Christina
Cecilia Lyanah
The Stilts

A soft chuckle escaped her, knowing she stood out like a sore thumb among the scavengers and thieves. It didn't bother her the slightest, similar to how she was able to ignore their glares. "I guess you could say I enjoy the attention."

When a game was mentioned, a thin brow was raised in question to what the man in front of her had planned. However the shifter remained in phased when he spoke of the rules. She found the whole idea a tad unfair for the man as he was at a significant disadvantage but wanted to see how this would play out. Nonetheless, she was more than happy to see how this would play out. 

"Alright." She began while reaching for one of the pitchers, intrigued with the answers she may find about him. She had the coin and tolerance to draw this game of questioning out, the question that brushed her mind was if she would be truthful. 

"I will begin since you so *Delightfully* Brought yourself to my table." The sarcasm in her voice was evident to even the most naive minds. "Why are you at the stilts? No visitor comes here without an ulterior motive."
Emma
Herin Farensun
The Stilts, Tonate Proper

 Well at least she wasn't throwing him a curveball with that question. It was a basic one, but it cut to the heart of the issue, and would determine how they played the game. Lying was the obvious solution to the question, but it did have its consequences. If she knew he was lying, which seemed to be a plausible outcome, then she would have no reason to tell the truth either, and the whole exercise would be pointless. Telling her the truth wasn't an option either, for obvious reasons, and neither was taking a drink and avoiding such an easy question, at least it would be easy for someone with nothing to hide. 

"I'm here on business, or more accurately, the prospect of business. I wanted to see how welcoming Tonate proper may be to my future ventures." A wry formed on his lips "And of course to see it might be welcoming in... Other ways." Not a complete lie, in fact, it was completely truthful save for the last part, and even then, only partly false, just missing a few details. Herin could work with a game of half truths, in fact it might be more fun that way. 


"Now I believe it's my turn. A simple one to start with, what's your name? I've told you mine but I still have yet to learn yours, seems a bit rude, eh?"
Christina
Cecilia Lyanah 
The Stilts, Tonate Proper
 
His answer sounded logical enough to be the truth so she simply accepted it without doubt. Cecilia did pay attention to the way he worded his response and the lack in detail, already forming another question to follow but was forced to wait her turn when Perun returned with his own. It was a simple one to many, yet Cecilia caught herself stuck in a decision of which name to provide him. Many knew her by two names with one being widely known for her destructive acts and the bounty for her life in the mainland. He didn't seem the type to make an uncalculated move against her and many on the Isles were already aware of her presence so she didn't see the harm in being truthful. 
 
"My name is Cecilia." Her nails tapped one after another against the side of her pitcher as her eyes drifted to their surroundings. Many had grown bored when they realized the shifter wasn't planning on harming the man accompanying her and took their attention away from the two. Returning her focus to Perun, she carefully eyed his body language when asking him her next question. She wouldn't be surprised if he drank. "What ventures are these that you speak of?"
Emma
Herin Farensun
The Stilts, Tonate Proper

 The name wasn't instantly familiar, but she said it with the tone that implied she had something of a reputation. He didn't have to wonder what she had a reputation for though, the bloodstains cleared up any confusion as to that. Her next question gave him a slight pause, it was a natural follow up, yet it was still slightly annoying to have someone insist upon knowing more about a purposefully vague topic. He almost considered taking a drink, but he wanted to avoid being the first one to skip a question. The best chance at getting answers was always before people started to drink heavily, ale always went down easier after the first few pitchers, and if he started skipping questions it would be an invitation for her to do the same. 

"Land acquisition." He said simply, it was the truth after all. The men around them had mostly gone back to looking at their drinks, which meant they weren't expecting Herin to die, hopefully. It seemed as if he was past the point of immediate danger, though then again, depending on what questions he asked, that might change quickly.
 "Now, I believe you never answered my original question, what brings you to a place like this all alone? And don't tell me it's for the drinks, I think they water down the ale with piss here."
Christina
Cecilia Lyanah 
The Stilts, Tonate Proper
 
Her jaw tightened as a grin was concealed towards his obvious annoyance. She could see the hesitation to answer the question yet when he did manage to respond, Cecilia found herself disappointed. It gave away as much as the answer to her first question. If he wanted to play this way, Cecilia was more than happy to accommodate her answers to be just as vague as the ones he provided. 
 
"Listening." She wondered how long the two would tip toe around each other's questions. If they continued this way throughout the entire rounds, neither of them would gain any beneficial answers from each other. "You'll find a lot about someone and their motives or new gossip they've stumbled across when eavesdropping on their conversations. For example, it's an excellent way to find fun blackmail worthy material. What is the saying? Information is power? I'm pretty sure I've heard someone say that before at least."
 
