"Alright, you know the drill," Asher announced to the group before him. There were eight of them total. Asher was the proud leader of them all, an ex-knight in fact. He was a knight of the previous king in a far away land, but that king was dethroned and with Asher being among a few loyal members of the previous throne, he was kicked out. He would have been executed, had he not planned the escape of him and his king. The king, supposedly left him after they entered the new kingdom and the ex-knight has had no contact with him since. Still, the man didn't keep any secrets from his crew, they knew the story and they knew everything about him. He knew it was always better for a group of people to have no secrets between them, it made him a more trusted leader. At least, he thought it did. He didn't really mind if the others had their secrets they wished to hide.
"I already pointed out where we're setting up camp for the night on the way here. You'll all be splitting up to look for jobs, I want actual contracts and half paid up in advance. You need to be back to the camp site at sunset," Asher continued to go over the rules for their job hunt this day. It was like listing it off from a piece of paper, he had said the same rules a dozen times. He still did it, either out of habit or to remind everyone that the rules have not changed. He did keep a tight hold on his crew, and that was one of the reasons the group was so small. Asher was strict, and he made sure everyone knew he was the boss.
After the rules were listed, the ex-knight gestured towards the city to the other seven members. "Go, have fun. I'll meet you all back at camp," He finished it off. He knew that most of them would spend the last part of their getting the contracts they needed. It wasn't too often they were in the city for anything other than work. Plus, if it meant that he didn't have to go into the city himself to look for jobs, then he was fine with letting the others have their fun. He knew that they worked hard and that they had their own money to spend, so it was good to let them have their relaxation. Plus, it gave him time to relax alone as well. Even if he did have to spend his time setting up the entire camp on his own and taking care of their supplies.
Most of the crew was gone the moment they were given their chance to leave. They didn't stay together very long either, they all had their own interests. Some of them wanted to take a look at new weapons and clothes, while others wanted to eat something that they hadn't hunted or cooked themselves. They spent their day how they saw fit and did what they thought was a good time to spend their day.
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The sun was overhead, when the elf walked into the tavern. There were a few looks as the girl walked in, and a few conversations that stopped in their tracks to get a look. Some were trying to figure out if the girl was actually an elf, and were curious as to why an elf was even walking among the other races. The elf managed to keep her head down and just slowly made her way over to the bar. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she definitely didn't have anything on her that would actually pay for a meal or a drink. That's what she needed.
The man behind the bar stood before the elf and waited for her to speak, though it seemed as if the woman hadn't noticed the man at all. Her eyes stayed down on the table, either to avoid eye contact from all the others, or out of concentration on what to do next. It was a little bit of both. She had never been outside her city and now she was afraid. She had no idea what to do or where to go. She had nothing of her own. She was just stuck with the clothes she had on.
She looked up in shock when she heard the old man clear his throat to get her attention. "You here to order something?" The man finally said when he realized he wasn't going to get an answer from the elf. She blinked a few times and then looked back down at the bar. She wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't pay. She looked back up and opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. "Do you speak?" The man questioned, clearly getting agitated.
The girl nodded, "I-I...yes. I can speak. It's just...I need to eat. I don't have any money. I'll gladly do work for you, clean, cook, anything you want."
"If you can't pay, then you need to leave."
"b-but-"
"If you can't pay, then you need to leave."
"I already pointed out where we're setting up camp for the night on the way here. You'll all be splitting up to look for jobs, I want actual contracts and half paid up in advance. You need to be back to the camp site at sunset," Asher continued to go over the rules for their job hunt this day. It was like listing it off from a piece of paper, he had said the same rules a dozen times. He still did it, either out of habit or to remind everyone that the rules have not changed. He did keep a tight hold on his crew, and that was one of the reasons the group was so small. Asher was strict, and he made sure everyone knew he was the boss.
After the rules were listed, the ex-knight gestured towards the city to the other seven members. "Go, have fun. I'll meet you all back at camp," He finished it off. He knew that most of them would spend the last part of their getting the contracts they needed. It wasn't too often they were in the city for anything other than work. Plus, if it meant that he didn't have to go into the city himself to look for jobs, then he was fine with letting the others have their fun. He knew that they worked hard and that they had their own money to spend, so it was good to let them have their relaxation. Plus, it gave him time to relax alone as well. Even if he did have to spend his time setting up the entire camp on his own and taking care of their supplies.
Most of the crew was gone the moment they were given their chance to leave. They didn't stay together very long either, they all had their own interests. Some of them wanted to take a look at new weapons and clothes, while others wanted to eat something that they hadn't hunted or cooked themselves. They spent their day how they saw fit and did what they thought was a good time to spend their day.
-------
The sun was overhead, when the elf walked into the tavern. There were a few looks as the girl walked in, and a few conversations that stopped in their tracks to get a look. Some were trying to figure out if the girl was actually an elf, and were curious as to why an elf was even walking among the other races. The elf managed to keep her head down and just slowly made her way over to the bar. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she definitely didn't have anything on her that would actually pay for a meal or a drink. That's what she needed.
The man behind the bar stood before the elf and waited for her to speak, though it seemed as if the woman hadn't noticed the man at all. Her eyes stayed down on the table, either to avoid eye contact from all the others, or out of concentration on what to do next. It was a little bit of both. She had never been outside her city and now she was afraid. She had no idea what to do or where to go. She had nothing of her own. She was just stuck with the clothes she had on.
She looked up in shock when she heard the old man clear his throat to get her attention. "You here to order something?" The man finally said when he realized he wasn't going to get an answer from the elf. She blinked a few times and then looked back down at the bar. She wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't pay. She looked back up and opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. "Do you speak?" The man questioned, clearly getting agitated.
The girl nodded, "I-I...yes. I can speak. It's just...I need to eat. I don't have any money. I'll gladly do work for you, clean, cook, anything you want."
"If you can't pay, then you need to leave."
"b-but-"
"If you can't pay, then you need to leave."