"Really?  Always?" thought Aurich to himself as he surrendered himself finally to the peaceful state of affairs, though his blood still boiled for more battle.  Somehow, he had fallen in with a strange cohort.  And they all seemed to normal at the start of the day.  But between the awkward warrior princess, the now strangely talkative and bombastic blackguard, the penitent turncoat wyvern rider, the shady swordswoman and scavenger that appeared from the village they liberated, the exhibitionist, and the rugged mercenary crew led by a woman across from him things had gone from interesting to downright strange.  Only the wind mage seemed downright normal by now, but who knows what might happen once he too started talking.<br/><br/>Aurich breathed out slowly, finally noticing the dull pain in his shoulder returning as the adrenaline left him, and waved Claire off with thanks for his concern.  Leaning on his lance he slid down to the ground and sat with legs crossed in comfort before laying his weapon flat across the ground.  When the dancer offered her services he took the chance to raise his hand however.<br/><br/>"I myself wouldn't mind your aid once again, milady," he mused.  While welcoming on the outside to everyone else, his contemplative gaze was firmly fixed on the mercenary girl across from him.  Ms. Sellsword Business-sense.  What a messy business this was, he thought after finally taking a peaceful survey of the damage done to the land.  There was no way these people could pay for the goods his young assistant was likely bringing up in his large cart-wagon.  Nor could he collect their promised materials he had planned to take back with him.  Thrill of battle aside, this was a disaster for both the land and his business here.<br/><br/>Maybe he should just give his wares away for now.  Not much else he could do with them, and the locals would probably welcome the gesture with their town and fields in disarray.