Aster didn't dislike taverns, and neither did she love them. They were a means to an end: a convenient commodity for when horse and rider needed to stop and refresh on their travels. She'd stayed in just about every kind of tavern you could name during her career as a mordecai, and rather fancied herself a veteran. Sometimes you were lucky, and could get a decent meal and a bed that didn't itch; sometimes you weren't, and the best you could hope for was beer that didn't taste like horse p-- urine. But Aster didn't mind. It was rest and a roof over ones head, and the conversation around her was generally amusing, once one learned how to work around the slurs. She'd take what she could get, and damn the luxury.
In the capital city though, one could usually find something reasonable. It was the high point of the evening and the tavern behind her was hot and loud with the press of bodies, cheerful and chattering and working its way to a beer-soaked oblivion in about five or six hours, depending on the beer. Aster had opted for water - it being the sort of place where it didn't come with complementary typhoid - and a hearty stew of something that seemed to be mostly potatoes. She had exchanged her usual armour for a soft grey tunic and leggings, the white scarf she wore off-duty half-covering her short, dark hair. A fairly peaceful presence overall, small and quiet in the overall hubbub of the room. She didn't speak and rarely made eye contact with anyone, just chewed her food well, sipped her drink slowly and enjoyed a little casual eavesdropping. There was nothing important to be heard: no rumours to follow up or juicy little tidbits on the war as a whole, just regular civilian life. Someone behind them had a daughter who kept running off, someone else had been punched for trying to sell a cow he didn't own. That one had been fun to listen to, it'd almost been a shame when he stumbled out. But someone else would be along eventually. They generally did.
Yes, she was ambivalent on taverns, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to make the most of her rest while it lasted.
If Aster thought the tavern hot and noisy before, the sensation only intensified the moment a loud, rude and crude individual stumbled in; for Krah- infamous God of War, was no stranger to the bustling inn, for he rather liked 'The Dandy Tandy'- for women came loose, the beer was cheap, and the stew and accommodations, tolerable. Though the Tandy family held their own amongst the taverns of the capital, they were actually growing more popular since the war efforts brought in one of it's most famous warlords, and one who boasted a 'god' at that.
Ever since the incident at Havanlaar, and a few others that proceeded that, Krah has found himself secure in the world. Everyone that was anyone that wanted something out of this world new to be wise enough to befriend Krah when he was around-f or he drew in a crowd, even if it wasnt always the most tolerable, for a crowd was always good for it's gold- especially the drunk sort; and a pretty little Nina Tandy was all Krah would need- though when the man came in and made himself known, it seemed the plump inn keeper's daughter was with child, and despite the slap Krah suddenly recieved, all within the first fifteen minutes he was there, his hands were still all over the girl- and she, not seeming too pleased; for it wasn't the first time Krah could boast he'd have another bastard child in his wake, and although the inn keeper's daughter tried to argue with her father about Krah's place in their 'home' he seemed to wave his daughter off as she stormed off into the back room with a huff, leaving Krah only to grin, and his grin to widen in the company of his men.
"Four more beers for the bastard!" he laughed, raising his glass up high as the men all around here cheered and clinked glasses, and the beer guzzling propaganda had begun.
Oh dear. The noise level had doubled in the space of a minute, and Aster had a fairly shrewd idea as to why. This area of the city was notorious for the 'warlord' type: men with too-large swords and biceps and too-small everything else who flocked into local taverns to drink, wench and basically cement their reputation as no-good dunderheads. This one seemed to be no exception to that. Sighing faintly at her plate, she could hear the ruckus a few tables to her left, the so-called 'God of War' making himself known to anyone who would listen and everyone who was trying not to as well. More's the pity.
She actually started paying attention sometime around the slap. She looked up sharply - the reaction ingrained through years of training - only to be greeted with the unpleasant sight of the innkeeper's daughter and one of the men, all leers and busy hands. Aster wasn't the sort for overt displays of disgust, but her pale eyes narrowed even so. By the time the innkeeper joined to make it an argument, she had seen enough, turning back to her food feeling as though she had swallowed something sour. Behind her, the pig shouted something crass to his men, and Aster rolled her eyes just a fraction.
