Caress's mind shifted back to her training in the use of the dagger and whip. How to conceal them on her person and keep them at the ready at all times... without alerting the supplicants that came to her. There were any of a number of warriors and rogues amongst the Courtesans, though she was told that it was rare for devotion to manifest in such a clear connection to the divine font as was the case for her.
This had presented her with a decision. On the one hand, if such champions were rare among Sharess's clergy then it certainly made since to be cautious and avoid taking risks. But on the other hand, a champion was meant to do things and she didn't think that caution was the reason that Sharess had forged her will into a path to the depths of the upper planes. So she did what a Champion should and strode to the fight.
And now that divine source was stitching up her scales and keeping her life's blood from emptying out and giving her the impression that perhaps caution was the better option after all. She hadn't even made it up to the boss of this band of bandits. She was going to die to the sword of one of the rank and file. The wolf beside her lashed in and she shoved it back with her shield but the goblin in front of her smiled grimly as he readied to strike..
...then the arrow lashed out over her shoulder and through the skull of the goblin ahead of her in the firelight. She glanced back to see Mythram moving about her and flanking the wolf as Klarg himself stepped in and rocked her back with a blow to her borrowed shield and she ducked her head aside to let the bandit arrow twist past her through the air.
Lyra swept around then and flashed into a sparkle of silvery cold light, reappearing deeper into the cave and sending another bandit fleeing as if the Rime Maiden herself were on their heels. There was a sickening crunch from deeper in the shadows implying their line of retreat had not been very successful. Meanwhile, Klarg erupted into laughter as Ravyn made her presence known. The chuckling bugbear still somehow managed to roll out of the way of Caress's attack straight into Mythram's blades. The large bandit chief climbed to his feet looking rough only for Lyra to somehow whisper loudly at him.
The bandit shrieked and fled, opening himself up to Mythram again. Then it was just a matter of returning to Yeemik to get Sildar's release. The goblin tried to hedge them for just a little bit more gold, but Caress hoped that Mythram and Lyra's words would encourage them to take up some occupation other than banditry.
Mythram... was a concern.
She'd seen the rogue praying to Shar and the Mistress of Night was... not a friend to her goddess. Quite the opposite in fact. At one point the two had shared a dalliance, but as far as anyone knew, Shar had never been honest in that relationship. That dalliance was the source of the shadows and darkness that blended with her goddess's kindness and sensuality. But it had also nearly been her end and reaffirmed her stance of vigilance against evil.
Mythram herself seemed to be reasonable, but that did not end the concern. Sharrans were well known for their skill in deception and even if Mythram were honest in her statements that her goddess was different than Shar's own worshippers made out, that didn't mean that she wasn't being played by Shar herself. The Mistress of Night had an ancient history of devouring her pawns.
For now, the cards were on the table and Caress had pushed the issue into the open. She wasn't entirely certain that was the best idea, and had considered not pushing it. But this felt like the better track to follow. She would just have to keep on her toes and hold true to her devotion. Mythram had saved her life and demonstrated honor, until the rogue proved otherwise, it would be hypocritical not to give her the benefit of the doubt.
For now though, she had some shopping to do. She crossed the market, the sun draping over the scales on her shoulders and forehead as she tilted to look up toward the sky and close her eyes briefly. Eyes were drawn toward her as she walked smoothly with a slight trailing nimbus of radiance in her wake, something most would likely take to be the sun glinting off her scales but she knew to be Sharess's deepening blessing flowing through her veins.
There were a number of reasons for eyes to be on her as she strode confidently. Caress was well aware that her looks were very much something that ticked several boxes that many humanoids considered deeply and intensely appealing. But by the same token, she was probably the only blatant and unapologetic yuan-ti many of these people had ever seen.
With the split cloak behind her showing the luxuriantly red-lips of her goddess and her tunic dipping low for a clear view of the bronze-gold scales and skin of her chest, there was probably a lot of conflicting thoughts going on in the locals. Mythram had something about another bandit crew aside from the Cragmaws, so she kept eyes open for anybody that might decide to make themselves a problem.
As Caress stepped up the steps leading toward the Lionshield Coster, the master of the trading post stepped out and looked her up and down before rolling her eyes and releasing a long breath.
"A Sharessan... I'd hoped I'd misheard that. I don't suppose you're actually all that interested in plate-mail."
"A buckler to start would be good." The yuan-ti said moving closer, but careful to watch for when she was invading the other woman's space and turn aside. She gave a simple, friendly smile and nodded in recognition. "Well met. But perhaps a breastplate would not be amiss. Linene Graywind, I assume?"
"That's me. A breastplate would be four hundred gold."
The yuan-ti stared at the human for a moment before she sucked in a sharp hiss between her teeth. For a moment, it felt like such a cliche thing for the snake-person to do until she realized that it was a very human, if delayed, vocalization of hesitation and surprise.
"That is a bit out of my current funds."
"I hope you weren't planning to trade services. Because..."
"My supplicants come to me, Master Graywind. I do not seek them out."
"Yeah, and this whole... look?" The woman gestured at her Courtesan robes.
"To be perfectly honest I wanted to feel the sun on my scales. But there is a hint of presentation admittedly. Hiding my presence would be as hypocritical as trying to slither between every tightly spoken word. But, perhaps we can come back to the topic at hand. I hope for a buckler, something elegant and light enough for me to get the best use out of it."
Linene considered her for a moment. "I think we can do something for you. Come in."
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| She's completely honest when she says its about the sun on her scales. |
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