She thought on her next question in silence for a couple seconds before finally taking her turn. "So what do you do with yourself exactly? Surely acquiring land isn't your only way of living. You seem to have more of a personality than that."
Emma
Herin Farensun
The Stilts, Tonate Proper

 Herin hadn't expected such a... Honest answer from her. Gathering information at the Red Squirrel meant gathering information regarding more illicit businesses, and that meant she either was a criminal herself, or working against them. This woman was growing more and more interesting. He pondered her next question, perhaps one good turn deserved another, he would try honesty for a change, at least as much honesty as he could safely manage. 

"I'll admit, land acquisition is a rather recent venture for me, normally my trade is the same as many of the men drinking here." He gestured to a few of their fellow patrons, the rough looking fellows with the tattoos that marked them as pirates. "Yet you can only grow so large in that trade before you have to make a choice, set your sights higher or rot away under your own weight, so to speak." He took a small sip of his drink, seemingly thinking to himself before continuing. "So, land acquisition seemed the next logical step." 

That was about as close he could get to saying 'I'm planning on taking over the Isles with an army of scags' as he could get, and honestly he was a bit worried she might figure something out. If she really was the type of woman who paid attention to the type of things scags and pirates said in taverns, she might have heard of the Hanged Raiders, and if she put one and two together, well he doubted she'd know he was their leader, but she might think him an affiliate, which wasn't good either.
"My turn, you said you were listening for information here, so who are you gathering information for? Is this just a hobby for you, or is there something more to your eavesdropping?" Herin wasn't sure of anything, but he knew about Maith's poppies, his eyes and ears across the isles. She didn't seem like one of them, but that was the entire point of hidden spies, wasn't it?
Christina
Cecilia Lyanah 
The Stilts, Tonate Proper
 
She was never the brightest person but it wasn't difficult to piece together what he meant. It was ballsy to say the least and made sense for him to make that move considering she had given away almost just as much. It also allowed him to peak her interest in him further, possibly diminishing her plan to take his life after they finished their conversation. After all, she wasn't simply allowing him to know as much as she had planned to give away in exchange for his own information, she was learning to not be as reckless. 
 
Cecilia doubted he spoke of land acquisition as if he planned on acquiring the land through ethical tactics. The man did admit to living the same life as those who surrounded them. How he planned on doing so considering Bradai's reputation? It would be interesting to watch how it played out. When he followed her tactic with a follow up question from the previous, a smirk played on her lips as she decided to be the first to drink from her pitcher. The shifter downed the liquid inside with continuous large swigs until the last drop passed her lips before bringing it back down, all while maintaining eye contact with him.
 
"My turn." She didn't waste any time with her next question. "Is Perun your real name?"
Emma
Herin Farensun
The Stilts, Tonate Proper

 She had taken a drink instead of answering a question, Herin had to hide a smile, the game was afoot. Of course, sometimes silence spoke louder than words, and her refusal to answer gave him a fairly clear idea of who she was. If she was a criminal, spying for some organization, then she probably would have implied as such, same as he did with his answer, but her silence, combined with the cautious looks every man in the bar had been giving her, confirmed his suspicions, she was a spy. For who, he didn't know. The most likely candidate was Bradai Maith, though Araedia and Terresol were both still possibilities. He would have to see if he could nail down her allegiance. 

He openly smiled at her next question, he was wondering if she'd question his name. He was about to respond before a thought crossed his mind, his real name was known to only a few, even within the leadership of the hanged raiders. 'Herin Farensun' wasn't an enemy of the crown, only the Hanged Captain was. Being truthful might offer an advantage as well, his family name would be quite familiar to someone in the service of Maith, and that could be useful. 
"No, it isn't." He said simply, pausing for a second as if that was the entirety of his answer. "To save you from wasting another question, I'll give you my real name, Herin Farensun, at your service." 
He watched carefully for any signs of a reaction upon telling her his last name. If she was an agent of Maith, or Terresol now that he thought of it, that name might mean something to her. 

"You know, the patrons here have been giving you strange looks all night." Herin mused, tapping his fingers on the table and looking around the tavern before returning his gaze to Cecilia. "You mind explaining why that is? Men normally don't look at a woman like you the same way they look at a caged bear."
Joel
Lord Mykolas-Reed Lanterns
Maith Manor, Tonate Proper 

Mykolas wished Ollie could stay with them. He was having fun hearing him talk about the city and was fascinated by the luxury of ice. The man who'd interrupted— apparently the Seneschal — gave him the creeps. Still, having an idea of his importance, Mykolas stood from his chair and offered a bow of the head, like Tokiel had taught him, before shaking the Seneschal's hand. 

"Not'tall," Said Mykolas as he shook Silas's hand. His father had always taught him to shake firmly, but Mykolas was afraid he might break Silas's thin bones if he squeezed too tightly. "A'm Mykolas-Reed Lanterns, an' this is Tokiel-Brynn Andis, m'sword."