Ugh. What a lout.
Aster's expectations of what to expect of the other man were just as she believed, and he was horrible sober as he was horrible drunk, but things seemed to get even more daft as he was guzzling back beer after beer, and the pig seemed to be able to keep down quite a few, as he belched and asked for more, the men all around him roaring with laughter as lewd comments and boasts of war were barked from the table; and soon the men appeared more like dogs then men and the poor innkeeper's daughter, who was forced, by her father, of all people, to continue to serve the lout to him complacent, found herself too many times beneath the dirty, soiled hands of him and his men. ANd after Krah had pulled her into his lap and whispered, quite obviously something crude in her ear, she managed to pull away, obviously because he was too drunk to keep her, before he laughed and rose from his chair to make chase.
"Come here and show me a good time!" he told her, his words drunk and slurred as he made his way acrosst he room and tripped over his own two boots, but found himself, catching his fall on a most unfortunate other guest....
Aster Delancy.
And it was here, one hand upon the back of her wooden chair, and the other, well rested on her thigh, that he found his brown, drunken eyes looking up at her through a curtain of his unruly, greasy brown hair. And at this angle, despite her short hair, all he could see was a pretty little lady he wanted to take upstairs for a few....
And he gave her a grin, smoothed back his hair easily as he rose up to give her a charming....
"Well, hello there. Fancy I havne't met you before."
And sadly, he probably had- but a man so drunk and egocentric as he, might not have remembered.
Oh, for Ansgar's sake... Aster wasn't one to take her God's name in vain, but there were times when it truly called for it. Take now, for example: the louts a few tables over were only getting worse, shattering Aster's hard-earned peace and that of everyone else around them. They drank, they belched, they shouted all kinds of ugly, uncouth things. Poor Nancy Tandy had been snared yet again by the group, the worst of them slurring into her ears every chance he got. For a moment, Aster was tempted to take one of those grimy hands and give the bones a good twist, but it was a frivolous waste of training - and besides, Miss Tandy seemed to have it well in hand.
Good. Aster thought with a tinge of vindictive triumph, taking another sip of her water as their quarry slipped the net. He deserves to be shamed. Unfortunately though, it seemed like things were not quite done. The lout had tried to give chase, slurring something silly as he stumbled to his feet. Then stumbled again, tripping over his own damnable feet and landing with his hands all over some unfortunate person.
Her person.
His breath was foul at this close range, his hair greasy and his smile even more so. Thankfully for him, he rose quickly, taking his hand from her thigh before she could forcibly do so - not that it did anything to endear him to her. His slurred attempt at charm was met with a stare so piercing it was a wonder there weren't holes in him, pale eyes unblinking and utterly humourless.
"I would imagine not." She replied, and her voice was clipped and quiet, almost too quiet in the hubbub of the room. "I don't make it a habit to associate with drunkards."
The men behind him were all barking and yelling like dogs, and a howl, one could swear, had come out from amongst them as Krah's grin only grew at the woman's rebuff.
"Oh, but we should start making a habit of it," Krah told her, his smile all charms and smell as his hand returned to her thigh, this time landing purposefully higher on her leg as he leered.
"Permit me to introduce myself," he said, brown eyes dazzling and drunk. "For I am Krah," and he bowed oh so humbly, his hand inching higher up her leg. "God of War."
Had she been the dramatic type, his clumsy attempts at a caress would have made her skin crawl. Certainly, she was repulsed by the stench on his breath, the leer in his voice, but more than anything she felt a sort of incredulity. Surely he wasn't serious?
Ask a silly question. Anyone who introduced himself as 'God of War' had no idea of what a fool he was. However, that did not mean she was willing to put up with it.
"Permit me to introduce myself." Her hand shot out, seizing his wrist in a vice-like grip unexpected of such pale, dainty fingers. "I am the woman who will remove this hand of yours should you ever touch me again." Her grip tightened to something painful, looking him dead in the eye. "Now let. Me. Go.
Instead of being stunned or offended, or even hurt, it seemed this god of war was turned on as his grin grew even wider at the woman's applied pressure to his wrist as he let out a laugh through his lips but did not withdraw his hand.
