iron armor. The others pay him no mind, the only one who does is the bar maiden who approaches him clenching a glass full of a clear liquid. she hands it to him with a smile as the man raises an armored hand, grasping it from her. With his other free hand he places several coins on the table for her service. With a brighter smile she takes the coins then turns and returns to the bar.

Aldred Mermet took a sip from the glass, he didn't normally drink strong alcoholic beverages but he just needed something to hit the spot, which this drink did perfectly. He placed the glass down on the table, then looked towards the door. This was the right place, the right town, the right spot exactly. The others who he had not yet met, but had been briefly told about, each one, were to arrive here anytime. The second letter they each received about the adventure said the same thing. They knew to look in the Inn for a brown haired, bearded man in iron armor who would be sitting alone at a table, waiting for them. Aldred was surprised he didn't draw more attention, a man in heavy armor in this town of all places he figured would stick out like a sore thumb. The only other people he saw in any form of armor were a couple guards who wore simple leather things with long winter coats. Likely militia, not actual guards. Not trained like Aldred was. He took another sip, eyes staring towards the door as he waited for his new companions to walk through it.

Lucio shivered and wrapped his cloak tighter around his thin frame. That was one of the bad things about being so lean, there was no extra layers to protect you from the cold. It just seeped straight into your core. Flexing his fingers against the cold, the half-elf frowned. It would be hard to play tonight when he couldn't feel his fingers all too well. Well he still had his voice, the cold couldn't take that unless his teeth were chattering. Which hopefully they wouldn't inside the warmth of an inn. But for the first time in a long time, he wasn't here for entertaining others. He was here for business.

Like always, his peace loving self and protective nature conflicted when he received a letter from a group of mercenaries known as the Crimson Company. And unfortunately the stubborn side usually agreed with the protective nature. And thus, here he was, accepting the invitation to join the mercenaries and leave his relatively peaceful existence as a bard behind. At least for the moment. He could always go back to being nothing but a simple bard.

Lucio paused in front of the Spotless Rock Inn making certain that this was the place in the letter. Satisfied that he was at the right place, the half-elf replaced the letter and opened the door. There wasn't much activity inside, or people for that matter. It was a very sad scene for a bar. When Lucio was around, bars were lively and full of singing and laughter. He just might have to change that. Nearly every eye in the place turned to him when he entered. People seemed to just know that he was an entertainer. He just had an aura of fun about him. He stood in the doorway for a moment scanning the room. He found the man he was looking for easily enough. It was pretty obvious who it was.

Before approaching the man, he turned to the bartender and the bar maiden and gave them an exaggerated bow. The bar maiden giggled, but the bartender just scowled, apparently not a fan of Lucio's type. It was only then that the bard made his way over to the man dressed in armor. "I take it you're from the Crimson Company?" He said while taking a seat at the table. "My name is Lucio Freedan, I'm a traveling bard. Though I'm afraid I can't play you anything at the moment." Lucio held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. "My fingers are half frozen from the cold."

Her greasy silver strands swished around her cheeks like an annoying fly, gossamer red thread entwined into the hectic locks. No matter how hard she scrubbed with the grey wash cloth, the blood would not come out of her hair. She had long since brushed her face pink and barely noticeable orange stains were left as the only reminder of the spots of blood that once were. Now she was bent over in the freezing cold, almost tearing her hair out in order to clean it before the first impression. It would be no good to get caught right after a job; the cheating man was quite popular in these parts, or so she’s heard.

Sutton Sipley finally gave up, a rare sight indeed, and stood to her full height. Sipley was not that tall, but there was something hard about her features that made her seem bigger than the average person. The silver-haired woman was just glad that she was left alone most of the time. It was cold outside and Sipley didn’t own a cloak, something she would have to invest in later, if she wanted to survive. She once owned one, but it was torn by a target quite skilled with a dagger not that long ago. The woman wished that his death had been more drawn out to compensate, but the past was the past. It was high time to get moving, anyways, and there was no need to dwell.

When she received the letter, Sipley’s first thought was a flat out no. But with time, she warmed to the idea of stealing from her companions in the middle of the night and slacking slightly while they did the work. Knowing her, Sutton would probably put an effort into it anyways. The meeting point wasn’t so far away, she made sure of that when she took on her last job and had walked the mere hour a while ago. The little town was quiet, peaceful, – Sipley snorted derisively underneath her breath – and all lights were off with the exception of the inn filled with booming laughter. Sipley simply sighed.

