((Thanks for the warm welcome! ^_^ Glad you like her!<img alt=":D" src="./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" title="Very Happy"/>Glad to be joining up, and excited to see where it all leads. ^_^ ))<br/><br/>"Oh. Fair enough." Ryla responds casually, though she still continues her restless pacing. There was a certain nervous quality about her that was rather easy to see, though more than likely it was simply residue from having nearly been smashed, poked, nibbled, and cut that very same day. One tended to get worked up over such things. Still, it was not for that reason that caused the kitsune's constant pacing, nor her apparent deep thought...it was what the attack had signified. Perhaps it was complete and utter chance? The thugs had just saw the boat coming in, noticed it didn't float right up to port and dock, and instead threw anchor in the habor...and as such, it made a decent target. Of course, that was wishful thinking. The far more nerve-wracking possibility was that they'd been hired to go get her information. Or worse, her. Things were starting to get a little too hot for comfort. Ugh, what if it wasn't even her rodent-contact that had sold her out? What if...<br/><br/>Bah.<br/><br/>It didn't do to think about it too much, she was honestly getting nowhere. Whilst her first instinct was to go out and gather additional information on what the thugs were doing and why, the prospect of laying low (Especially since she had FRIENDLY company), was an enticing one, and to her scattered nerves, it honestly sounded best. At least for the moment. Plus, there was always the prospect of gathering new allies when the group Misha had spoke of finally showed up. Not that she was one to bring others into HER problems....but hey, the more bodies that stood between her and her enemies, the better! So to speak.<br/><br/>***Later...***<br/><br/>Thus, Ryla found herself strutting along beside Misha on her little port excursion some time later. Unlike the harpy's relative unkemptness, Ryla had, before the duo left, insisted she be allowed to brush her hair and each of her tails, ensuring every little bit of fur was precisely where it was meant to be. After some straightening of her skirt, and a few more adjustments of her hat, she'd finally grabbed her staff (one which Misha could easily guess was more for 'show' than anything else), and taken to the streets with her new avian friend.<br/><br/>Oh, how amazingly difficult it was NOT to laugh.<br/><br/>The waddle. It was simply...<br/><br/>...It was...<br/><br/>Well, a WADDLE.<br/><br/>More than once, Ryla had to bite her tongue to not simply giggle at the rather silly sight, and even THAT was almost not enough. So, to distract herself from the avian's wobbling gait, the kitsune turned her attention to the simple explaination of how things worked in Port Verge.<br/><br/>"As one might expect, smugglers and dealers of illicit goods come and go all the time. I think, for the most part, it's harmless...there's far too few raids on cargo houses and good-storage, so someone up the ladder is getting a cut of the deal. Kinda typical, I suppose. Of course, for every vessel that deals in contraband, there's two or three that deal in goods that are worth purchasing. Well, sorta. I tell you ,some of the 'miracle cures'...um, well, they don't work, no matter how reputable the merchant." Grimacing at the memory, Ryla holds back a shudder. That had not been an especially pleasant night. Or morning, for that matter "As is also typical of ports, people don't seem to know how to take a bath, will steal you blind as soon as look at you, and will claim to have all manner of relations with your mother if you so much as act like you disagree with anything they say. Beyond that, it's actually a rather charming place, assuming you avoid all the dark alleys, shoddy merchants, and merfolk in the waters. Yeah. Merfolk. Fish tails. That whole thing. I tried catching one, once, but I really didn't know what type of bait to use. Or, they were just smart enough to not bite the hook, which is--"<br/><br/>If there was one thing Ryla did know how to do, it was talk. Alot. Perhaps even more surprising than the kitsune's verbosity, however, was how...well, NOT grating it was. Her voice was surprisingly soothing and strangely alluring, and though by no means did it contain the sheer power that was evident in Misha's song, it was nonetheless surprisingly pleasant to listen to, and carried a certain charismatic quality that was hard to miss. Plus, intermixed with her various comments about general life in Port Verge were a few gems of knowledge that would be helpful along the way.<br/><br/>"Information is also a trade commodity here, so the more you know, the better off you generally are. Y'know, you can make a killing here just selling people out. Somehow, I think I missed my calling with that...just never really had it in me. Sides, if someone ticks me off, I think it feel so much better to just ea-" Stopping mid-sentence, Ryla puts a hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. Not that it was particularly needed, as her hat more than sufficed for the task "Um...is that it?" She asks, pointing out across the harbor where the ship could be seen, complete with a small 'welcoming party' already rowing out to greet it.