"So many promises on our first date," he told her, his eyes, flicking as they looked her over, top to bottom and his grin remained toothy. "Perhaps there are other things you wish to ask for? Or.. you wish to promise?"
Aster's eyes narrowed, the only outward signs of the anger that spiked inside her. She had seen just about every unnatural entity this country had to offer, but it was men like this that were so often the uglier beings. "You are deluded." This time, she moved his hand for him, lifting it forcefully away from her and pushing it back at him. "I want nothing from you, and if you know what's good for you, you will ask for nothing more from me."
She pushed back her chair and stood, meaning to head to the bar. The abandonment would hopefully give a better hint, and besides that, she was starting to think that water wasn't enough to get through this damnable evening.
As Aster left him high and dry, Krah stood there, his grin twitching a bit as he blinked, and the echoes of his companions laughter barking behind him before he hauled his drunken ass over to where Aster was now sitting at the bar. She wouldn't even have five seconds alone to herself before he forced the man out of the chair beside her and took it for himself. And now, with his ass firmly in the chair, he leaned forward at the bar and gave her a toothy grin.
"Care if I buy you a drink? Seems like you need it. Might help you loosen up." And again, his had found her thigh (somehow) again...
Ooc: loool
Oh, good grief, he was still following her? She opened her mouth, ready to protest on behalf of the poor patron he'd forced away, but she had a shrewd idea as to how that would turn out. So she shut her mouth again, staring determinedly ahead and ignoring the grin he gave her. This strategy served her well for the split second until he touched her again.
"Loosen up?"
Oh, that was it.
She moved before anyone even knew what was going on. One moment, she had been sitting at the bar with an expression like granite, the next she had seized his wrist and twisted, whirling behind him until, with a clatter of falling bar stools, he had been forced out of his seat and to his knees, his arm twisted up his back. Her knee was in his spine, her lips close to his ear. Throughout all of this, her expression had not changed one jot, barely even breathing harder.
"Do you know how much pressure it takes to break a man's arm?" She asked him, as casually and calmly as though they were discussing the weather. "I can show you, if you wish. You clearly don't wish to keep it intact anyway."
Krah, most must have presumed, was thoroughly drunk, for the only answer he could give her was a grin from ear to ear as he said, "How much pressure? I never flinched at it before." And again, there was that leering look as he glanced back at her, seeming just to enjoy his new position rather than being floundered by it.
Was there nothing that phased this idiot? In a rare moment of true annoyance, Aster frowned, cursing her gender and small stature. Damn it all, she'd likely be thrown out if she did break his arm, but not to follow through on her threat meant this pig would surely win. She looked up, ignoring the hooting from behind her as she attempted to catch the innkeeper's eye. A moment of wordless communication passed between them, and he raised an eyebrow at her. She couldn't really blame him: since when did someone ask permission for a bar fight? Still, it looked like she was in luck. He glanced to the door through which his daughter had left, and gave an imperceptible nod.
Well then.
Her knee came swinging around out of nowhere, catching him hard on the temple and sending him sprawling. "Then you had better start, sir. I am losing patience."
The bigger they are, the harder they fall; and Krah was no exception. Though it was painful and Krah landed into a nearby stool, knocking it over and sending it tumbling behind another patron's feet, his laughter is seemed to be what kept the crowd more silent than the action itself! For as he laugh there, a smile could not be erased from his lips as he looked up at the ceiling, too drunk to care to pick himself off of the floor at first as he reached up for the three versions of Aster, that of which his drunken vision concieved. Though it was to no avail, clearly she was not before him, but he still reached for her any ways, groping for what he thought were her breasts.
"How did you know I like it rough?" he said, still floundering like an idiot. "Now come here and let's kiss and make up." ANd by then, he was on his knees, and this time, he was half throwing himself at her when he suddenly caught her within his powerful arms...
btu he was too drunk to stand and he fell over to the floor, dragging poor Aster with him - his face buried in a part of her she'd probably be none too thrilled about! And he?
He was not even aware as he spoke through her clothing.
"Mmm... You smell like apples and beer..."
THough the beer smell was obviously from him!
