The two strangers were looking at each other, fairly intensely and making only few hand signs. An eerie quiet had befallen the camp site, and it was not hard to deduce that the drake and the fish were communicating telepathically, hiding their words from him.<br/><br/>Strange, really. He looked at the few signs they formed, which was primarily the drakewoman's doing, and wondered if they really trusted him so little they did not even believe he could not understand. Of course, he thought, and it made him smile wider, he was so impressive that they would not believe there was a thing he could not do.<br/><br/>Kala's comment on his ignorance had been the first time he truly laughed since the day he got on that caravan. It had been an unexpected rebuttal and he respected her for it, and did not try to make a sly retort, instead conceding defeat at the mouths of a superior taunter.<br/><br/>Finally the two stopped just looking into each others eyes, like lovers who did not understand their starstruck feelings and instead just looked puzzled at the phenomenon. Kala was, of course, the one to speak to him, and it seemed she would be the merman's mouth from now on. Pete had waited politely to say anything until they were both ready to include him in their little worlds again. Pete answered by getting up and walking back to his horse with slow steps and chatting casually as he went.<br/><br/>"First of all, I have yet to commend you on your linguistic skills, Kala. You would be the first time I ever meet one of the drakefolk who shows interest in learning the culture, let alone the language, of the other races. I am most fascinated by the revelation that curiosity exists within your kind, and I hope you will continue to astound me, should our journey not conclude this instant."<br/><br/>Pete got on his horse and then turned his eternal smile to the merman for the first time. So far Pete had ignored him entirely, and now he sought to remedy that with a well-aimed stab, verbally, of course.<br/>"Koralheim? Not Koralheim, the toymaker, surely? I had heard rumours you were either an elf or a merman, but I have never had the pleasure of meeting you personally. I am a big admirer of your work, truly, and not many years ago, I got one of your wonderful toys for my birthday, and one more the next year and so on until last year, where a lot of traditions were put on hiatus. The first contraption I got was a small, mechanical horse, that could gait if you lifted its tail. It was quite extraordinary, and I had never seen anything like it... excluding those machines that contain powergems, of course." Pete nodded at the wurm that lay dead, and then looked at the advancing clouds. "I will spare you the praise of the second toy, though it was even more fantastic, because I fear the danger you spoke of is fast approaching and I had better skip to my point: While I am quite your admirer, I do think your talent for toy-craft is explained by your presence here, and more specifically, your removal of the ghastly worm's power source. I am guessing that you are not just a toy-maker and a scavenger, but perhaps even an artificer. Surely your acts are quite criminal, and you can scarcely leave me out here alone, in the knowledge that I know of you and your activities. Far be it for me to tattle on a man I admire, but you can hardly take my word that I won't, and so you cannot leave me alone... or alive, perhaps, assuming you can catch me." and he kicked the horse gentle in the side to make it move slowly, without him breaking eye contact.<br/><br/>"Lastly, of course, is the matter of trust. You cannot trust me, and I cannot trust you, certainly not when your most advantageous move would be to have me killed, even if it would lose you a good customer. But I tell you the truth now," and Pete's smile dropped just a bit, "I have no intentions. At all. I apologize if my words have offended you, I did not think wasteland scavengers - let alone a drakefolk warrior - would be hurt by mere words. I have met many drakes in the years and you'd be the first not to laugh at a good taunt... or attack. I was not expecting a scholar, the existence of which still fascinates me. Speaking off..."<br/><br/>Pete's smile returned in full, still tranquil and without regard for the clouds that were now very close, and the faint roll of unnatural thunder, as well as a soft giggle carried by the wind, could be heard. As first it sounded like Pete whistled, but it became clear he was really speaking, or rather, the words he formed, at the very tip of his tongue, were so melodic in nature it was rather a song. "Do il amin naara i' taure. N'e edhel amada, s'il pli'it."<br/><br/>"In exchange for your promise not to try and kill me, as well as your protection should they," he pointed with his sword at the clouds, "approach before you two get up and flee with me, then I will teach you Elvish... and perhaps you will teach me a bit of mer-signs and help me to no longer be so grand and intoxicating." His smile burst into a full boyish grin and a following wink before he ended his speech very simply:<br/>"And now, my friends, I believe you should run for your lives. I will be right in front of you."