Happy Trails To You!

[Edreina]

OOCWhoever posts first will determine the post order.

64th of Fall, 513 AV
One Bell Past Syna's Highest Point
The Narvaen Stable, Zeltiva

Warm, velvety lips brushed over her cheek, his hot breath raced down her neck, bringing a small, sad smile to her lips. "I don't have much time left..." she whispered, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. "And, I'm afraid you cannot join me on this adventure... The waves are not a horse's pasture." In response, he lipped at the pouch on her hip, hoping that it would contain a treat. When he came away without anything, Edreina found herself caught in an icy blue gaze that somehow managed to reach down into her soul. Again, he whickered deep in his chest, nudging her with his whiskery muzzle. "I know..." Her hand reached up to rub his broad cheek gently.

In all honesty, she was surprised that Jorven had remembered her after visiting so rarely the past few days. But, then again, he was a loyal animal and they had bonded over the journey from Syliras to Zeltiva. And to think she had once been terrified of-

The Svefra let out a sharp, surprised sound as Mrrko, Razkar's big black beast, saw fit to thunder over, skidding to a stop in front of them; the horses's rider had been made aware of her location through a note in their shared room. The far milder gelding, Jorven huffed and rolled his eyes, nudging Edreina's stilled hand. He was not, after all, finished being pet. Rolling her own silvery blue eyes, Edreina resumed petting her own mount, ignoring the sharp nose Mrrko gave her side. "I don't know what I'll do with you... But you can't come with me," she sighed, resting her forehead against the long bridge of his nose.

As melancholy as the moment was - Edreina stood facing an uncertain future and the loss of one of her best friends, but change in life was inevitable - the young woman perked up after a moment's thought. "But! I learned something new, the other day!" Blue eyes flashed from side to side in a conspiratorial manner, despite the fact they stood mostly alone in the pasture save for the other horses. "You must promise to keep it a secret." Whether or not the silvery gelding understood was known only to the gods, of course, but it was fun to play with him one more time before... Well, she did not know what was to come quite yet.

With one hand toying idly behind Jorven's soft white ear, Edreina held the other up for him to see and started to focus. Only yesterday she had been taught how to draw and transmute her Res. So, the process took quite some time. She focused on the image of the waves lapping the shore once again except that the water was her Res and she the shore. Waves of energy lapped out from her soul into her limbs, but she focused only on that which touched her palm. Eventually, she cut part of it off from the rest and forced it up through her flesh.

A pale orange filled her palm, flickering and dancing with life. "See this..." It rose slowly on her whim twirling through the air like a golden ribbon. "This is magic..." Almost unsurely, the horse huffed at the ephemeral strand. "Isn't it pretty?" She mused to him, smiling gently. Without a second thought, she dropped her hand, allowing the Res to snap to a trickle of water. The horse did not care; she was just being silly. But, she would miss him. Now, to find out what the stable master could do to help her...

(c) Wanda Endust

[Razkar]

"Look, I know you're upset, but you had to know this day was coming. Did you think I could take you home? Into the jungle? Someone like you? It would be... too hard. Even for you. I know, I know... look, don't make this harder than it has to be, yes? We're both males. We're supposed to handle this... y'know, stoically."

Deep and imperious brown eyes blinked slowly, as if in disbelief. The Myrian quailed slightly under them, bowing his head, forehead resting on his clenched hands... and he felt teeth the side of his knuckles snuffling genially at his hair.

"I'm going to miss you trying to eat me..."

Words not oft spoken, truly, but mayhap more true for their rarity. Mrrko's breath, hot and coming in snorts and huffs, had become so familiar to him over the last year. He'd bought him from the first knackers he'd passed after getting off the boat in Riverfall. A means of getting from A to B, that was all Razkar had been seeking... and yet he'd found a companion, instead of just a living means of transport.

A dark hand reached over and patted the long, darker muzzle. Mrrko leaned into it... and when you're that big, "leaning" actually meant "pushing Razkar's hand to the top of his head". The Myrian just chuckled and scratched between the stallion's ears, shaking his head.

"They'll take care of you, you have my word on that. We wouldn't take you or the other one to somewhere that would just b-"

Razkar stopped and stalled his words, clearing his throat instead. Would the horse understand "boil you into glue the first chance they get"? Probably not, but he wasn't willing to risk it.

He understood so much, after all.