He thought it was funny. She shouldn't have been surprised really - the man was so saturated with alcohol she doubted he'd notice if he were hit by a train. She looked down on him with utter disdain as he groped for her - about a foot to the left from where she should have been. "No." She said flatly, while the men around them sniggered and guffawed. "I would not kiss you if you were the last man in- What are you doing?"
There was nowhere she could retreat to to avoid him in time, wrapping his arms around her and sending them both bodily to the floor. People hooted and groaned, and Aster felt all the breath leave her as he landed on top of her, face buried somewhere deeply personal.
"I got five silver on the warlord, who's takin'" Hooted a voice from the crowd,
"You jokin'?" Someone else hollered back, "You seen the look on 'er face? She'll knock seven bells out of 'im!"
And indeed, Aster did not look impressed. Her jaw tightened, eyes narrowing in quiet anger. This was an indignity she was not prepared to put up with, good behaviour be damned.
"And you make me want to gag." Limbs akimbo, it didn't take much for her to twist, her knee up and ramming into his highly personal spot between his legs. Drunk or not, he was sure to feel that!
Krah doubled over with a sickening groan as he held onto his nethers. Yeah..s he was right. He'd be feeling that one! And the reaction caused a snickering from the crowd. Though Aster was lucky for now, his grip relinquished upon her, all hands having moved to his lower deck!
Aster took the opportunity to roll away immediately, rising to one knee. Her narrowed eyes following him as he rolled and groaned on the floor, the people around them chuckling behind their hands.
"Told yer she'd do it, Al." Shouted the patron from before.
"Shut yer face, he's still breathin' ain't he?"
She ignored them, reaching down and seizing hold of the man's chin, nails digging in as she turned his face to her. "I do not want you." She hissed. "Get it into your thick skull, or so help me, warlord, I will hurt you far more."
The pain, only barely subsided, faded enough for his bleary eyes to peer up at her. And as she held onto his chin, his grin grew devilish and before she'd know it, he smashed his lips against hers. And she'd be tasting all the booze from the rainbow- not to mention, his rancid breath. He probably had garlic soup for dinner.
"Oh, but haven't we been through this before? I like pain," he seemed to purr, arms reaching to grab at the smaller woman. Thick skull aside, the man must've been deaf- or had a death wish.
"Come here and let's kiss again!"
That kiss was the last straw. That disgusting invasion, tasting of sweat and stale beer and embarrassment, was beyond her ability to take. Poor Aster thought herself a patient woman, prided herself on her impeccable manners and calm demeanour, but even she could only put up with so much. "Do you?" She asked, voice suddenly silky and dangerous. She didn't shriek or squawk even as he tried to grab her again, didn't try to punch him despite the easy reach.
Oh no, this time, she drew her blade. It wasn't especially large or fancy, just a slim dagger strapped under her tunic, but the metal was sharpened to a wicked point. Behind her, their audience broke into whispering, interspersed with the occasional nervous chuckle. Aster wasn't listening. In fact, she was actually smiling: teeth bared and eyes glittering in a rather disturbing fashion.
"I have lost my patience." She said, and her voice was suddenly as sweet as poisoned honey. Almost casually, she raised the dagger higher, point hovering close to his sweaty, unshaven throat. "If you molest me one more time, I will cut off what little manhood you have, and I will feed it to the dogs."
Her smile broadened, hand steady. "Are we clear?"
[Message me if you've got a problem with this, I just figured that Aster had had about enough.]
Still drunk and hornier than any man ought to have been, Krah flashed his teeth to Aster, their whiteness cutting though his beard.
"And I thought I told you I liked it rough."
But the sound of a broken bottle, now being smashed over Krah's head made him blink a few times before he suddenly rolled to the side into a heap, unconscious upon the floor, and behind where he once stood, was the pregnant Nina Tandy.
And the crowd was silent for one beat before a roar of laughter and applause shook the room. Blushing, Nina shook her head before peering over at Aster.
"I'm sorry for this idiot's antics. It seems soldiers think they can get away with anything these days." And moving aside to grab a broom, she began to sweep up her mess, ignoring the glares from her family.
