The first surprise was that in a town like this, Maksym wasn't alone in seeking a fortune of soldiery. The second surprise was that he'd already found the intrepid woman he'd unwittingly sought. She wasted no time in declaiming, loudly and inspirationally, the plights of the poor around them and the need for heroes. Not just any heroes, either—she wanted heroes of a certain caliber. That much was clear.<br/><br/>And Maksym, hearing that, knew he'd found his next job. The sight of a wandering ascetic and a self-declared "arcane archer" (a novelty to his ears) pledging their...interest, if not their loyalty, reinforced his resolve. "Count me in," he said solemnly, raising his drink in an ad hoc toast to the Captain. "Maksym the Swift hears and answers the call."<br/><br/>Those words resonated for a moment, then he awkwardly lowered his drink. She said no questions, but he still had to know: "Are we talking about this village, or somewhere else?" He hadn't noticed any particular signs of banditry around here, but he also hadn't been looking.