"Oh, speaking of which," he said, voice lowering to a conspiratorial murmur. "Keep an eye on Jorven, right? We know he's the younger and he's going to need you looking out for him. Not forever, mind. He's got to make his own way, too, but for now, well... with us... going, and everything..."

Another snuffle from an immobile snout and glistening eyes and Razkar wondered how something so... impassive could be so expressive, all at once. The male could have sworn he saw sadness and betrayal in those big brown eyes, willing his strange two-leg companion to stay, for these new ones smelled unfamiliar and they didn't have his favorite oats.

"Ah, yes..."

Oh, but the two-leg wasn't completely gormless, Caiyha bless him, and he came up from his pouch with... bingo!

"I know they don't have these here," Razkar continued, petting his steed as he jerked his head from side to side and Mrrko munched the pile of oats from his hidden hand, "So enjoy while you can. Look... I know we've been over this, but-"

Unfortunately, wise and noble though Mrrko may have been, patience was not one of his gifts and soon some other fancy (probably one shiny or female) had taken his eyes and he went trotting away to...

... ah. Turns out it's the second.

Razkar smiled as his friend hurried over to the unmistakable figure of Edreina, always the Svefra billboard with her shock of flaming hair. He started to walk over to her, clapping his hands to remove the lingering traces of oats and horse saliva, not taking his eyes off... Mrrko.

He sighed again, and his smile left his eyes and waned upon his lips. He didn't want to leave his friend, and that was exactly how he saw Mrrko. His steed had proven himself in peace and war, showing loyalty and courage. But now, with where they had to go, the towering animal couldn't follow.

Life is leavings and partings, isn't that what the scholar once said? It's how we meet them that matters...

[Edreina]

Before she could move forward to start seeking the stable master, Mrrko decided to imitate his master by tugging at Edreina's long red hair with his fleshy lips - not that the Myrian did that precisely. With a cry of disdain, Edreina whirled upon the great black beast and, while still upon her toes, found a stout muzzle prodded into the center of her chest. Having her hair pulled was far less unpleasant than stumbling and ending up in the dirt, she discovered. Sometimes, it was easier to just ignore Mrrko than give into his antics.

"And why are you never like this to Raz?" She grumbled up at the horse, arms crossed over her chest. "Oh, that's right. He would eat you." Using the ever-steady Jorven for balance, Edreina returned to her feet. "If petting was what you wanted, you certainly won't get it now," she sniffed, petting Jorven's side with both of her hands just to spite the ebony steed. There was a mischievous twinkle in the blue eyes of the gelding as he swung around his massive head to gaze upon his rider. An unspoken question passed between the two, and Edreina sighed. The way that his forelegs trembled faintly was familiar to her.

"You want to run... hm?" As odd as it was, Jorven was too polite to simply bolt off and race about. Well, maybe it was due to the fact that she was scratching his withers just so. But, in any case, he would not indulge in his Windrunner tendencies while his owner's hands were upon him. Edreina thanked Serena - for the thousandth time - for raising him so well despite his imperfections.

It was then that Edreina realized she had never been on or near Jorven when he decided to run, only watched in awe from afar. Maybe... since this was their last time together...

Instead of giving herself time to think about what she was about to do, Edreina took hold of a hank of Jorven's mane, the toughest bit near the rear, and hauled herself onto his broad, heaving back. Though she was far from an expert horsewoman, Serena had taught her enough to sit on a horse's back without a saddle. Now, riding him at full gallop even with a saddle? She doubted her ability but this was the last time she would sit upon her faithful steed's back.

Grip and guide with your knees... the young Svefra recalled, taking a deep breath. Two hands made strong through years of gripping ropes caught hold of the rear of Jorven's mane, just over his shoulders. His ears glinted like silver in the light of Syna as they swiveled towards her, listening intently apparently.

Instead of speaking, the rider made her desires clear, tapping her heels against his barrel and leaning forward ever so slightly. Predictably, the dappled horse started forward at a lazy walk, broad body swaying from side to side. The redhead swayed along with him, breathing slow and thoughtful if a little nervous. From there, she urged him into a trot, riding him in the direction of the end of the pasture.

Trotting had always been her least favorite pace; it was rough and made her butt hurt after only a few minutes. Hesitantly, she tapped her heels again and the he fell into a long lope, betraying the power in his limbs as he flew across the earth. The rhythm was exhilarating, like sailing from wave crest to wave crest on a hilled open ocean.