It was very possible that things might have ended very badly for Krah. Aster's sense of outrage had risen to the point where something was going to be sliced off, and it was probably going to be something important - that being the best-case scenario. Wayward mages and idiot men she could take, but such an affront was beyond even her. Rough? She'd show him rough--
Or perhaps not. Both Aster and her assailant blinked dumbly as shattered class clattered around his head. It was only when he slumped to the ground that she saw her liberator: Nina Tandy, standing over him with a look of grim satisfaction.
If she hadn't been so surprised, Aster may well have joined in the cheering.
"I... not at all, Miss." Just like that, the grinning killer was gone, replaced by a small, pale woman with a faintly sheepish expression. She slipped the dagger back into its sheath and stood, brushing glass from her front. "If anything, I should apologise for making such a scene." She bent stiffly at the waist in a shallow bow. "But I thank you."
Nina shook her head.
"No need to thank me. You simply worked as a nice diversion." AN dher boot quickly kicked Krah's side as his unconscious form groaned and her smile returned to Aster. "He deserves a lot more than this, but he still is the father of my child- and my parents would not take kindly to him being killed inside their inn." Sighing at her predicament, she smiled again at Aster.
"Do you need more Ale?" and this she offered with a polite smile. "On the house, of course." After all, surviving Krah was worth an entire keg of ale!
Aster pressed a hand to her mouth, suppressing a little laugh. She rather found she liked this girl. "Glad to be of service, then." She stepped over Krah's prone body, not troubling to avoid stepping on his hand. There was another groan, and the corner of Aster's mouth twitched, eyes crinkling in mirth. "A shame. With luck, he might annoy someone less principled later." She muttered, but shut her mouth quickly. Wishing for death was unseemly, especially for a servant of Angsar. It was for Him to decide, not Aster.
Further drinks though, that Aster could happily decide on. "Maybe some mead, if that's alright?" She asked, hopefully as she resumed her seat. The way things had turned out, her spirits were high enough that water felt rather boring now.
"But of course. Anything for a lady willing to put the God of War in place." And she smiled and move to retrieve Aster a glass and placed it before her.
"So what brings you around here, if you don't mind me asking. I'm interested to know a little more about the woman warrior sitting at my bar." And her cheeks dimpled as she smiled, her eyes going from time to time to where the other men were making quick work over producing stories about the 'Down Fall' of the War God. She shook her head.
"I suppose one would think this sort of action would become tiring, though really, my family and I only have to endure it for a time. Though I can't say I'm completely happy to see that man again," she said, drawing in a breath as she observed Krah's crumpled form before turning her eyes back to Aster. "I didn't realize his sweet words were spoken to just about every lady. And I'm afraid I'm too foolish not to realize what one fun night with him would entail. And yes, despite my new distaste for him, there was a time I was charmed by the man- or I wouldn't be so round as I am now." She chuckled. "I just hope it's a girl. I don't know what I'd do if Id have to grow up raising the son of the God of War."
Wincing, she felt the baby kick within her belly.
"Though on how much this baby kicks, it might not matter what gender she will be!" And seh smiled warmly at Aster and inquired, "Might I get you something else? Perhaps some bread or stew?"
"He hardly gave me a choice, the pig." Aster huffed, nose in the air, but it was with a secret, satisfied smile that she took her drink and thanked the girl, raising the glass in a silent victory toast.
Taking a sip of her mead, Aster's eyes flickered towards the other patrons, all working excitedly on their stories. It would be all over the town by sunrise: the humiliation of the War God by two mere women. Or so they would think - they were simple and straightforward sorts around here, not like young Nina at all. Aster raised a conspiratorial eyebrow. "Standard business. My order has me travel all over Connlaoth," She tilted her head, indicating the white lily embroidered into the scarf over her hair. "But I'm sure you know a little of how Mordecai operate, times being as they are."
She kept her voice low, keen not to be overheard by all the drunken sorts around them. True, it wasn't as though her work was a big secret, but after the night she'd had she'd rather some piece. The revelation she was a Mordecai might give the men even more to crow about. Nina Tandy however, had earned that right, especially for putting up with that odious man as well.
"I'll forgive a man for being merry." She murmured, indicating the crowds with a flick of her head. "But that sort of a man has no honour - not for himself and certainly not towards others. But they can fool so easily and so sweetly, can't they?" Her pale eyes softened, as close to sympathy as she was going to get. "But I daresay with a strong-willed mother, your lad would overcome his father's faults."
