Michelle
The blade flew swiped through the air and reached the start of Thaddeus' neck. In that moment, the chemicals of fight or flight should have engaged within the short time it was drawn. Thaddeus did not react. In the time he had to consider his answer, he concluded there was nothing holding the courier from letting go of his grasp on this life. The Macen looked at the strange, cold steel with a pair of equally cold eyes. 

"I asked about you from a tavern in Salvainia. The Loran there told me to tell you that if I found you. For my own protection, I thought.." Thaddeus looked down at the blade which had flown to his neck seconds earlier. "I *Am* A licensed courier, you know." The manner in which he explained away was dead-pan and dry. It was a change from his initial cordial-yet-stony intonation, but manners tend to change whenever his life was at stake. 

"I know not the significance of the phrase, sir." The Macen slowly lifted his hands to show he had no weaponry on him, attempting to calm the rider. Truthfully, he'd planned to give his life up *Here* And retaliate were the situation to escalate. He didn't expect to survive if he did so (as he surely wouldn't). All this thinking of attacking and surviving began to represent itself.. On his skin? 

Glyphs and runic symbols imprinted on his skin (previously invisible even in the bright moonlight) began to emit a very gentle, arcane glow. Though just barely visible to the naked eye, it was no party trick. The tattoos rapped all around his body, following different patterns and densities from region to region. Some seemed to be of completely different origin, and some seemed wildly foreign to the continent. Because Lucien was adept in all things arcane, it was also easy to see that Thaddeus' runes were very weak.
John
Lucien noted the controlled reaction of the man. He was impressed - the other didn't retreat or attack him despite the imminent threat. The tempered gaze of the other in response to his weapon - Thaddeus was a man who did not fear death the way others did, the vampire concluded. As the macen provided his explanation, the elf arched a brow. *"Bottleriver did that, hm..."* He muttered to himself quietly. The elf dragged his weapon a bit away from the man's throat, yet still kept it close enough to threaten him.

With his piercing eyes, he tried to discern any deceit from the courier. At the sudden appearance of runes on Thaddeus, Lucien's eyelids twitched. A faint glow of purple, shaped like a burning flame out of a penumbra, fueled the rider's eyes. The night could not hide the magical drawings on the man from the enhanced sight of the cursed. While the swordsman failed to understand the meaning behind the tattoos, he assumed they were a sign of great potential. After a few moments of careful observation, he concluded that the other was innocent.

Another ring of steel followed, this time from his odachi sliding back in its sheathe. A clap caused by his guard hitting the scabbard killed the tension in the air. Lucien sighed and cleared his throat. *"Apologies. I am a man with many enemies. If I plan to live another day, I have to treat any stranger with great caution."* He donned a smile out of obligation and tapped the side of his turbulent mount with his stirrup. The horse neighed and approached Thaddeus. The elf knew not why he was doing what he was about to, yet he trusted the intuition that had gotten him this far. His hand reached out towards the macen.
_ _

*"Accept my offer and get on my mount if you wish to explore yourself. You are different, I can tell, and if my loyal companion decided to trust you with the phrase - he must have seen it too. The path I'm on is full of many troubles, which is why I need players on my side. I can help you learn about yourself, namely that ability on your body. Do not take personal offense to this, but your control of it seems as sloppy as a toddler's over its legs."* He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in while observing the other straight in the eyes. *"Will you trust me, blindly, or will you scare away? Take my hand and get on, if it's the former. I'll sign those papers once we're in a city."*
Michelle
"I will not trust you blindly," Thaddeus stated as a forthright clause. To be truthful, the Macen saw the Elf in the light of a possible means to an end. A man with riches could get a friend to *Any* Place, be it location or social rank. "I will walk with you, as it seems you already are not travelling quickly," Citing the slow speed at which the Steppe elf approached the area. "Once light breaks - if you should take that long - I would expect you to speed your canter." To Thaddeus, Lucien was only a client who was particularly difficult to find. Knowing not of the Horse Master's previous experiences, Lucien seemed rather unhinged and sporadic. Though his nature was to be independent, perhaps this instance could be seen as warranted through Lucien's perspective. 

As he stated these sentences with the utmost pragmatic expression, he reached his hand back to his pouch and placed the quill and paper into their respective slots. He also took this time to roll his muted brown trousers to halfway up the shins. Only minutes earlier, Thaddeus had planned to take a trip across 3 nations and to Salvainia - a three day trip at most. 

"Which city will you be stopping at, D'arcy? I will have you sign it there." He never answered Lucien's question, but not out of indecisiveness. Thaddeus seemed confident and proud thus far, and it was unlikely he had the character of dubiety in his choices.
John
Lucien paused while the other explained his view. He did not interrupt, taking in the full explanation. Once the other finished and asked him his question, he pulled the reins on his mount. The elf straightened his back and responded in his stern tone again. *"I will lead a nation one day. That is all you need to know about me. I will go through any step necessary to drag myself and those around me up to the circles of nobility and leadership, all to build a nation in the way that'd be prosperous and true. Before doing so, however, I have a few personal quarrels to settle."* He had his mount slowly move forth, the dark stallion having as intense of a glare as his rider's.

*"I admit, you have the potential to be great. But talented folk are not so hard to find. In the meantime, dedicated ones are. If you do not believe in me now, I doubt any future decision to join will be made out of good will. It would be out of greed or similar motivations. Such people will give up on me at the first obstacle met, which there will be plenty of. I seek **Honesty**, for I am building a **Family**. Perhaps that is a concept you haven't seen much of in our dire world and thus you can not comprehend it."* He raised a hand and placed it on his chest. The vampire's brows were furrowed, him clearly upset. *"I feel empathy for you, courier, but that is all I can do. If you do not wish to offer a selfless dedication to the goal I shared with you, I will simply sign your papers here - and we'll be done with it."*

During the man's speech, his tone was different from before. Unlike the frigid passivity of it before, a burning passion tempered with concrete will oozed from his speech. Similarly, his eyes glowed without magic affecting them, as if they stared towards the light at the end of the tunnel. A final look towards the macen awaited his final decision and action.