Valla could sense something was a bit more personal than generic as he was saying, but Tommy had a way of masking everything too well.  It made sense - showing the pink underbelly of emotion would most likely be a quick way to get yourself killed in the world he grew up in.  Still, there was something there, something more than just dealing with the dictator that he tried to blame his thoughts on.<br/><br/>(OOC - he rolled a 2... you almost caught him on a critical fail!)<br/><br/>"Dropped," he said, more than obliging her.  Just as their little spat ended, three men walked toward the fire - one of which anyone on the island would recognize.  Julian wasn't the martial master of the island, but he was the bigger man.  Standing over six-feet, he was huge and he liked to brag that he had a bit of orc blood in him, not that his features told it.  When he turned to the group, they got quiet.<br/><br/>"I would like to thank you all for your hard work.  I know it is difficult, but this feast is not only a celebration of our accomplishments, but also proof that there is nothing we cannot tackle together."  Just as it seemed his speech would end before he saw the two of them, his eyes fell on the two of them.  "And, as well, it shows that we can gain favor much easier than those who prefer their soft lives.  Shared sacrifice, shared gain."  The comment was directed at the two of them, almost as if he were trying to recruit them, but before any thought of that could move to the tongue, he turned and sliced at the flesh of the hog with his longsword, one of the other men catching the hunk of meat and bringing it to the wood-log tables along the ring circling the fire.  "Let us feast!"