Hiring “The King is a fool, Baran! And his nobles are even worse. No one was interested in the rumors from the South, all they wanted was getting their hands on me!” Well, that he could imagine, Don thought to himself. This Melaidhren may be somewhat older, judging by her silver hair, but she still had a stunning figure, very well displayed by a slinky red silken dress. “That clinches it.” Baran pounded his fist on the table. “Help from the court is out. Melaidhren, do you now agree that we really need to send someone south?” “You had already decided, Archmage Baran. Not much I can do about it anyway. But you’re right, we do need information.” The dark skinned mage looked to the side. “But sending Cassy? And only these two for protection?” So the young mage they were going to escort was called Cassy, Don concluded. Nice looking girl, that green dress looked really good on her. “You know full well that Cassy is the only reasonable choice. And sending only a few guards won’t draw so much attention.” Cassy had been silent throughout the conversation, studying the mercenaries instead. Chayne she had heard about, the rogue had made quite a name for herself in the city. She would be a good one to have on this trip. She studied Don intensely. Neither tall nor short, fairly handsome, Don didn’t stand out in any way. He carried his sword in a way that showed he knew how to use it, but that was true of many fighting men. There was something about him, however. And his sword was unusual. Something about it tickled the back of her mind. And somehow that unusual sword seemed to fit the man perfectly. “Cassy” Baran spoke. “I’m asking you to go, I’m not ordering you. Even with Chayne and Don as your escorts it will be dangerous. Are you still willing?” The young mage didn't take her eyes from Don. “Yes, Archmage Baran, I will go. Don and Chayne will keep me safe, I’m sure of it.” “Okay then” Chayne concluded. “We’re your guards. Now for the nitty-gritty, such as when do we leave, how do we travel, and so on.” “The Academy will take care of that. You’ll be leaving tomorrow morning, traveling on horseback. I assume you both can ride?” *** P11Pro Firefly render, no postwork. Nudity tagged, because a few pixels are peeking through Chayne's armor....