The door was pushed open cautiously only after the hard woman had checked extensively around the building to ensure it was not a trap, her job was to kill people after all. She paid no heed to the bartender or the maiden who offered friendly greetings, but instead scanned the room. He wasn’t hard to miss, so she needn’t look as diligently as she did. Stalking closer to him, and his jolly companion, Sipley crossed her arms and leaned onto one foot.

“The name’s Sipley. Are you the oaf I am supposed to be seeing about the letter?”

Rion glanced around as he walked down the stairs, he had rented a small room from the previous night at this Inn which was mostly likely the place the letter was talking about and had stayed for the night. He was lucky to get a room considering the inn was closing down at the time but with some convincing and doing some small jobs he managed to grab a room for a reduced price and two night if he wanted to. But as he was walking down the stairs, he took his time sitting at the top of the stairs looking at the bar, noticing it was more active in the day when he had came here near midnight when it was closing, but he didnt mind much for he was looking for the man with the description in the letter... He had eventually found him along with another person, most likely a Elf or half-elf considering his height and his form. With some time and with careful observation he deducted from the half-elves' hand motion that he was probably a bard.

'So a warrior and a bard. Interesting really, never thought a bard would be invited but anything is possible really. So I guess I better be prepaired to see what kind of people they had recruited.' He thought silently to himself watching the two.

He decided to himself that he would wait until the next several people join in with the other two members before he would join in. Just to make sure that it was the right person of course... So he looked around the bar once again, smiling at barmaid as she passed by the stairs before he began to daze out thinking about what he would be doing if he hadnt decided to go along with this. But it wouldnt do him much good now that he was already here. His fate was now sealed. He would have to continue this out to the very end... He sighed to himself sadly as he had noticed another person coming in but he was still in his daze now almost lost in his own thoughts even right after telling himself to get out of it. That was how quickly he lose focus at times which wasnt a good thing as sometimes dedication was needed for something to be accomplished correctly. And this looked like it would be one of those situations.

Lander Mallory made little noise as he maneuvered his way through the brush. The forest was dark, but the night was clear and his eyes were accustomed to hunting at night, especially under such a bright canopy of stars. The noises around him were familiar, like home. The cry of the stone owls, the river foxes burrowing in for the night and the mountain bats just waking up and taking flight. He loved the time of day when nature changed its stripes, when the inhabitants of the day made way for the rulers of the night. They paid no mind to Lander as he broke through the tree line and into a clearing. The town was up ahead, he could smell the cooking of meat and the burning of wood from the hearths.

He had been to Esterfell before, but always for trading or meeting with ambitious hunters. This was different. Four days ago, he had received a letter. Normally this would not have been a strange occasion but this letter was different. Rather than the normal letter requesting a hunting guide or an order of furs or meats, this letter was requesting his involvement in a group of people known as the Crimson Company. That wasn’t what sent the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

The letter was addressed to ‘Eldon Harcourt’, a name he had never disclosed to anyone all these years. All the memories attached to that name came flooding back to him and he threw the letter in the fireplace and vowed to forget about it. But sleep eluded him, visions of blood and screams of dying people haunted him. He could not escape the prison of his own memories. When he received the second letter, his will was all but gone. He knew that he could not go back to his previous life and that he had to find out who this mysterious individual was and how he knew so much about him. Also, Lander knew that something was happening in the land. He couldn’t figure out what it was but the southern breeze carried a strange air and the animals were growing nervous. Somehow, he knew they were related.

Stepping up to the front door of the Spotless Rock Inn, Lander thought once again about turning around, heading home but he knew it was far too late for that. Stroking his beard and removing the bits of leaves and twigs he walked into the inn. His eyes squinted with the light from the lanterns and the mirrors on the walls. It was a cornucopia of sights and sounds that made him feel uneasy. He immediately spotted the man described in the letter. He was casually sitting next to a thin, well-groomed man at a table. Cautiously, he approached the men.

