Night found Silas busying himself with a generous chunk of the Stag Lord's boar, washing it down with a tankard of the Stag Lord's ale while merrily cavorting with the Stag Lord's men, occasionally looking to admire the Stag Lord's lieutenant, whom he had vigorously filled just a few hours ago. It was the best meal he's ever had, particularly as far as celebratory feasts with former gangs were concerned; full, cheerful and emptied in all the right places, what more could a man ask? The rogue kept his mouth shut as the others explained their stories; when you're surrounded by sympathetic men with tragic backstories, it didn't bode well to single yourself out as the only malicious soul amongst them. Still, he tried to play the part people expected of him, "<strong>would've been a shame to gut you</strong>" Silas said, a compliment in his own crude way, "<strong>remember your loyalty and do as we say, and you'll find yourselves handsomely rewarded.</strong>"<br/><br/>Once the fire died down and people wandered off to find a place to sleep, Silas was half-tempted to grab Oriana or Kressle (and for one moment, both) before deciding against it. Kressle would make too much noise and Oriana... Well, that little speech she did to introduce the four was impressive, and the way she took command made Silas see her as something more than just a Sorceress to be stuffed at a whim.<br/><br/>[That being said, if anyone wants to have a hot and heavy scene with Silas, just PM me!]<br/><br/><hr/><br/>After Silas broke his fast and prepared his mount to depart back to Oleg's, Silas made sure to see their newly acquired cohorts off, at least not before they gave them an earful about the Stag Lord himself and his defenses, "<strong>it might pay to take out some of those squads than</strong>" Silas said to to their information, "<strong>I'm not too open to the idea of getting pricked after we prick the Stag Lord.</strong>" At that, the Rogue thought it'd be a good idea to address the band of ex-bandits itself, his voice confidence although clearly out of his element, "<strong> Once you're done with the mites, head to Oleg's Outpost with any treasure you find from their lair. Be on the lookout for the ring we mentioned the night before; it's of particular importance to us. After that...</strong>" Silas looked to the others, whispering "<strong>and after that... What? Ah, fuck it</strong>" he returned to address the bandits, "<strong>we'll be able to give you further orders from there. Don't do anything stupid, much less something that'll get you killed; once it's time to attack the Stag Lord's Fort we expect you to be on hand to aid us.</strong>"<br/><br/>With that he finished, inwardly grinning at his first taste of command,<em><strong>it's a sour wine better left to more</strong></em>he glanced over at Adelise and Oriana,<em><strong>to palettes better suited for it, but I said what I had to say.</strong></em>As the groups began to part ways, Silas made sure to find Kressle one last time, "<strong>I'm not done with you</strong>" he whispered close to her, clasping one of her bare shoulders and looking her in the eyes, "<strong>so until we meet again, you don't have my permission to die.</strong>" At that Silas broke off from their almost-embrace, noticing the entire thing seemed oddly soft and out-of-character for the man. As though to save face, he gave a light chuckle and slapped her ass to get going, "<strong>now go and kill us some mites; that's an order.</strong>"<br/><br/>The ride back to Oleg's was surprisingly pleasant, or decidedly unpleasant if any of the girls decided to give him lip about his behavior around the Tribal. To be honest, Silas didn't know how he should feel around her as well, and that uncertainty angered him; she was his<em>toy</em>, nothing more. So why did he seem concerned for her safety? Ah Baator below, this isn't what he thought would happen when he got to the Greenbelt.<br/><br/>The cold air from the plains was like a kiss from Shelyn herself. Shivering in pleasure (although the sweat on his brow might've had something to do with it) he looked to the others before sighing, "<strong>I'm usually not a fan of wide, open spaces. But right now? I wouldn't trade this if I was offered all the silver of House Jeggare.</strong>" Of course that was a blatant lie, even if it<em>was</em>meant to be an exclamation of relief, but Silas didn't care; the muggy jungle was behind them. How could things get any better?<br/><br/>Silas found his breath caught in his throat as he saw guards approach, the pit in his stomach starting to churn as he felt his skin warm,<em><strong>no. No no no, not now.</strong></em>He thought, what if they knew who he was?<em>What</em>he was? Silas signed that part of his life away with a flourish back in Restov, they couldn't take him back,<em>wouldn't.</em>Silas seemed to remember the weighty steel in his scabbard. Stand and fight or run? If he turned now he might be able to join up with Kressle and the others, that certainly wouldn't be a poor existence.<br/><br/>When Kesten began to address them as friends, Silas didn't exactly know what to say. Still coming down from the fight-or-flight he had experienced moments before, he simply went along with the newcomers as they escorted them to Oleg's.<em><strong>Escorted!</strong></em>The closest Silas ever got to an escort were ones he was gutting to get at the fat traders they protected, and now they had some to protect him and the others. Was this one of the many perks to come with taming the Greenbelt? If it was, Silas might have to rethink his ways, "<strong>lead the way, captain</strong>" he replied, the stress audible in his voice but otherwise making an effort to sound confident and commanding,<em><strong>Gods be good, I hope this is the last surprise we have today.</strong></em><br/><br/>Oh how wrong he was.<br/><br/>The trading post was alive and bustling with activity. Tents, smoke, the neighing of horses, it was a far cry from the siege-mentality they had found mere days before, "<strong>amazing to see what spilling a little blood can do</strong>" Silas observed as they dismounted, adding with a teasing smirk, "<strong>we might have to do it more often.</strong>" The gnome, this "Mayor Bingley" that came to greet them was obnoxious and loud, as Gnomes usually were. However what he said only stacked on the surprises, "<strong>lord?</strong>" Silas said incredulously as the Mayor said the word, looking to his compatriots with a cocked eyebrow as he mouthed again, "<strong>lord?</strong>" People have called Silas a lord before; whores and japes mostly, but this was the first time someone's ever seriously called him one, or at the very least called him one without adding a laugh or moan.<br/><br/>The next few minutes found Silas being whisked this way and that, getting an idea of the newcomers while Bingley continued to prove air was a very free, very readily available thing to use. While his ears were assaulted by the Gnomes incessant talking, Silas became more interested in the aroma that was wafting from the cauldron. When the opportunity presented itself Silas responded to Horo's request, looking at his friends with a barely contained grin before confirming, "<strong>we certainly did Mrs. Oleg. Radishes from the looks of them; they don't taste too different from the garden-variety, but the effects afterwards will have you on your back begging for more. Put a half dozen in the stew and this will be a feast we'll never forget.</strong>"