At the burly man's request, Mal sat in a rickety chair opposite him, perching rigidly on the edge of the seat.
She did not like the way he stared at her, with his intense eyes. It made her feel naked, as though she had not one secret to hide against his impenetrable wall of secrets. She forced herself still, not to flinch or squirm under his focused gaze. Instead, she stared back- hard- at him with her dark eyes. They seemed to absorb the light around them and twist it into the dark.
At the man's proposition, a smile grew on her thin lips, invisible behind the stretch of mask. Her intuition had served her well- here was a job she could finally be useful for, as long as the man wasn't exaggerating. By the look of rage and focus in his eyes, she suspected he wasn't. Still, something felt wrong about the mission and about this man.
He was a man she could classify as a freak, but might snap her neck without hesitation for it. He could take lives with limitless ease- and he said that quite plainly. But there was something else. Something much more malevolent that hovered over his shoulder like a lustful whore, pumping every breath from his lips into an enticing sentence that begged for the appropriate response from Mal. She felt this power, this puppeteer, and couldn't resist but marvel at the words and promises it encouraged through the man. She felt immediately inclined to accept his proposition.
Not to mention the reward.. She needed no money nor treasures; her life was one without possession and without rest. Whether he offered her a castle or a chest of crowns, she would likely decline. It was not her lifestyle. However, something in his voice- and again, of what, she was unsure- told Mal otherwise, that she had no need to worry. He would provide her something that no one else could. It was that mystery, that thrill of unknowing, which pulled her closer.
Nurturing her curiousity, Mal lay each elbow on its respective armrest and clasped her hands infront of her, leaning closer to feed the man's ears her quiet voice over the roar of the tavern.
"I assure you, it is not in my place to put my life before duty," she said smoothly. That was a lie; she owed her life only to herself and to her master. Otherwise, no man or mission related could be worth her own skin. She continued without hesitation, her face and body showing no sign of the lie. "I am more experienced that any drunk in this tavern, or any soldier in this settlement- and moreso, my word is the one you can trust." Well, not exactly. She had already lied once. "Please. Continue the details."