“I…” he said, clearing his throat. “I received a letter. I’m assuming you’re the one who sent for me. I wanted to tell you in person that whatever it is you want from me, I aint interested.” Lander looked at the skinny man, then back to him. He pulled out a chair and sat down before leaning in close and whispering, “…and my name is Lander Mallory. I think you might have me confused with someone else.”

Caspian twirled one of his precious playing cards between his finger in the bright moon light of the night as he traveled to an inn, were in which he would meet the so called Crimson Company. Caspian wasn't very fond of people who were unaffiliated with anything other than the sea. To him this group would just be another team of land lubber hooligans who probably could not hold themselves in a fight.
Caspian had just got out of jail not to long ago, it was then when he had come so close to death. But he was given another the chance at life, but with a twist. He had to become a mercenary. Know to a pirate the only things that were worth living for were, woman, food, drink, sailing, stealing and freedom. By joining this company as a mercenary, Caspian would lose all that. Not the life that he was willing to live, but that was all he had left.

Caspian finally made it to the inn, he wasn't very excited, but what could he do. He walked up the wooden steps and opened the creaky door. Caspian looked around the Tavern, and was not impressed. Caspian had been to thousands of inns in his lifetime of 9 years, and has seen rocks more fun and entertaining than this place. Caspian closed the inn door and confidently walked up the the bartender, not even looking or making an effort to met anyone in his path as he made his way there.

"One glass of Hard Maple Ale" Caspian said in a gruff voice. The bartender adhered to his request and brought him his Ale. He took a long and large swig of his drink, bringing it down to half with just on swallow. Slamming his glass down satisfied with it, Caspian leaned back and let the the Ale warm up his cold belly. He took a look at round the Inn, seeing many different and diverse faces to his attention. Caspian eyes landed on a man wearing large armor. Assuming that was the man the letter said for him to meet, Caspian just watched him from afar, waiting for him to initiate a conversation with whoever else was probably here for the Crimson Company.

Nyx sat sideways on her beautiful Clydesdale as she count the money carefully under the moonlight while his thick furred hooves trotted against the cobblestone in to the small town. She squealed as she came down to the last few coins.

“Balto, there is enough here to last us all season!” She leaned down and kissed the soft black coat against the side of his neck as he rustled up to meet her nuzzle. She couldn’t help but giggle at their hard work paying off, they would be able to afford staying somewhere with a stable and a proper bed for a while. She wrinkled her eyebrows as she began to look around the town square for the inn that had been mentioned in the letter she received.

She jumped as she spotted it, and lightly kicked Balto in the hips to begin his trot to the building. The night was cold and she could begin to feel the frost creep under her gloves and was happy they had made it there by dusk. She hopped off of Balto and pulled out boysenberries to treat him for his journey, she was going to save the rest for a pie later tomorrow.

She gently pushes open the Inn’s door to see a group of people lounging by the dining, it had been a while since she had been around civilization and her cheeks grew red from how nervous she had easily become around a small group of people. She watched as a few other people had the same type of paper in their hand as they approached another person sitting at their table. She took a step forward but then stepped back, the rain water had smeared whatever name had been left at the bottom. She curved around the tables to the end of the bar and peered at the bottles behind the counter not even sure what half of them were.

“What can I get you miss?” Nyx eyes took their time to meet with the bartender. She opened her mouth but soon realized she had never drank alcohol, nor knew what any of it was called. The look of confusion on her face made the man chuckle and he leaned in. “How about a warm buttered rum? It’s sweet, kind of like a cider.. Just.. be careful when you drink it.” She nodded eagerly, but her nerves still wouldn’t allow her to speak. She simply looked around carefully at the all the people in the rooms, becoming curious to why they look as they do, and where they have traveled.

~

"I am Crimson Company, didn't come up with that silly moniker though, the people paying for the adventure are the ones we owe that to," Aldred said, standing up, his armor clanking around as he popped out of the wooden chair. "The name's Aldred Mermet, it's a pleasure, you seem to be the first one here." He said to Lucio, grasping the half-elf's hand firmly in a handshake greeting. He released the man's hand right as another person he had been told to expect came in the door, this time a silver haired woman.

"Greetings, there is no oaf here, just an old swordsman who can still hack the head off an orc in one swing." Aldred said to her with a smile, "I am Aldred, this fellow is Lucio, the first one here and you are the second one. Welcome." He nodded at her as he expected them to begin streaming in one by one, already getting the feeling he would have to repeat his name at least a half dozen more times.

