Ira followed along with the group, giving a amused smile with Four Swords gave away that he had not heard of Lord Cross, doing his best to fit in with the group. Ira kept close to Noah and Elizabeth, the only two in the group he could consider to be potential friends. After the guard gave his warning to be respectful, Ira glanced down at Noah and gave a reassuring smile, "Don't let those harsh words affect you, Noah. It's all just face." Ira whispered, hoping that his words would calm the child. In truth, Ira had done enough research on Cross to know what the man would do. He probably knew more about Cross than his own guards, possessing knowledge even as far back as when Cross was nothing more than a prisoner of the Castle of Tears. Ira would be careful to keep this secret knowledge to himself, however. Cross likely didn't take kindly to strangers knowing so much about him, and if one man in the world that Ira would prefer not to be alone with -- Cross was that man. However, it wasn't Cross that put a hole in the bottom of Ira's stomach. It was whom Lord Cross chose as personal bodyguards.

Ashley walked idly behind most the group, keeping a distance of a few yards. His eyes darted and flick through the scenery, watching for anything out of place. So caught up in his constant scanning, Ashley forgo listening to whatever the others had caught themselves up in. It wasn't until the guard had stopped to speak to them that Ashley stopped his 360 awareness. Listening to the guard, Ashley wondered just how trained he was. While the army of Vulture's Roost looked far larger than it should for a region as small as it was, it also was largely diverse. Ashley wasn't as lucky as Ira, forfeiting his chance to learn about Gris and Vulture's Roost, but it was no doubt a slave force, although they didn't quite appear to be a normal slave force. Narrowing his eyes to squint up at the highest spire of Vulture's Roost, Ashley could not help but think that the entire meeting was a farce. Keeping himself alert, Ashley continued to scan around, waiting for the unexpected knife or arrow to sling from nothingness to start Ashley's expected ambush.