He hoped the Seneschal would allow him to take what was left of his glass of ice with him, but knowing adults, it'd probably be considered improper. Tokiel was already standing, luggage in hand, his own glass emptied and left on the table.
Christina
Cecilia Lyanah 
The Stilts, Tonate Proper
 
Her brows rose in surprise when he revealed his real name. It was the last thing expected. She wondered what relation he had to Valkrin, though from the look of his age she had a suspicion. "I'm guessing you're one of his bastards then. The man must really love spreading his seed." 
 
She couldn't help the grin that stretched her cheeks, finding this new information more amusing to her than informative. She shook her head lightly from the humour she felt before releasing a delighted sigh before relaxing her posture as she sunk into the backrest of her chair. Her eyes trailed away from Herin and began to glide over the men in the tavern with them when Herin spoke his next question with the grin remaining on her lips. 
 
"It could be one of two reasons," She began, returning her gaze on Herin. "Either they're mad because a few of their friends happened to disappear after talking to me and they think I'm the cause of it. They are right but I'm not going to admit it to them, that ruins the fun. She looked to enjoy revealing this information by the grin that remained stained on her features. "Or they're cautious because I happen to be a shifter with a temperament." 
 
Thinking of her next question, her eyes remained on Herin. "What would happen if people found out about your real identity? From what I've gathered, you're not exactly loyal to Bradai."
Emma
Herin Farensun
The Stilts, Tonate Proper

 Herin fell silent as she spoke, his mind racing to put together all the pieces. He maintained a poker face as best he could, but he had to take a sip of his drink to conceal the turmoil brewing inside his head. 
The first thing he had learned was that this woman was most likely an agent of Maith. The way she spoke about his father, it was... More familiar than the way Tam or others had spoken about him, of course it could just be an attitude difference, but it seemed deeper than that. The way she looked him over, like she was looking for similarities. Herin wondered how much he reassembled the man. 

But it was her answer to his question that truly took him off guard. He already knew that she was a killer, or at least suspected it, but a shifter? He had heard legends, tales of people who could turn into animals during the full moon, or was it when they drank virgin blood? He thought they were just stories though, tall tales like the fishermen who swore they saw Livyatans off the coast of the southernmost isles. Was it true that shifters could only be harmed by silver? He had a few silver coins on him, but he doubted that would work, and it was too late to back out now...

He took a deep breath and considered her question. "I doubt anyone would recognize my name if you told them, well they might recognize my last name, but certainly not because of me. And in a place like this... Well i'd bet good money the only one loyal to Bradai Maith is you." He wasn't sure she was loyal to Maith, but the accusation might provoke an asnwer. Now for his question, it was a gamble that it would be worthwhile, but the way she talked about his father... This whole trip had been dominated by that man's shadow, he needed to know more. "Answer me this, how do you know Valkrin Farensun?" He said in a matter of fact voice, as if he knew for certain she had met the man, hopefully she did, he'd certainly look the fool if his assumption was wrong.
Christina
Cecilia Lyanah
The Stilts
 
The mentioning of her being loyal to Bradai caused her to snicker, for if she were truly loyal, the man in front of her would have been digging himself a whole the further he spoke. Fortunately for Herin, she was simply under his 'protection'. Her position with Maith confused her, however she wasn't one to question it when it was her safety against the paladins at risk. "I don't know too much about him, he isn't exactly someone who talks often about himself and I don't make a habit of prying into people's personal lives." 
 
She eyed the pitcher in front of her for a split moment before returning her gaze to his. "But I've fought with him a few times, and maybe against. I tend to lose track of each person I've tried to kill but I don't think he was one of them. He's a good man to banter with though. I guess you two are similar when it comes to a conversation." It made sense as to why he was yet to bore or anger her. 
 
"What are your thoughts on Maith?" She watched him carefully now. Eyeing even the smallest movements he could make in response to her question. Her gaze bore into his with intensity. Even though the tone of her voice sounded serious, her relaxed posture revealed it as an intimidation tactic. The more nervous someone was, the easier they gave their lies away.
Rhonda
The Sapphire Seneschal, Silas Asgarov
The Maith Mansion, Tonate Proper

When the boy shook his hand, Silas took it firmly in his own. While his skin was soft and he smelt of rose-water, there was a deceiving amount of wiry strength behind his grip. Even still, his grasp was gentle enough not to offend the little lord. Mykolas-Reed was less sickly than his sister had described. The King, doubtless, would like that. 

"I know who you are, Lord Lanterns. We have been expecting you for some time. The King is just finishing up his breakfast. He's met with a few pirate captains and he should be—" 

Silas dropped the boy's hand when he saw Tokiel begin to pick up luggage. "Oh no, there's no need for that," He raised his free hand and snapped twice. Suddenly, there were servants in tow to take their luggage. "Give these two adjoining rooms in the western wing, with view of the harbor." He had been told that Mykolas had just begun to sail. It would be good to put him in view of what remained of the King's fleet. 

"Surely you both must be famished from your trek up along the river. Should we see if the King is still enjoying his breakfast?"