His eyes caught the glimpse of another person he had been given the description of who was invited to join the merry band of travelers on the noble quest. This one didn't introduce himself like the others, Aldred didn't blame him, he would be cautious too if he was in the same situation. The former vanguard's attention turned to another human, one closer to his age who just came in through the door, then approached Aldred with a nervous tone to his voice.

"No, my friend, it is correct, I was in the same situation as you. I had used another alias, yet the letter I received, one before all of yours had my birth name on it, Aldred Mermet, I was not the one who summoned you into this merry band of mercs. That would be the wealthy benefactors who hooked us all together, their identities a mystery to I as well." He said to Lander, his eyes filled with certainty. "Though, if any of you wish to turn back then now is the time, the only time you are able to do that. If you stay then I can promise danger, horrors and possible death, but with a greater promise of adventure, coin and fame than you could ever imagine." He said, glancing at everyone there right as someone else walked in the door, another man who he had been given a description of, the convict pirate, an interesting fellow who went right to the bar, then after chugging down a drink stayed there. Aldred would wait for him to come over as well. Soon after him another appeared, also moving towards the bar, another described companion.

"The journey shall be fun, that I can promise. When we finish it, you will be greatly rewarded, I can assure you all that, I made sure of it." Aldred said to the people around him, raising his voice just enough so the ones hanging away from the group would hear him clearly.

"Easy there lass..." A short, stubby arm reached around and gently held back his eager elf companion by the waist. "Ya don't even know what building 'yer looking for and I couldn't possibly keep up!" The gruff, tired voice found a little life as a low chuckle sounded. "Oh don't get your feathers rustled, Eargen. I can assure you that I would be fine." The elf looked down at her dwarf friend, Eargen, speaking coolly in a low volume.

"I wasn't worried about ya, Mel. I'm sure ya could handle anything in that town, but that town couldn't possibly handle ya if ya started poking around the wrong buildings." Eargen's chuckle revived again as he shook his head. "I doubt ya would get a warm welcome after that."

"Come now, Eargen, have some faith. You should me a tavern once, I'm pretty sure I could find one again." Melerindalowen, or "Mel" as Eargen had taken to calling her, retorted with a quick playfulness. She politely pushed Eargen's arm away and continued on at an exaggerated slower pace than before. "But if you insist, I will be glad to make the special accommodation for you." Eargen previous chuckle turned into a full on hearty laugh. "Yer an arse, Mel, a complete arse!" The two of them shared a laugh and continued on down the road.

Finally the duo reached the edge of Esterfell but halted before heading deeper into the town. Mel's eyes glimmered with a hint of excitement as she eyed the many lifeless buildings nestled in the dark, quiet town. Outside of the glimmer, she really kept most of her excitement inside. Eargen knew that glimmer, he had seen it many times before while showing her just a little bit of the civilized world. "Alright lassie, the tavern 'yer looking for is right down there with that wall-like shield shape sign hanging right over the door. It has the lights on and people inside. Ya can't miss it. I'll head in after ya but 'yer looking for a human lad in armor, most likely. Might find some other weirdos like 'yerself in there too. You'll know."

Mel sat in silence as half her attention wandered to the different people she was going to see. She nodded vigorously when Eargen was finished and then gave the dwarf an affection pat on the head before scurrying off in a half jog to reach the door. She wasted no time to creak the door open and slip into the lit, somewhat warm room of the tavern. Nobody really noticed her until she tossed her staff that clattered to the floor in the corner with a loud bang and she threw off her bearskin cloak to join her staff in the corner by the door. The disturbed, angered look of the bartender went unnoticed as Mel stared intently at the odd group of people huddled around a man in iron armor. Those must have been her soon-to-be companions and she couldn't help it but a grin plastered her face as she approached with her letter in hand. The man in iron still addressing those who had arrived before her. Despite the man in iron still talking, she slid the letter across the table where the man in the iron armor was sitting and glanced around the group. "I am in the right place, correct?" She said with slightly nervous but an otherwise plain tone, just after the man in iron had finished speaking about something she wasn't paying attention to. She clearly didn't realize she was just a tad late.

