The sky smiled a bright blue as the heat of the afternoon drew in and smothered the town in an illusive dance. On his first pass by, Maddison hadn't put effort into speaking with the locals. Stonesong was a point of contention in Hillstead, hovering on a border set by the Hero Guard after a battalion had slain a local draconic menace that had settled in the mines. It wasn't a charitable gesture by far. Maddison hadn't seen the deal they had struck for the extermination, but it was likely a fat cut from what little coal and ores the local mine could export, and a few flags they had to stick up and keep in perfect condition.

Still, defenses from further dragons did not seem to be part of the deal. Despite the flags a plenty, Maddison hadn't seen a single individual bearing the guild's sigil stationed in the town. It was likely the only representative the town ever saw was a monthly collector and a small squadron coming to collect their monthly cuts. But the lack of supervision didn't stop the locals from shooting every adventurer that didn't bear the gaudy golden sigil a stink eye when they passed through. It would be a tough crowd for Sariel to blend with as an outsider, but her personality seemed enduring enough. She could probably soften them all to sympathy in a cycle or two.

Sariel had done exactly what Mr. Maddison told her to, and was standing beside his trusty rental horse to the side of the trail. He was talking to an older fellow and his wife, both of them leaning on the wall outside their meat shop, arms folded and chiseled glares strong. Mr. Maddison however, continued to smile through the conversation.

With some pointing at Sariel, and a few dirty looks tossed in her direction, both parties waved one another farewell and Maddison trudged back to lead them into the heart of the small town. Sariel looked around in delight, she'd never been to such a large place. The houses were made of real wood and stone, with doors that didn't come off their nonexistent hinges at the sneeze of a hungry bloodwolf. She did a little skipping kick as she walked along the road, feeling the gravel crunch under the boots Maddison had given her. Even if he had stolen them from that undead fellow, they felt nice and cozy. She looked around at the town center, her heart fluttering at the sights around her. Everyone had clothes, and the town was surrounded by a real, bonafide, wall.

It must have been a city; Medila told her that's where all the rich people lived.

Maddison stopped them next to a noisy wooden building, brimming with beefed-up miners and farmers that were drunkenly screaming their conversations to each other over the lively tune a lone child with a beaten lute was trying to pluck out. Sariel was tranced by the rich smell of food coming out of the tavern, and had nearly walked right inside in her daze. But Maddison was quick to stop her at the door, and when he was at least fifty percent sure she'd listen to his orders to stay outside, he turned away, strolling into the tavern and out of Sariel's sight as she stood rigid. She snacked on a few of the dried fruits Maddison had bribed her with, deciding to continue her conversation about clouds with Horse.

Maddison looked around the clustered space, dimly lit by the few windows on the walls with a permanent film of dust wafting around. The smell of some mysterious soup was still the strongest scent in the air, but it couldn't fully hide the smell of stale alcohol on the floors, and the musty dirt staining its thatched roof. He immediately found the bartender, an older man with a tailored green button-up to show a little more wealth than his patrons. He locked gazes with the man and went straight for him, seizing his audience's confused attention from a small handful of customers.

"Can I get you something sir?"

He checked his shoulder to make sure Sariel hadn't found her way inside, resting his arms on the counter to lean in close. "Yeah, where's your manager?"

The man hummed in disapproval, grabbing a spotty rag to wipe out a mug. "You got food poisoning complaints you can take 'em to Mr. Idontcare and shove it up yer arse."

"That's not what I'm here for."

The man sized him up, slowly placing the mug down with a serious stare. "You one of them auditors? Guess they really stepped up their game after the last one was put six feet under. I take no responsibility for that, soon as you walk through here you accept that there's a one percent chance of findin' vars snake poison in yer ale."

Maddison tilted his head in confusion. "That's not how waivers work."

"Is in this town, now scram auditor."

"I'm not an auditor." Maddison raised an open palm, flashing the crest of a green crow to the man. His nose scrunched at the guild crest, but the hostility disappeared. There were so many these days it was unlikely he would recognise his Guild's specialty. "Can I just speak with your manager?"

The man folded his arms, a mischievous smile touching his lips. He motioned for Maddison to wait a moment, turning all the way around until he faced him again. "Hey there sir, I'm the manager of this fine establishment. Heard you were having trouble with my staff, how can I help ya?"

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Maddison pursed his lips. "Great. Are you hiring by any chance?"

The man cocked an eyebrow, sizing him up again with a cynical chuckle. "Not sure how many customers I'll be attracting with a hulking bouncer of a barmaid serving drinks."

"No! It's not for me." Maddison cleared his frustration and softened his voice to a friendly tone. "It's for uh... this lady..." He thought hard about how to word the situation. He couldn't mention the town since no one in their right mind would hire someone even remotely on the bad side of a hero - and they looked nothing like siblings. "That I found..."

"That you found?" The man gave him a disbelieving squint as he leaned on his counter. "Found where?"

"In the forest? Says she's from a small village and was out on an errand. But we couldn't find it, so she's looking to work here until someone she recognizes swings by."

The man nodded, but the motion was too slow to just show an understanding. He suspected something that escaped Maddison completely. "Why are you askin' if I'm hirin'? Shouldn't she be if she wants a job?"

