A warm, black leather jacket, a boiled leather chest plate reinforced with flattened metal studs, and matching pairs of leather gloves and boots made out the main parts of Rhen's new outfit and armor.
Slightly baggy pants covered her legs instead of the summer leggings she had worn before, and a hooded cloak rested on her shoulders.
To top it off, and to hide her face, a cloth mask hung around her neck like a scarf, dark like the rest of the outfit.
It was a much warmer getup; far more comfortable in the biting cold outside of the Drain.
That, and far more protective. It was not steel armor, but the chest plate would be able to withstand some sharp edges before giving in.
For a weapon, she had chosen a simple, single edged sword. Its blade was just shy of a longsword's, and the hilt was long enough for her to either wield it in one hand, or two.
The weapon rested in its scabbard, hanging from her left hip.
"This should do...!" she said as she flexed her fingers within the leather gloves.
Sure, it wasn't as comfortable as her high quality summer clothes... but this made her feel much more safe, and of course a lot less like an icicle.
"What do you think?" she looked at the halfling who stood with his back turned to her. A small show of respect, as the young woman had changed her clothes.
Merip turned, and Rhen felt his eyes move over her before the sallet helmet on his head bopped up and down.
"Good choices, miss Rhen. Black fits you well!
The halfling then tilted his head, his gaze lingering on her choice of weapon for a moment.
"A single edge? Unusual."
Rhen nodded and patted the sheathed weapon.
"Preferences."
Merip chuckled. A metallic sound from within his helmet.
"Very well! Are you ready to meet your hunting partner? I have a feeling the two of you will get along nicely... well, or kill each other within an hour or so. A coin flip, really."
Rhen huffed a chuckle, adjusted her cloak a bit, and then bundled her old clothes up in her arms.
The dragon pin was hidden in her new jacket's inner pocket.
It meant too much for her to not carry around, even if it might be foolish to brandish it.
"I can barely wait." she said, before the halfling led her out of the armory.
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Once she had placed her summer clothes in a bundle on her bedroll, Rhen followed Merip over the stone floor, towards one of the doors leading away from the tavern-like main area.
The halfling pushed the door open, and led her through a dried out sewer canal on the other side.
"She will want to test your abilities, so be ready for a spar. And keep your guard up... this one is pretty ruthless." said the halfling as they trudged on through the canal.
"People have a tendency to underestimate me." said Rhen, though the idea of an actual sparring partner was not unwelcome at all.
One thing she loved, was fighting.
The way of the sword was hers, just as the way of the book and the spell was Victor's.
"I saw that, when you took down that greycloak." answered the halfling,
"But this is going to be a little bit different."
They reached the end of the canal, which then expanded into a larger room; an intersection of sorts, with three other canals leading further into the sewer system.
This place was about half the size of the main hall of the Drain. It was set up as a training area, with wooden dummies posted up by one wall and archery targets hanging on another.
Barrels with wooden weapons stood near the dummies, and the stone floor was covered in a layer of sand; an attempt at softening the inevitable blow of being knocked on ones ass in a fight.
In the center of the room, leaning on a long, wooden, twohanded sword, stood a woman.
Her hair was thick and dark, tied back in a wild pony tail with wavy strands escaping here and there.
Blue eyes immediately met Rhen's browns, and the woman grinned.
"So you're th' new girl." she said and stood up straight, lifting the wooden sword up to rest it against her shoulder.
She was nearly a head taller than Rhen, clad in a mix of leather and metal armor, with a black cloak hanging over one shoulder, leaving the other one free.
To Rhen, there seemed to be an air of confidence about the woman, who looked to be a few years older than her.
She met her gaze, and stepped forward with a slight smile.
This one was already challenging her, body language and all... and she loved it.
"I am Rhen Amerial," she said, bowing her head to the woman for a moment,
"It's nice to meet you."
"Rhen? 's an unusual name. Can you fight, Rhen? Merip says y'can, but Merip knows shit."
"I am a trained sw-"
"Uh-huh? Grab a stick and show me. Fuck words. You impress me, Rhennie, and I'll tell you my name and accept you as my huntin' partner!"
Contrary to how many other nobles might have reacted, Rhen shot the woman a grin, which was shot right back at her by the tall warrioress.
"This should be fun..." she mumbled before making her way over the sandy floor, towards the barrels with wooden weapons.
She picked out a sword which matched her own somewhat, weighed it in her hand, and then strode out on the floor again.
Setting her gaze on her opponent - and potential hunting partner - Rhen raised the weapon and took a slightly sideways stance, bending her knees just a little so she was ready to move.
"Let's see how good you a- " Rhen cut herself off and raised the wooden sword quickly, parrying an incoming blow from the taller woman's weapon.
Her opponent had moved the moment Rhen began to speak, opting for a downward slash towards the shoulder!
Wood smacked against wood, and the warrioress' blade slid off of Rhen's, harmlessly.
Using the momentum, however, the tall woman whirled around to strike at her side now; a blow that Rhen dodged, before she set in with a counter attack - an upward slash over the abdomen.
Her opponent dodged the attack with a grin.
"Y'weren't lying. This'll be interesting." she said before she took a wider stance, and a strong, two-handed grip on her sword.
This, thought Rhen, would be a very different fight than the one she'd had with the greycloak in the woods.