The stone wall of the pasture's far end brought her back to reality as she turned Jorven in a wide arc, breath hitching as she settled upon her decision. "C'mon... Show me what you've got." And, with that, Edreina allowed Jorven to surge into a gallop the likes of which she had never known.

The earth turned into a green and blue blur around her, and they into a red and white stream of whipping hair. Everything was wind and motion. It screamed in her ears and tore through her skin, chilling her. Her smiling lips were dried by it, and her awed eyes brought to tears. This was a world unlike anything she had ever known, it rivaled sailing and thrilled her heart and soul more than any cave ever had.

But, far more quickly than either, it was over. Jorven stood motionless before the other end of the paddock in what had felt like a single blink.

Edreina Whitewave was shaking, trembling, and clinging to Jorven as if her life depended upon it... which it probably had considering the speed at which they had apparently traveled. There had been no control in their run, ony freedom. It was some miracle that Jorven had decided to stop at all. I should probably...

Instead of a near-graceful dismount, the Svefra's jelly-like arms and legs caused her to collapse into a groaning heap upon the brittle Fall grass. All the while, she grinned.

A sharp, surprised laugh left her lips and Jorven nosed her lightly, obviously confused, earning a shaky pat upon the muzzle. "I'm damn sorry I didn't do that sooner, boy."

(c) Wanda Endust

[Razkar]

"Beautiful, isn't he?"

"... he?"

Sienna Narvaen looked sharply at the Myrian, then noticed the enraptured look on his face that explained that strange, faraway tone. One she never expected she'd associate with one of the race all Mizaharians feared or disdained. But there he stood, hands braced on the fence surrounding the vast pasture, watching with a broad smile as Edreina's hair flames like the tail of a comet and Jorven finally, finally gained his freedom.

"Such beasts were not meant for the slow trot with our burdens on their backs," she said softly, voice somewhere between sincere appreciation and her usual sales talk with customers, "No... they were meant to be free. Able to run and gallop and chew up the leagues like so many steps. Tis always a beauty to see something so-"

"Joyful."

"Y... Yes." Sienna answered but still frowned. The Myrian's words were right, but the object of his wonder, well... she wouldn't bet it was Jorven his eyes were so stuck to. "Exactly."

Still, a sale was a sale, a customer was a customer, and her eyes flicked over to a milling Mrrko as the larger, heavier male pounded after the amok Jorven. The savage actually chuckled as she spoke, revealing sharpened teeth as he grinned, watching Edreina tumble from her mount like a sack of pale potatoes.

"So, you're looking to sell the horse and the gear et al, hmm?"

"Ate who?"

"No, 'et al'," Sienna explained patiently, "It means 'and others'. A scholars term. It means, in this case, with everything. Saddle, bit, bridle, the bags-"

"Yes-yes-yes," Razkar said almost impatiently, testing his feet on the bottom rung of the fence, "For everything. How much, do you think?"

Sienna was the second heir to her family; that, coupled with being a woman, meant that her elder brother had inherited the marvelous Stables, but the fact remained the man knew far less than her when it came to the horses and the business. She'd done this dance a hundred times and knew when the customer wasn't in the mood to haggle: he just wanted the deal done.

Clearly, he had other priorities than horses. This was odd to Sienna, but each to his own...

"I'd say... seventy gold Mizas, for the lot," she said, arms crossed like a shield before her, barring to argument. "Considering he's a little older, and the state of the equipment, I think-"

"Fifty will be fine."

"Excuse me?! Oi, wait-"

But Razkar had already heaved his lithe body over the fence and landed with a soft thump onto the thick grass. Winter was coming slowly on the heels of dying Fall, but here the ground was rich and wet enough for this bastion of green to fight it out to the end. The Myrian smiled and nodded to himself.

Even better: plenty for them to eat.

"I'm not worried about the best deal, mistress." He said with a wry smile and a shrug of his shoulders. "I want to make sure Mrrko is taken care of."

Sienna verily bristled at the implication she would treat any of her horses otherwise, lips pursed and eyes aflame with outrage. But Razkar just held up his hands in supplication, already backing away and his grin dancing across his lips.

"The way you look now, mistress... there is no lie in it. I know he will be safe. I know they both will. And for that, I will not begrudge you a score of gold coins. Fifty. No more, no less, and my thanks for a worthy female."

