Xi watches her, used to her reverie by now and having never once caught her asleep.  She shakes her head.  "The tavern man, he stirs, but is slow and old."  She unwinds the tavern's blanket and tosses it aside... she's seen the elf change before, and despite her own consciously spartan disregard for the body-- as with life and death-- she shows, as usual, more than a casual interest in the elf's body.  Accustomed to the hard-muscled and women of her people for so long, her first encounter with elves, halflings, half-orcs-- every species' vast difference from her own spawned an inexcusable curiosity.<br/><br/>The elf's beauty stirred more than that; she couldn't be any more different than Xi herself.  Her lack of scars, the sculpted, soft swells of breasts, the smooth and delicate curves on her creamy skin... Xi herself had more scars than she could recount tales for, including a pale, white crescent through her left eyebrow down her cheek, battle-toughened hands with a pinkie-finger missing entirely, and-- by the gods, almost NONE of these outsiders have the same ritual piercings.  She wonders, sometimes, how they mark their trial passages.<br/><br/>The barbarian turns away, pouring out her own pitcher of water and sopping it up with a rag, with which she begins to wash herself.  The white bone and pale-silver chain from her ear to her nostril jingles faintly as she speaks.  "I've taken some provisions... meal, milk, eggs, some dried fruits, venison."  She lifts one hairless arm, ritualistically cleaning herself from neck down.  Not as large as many warriors, her body is still chiseled with youthful, feminine muscle and healthy, sun-browned skin.<br/><br/>"The equipment is also ready."  Wood poles, rope, grappling hook, chalk to mark passage, armor rivots, torches.  Potions for water-breathing, wound closing, and and resistance to every vile poison or known disease that the alchemists can produce.  Hundreds have died in that tomb.  Hundreds since only men began to tell tales of the place.  What would two more be?<br/><br/>"I've mead as well, if you like."  She continues washing, turning her back as she washes down her breasts and stomach.