Caspian only watched as the iron golem if a man continues to blabber on and stair at the new mercenarys. Caspian took another swig of his drink, finishing the last half of it in one last gulp. He was not found of this group already, but he did not want to be the unless and mean shark if the group, he would have to live and interact with then for the time being. Caspian hoped that this would eventually led him to his old ship and crew, so he could kill them with is bare hands.

Caspian watched as more and more mercenarys entered the inn, so easy on the eyes, some hard to look at without gasping. He was not one to judge, after all, Caspian was not the greatest looking one here either, but looking good for your standards was a must for Caspian. He called for a refill, this time asking for some Hard Maple Gin, the drink if the pirates. After getting his beverage, Caspian took a sip of it, letting it's warmth and dryness fill his insides.

Caspian continues to watch the group, evaluating each and every on if the mercenarys worth just by there initial appearance. Caspian's card reappeared in his hands, once again twirling it in between his fingers. Caspian could take the easy way out, just leave the group. But if that choice was made, the death row charge would no longer be held, killing on sight would be in effect. Not a life Caspian was willing to live. Another choice was to just join the group, then backstab them and robbing them for all they had. That was unreasonable, they out numbered him, and they did not seem to have any large amount of belongings on them, so roofing would be useless and stupid.

Caspian made his final choice by getting up and walking over to the table were in which the team of mercenarys were gathered. Caspian held his right hand out to the iron golem of a man, his Gin in his left. "Aye names Caspian, nice to meet ya." Caspian greeted in a gruff voice with a coastal accent under his breath.

Lucio's accepted Aldred's handshake with a smile. Though he didn't like the idea of some rich guys paying them to do their dirty work. He was here because he wanted to protect people, not make money. He could make enough money playing songs in taverns and inns like this one. It was then that more people began to appear, and soon they had a full table. Lucio examined all the people at said table. They had a rather diverse looking group. Which meant this was going to be either very fun, or entirely business. Either way, Lucio was going to make sure everybody talked to each other at least a little bit.

And there was always singing. Bards could make people open up in three different ways. By playing songs that have meaning to people, annoying the crap out of somebody, or buying everyone a round or two. The third one always worked the quickest, and got the strangest results. But that was a trade secret and something Lucio wouldn't dare reveal to anybody else. A kind, older bard had taught him that trick when he was first starting out. People though bards were just carefree, and sometimes stupid, musicians. But there were a lot of unspoken rules and trade secrets to pick up. Not everybody could make it as a bard.

Lucio's shoulder's straightened as Aldred spoke about turning back now. As much as he loved his peaceful existence, he just couldn't turn back now. Not when he knew people's lives were at stake. He just wasn't that type of person. Though at times he wished he was. It would make things so much easier. He didn't need any sort of reward for doing this. But the money would have been nice, if only for the fact that taking care of an instrument could get expensive. He didn't even dare put thoughts in his head such as if he survived. He was pretty certain that he would live through this. He wasn't the type to be taken down easily, despite his profession.

It seemed that they had pretty much all gathered judging from the size of the group, so Lucio decided to break the ice. "Well!" He said clapping his thawed hands together. "I think this calls for a song!" His tone was cheery and loud enough that everyone in the bar would hear it. He reached into his pack to retrieve his harp, but paused when the bartender spoke up. "Not tonight bard. I've had too many freeloaders lately."

Lucio's smile turned into a fake pout. "Tough crowd." He said, removing his hand from his pack. "Ah well, maybe after we've hit the road. We'll have plenty of time for music then." He was pretty sure he had just earned the hatred of most of, if not the entire, group. Music in taverns was great to relax to after a harsh day. But during that harsh day, it made most people want to murder bards.

Tanure moved through the forest upon silent footfalls, just as the rays of light from the slowly raising sun crept through the branches of the treetops, piercing into the retreating darkness of the night. He took note of the fact his ears did not hear the chirps or the morning song of the birds that normally greeted the dawn of a new day beginning, nor did he hear the chatter of the squirrels as they raced from branch to branch after eachother. From the time he'd taken his first steps, he'd lived in these woods, and could practically traverse the breadth of his entirety with his eyes closed. A skill which for this morning was a good thing indeed, for it was by instinct alone that guided his feet, as his thoughts and mind were preoccupied with things that were once normal, no longer being so, as he headed along the path to the Human town of Esterfell.