Sienna sputtered uncertainly as the Myrian bowed low before her, all her indignation suddenly stymied and backed up in her like a conga line hitting a brick wall. But before she could stammer out thanks or a "well, done, then" the male was already loping away to his breathless lover, spread-eagle in the sand.

Edreina blinked as the bright and fierce Syna was suddenly eclipsed. Looking up, she would see the grinning form of Razkar looming over her like a giant from the old legends, shaking his head with mock severity.

"A Daughter of Laviku enjoying herself so on the land? Such a thing would be near-blasphemy, amongOW-!" Jorven gave his critique with a toss of his mane across Razkar's face, and the Myrian rubbed his stinging cheeks. "Gods, I never said anything about you... touchy petching creature..."

Receipt:+50gm from the sale of "Mrrko" (Horse, Light), Bit and Bridle, Saddle (Light Cavalry) and Saddlebags (Large). Less than it would be for all that, but Razkar isn't too concerned with wringing profit out of the sale as much as he is making sure Mrrko has a good home.

[Ignotus Everto]

"Yes, but are they hostile?"

Ignotus Everto was a rather busy man. Even with twenty four hours in a day, he had laws to read, laws to draft, groups to appease, factions to eliminate, and, to put it quite simply, a city to run, all while juggling a conversation with Justus, the obscenely handsome Denvali beside him, and a large building's shadow.

"I don't think so, my Lord." the Ranuri said, his easy smile hiding any true feelings behind it, "the Yshul Cult is, by its definition, thieiving and treacherous, but they don't want to bite the hand feeding it."

"Good..." muttered the Nuit before switching to a quietly whispered Makath, "And Mr. Hurston?"

"Na ah ah, you didn't say the magic word!" taunted the shadow.
"Please..." growled the Nuit through gritted teeth.
"No idea!" it crowed.

Of course. They were always like this. They knew; they just didn't want to tell him. Even three seasons later, unless it was going to kill him, they just felt like teasing him with information. Scraps were what they were. Hints made to make him angry. But that was all right- he could use the mental exercise anyways, he told himself.

"And the Old Quarter?" the wizard asked his companion.
"They see you as..." Justus pursed his lips, "How shall I say it... Inauthentic?
'They see you as undignified. Lesser. Someone who, while very clever and rich, doesn't have any class."

This caused Ignotus to twitch. Just a little. He went to great lengths to look his best, he believed he spoke quite eloquently, he went to fancy parties. What more could those puffed up bastards want?"

Justus, of course, caught this in an instant. He was, after all, a priest of Nikali. Even the smallest desire or discomfort was privy to him. The man's marks both soothed and frightened Ignotus- for he had no way of knowing just how much Justus was aware of, and though he theoretically had no independent personality... Ignotus did not like untested theories. At any rate, sensing the Nuit's insecurity, he touched the undead's arm and gingerly suggested, "Maybe you could spend your money on something a bit more practical."

The Hypnotist wasn't a particularly corrupt head of state- Zeltiva's money went right back into Zeltiva, so that his dominion might grow strong. His own cash, however, went to his vanity. Normally, this meant either saving for a personal project, or, more often, spending a hundred or so on something gorgeous. But something practical...

What did he need? He had guards. He had a fine Denvali lieutenant. He had a sword cane. What did he still need?

Ignotus' thoughts soon turned to Sunberth, and from there to the horrible, horrible task of wading slowly through the wilderness on foot.

"I need a horse." he decided.

Now, what sort of horse did he want. Something noble, definitely, so he could around on it in town, and swift, so he wouldn't wish he was truly dead when he reached his destination. And, perhaps most importantly, it had to be able to work with him.

As if on cue, there was a great neighing in the distance, and Ignotus craned his neck to see its source. It was a radiant white horse racing through the air, a familiar redheaded rider atop it, and a somewhat less familiar Myrian spectating. "Justus. Go report your findings to the Counsel Guard. They'll want to hear it." he said absently, nodding mentally to himself as he approached the gleaming beast. "Oh yes. You'll do quite nicely."

[Edreina]

Her laugh was short and breathless even as Jorven shook out his mane in proximity of the Myrian's face. "You should have felt that, Razkar!" She gasped, laying a forearm over her forehead. "It's like nothing else!" She did not quite feel like standing yet as the ground was cool, Syna warm, and the breeze ever so gentle.

