Pov. River

'It was a child, Gods! It was just a child.' Thought River 'Just out in the middle of the woods minding his own business, when we came, scared the shit out of him, and then tied him up out of fear that he would tell others. Just great... He doesn't even look old enough to have unlocked his levels yet!'

"So what do we do about the little guy?" Questioned Kyle the [Axmen Warrior] she had been traveling with the past few weeks.

He was a tall blond man with a weeks worth of stubble on his face. He was also a decently leveled adventurer with a few achievements under his belt and a knack for cooking. He wasn't bad looking, but she had more rugged tastes.

"Well, we can't let him go, or the whole mission will be for nothing." Said Glen the baby of the group. He was a fresh dropout of a school for mage/warrior, something or other human school. She didn't care about it much because it wasn't that well known. Not like the big three.

Glen was a skinny young human with green hair. Wearing a brown hooded robe that had poorly stitched runes on the seams. It was something he did himself over the few weeks of travel, mending magic into each rune, failing and restitching on almost every other attempt.

River thought Glen had potential in his magic, but he dropped out because his ideas weren't recognized by the school. Him trying to make new magic items was interesting, but much of it lacked practical use. His robe was his only working creation, and it only did a few things partly.

River looked at the boy they had tied up next to a tree, a gag keeping him quiet though she didn't think he would cry for help or anything he was just sitting there watching them. He had run pretty fast for a kid, and if he was unlocked, he might have gotten away. Unlucky for him, though, after giving her a jump scare, she had the advantage in level, wooded terrain, and experience. He didn't even put up a fight when he was caught. The boy just put up his hands and surrendered. The more intriguing thing was that he just went along without prompting.

'Pretty smart kid. He knew he didn't have a chance. Instead of struggling, he just did what I said before the others rushed back.' Thankful to the boy she wanted to try something.

"Why don't we just ask him?" River said she watched the boys head snap up at the words. It was cute, seeing the boy react.

"What do you mean?" Said Kyle

She continued "Well it's not like we're going to take him with us, and killing isn't an option, so why not see if we can bargain with him. What do you think?" She looked at the boy who looked back at her with an irritated face. He really didn't like being gagged. She did it just in case but now kind of regretted it.

Glen sighed. "Should we really be saying this stuff in front of him in the first place? I know he's a child, but it's not like we couldn't just intimidate him a little."

Kyle had already gotten up to start untying the boy and said, "There, there. Let me get this off ya." Looking him in the eye, he said, "Well, what do you think, boy? Do you have an opinion on this?"

River looked at the boy, curious as to what his first words would be.

The boy opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, sore from the make-shift gag she used, which made River feel bad at her hastily made decision. He then looked at them with a calm face and said, "Well... I don't think we really have a problem, do we?"

River, along with the other two, looked both surprised and confused.

"What do you mean?" River took the lead with the first question

The boy looked at them for a moment as if looking for the right words, then began, "Well, do you guys see kids my age in the woods all the time?"

River realized after a second to think about it. "Oh... now that you mention it."

Kyle and Glen, however, we're still thinking about it after a minute before River decided to give them a hand, taking note that the boy was willing to let them struggle for a little longer.

"He means that he snuck out of the village, and he would get into trouble too... or ran away?" She said with a questioning tone.

"No, the first one was right." The boy confirmed.

"Wait, how does he know we're not bandits or some other kind of-"

"Shut up Glen, do you want him to think that?" Kyle interrupted Glen's question slightly, angry.

River just sighed and looked back at the boy.

"I'm River, that's Glen and Kyle. I don't think you're too worried about what he said. Are you?"

The boy shook his head and said, "No, I've been listening for a while, and I got, for the most part that you are sneaking in the country, going to see the dungeon, check somethings out, leave and report back to the guild. Far as I'm concerned, it's got nothing to do with me. I'm Lone by the way." He said it all in what felt like an overly simple manner, but he wasn't wrong.

For a while, they were all quiet, just staring at him, appraising his answer.

"Well, shit he's not wrong." Kyle mirrors River's thoughts with words

"Yeah, I agree." Glen backed him up.

River, on the other hand, was still wondering something and asked, "Lone right? You said you were listening to us. How long have you been in that bush? And why are you out here?"

He started with a sigh and said, "Right when you kill the deer. As for why I'm out here, the village is a boring place and I want to explore more."

Glen walked up to River gave her a nod and whispered to her "He's lying partly about the exploring but so far everything else has all been the true"

The reason Glen was here was for his skill [Hear No Evil] it was an exceptional and very rare skill that could make out the slightest hint of a lie. It was the biggest boon for there mission and the investigation in general. Being able to sift throughout the lies and bullshit that people spout, cut alot of it down to just finding facts that could point to the big picture, that is if there was something to find. Now that she new there was something the boy wanted to keep secret she had a little leeway with dealing with him, just in case.

Lone had been looking at them sitting silently waiting for their answer to his and she felt that they were still at a cross roads waiting for one caravan to pass, but the boy was interesting. She had an idea of what to do, but she wanted to know what the boy would say, so she tested him.

"So what do we do Lone? I don't want to leave you alone out here fending for yourself." She left the words dangling, waiting for his response.

He looked at her with a cute, annoyed face. Knowing he was being played with the boy sighed again, ready to answer, he began. "Well, I was already out here doing something. How about you let me go and I'll be on me merry way?"