Not even the Eldest of the Elven Mages could discern when it had began, but by their best estimations its roots were deep within the ancient ruins near Havenfall, some strange mystical, but eerie like aura that slowly spread like an invisible fog across the lands of Sironde. The animals were the first to sense it, the migration of birds and the herds of grazing animals altered to the point that it had a profound impact upon the Human populations of Sironde that depended on the migrations as a food source. Once the aura had permeated into the forest, even its very essence seemed as if tainted by the slowly spreading aura.

The Elven Mages had petitioned the Council to withhold the discovery from the other races, at least until they had time to better understand its source, but as the reports began to pour in from the Elven Envoys across the land of tensions among the Humankind growing at an alarming rate to the point of stories of of heavily armored beings traversing through the forests, along with rumors of terrifying beasts that were believed to only exist in their folklore being seen as well, the Council decided to make inquiries, but only making contact with those within the highest levels of Human Government that could be trusted.

Which was why Tanure was now a days travel from Esterfell, sent by his Grandfather with a letter of introduction to meet up with the former Vanguard Nikeyrm, Aldred Mermet at the Tavern beside the Spotless Rock Inn. Tanure was familiar with the Human, having been among the unit of Archers of the Elven Army that fought at the right flank of the Humans during several battles of the Scourged war, the Human had made quite a reputation for himself, even among the Elven, which was no small feat in itself. Tanure stopped and paused long enough to drink from a stream of water across his path, then retrieved a piece of dried apple from his pouch and place it in his mouth and started off again, setting a pace that would put him in Esterfell by nightfall.

Nyx’s throat felt dry as she watched the people begin to mingle. The large man suited soon stood and introduced himself to the people around him who held the letters up in confirmation. One woman was being spoken to at the bar by which seemed to be someone close to her. She had on what Nyx would imagine an assassin’s wardrobe, the way it wrapped around her and the long white cape brushed against her calfs. Nyx almost felt jealous that a woman could pull off such an outfit with defined taste. She then looked to her left to see a man in a long cape, with a large hat. She was sure that he was some kind of pirate, yet something drew her to him. She was more curious of the life he must’ve chosen, or whether her stereotype is incorrect. The last one she paid attention to was another elf, his hair was snow white and his eyes were silver like the moon. She found herself drawn to him as well, for her love for the night seemed to twinkle in him. All these people were so exciting, and mysterious. So many stories she wanted to hear, yet she hardly knew how to take the first steps in to meeting someone, sure she should try.

She took one last sip of her rum and stood up. She didn’t have a problem going unnoticed, for some people hadn’t even known she was in the room. She watched the man make his way around introducing himself to the others yet she could never quite catch what his name was or what had been going on. She cleared her throat, and brushed off the front of her dress before making her way towards the busied man. His armor was thick and you could hear the metal rub as he breathed or made a gesture with his hands. His face was warm, and his strength was obvious to its own. It was easy to tell that he was the man to talk to.

She looked around the room at the other unfamiliar faces, some of humans, mostly elves which seemed to bore her now of days. Humans came few and far between from the places she had traveled to so it was refreshing to witness one so close. She tried to squeeze the trembles out of her hand but she only managed to wrinkle the letter even more from its distressed form. She gently placed her hand on the larger man’s shoulder. “Excuse me.” Her voice shook as she spoke and she tried to clear it again while she waited for the man to notice her. “This letter.. It’s from you yes? I am Nyx Pharros..” She lifted the letter which shook in her palm so she quickly tucked it behind her and held her breath, hoping her face wouldn’t change hues but she slowly grew red the longer she stood there.

"Well yes, it is. Welcome, I'm Aldred, it's nice to meet you." He said with a smile to Melerindalowen as he looked at elf, his eyes trying not to glance down at her body which wasn't covered all that well by her outfit. Seemed like one of those more free spirited elves, as long as they could fight they could be of use on the mission. From the horror tales he had been told, he'd need the help. This one was a mage, and mages were always a plus. Out of his eyes he noticed the ex imprisoned pirate strolling over towards Aldred and the group, the man extending a hand. Aldred replicated the motion.

