Aurich tried not to stare (too much) at the strange dancer that graciously tended to his minor wounds, though it was a handsome enough reward for his valor today.  But fascination, that feeling of awe at something he'd neither expected nor ever thought to see, was given to the mercenary captain, Ms. Sellsword, who unrobed herself and presented an even less martial appearance than he first imagined from voice and frame alone.  She really was a young girl physically as well, and he found himself idly staring despite the rather close venue Maribelle offered as she wrapped his shoulders with bandages.  He hadn't yet decided to feel insulted by this or become a reverent follower himself.  Despite her soft looks, nevermind the harsh stare and poise she used to compensate, the men around her really did seem like mercenaries.  At least as much as those he just fought, which was probably the reason why the village seemed so interested themselves.<br/><br/>What was at first a distant crowd of cautious onlookers gathered at the village entrance turned into a large mob.  They approached with care not to surprise the armed party that was now camping on the road to the manor, and stopped halfway between them and the village as if ready to flee at a moment's notice.  Curiosity alone had brought them that far - some wondered what the fighting had been about and who exactly won, some were curious about the double rumor that Lady Laplace had been both murdered and seen alive just now rushing ahead of a small cohort, and some were simply awestruck at the panoply of men and women at arms who seemed a bit more approachable than the last gang that had overrun their town.<br/><br/>From within the gathered crowd emerged a young man barely approaching middle age with several equally aged figures attached to him as he walked toward the party.  Notables of the town, or perhaps the village gang?  In this time either was possible as the mysterious hand of death snatched away the elders of each nation.  The leader of sorts hailed the party in general, unsure of who was in charge exactly, and identified himself as the village spokesman.<br/><br/>"I am Howard, son of Hughes the merchant of Laplace," he warily began with the all too common greeting that nowadays meant the father had been claimed by the blight and the son inherited his rank.  Cecilia might recognize him, as Aurich did, as the town merchant who handled the village's organization and production and thus the 'elder' both usually dealt with in their respective business and duties.  He was also Ysena's contractor who sought out the Advent mercenaries, but made no assumptions so far as to who or what he was dealing with now.  Even if Aurich and the Lady Cecilia's black knight, a popular character with the village children, were known to him, though Cecilia was hidden from him as she made her rounds tending to the wounded.  "If... one of you is a peace-minded leader, I would speak with you.  Who are you," he first asked the unknown faces, mostly the mercenary band around Ysena, "and should we fear you?  What has become of the Lady of the manor?"