<strong>Eshalu - at the Saurian settlement</strong><br/><br/>In an instant, Eshalu felt eyes upon her. The Saurian before them did not appear aggressive. At least its body language did not suggest aggression - rather, it was curiosity, or the reptile was particularly adept at hidings its true thoughts. When she saw Aeryn voluntarily disarm herself, the ranger found herself bristling with tension. It was a dangerous gambit, especially with creatures which likely had different standards of parley and certainly had a different code of etiquette. But Aeryn<em>was</em>the expert and there was no point second-guessing either of her companions. Eshalu thought herself wise enough to understand that she was good enough at killing, but a diplomatic liability. So she reluctantly stabbed the point of her spear in the ground just in front of her, the wide metal head piercing moist earth and pried her hand loose from the hilt of her shortsword.<br/><br/>She made a mental note of the obsidian dagger slung above her waist and the short, razor-bladed hunting knife below it. They would be quicker to draw in the event that their attempts at a peaceful approach failed. She said nothing, but observed each of the Saurian's movements, ready to pounce if the situation turned against them.