"Same, I've heard about you, your particular skills could prove to be very useful on our adventure." He said to Caspian with a smile.

"In between the fighting I suppose. Great to keep up morale among a group like this." He said to Lucio as he noticied another person he was told to expect to arrive approach him.

"Not from me, miss. All the letters are from the fellows sponsoring this adventure. They're keeping their identities hidden for now, something about it not meaning who they were, just the coin they promise in exchange for our aid in quelling the troubling rumors." He said to Nyx with a smile.

"Aye I'm sure you have, just wanted to affiliate myself with the team." Caspian replied, and with that he grabbed a seat and sat down near the table, but far enough for him to observe them without any problems. Caspian took a look at each and every one of the other mercenarys, they again showed no real stunning differences from one another. Caspian took another swig of his Gin, enjoying the savory taste of dry maple.

He noticed one of the elven women eyeing him once again. Caspian was not fond of the elven, an elven was on of his ships first mates, he was the first one to betray him. But Caspian learned how to forgive and forget, and how not all people are the same since he was just a toddler. Caspian approached the silver haired young lady,"Aye there my lady, they call me Caspian, I'm honored to meet your beautiful acquaintance." Caspian said smoothly, taking her hand and planting a gentle kiss in it.

Caspian had not talked to a lady in months, so his skills were probably rusty. But Caspian easily gained his confidence and smooth talking back that got him his place in the pirate world right know. Caspian looked into her eyes tenderly but with a hint of playfulness, just to lighten the mood.

Her eyebrows burrowed forward with his reply, she was still unsure why she was given this letter in the first place. She glimpsed around again towards everyone who seemed to have an ideal purpose to be some kind of hero, or offered more special quests. But since this man had no part in the letter she decided to keep her uneasiness to herself. She returned the smile and bowed politely to him before folding the letter back up. As she turned to find her seat again, the man in the long cape approached her. She couldn’t tell from where he was sitting whether he was human or elf by how low his cap covered his face and his long hair covered the most obvious pointer.

Her eyes grew wide by the flattering introduction and her face slowly grew red as he planted the kiss gently on the back of her hand. When he lifted his face to look at her again, she was able to study him closer. He had bold blue eyes that could easily be identified under the low lighting of the tavern as well as the plumped lips that were covered by the thick fur of his beard. She could hardly tell his age by his appearance, he seemed young yet wise. Though no human, could ever beat the years of an elf. Which seemed to be a curse as well as a virtue. She hadn’t realized that she had been staring at him without giving him any reply and soon blinked herself back in to the conversation. “My name is Nyx.” She cleared her throat quietly and curtsied once more. “It’s very nice to meet you Caspian.” She opened her mouth to continue, yet she hadn’t come up with something to say and paused awkwardly in place.

Bregil trudged down the road with Faervel poking along at her side. Her grandparents didn't really approve of following the vague letter, feeling she shouldn't get involved in something when she didn't know all the details. Bregil told them that if it wasn't in her best interest she would come home. That seemed to put their mind at ease slightly. She figured they needed a healer, why else would they need her? She had to admit it was exciting, the unknown always is. She picked up the pace.

“Almost there friend,” she said as she scratched Faervel's ears. They had been on the road for two days and she could see the tavern up ahead. Faervel let out a whine in protest at her change in pace.
“Oh come on, the quicker we get there the quicker we can find out what this is all about.” Bregil waved the letter in the air. Faervel continued to stray behind. What was going on was hardly any interest to a wolf. Bregil sighed.

“Wanna race? If you win I'll get you a bone?” Bregil smiled. Faevel's ears perked up and he seemed to have caught his second wind. He began to jump in excitement.

“Yeah, that got your attention pretty quick eh?” Bregil said as she scruffed his fur playfully. “Okay...Go!”

They took off down the road towards the tavern. They were side by side for most of it and just as they were nearing the tavern Bregil took the lead. Suddenly she felt Faervel's head hit the back of her legs, causing her to stumble so he could take the lead.

“Cheater!” she called after him. Faervel reached the tavern first and pounced around waging his tail stopping to let out a howl.

Bregil laughed. “What are you rejoicing about? You cheated. Cheaters never win.”

Fearvel gruffed and jumped on her when she reached him and gave a quick lick to her cheek.