It was a nice moment and, far from surprisingly, Mrrko decided to ruin it. The big, black beast thundered over like a bat out of hell only to skid to a stop before Jorven, whinnying high and playful, but covering Edreina with sand. Once upon a time she had thought him to be a demon of the earth, now she just wondered if his mother or father had been an ass because he certainly was. "Dammit, Raz!" The redhead cried in indignation, bolting to her feet just in time to see Jorven take off after the darker horse, likely to avenge his rider's honor. "You and that horse. I swear!" She did not quite know to whom or of what she swore, but they induced oaths in any case. Freckled hands shot out and aimed two quick jabs at his side before returning to shake the sand from her hair and brush it from her clothes.

Once that was done, she gave her lover a hard shove, just for good measure, and started to tromp off across the pasture and back towards the barn where she would sell the steed. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed movement and, upon turning, was greeted by the now-familiar visage of a man built like a pillar and about as inviting. In spite of this innate unfriendliness, he was an enigma she still wished to solve and a human - er, kind of - whose company she found to be stimulating. Each time she found herself around him, she grew mentally.

Oh, and he inducted her into the art of Reimancy, letting his shudder-inducing Res creep through every fiber of her being. You could almost say they shared a bond or as close to one as Ignotus Everto would ever forge.

(c) Wanda Endust

[Razkar]

Dramatic irony is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, it requires a healthy dollop of ignorance to really work.

To whit:

The Myrian ust rolled his eyes as Edreina blew off some steam. Oh, had she learned nothing of Mrrko? The beast was as much a reflection of his master as Razkar's blades, and he saw no reason to rein him in if he wanted to play with Jorven. And if Edreina should get in between such shenanigans.

"You really shouldn'tOW-"

Once again she got under his guard, and the warrior didn't know whether to be proud of her or angered at his own surprise. He nearly jumped in the air as his sides spasmed suddenly, but-

"Oh, no, not a second time, female-!"

The Svefra didn't get far before two hundred pounds of lean Myrian tackled her from the side. Grinning fiercely as her indignant squeal, Razkar lifted her up and then bought her back down in a very unladylike bundle of flailing limbs. She was muttering and squeaking something frantically but Razkar was too into his game to be dissuaded now.

"Oh, now you want to play the victim, hmm? After bruising your poor lover, hmm?! I think not-!"

His tickling hands roamed all over but it was only ticks before he realized they were not alone. Still grinning with his fanged teeth, the Myrian looked up... and his expression shattered in a tick.

The Nuit. Everto. His employer.

He got to his feet quickly... too quickly. Black eyes darted down to Edreina, whose own gaze was luckily fixed on the man, too. Razkar quickly composed himself and hoped his whirring mind, wheels spinning like a windmill in a hurricane, would not show in his wide eyes.

Calm. Don't act suspicious or angry, you'll tip her off. She doesn't need to know about... that bit of business. Not yet, anyway. So... be yourself...

He blinked and groaned inwardly.

... you know what I mean.

"Looking for a horse, male?"

The Myrian kept his face calm and yet shuffled a little closer to his lover... and just a touch in front of her, too. If this Everto had come down here for another reason - which he assumed meant him - he wouldn't allow Edreina to be harmed for his machinations. He scratched his stomach absently, fingers just uner his kukri, silently and quickly calculating how many fractions of ticks it would take to unsheath it and hurl it into the man's (no, thing's) chest.

"They're, ah... both fine beasts. But Mistress Sienna has just purchased Mrrko, so..."

He left the sentence unsaid. Another tell, he thought with a silent mental curse. Stop talking so much like the barbarians!

OOCEdreina doesn't tell Raz she's been tutored by Ignotus until Fear And Trembling, which comes after this, and Razkar hasn't told her at all about Iggy hiring him for murder.

[Ignotus Everto]

"Your lover?.."

The Hypnotist mouthed those words to himself, the shade of something sinister gleaming in his eyes. He had suspected, of course... But here at last was proof. Not only that, but he feared for her, judging by his body language. "Oh, Ignotus... You are so very clever!"

Razkar appeared to be playing dumb... Poorly... So he likely hadn't told his sweet little paramour what would bring in their bread.

As such, after an admittedly foolish lapse, he regarded the Myrian with a quiet smile. Edreina received a brief, amiable glance. They'd already sold the black one? Understandable, judging by his temperament, but he was already hawking the gorgeous gelding in front of him, so...

