The pommel strike caused the Serpent to stumble somewhat even through his protection, and the blade held to his neck menaced in the gap between helm and breast. Even so, Saptheth was most glad for the mask covering most of his face under the helm, for though his eyes remained opaque to emotion, he would not otherwise have been able to conceal his smirk and a slight sniff at the royal's loss of temperament and subsequent attempts at threat, even if he'd like the fool to see his reaction. Self-supposed "king" indeed - few others than a Westron royal of unchecked power would have the arrogance to assume, after leading a slaughter and being gifted a parcel of land, only to bring into their halls a member of the very race they had ended after returning "an aspect of dignity" that was never theirs to return in the first place, that they would acquire anything less than disgust from their captive, especially when the captive had no reason to pay fealty to the man in question. By his own race's measure, the king would be the Golden Serpent's equal, at best. And wouldn't it be ever so simple to put a scimitar through his drunken head from this sort of distance...

He was distracted from his darker thoughts by the appearance of what he'd assumed was a dark creature of some sort, but turned out to be merely a Marid, as many languages of the East named them, though better known to the Westrons as "Elf". Or was it Elve? He always found himself mixed up when it came to separating the plural and singular for that term. In any case, the humanoid warned Eorl to remove his weapon from Saptheth, which was done promptly- perhaps a priest or teacher, then? Or simply of higher status for his race, or both as appropriate- before entering a short monologue about, amongst other things, the benefits of not offending one's host. Hah. That, and a mention of something called the Anvil of Aule, which the Ifrit- again a term in many Eastron languages, this referring to what the West called a "Dwarf"- seemed to take a measure of offense to.

Saptheth himself kept quiet until all others seemed done talking, eyes on the Marid for that time rather than the king standing mere feet from him, then spoke once again in his native tongue: '[i]His opinion of himself is high. As is his temper.[/i]' Another moment of silence, then he continued in Westron non-chalantly, saying 'I know not of this anvil, and would appr- ...enjoy the knowledge.' He suspected he'd be force-fed it even if he didn't desire the information, but his interest was up after the Ifrit's outburst.

[@Jbcool][@DrunkasaurusRex][@Vor][@POOHEAD189][@Sigurd]