His answer was interesting for a number of reasons, but she knew he knew that it wasn't an acceptable option. So she continued bothering he until he gave up, or they would leave for the next town over. It was the first entertaining thing she had in a long time, so why not.

she began the game, eyeing Glen, letting him know to use his skill. "And where would you be going after we part ways? I can't see there being a safe place to play out in this forest, and you know you can't possibly take on anything walking in these woods by yourself."

He looked at her, and then Glen, suspicion in his eyes.

'Did he figure us out? He didn't see me and Glen signal each other right? He's only a kid. He wouldn't know about the skill. Why am I pressured like this all of the sudden.' She was actually feeling intimidated.

The boy, Lone looked irritated having to think of something on the spot. "Look I've got a place I want to continue to explore... alone. And you guys don't want to run into guards, right? Why do you want me around to slow you down? You could leave and I wouldn't say a thing." He looked at Glen and asked,"Right?"

Glen reacted immediately. "How?..." stopping before blurting out any more.

"Your not as subtle as you think you are." Lone said

The three adventurers looked at each other and back at the boy. It was clear that he had seen something obvious to him, but now they wanted to make sure it wasn't them underestimating a kid, or if it was something else that others could possibly give away their ace in the hole.

River was worried so she was the first to ask. "How could you tell little Lone" trying to sound playful.

Raising an eyebrow Lone looked at them questioningly. Then he faintly smiled "Well if you want to know, then how about a trade? I'm looking for some handy tools and you guys look like the kind of people I might be able to get a good deal with."

River was not liking this anymore and for a brief moment thought of hanging him upside-down and leaving him there for a few hours but then remembered he was just a brat, a smart brat, but still a brat. She then thought of trying the pretty older woman routine.

"Aww come on! Can't you do something nice for me? please?" She used her cutest alluring voice she could.

Thinking, 'Even little kids like Lone here would start getting shy around me when I smile at them, this might be going overboard, but we can't have any foul-ups and draw attention to ourselves.'

Lone was dead in his eyes not a hint of red on his cheeks. It was again another reaction she was not expecting. He was smart, and now apparently immune to her to her charm. Her attempt backfired, and now she was feeling a little embarrassed, hearing Kyle holding in his laughter, while Glen just pulled his hood over, turning away.

"Yeah, I was hoping more for a, you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours, kind of deal Rivie." He said plainly. River twitched a little, at the nickname he just gave her.

Kyle couldn't stop it now. He burst into laughter at the scene in front of him, and River couldn't blame him ether. She knew how absurd it was that a small boy from a backwood post village, talking to her like this was. Most adults, officials included, would still treat an elf with some reserve. She would even laugh too, if she didn't feel that Lone was just a little... different.

Kyle looked like he was just about done when he asked, "Well now, what kind of trade were you thinking, Mr. Lone. I can't say we have much, but if we can get the info worth something I'd be willing to spare coin if that sounds good enough."

"Maybe..." Lone look down in thought and shook his head. "Coin is nice, but explaining where I got it would be a problem for both of us. I couldn't use it without questions, and I doubt it would help you if I start getting questioned by guards, for any reason. Thats not to say that I wouldn't take what I can get, just that i want something i can use now rather than when i leave this place. That being said, what equipment can you part with?" Lone eyes darted from Kyle to River to Glen, then rested on Kyle again.

River couldn't figure out how his attitude made her feel. It was cute how business like the kid was, but kind of scary how he pointed out their situation so fast, making it a clear that money wouldn't work for him. This boy pointed things out that she didn't think through yet and was logical about it.

Kyle on the other hand didn't look to bothered by it, as he said, "Smart thinking there kid. OK let me see what I have." He grabbed his bag by the fire and started going through it pulling out things he didn't use on the trip. Putting everything that was useless on the ground in front of him, most of it we could buy in a town or city on their next stop. He even put his third spare dagger in front of the boy.

The boy looked interested in the dagger but still said, "good, good. Anything else? It's not bad just wondering if an elf or a mage would have anything interesting to through in too."

It was beginning to feel like they were merchants. Glen was the next to start going through his bag. He pulled out three books one was for gathering herbs, another for monster parts and uses, and finally a monster attack guide and effective defense. Then a water skin and a few other things that he complained about during the trip that weighed him down seeing this as his chance to off load the regretted junk.

This time it was the books that Lone looked at with interest. For moment longer he eyed the mage junk, then looked to River. She stared back for a while before she realized he was waiting on her.

"Oh! Sorry sweetheart, I don't carry extra stuff. All I have I need for something or would be foolish to not have in a emergency." She gestured to her belt then twirled as if to show off her figure.

He nodded in understanding. "Well your stuff is more that enough but how much can I choose?" He was obviously ready to get this done.

"Well you can pick three things from mine but the knife counts as two. Sound fare?" Kyle said

"I'll say if the your information helps you can take two things." Glen said

Both River and Kyle silently glanced at each other before the boy could see. It was clear who benefited the most here and it wasn't them. Glen was getting informed of a weakness his skill had, something some would pay a small fortune to learn and he got to off load all his excess junk on the boy. It was a deal he couldn't ignore.

"Hmmm. Alright it's not bad for me. Shake on it?" Lone put his hand out to River who was watching the whole thing. Partly surprised, she realized that she was standing over the two kind of felt like a go between. Her two party members are waiting for her to give the all clear.

"Ummm, right yes. Looks good to me." She took Lones hand and shook.

Lone stretched and got to his feet. Then said, "OK. This is what I know-"