They can't take them on the boat, perhaps?

It was not impossible. Granted, he knew nothing about horses, but it sounded right. If so, and the sale was motivated by necessity... Then he was about to save himelf three hundred mizas.

The wizard stretched out his arm, faint ripples of Hypnotic force coaxing the horse towards him. "He is beautiful," Ignotus said glowingly, an icy hand stroking Jorven's snout. The animal seemed off-put at first, but a faint flood of calm quickly put its simple mind at ease. A good thing, considering it was currently being petted by a corpse. "But wouldn't I be depriving you of such a noble mount if I took him?"

A real Hypnotist wasn't like the Dhani girl- all flashy and belligerent. No, true ones, ones that were to be wary of, would say something innocuous, then nudge you in just the tiniest way to answer in just the right manner- in this case, desire to close a sale motivating one to explain what the sale is for. Or, in Hypno Math: Worry+"Be Honest"+"Sell This Horse"= Singing like a bluebird. In theory.

[Edreina]

Edreina rose to her feet right after Razkar, hands dancing over her body to brush away the dust. Even from behind, she could see that he was tense and worried for whatever reason. Did he know Ignotus? At his gruff question, the Svefra went as far as to place her hand over her eyes, head shaking faintly at his bravado; if only he knew what Ignotus was capable of. This was probably one of the few beings on the continent who would be utterly unphased by the tattoo'ed, scarred Myrian.

When her hand left her eyes, there was a faint smile in them. Something in her liked seeing the cool and cruel Myrian fumbling under a bit of pressure. When Ignotus's eyes turned to hers for the briefest of instants, she nodded faintly in recognition.

Unsurprisingly, Jorven snorted in surprise at the nuit's chilled fingertips but quickly settled, taking this change in stride as he always did. So long as someone was petting him and there was food, he would always be fine.

"But wouldn't I be depriving you of such a noble mount if I took him?"

The Svefra grinned and strode around Razkar to stand at Jorven's gleaming shoulder, fingers following the faint whorls in his coat. A tick too late, she worried that Razkar would notice how at ease she was around the gaunt man but hoped he would attribute it to her naturally trusting and kind nature. If not, she had a conversation to worry over, later.

"He's pretty amazing..." she affirmed, blue eyes flicking up to the unblinking as she spoke. "Fastest horse I've ever seen-" No point in boring him with how few horses she had seen, "-and certainly the calmest." That was true especially when comparing him to Mrrko. "Nothing gets to Jorven," she mused, remembering all that the horse had been through. A pang of remorse flooded her heart at the memory that they had endured so much, together. It was a shame that she had to give it all up.

"Are you interested in a horse?" Red waves tumbled to the side as she cocked her head. "If so... I have one I would certainly suggest for a man of your... stature." Without realizing it, Edreina had given away the fact that she did indeed know Ignotus. "I can give you a show of his skills, if you would like. I'm not the best on a horse, but that could be even more telling of how wonderful a horse he is."

(c) Wanda Endust

[Razkar]

It was dramatic iron at its finest, at least for two of the players. They both knew, and did not know; suspected and glossed over at the same time. Razkar frowned slightly when Edreina responded to their... "prospective buyer", some little voice tugging at his mind urgently.

Stature? He isn't that big, I thought, that's... wait! That means something else! Like referring to one in authority or respect, but... how could she know that? Or him?

The Myrian kept his face as blankly pleasant as he could, but deception did not come easily to his breed. Lies and deceit were the ways of barbarians and the Ancient Enemy; Myrians as a whole despised both. It enabled them to function well among each other... but in a foreign land, it profited the male nothing, so he settled for turning his face to Jorven instead, suddenly deeply interested in the big gelding's... whatever.

This doesn't make sense. How or why would one such as he know her? What would they discuss?! Wait, something else-

"I am, ah, sure the female could give a good example, my friend," Razkar said, polite smile plastered to his face (which was not best made for the gesture). "And... and the price..."

He sounded so reasonable; why hadn't Razkar noticed that before? Well, no reason for him not to be the same... at least until Edreina left them alone for her demonstration, in which case the Myrian would regard the pasty parody of a human with a hard look and growl:

"This had better be a coincidence."

With no way to back up the steel in his words, of course, but then again, Razkar was new to this, and now his love was thrown into a mix he did not care for.