“You think so huh?” Faervel ran to the door and let out another whine. “Alright then if you're sorry I guess I'll get you a bone anyway.”

Fearvel trotted triumphantly into the tavern as Bregil followed.

The tavern was quaint. Bregil had only been to an inn like this a handful of times when she would go on housecalls for her grandmother, but this one was smaller. She liked smaller things. She scanned the room and saw a group of people gathered at a table, that must be it she thought.
Faervel nudged his head into her.

“I know I haven't forgotten,” she told him.

“Oi! You can have that beast in here!” a man she assumed was the bartender shouted at her.

She furrowed her eyebrows. There were always those who misunderstood.

“I mean it,” he continued. “I'm not having anyones blood on my hands due to that thing. I don't care how tamed you claim it is. It's out or you both are.”

“He isn't nearly as uncivilized.” Bregil said as Faarvel growled.

“Oh really?” the bartender mused, “Sure doesn't sound civilized. It or you both, now before I pick for you.”

Bregil sighed. “You didn't have to growl, Faervel it doesn't matter how rude he is. Come on.”

Her eye caught a decent-sized hambone on a plate with some meat still left on it. She grabbed it as she lead Faervel out. He whined.

“I could have probably talked him into letting you stay if you didn't growl at him you know.” She gave him the ham bone. “I'll try not to be long.” Bregil gave him a hug and buried her face in his neck. Turning back toward the tavern, she looked at the table where there were people were gathered. She walked to the table as an elven woman and a man were talking. She hoped she didn't miss much.

“Pardon me, sorry to interrupt,” she said. “This is the meeting, correct? Sorry we're a bit late. We got held up a while, terrible storm. I'm Bregil Lithren,” she said as she outstretched her hand.

"Ah Nyx, a beautiful name." Caspian relied, watching her closely intent on figuring out her emotions as they spoke. She was beautiful to Caspian, but with in glance he could tell that she was an elf . Unfortunately for him, elves were granted life being what humans could imagine or desire. But this did not stop Caspian from continuing his conversation with the lass.
He had planned to try and learn more about her, maybe become friends with her, but them were interpreted by another elf. She was shorter that Caspian with long black hair and a green tunic with a light green cape. She came in the Inn conversing with a furious bartender over the fact that her animal was not allowed inside the Inn. Caspian studied her from afar for a couple of seconds, "So many elves" Caspian mumbled to himself.

Caspian continued to watch her until she came up to Nyx and Caspian herself.

“Pardon me, sorry to interrupt,” she said. “This is the meeting, correct? Sorry we're a bit late. We got held up a while, terrible storm. I'm Bregil Lithren,” she said as she outstretched her hand.

"Aye, this is the meeting all right, and no need to sorry yourself with ms, I'm just a simple convict given the chance at freedom once again." Caspian replied, shaking her hand firmly, "The names Caspian, Sailor of the seas and plunder of precious items" he said, formally introducing himself to bother woman.

Her cheeks were too hot for her blushing not to be obvious. It had been a long time she had been complimented by someone, and as well as that person being human. Even though they all lived in the same world, there was still this thin glass wall that seemed to separate them all, she had encountered plenty of humans who enjoyed elves, as well as many humans who disliked them. She let herself smile freely, showing off an aspect she usually tried to hide. She had thick dimples in the sides of her cheeks that made her look somewhat childish when she would smile to big. "Thank you, I'm very fond of your name as well." She said playfully, her shy demeanor slowly fluttered off of her until someone else had approached and she quickly sunk back in her shell.

The new elf was so lively and animated when she talked, Nyx couldn't help but give her a small smile as she asked if this was where the meeting was. Nyx opened her mouth to ask what the meeting was about but the shock of Caspian's words caught her in mid thought. "Convict?" She gasped quietly to herself. When he mentioned being a sailor she was sure of her thoughts of being a pirate, and tried to scan his wrists for the burn mark he didn't seem to have. Yet his sleeves kept his wrists hidden for the most part. She pulled her eyes away from him and forced herself to look at the other woman. "Hello, my name is Nyx. I'm just.. a girl.. well an elven girl.." She laughed nervously, as she looked back at Caspian to see his reaction to her words, though her being an elf was obvious enough.