Staying Ahead of Winter

Watching how happy the pair were together, how comfortable they were in each others' presence, was almost more than Eligos could bear in his present state of mind. It was a beautiful thing to see, and he wanted to be hateful because of it. But he stuffed that nastiness back into the barrel and nodded a greeting at each of them. And despite his mood he was intensely interested at the woman's recitation of their skills and knowledge. It seemed almost an answer to prayers unvoiced.

"Your skills would suit Aerie well, though I would see to testing you so we know the depth of your knowledge if you choose to join," he said neutrally. "Before you say for sure you would join us, you should know that we are a mercenary pack. Our skills are as much for trade as anything we make, and we may be hired to do things others may find distasteful. No one who objects would be asked to actively participate, of course, but it is what we are. If you would have moral objections to living in such a pack, it would likely be best to part ways now before any of us are too invested." What a shame that would be, though, to lose two fighters when when Aerie was most desperately in need of them, but it was only fair to everyone involved if they were fully aware of what they were getting into before they made the leap.