Her eyes flickered down to Nina's rounded belly, lips quirking upward for a moment. "The babe will be a better fighter at least, that's for certain." She pointed out, taking another longer sip of her mead. "Hm, yes, thank you. Bread, I think."
"Oh, I hadn't realized I was in the presence of another soldier. To be a knight of the white lily, and forgive me to say it, but to be a knight and a woman, you have my deepest respect," she said with a lightly bowed head and curtsy before she produced a piece of bread she set before Aster on a plate. "Though.. if you are a mordecai knight... does not that make you and Krah.....?" And she tilted her head curiously. Everyone knew Krah was a mordecai. Did that mean she just beat up her own 'kin'?
She smiled faintly, accepting the praise with a gracious little nod of her own. "I do my part." She said, modestly. "I use the gifts Angsar gave me, which is the best anyone can do under the current circumstances." She picked up the bread and tore off a piece, popping it delicately into her mouth.
Wait, what had Nina just said? "I beg your pardon?" Aster twisted in her seat, eyebrows arched a fraction as she stared at the body still groaning on the ground. Or was that snoring? It was hard to tell. Either way, she turned back to Nina with an incredulous snort. "You do not mean to tell me that that is a knight of the Order?" She shook her head, disbelieving. "No, no, I do not believe it. I've been of the Order for ten years and I've never once seen him."
Nina gave a delicate tuck to her hair as she bowed her head towards Aster while working on fixing a few drinks to the men who called orders over towards her.
"Yes, it's true,"s he told her, before raising her brown eyes to the other girl. She gave an awkward, leftward grin. "Though I'm not sure if he's part of the order or not, all I know is he's a mordecai, a General, and not half bad looking and a great lay in bed." She blushed at admitting that, but heck- it was true. She shook her head of it though and sighed.
"I doubt he's the sort of material for an elite force as the White Lily. I'm pretty sure he got his position because of his reputation- and the fact he's well.."s he shrugged. "A mordecai. Seems the army must be getting desperate."
Aster's own grin was rather sardonic, eyes flickering disdainfully to the unconscious Krah - who, despite his fame, no-one had bothered to help up. "Forgive me if I take your word for it." She said, amused, "I'll make no claims to being innocent, but the men I lie with are a little more..." She waved a hand, unable to really phrase it without insulting sweet young Nina. She'd had one or two brief dalliances in the past, nothing ground-shatteringly passionate, just companionship - yet she felt she had far more taste than to settle for that. Poor Nina. She must have been desperate. Or drunk. Aster was betting on drunk.
"He certainly isn't." She agreed with relish. "The way things are right now, we need every able hand. But I doubt he would last five minutes as a real knight of the order.
Nina chuckled at her words.
"I'd have to agree. Excuse me," and she bowed her head, carrying off the drinks to a boisterous table and as she stepped over Krah, gave the unconscious man a kick. After settling drinks among them, she sighed at Krah's form strewn across the ground.
"Mind helping a lady drag this buffoon off to bed?" She asked Aster once she returned. It was ironic the woman pregnant with his child would be forced to do such things, but she knew her parents wouldn't- and neither would his men, and to leave him there...
was pitiable. And really, he was kind of in the way.
"His room's on the second floor," and the girl gave a roll of her eyes. "I'll throw in some more free drinks if ya help." If not, well.. it was going to be an interesting situation for the heavily pregnant woman to accomplish, but she had to drag out drunks before. Ugh.
Aster returned to her bread for a while, chewing thoughtfully amongst the noise, almost the same as when she'd first entered. However, evidence of that disturbance was still lolling around on the floor, and Nina's sigh was very well-deserved. Aster, for her part, frowned.
"I suppose he is ruining the decor." She said at length, getting to her feet. As loath as she was to touch the man again, she was hardly going to leave a heavily pregnant woman to drag the worthless lout upstairs. To leave her to struggle... it just wasn't her way. Besides which, Aster was wiry and strong for her size: logically she was the best choice to ask. "Oh, very well. Is it the rooms on the left or the rooms on the right?"
