Giving her report... well, it would have been nice to know what she thought, but the crystal<em>certainly</em>brought a response from her, that much was evident.  Despite what would come, Elli thought that perhaps the other woman knew just what it was that she was looking at... As for the reprimand, she listened and nodded in agreement, even though it was an inaccurate assessment of what she did; there was not the time to go for reinforcements; they would not have made it in time.  But she listened still, and nodded... but the request for the gem...<br/><br/>"If it's alright ma'am, I was hoping I could hold onto the gem myself; it was a personal gift, from someone I could call a friend now." Elli replied, giving all due respect "And I understand the protocols, but with the timeframe I had to work with an entire tribe of people would have died while I went for, waited for mobilization, and then brought troops back; the village was<em>well</em>beyond the borders of this city, hours away.  I prioritized their lives over my safety."<br/><br/>Then, after a pause, she opened her mouth again.<br/><br/>"Do I have your word that I will receive it by the morrow's eve?" Elli asked, again quite politely "It was a gift from a friend, after all, given in good faith..."<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">Sense Motive to make sure Captain isn't lying about bringing it back: 13 + 5 = 18</div></div>