"She's... shy?" Maddison swallowed his words. "Around new things! Just-she, she's a super fast learner, shy for the first few days and then you won't be able to shut her up!" He stopped, thinking about his words. "But in a good way...?"

"I bet." He went back to wiping another cup. "Right then, this girl you found got a resume?"

"A resume?"

"Gotta check her experience."

Maddison sighed. "Sir, I don't think she can write."

"Course she can't. How she gonna write down customer orders then ya meathead? Right then sir, I'll speak with er if ya don't mind."

Maddison dipped his head, quickly leaving the tavern to coax Sariel to his side. After leashing Horse up outside he marched her into the boisterous setting, catching some curious looks from the nearby tables. Maddison pointed her to the well-dressed man, his clear irritation suppressed by a hearty smile as he watched Sariel approach. Maddison pulled out a stool for her to sit on, his smile slipping right off his face when he caught what the bartender was scowling at. He wasn't focused on meeting Sariel's eyes. Instead, his grimace at the scratches and bruises lining her arms had turned into a burning hot scowl when he noticed a purplish bruise peeking from the bandage around her forehead. It was at that very moment, that Maddison eyed the bruises she still had from her tumble, that he realized he had messed up.

The man suppressed his scowl when Sariel gave him a smiling wave, dropping a mug of water in front of her.

"Hullo there miss, name's Gregorich." He stuck his hand out for Sariel to shake it but she didn't budge, the confusion plain on her face as she looked at Maddison timidly.

"Sorry sir... my name's Sariel Sariel the Black..." She stared at Maddison's prompting nod and thumbs up. "Right sir, Sariel Sariel the Black's my name."

"Sariel Sariel?"

"Got myself another last name, so that one turned into a middler."

"I see..." The man smiled gently, motioning to her bandaged head. "Who gave you that miss?"

"Why he did!" Sariel said, slapping Maddison's shoulder with a grin. "He was being real kind to me. Pulled me out of the lake and everythin."

"Being kind?" The man flicked his critiquing gaze to Maddison who greeted it with panic.

"The bandage! She means the bandage!"

Sariel answered Maddison's pleading stare with a nod. "Right sir, that's right. He didn't throw no rocks at me, got those on me own."

"Uh-huh. You got a resume ma'am?"

"Dunno what that is sir. Don't got money if that's what you're lookin for."

"Don't worry ma'am, it's not money. It's a sort of job application outlining your experience and valuable personality traits.

"Don't got no valuable traits sir, I'm worth less than a bristle back." Sariel smiled as the man's expression fell. "You can grab my services dirt cheap that way."

The man's gaze wandered to Maddison again. "And what are those services exactly?"

Maddison cleared his throat, raising his hand to stop Sariel. "Actually, I think I should clear up a few-"

"Let the lady answer."

Sariel shook her head at the bartender. "Can't disclose private information, sir."

"Very well." The man leaned on his counter with a serious expression. "Can you tell me how long you've been doing it?"

"Long as I can remember!" Sariel chuckled, frowning at Maddison as he shook his head. "Or not-er..." she put her hand down to the level of the stool. "Since I was yay high sir!"

Maddison grabbed her hand to stop the charade, greeting the scowling bartender with a feverish smile. "Look. We don't actually know each other. Like I said, I found her like this, and I'm just helping her get a job..."

He grabbed another mug to wipe, slamming it down on the counter with a little extra force. Maddison eyed the empty mug in confusion, clicking into the signal when he saw the two hulking shadows come up behind him. He remained calm, feeling a firm hand on his shoulder as Gregorich leaned in close, his voice filled with the venom of a disappointed parent. "Now look here, I don't care who you think you are, but I care about what you see when you look at a sweet girl like her." He motioned to Sariel, the grip on Maddison's shoulder tightening as he straightened and raised his voice to a boom. "There ain't any reason you should see nothin short of another human being beside you! You people who see em as inferior tools are the worst kind of folk, abandoning em in places like this cause they can't turn you a profit! There isn't a single hell-sent depth to Oblivion that can compare to your actions, ain't no place from heaven to six feet under, no world with any sense that would think that's okay! Now you leave her here and scram, and if I ever see yer scummy face I'll stuff it with a pitchfork!"

Maddison paced himself. Gregorich's tone had earned them an entire tavern of an audience. Luckily, it wasn't a city tavern, where every second sorcerer was a fire hazard in a drunken fight. But there was still a stray mining pick lying about the tables, which would make for a dicey exit if things turned violent. "I don't think we're on the same page..."

"You don't think so?" Gregorich dropped his gaze to Sariel, the soothing smile returning as he darted his gaze at the mercenary like a hungry snake. "How much did he pay ya for givin out your services?"

"Pay me?" Sariel chuckled, shaking her head. "Haven't had a day o' pay since I started breathin sir. Mr. Ma-er..." She stared at him with a concentrated squint as her mouth curved in confusion while she remembered his last name. "Mr. Mercenary here's a nice fellow. Ain't no reason to be scolding him."

"Mr. Mercenary?" The bartender scowled at Maddison as he slowly hid his face in his hands, the hostility gripping the bar suddenly jolting through the roof.