So despite her disapproval, she moved to sling a sweaty arm over her shoulders and heave the man to his feet. "To be honest, I should like to go to bed once I've finished dragging this wastrel about. I'm a rather early riser." She set about maneuvering them through the crowds of drunks, the sight of such a tiny woman heaving the great warlord about making them laugh even more. "It's been a rather eventful evening."
"Last door on the right," she said, sighing as she slung Krah's other arm around her shoulder and peered over at Aster. It was then the men began to make cat calls and other suggestions. Naturally, the men would only presume they were dragging the 'God of War' off to get pleasure- though honestly, it was just for pain.
Drawing in a breath, she counted to three before they worked together to lift Krah fully to his feet, and at this reactoin, the man made a noise as his head slumped forward. It startled Nina, but she only released a breath and shook her head before looking over at Aster as the pair approached the steps.
"Now be careful of the first step here- the wood is beginning to rot and a nail is coming loose on the fourth." ANd they wrked together to lug the lughead up the steps, his boots and bottom scraped awkwardly against the wooden steps, making loud thuds each time.
Aster sniffed disapprovingly at the catcalls, shooting the nearest hooting moron a hard look. Clearly remembering her dagger, his laughter faltered, and she dragged the 'God of War' past them with her nose in the air.
He was a bulky man, but Aster had lifted far worse in her career. Shifting his arm to better distribute his weight, the women moved him towards the stairs. There was a grunt from their cargo - or was it a snore - which prompted a small squeak from the other side. Meeting Nina's eye, Aster shrugged her unused shoulder and began hauling him up the stairs, not caring a jot for how he thudded against the steps. "He'd be covered in bruises by the morning." She commented, not sounding all that unhappy. "Such a shame."
Once the two girls got the man to bed, which he was tossed unceremoniously onto, Nina paused a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow before catching her breath and turning towards Aster with a smile.
"Thank you for all of your help. I know not many would care to help such a man, even one so famous as he." And at the last remark, she gave a roll of her eyes as she stared with Aster now near the door way.
"So you're staying here, but where will you go after here? I know only so much about the Knights of the White Lily. You must get to see a lot of the country."
Aster was a little out of breath, but not to the same extent as poor, pregnant Nina, whom she shot a sympathetic little smile. She was holding out exceedingly well for someone so heavy with child though, better than other more noble women she had met. A life in an inn prepared one far better than soft-handed needlework and gentle reading.
She shrugged off the gratitude, waving a careless hand. "Fame is fickle, and often undeserved. I set no store by it." She shot Nina a conspiratorial little smirk. "But I'd hardly leave another woman to struggle now would I?"
Leaving the warlord to snore, wiping damp palms on her leggings, Aster approached the door with her arms crossed over her hips. "Oh, I couldn't possibly say. It all depends." She shrugged. "My superiors send me where I am needed. Reconnaissance, hunting dissidents, all of Connlaoth requires our expertise."
NIna gave a sage nod.
"That's understandable. You must have your work cut out for you," and the girl gave the other woman a sympathetic smile, then gasped as she grabbed onto her side. "Oh.. just another kick." She gave a sheepish grin. "Which makes me think even more it might be a boy. He's so active." ANd she kept her hand over her belly where it continued to kick and kick, and she- giving a soft laugh.
"It's a shame he couldn't have a real father..."
"To some extent, though I should not like to place myself above others." Her eyes registered patience, and perhaps a mild interest as they waited for the baby's little episode to subside. "As I said, a real warrior in the making."
The little bout of self-deprecation however, had Aster soften despite her better judgement. "Maybe he might." Aster pointed out, "I shouldn't give up on all mankind for one bad apple. With luck you may find a man to behave as a true father. Someone deserving."
Nina gave a soft smile towards Aster.
"You are too kind. Let us just hope the fool I believe it is is more of a real man than this," and she gave a patronizing pat to one of Krah's booted feet and shook her head, studying Krah's unconscious form. He was filthly, beer glossed and was in need of a shave.
"Will you be staying long here at the Inn? Or are you just passing through?" And she walked with Aster now outside of the rooma nd closed it behind them with a soft 'click'. It was best to keep Krah out of sight, out of mind.