Sheera ran out of the inn, going back to the stream. "What is it?" she asked, and Sherkia's head appeared. "He's coming. For you and the others...." he said, and Sheera nodded.
Robert nodded, "This job won't be too hard, I'm sure. Have you noticed the woman sitting near the fireplace? The one with brown hair and wearing the tattered black cloak."
Aries shut her eyes, she was a good fighter, but she wasn't always the most observant. She managed to summon up a hazy picture of Aliora. "Yes, I noticed her."
"My job for you is I need someone to watch her and draw her attention away from me while I make my move. I will pay you twenty pieces of gold now and more later, when I collect the bounty on her head."
Aries considered this for a moment. She wondered briefly how dangerous it would be, from what she remembered of the woman she did not look like one to be trifled with, but still...20 pieces of gold! Aries nodded. "Need I take her outside of the inn?"
"Yes," Robert could tell this was not the merc's style. "Just sit and talk to her, act as though you're making friends with her. She'll suspect something, but will do nothing, but show cold politeness." Robert held out a pouch for her, "Your twenty pieces."
Aries took the pouch and counted the contents, a habit she'd learned long ago. Nodding abruptly she walked out of the stable and into the inn. She glanced in Henry's direction and motioned for him to come join her, he might be able to help. Aries walked to where Aliora sat and said "Do you mind if I sit here?" She didn't wait for a response. "My name is Aries. And yours?"
Ali wasn't stupid. This was clearly Robert's work. She sized up the woman and the teenage boy that soon joined her. She couldn't quite guess what Robert was up to, but it couldn't be good.
Aries smiled to herself, it was going as the man had said. "How long are you in town for, Ali?" Aries smiled her best smile, the one that had gotten her out of countless messes with her family, and the one that had gotten her a price that her employers were usually unwilling to pay.
"As long as I choose to be." Ali knew not to trust this woman. She was a mercenary, clearly and Ali didn't want to have to fight her way out of the Twilight Princess.
"About as often as I frequent any other inn." She needed to be vague with her answers. Perhaps Robert had hired Aries. to get information from her. She would just remain cold and vague. It wouldn't drive her away, but it would give no information to Robert.
Aries nodded. She was running out of questions. While everything is going well, I'm sure, I wish this woman wasn't quite so vague, I can't run a conversation on absolutely nothing.... "Where'd you grow up, Ali?" I don't like this at all. Why can't I just knife her now? It'd be much easier...
Ali wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and hit the woman upside the head. She wouldn't, but how she wanted to. "Are all mercenaries so friendly?" She finally asked.
Aries shrugged. "More or less...It's how we get jobs, ma'am. We have to be accesible to the people." Aries refrained from clenching her jaw. Lying was not something she enjoyed doing, despite her fickle sense of honor she had never been able endure lying. I hate that man. She thought bitterly.
Ali smirked, she could see through Aries. She would have to have some real words with her later, away from the people of the inn. Maybe she could talk to Aries in the stables before dinner.
Aries didn't like that smirk, it knew to much. "Oh? And what is the land up there like? I've never been north...and all the stories I've heard are full of supersticion." This time she was telling the truth, and she really was interested.