Ludwig/John

"I discovered an engaging portion of information hidden here." John says not paying attention to the dwarf. He looks at this surroundings confused once more. "What? Where I am? Why I am holdin dis paper?" He says throwing the paper away.

"Ha! A quitter. I knew you were only talk."

Welker raised an eyebrow as he walked away from Angryface, "If he wants to get cold feet that's his own deal. I wouldn't have the weapon I do now if I nullified contracts... That's how those scribes say it?"

Come on Grogash, let's see about calming down Mother Grelka before she does whatever she does to people to anger her... Hopefully it isn't selling off our gear. She better not!"[/b][/color]

Grogash's eyes lit up at Welker's change in personality. The silent half-orc placed a fist into an open palm with an audible smack, though his face expressed it as a question beneath his scars. Welker replied. "Not happening. Can't get in trouble before the job and good fights," A halfling scurries to get out of the way of the two half-bloods who don't see him.

Ludwig/John

"Quittin what?" John asks confused.

"The mercenary job, of course!"

"What mercenary job?" John asks attentively, but a moment later makes a movement of his hand to dismiss the question, frustrated. "Don matter. I don know where I am."

"Are you insane?"

"I am not insane..." He starts to answer, but suddenly his demeanor changes again. "False alarm. I already comprehended that in details." He lowers himself to pick the paper from the ground. "Until tomorrow, then!"

"Crazy! What have I done?" Angryface murmurs to himself.

Welker took one look over his shoulder just to determine if the man had made up his mind what he was going to do, and seeing him pick the scroll back up both gave him a good feeling and a bad. He seemed useful, but only when his soul was in its right place. Was that how the healer put it? It made no difference as he and Grogash made their way back to Mother Grelka.

"Ma'am? I want to apologize for my behavior earlier and ask to rent the room I had last night for one more stay," Welker said trying his best to be polite.

"You want your room back do you? Ha! I never thought I'd live to see an Orc trying to be respectful!" The Dwarven hostess said mocking the half-Orc mercenary.

"I'm trying,"

"Your room has been cleaned, cleared out, and rented out already,"

"You-!"

Mother Grelka stood on a short stool so she could stick a finger in front of his face. "Not finished. Your gear is over there. And if you want another room I can provide it,"

"Oh... Sorry," The embarassment on Welker's face was clear.

"You should be. Now do you want a room and company or not? And watch your brother," Mother Grelka said pointing out Grogash reaching for a drink at the bar that was not his or Welker's. It would be a long night, but things would soon be settled and Welker would be sharing his room with an unnaturally strong, and adventurous, dwarven woman.

Flashback

Right after Welker left the undecided person at the wagon with the dwarf and before he arrive at The Copper Rivet, while he was still looking back, he collided with the merchant that was talking at the front of The Full Wagon earlier. It seemed that merchant was distracted too, giving his farewell to the elf hunter. Both fell at the sand ground with their buttocks in a comic manner.

The group of humans at the front of the tavern let a hearty laugh escape their lips.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there. I was distracted." The merchant says while standing up. He then offers his hand in Welker's direction.

"Same here, or you would never knocked me down as easily," Welker says grasping the offered hand with his own calloused hand, the pinkie of it pointing out at an odd angle. On a normal day he just might have left the conversation at that and been on his own way. That is after Grogash was done staring at the scene, forgetting he had been told to come along.

"I'm wondering whose hides I'll be having to save on this trip my brother and I signed on for," Welker said refering to Grogash as a brother in the sense that they were both of half-Orcish blood. "And you?"

"I was paying attention when you both talked with the dwarf. I know for certain the people whose hides you will be saving. Our hide, and when I say our, I am saying we, the merchants." The merchant says effusively.

"Can I ask you a question? Do you have experience in this kind of job?" The merchant asks the second question without a pause, before hearing the answer of the first one.

"Some," Welker said. "Took a job when I was just a young brat learning how to use a sword. A group of theives had taken a shipment between Horizon and Axis. One of our number, a veteran and woodsman determined from one of the ambush sites lead to some trails Northeast,"

Welker smiled, "Without getting into the gory bits, once we found them we killed all, but one who didn't have the spine to keep fighting. Turned him as well as their loot over the Empire and got a decent reward. One of those caravans that this group robbed had a signet ring specially made for a lesser noble, she was very pleased to have it back,"

"That's great to know. That makes you doubly the man, or half-man, for a job." He says making a pause. "But let me introduce myself first. My name is Doyle Quinn, but you can call me just Doyle. I am not a man of much formalities. I am a council member of merchant guild, the guild that has the trade agreement with the dwarfs. So you can see that I am deeply interested in what is happening there at the Undermarch. That situation can affect directly my business and the business of my guild."

He thought he should know the name from somewhere. Then he remembered where. "This can effect more than just the Dwarves. My name is Welker One-Tusk," He reached out to shake Doyle's hand grasping it with his own calloused and scared fingers. "Is there somewhere I fit into things besides as a mercenary?"

"Since you will already be there, you don't need to do nothing much different, but whatever you or anybody else discover there, you will report to me. I want to know what is happening to see if it can affect my business. I will remain here at least a month doing business while I wait for an important cargo."

"I am prepared to offer you this, just to pick your interest." He discreetly delivers 10 gp to Welker. "I will offer many more if you bring the information I asked."

"That's a deal I can honor," Welker said slipping the coins into his own pocket. "I'll be sure to come back as soon as this job is done and pass along what I've learned then. Can't say how long that will take though, never traveled the Undermarch before," Welker nods and says before leaving, "Better make some final preparations. Not going to find what we're looking for standing around. Look forward to seeing you again,"

Both people move away after this meeting.

End of flashback

Location: Trunks
Date: Hekatombaion, 18
Time: 05:29

The dawn arrived earlier than needed, shadows are still prevalent, but light intruded thrivingly. Truthful to his word, there was at the center of the square an old dark wagon without a cover, with a young and small human as a wagoner.

The confused person is there already, with a new set of white robes, resting his body against the wagon.

Near him, the other recruits, the firsts recruited at the last day. Three tall, broad and tough looking humans. All of them have a long beard. One black streaked with white, one only deep black, and one a red beard. Their facial features look very alike, like they are relatives. Each one is dressed in leather armor and carrying a sharp axe.

The half-orcs leave the tavern, each now dressed in full suits of scale armor and carrying with them half eaten loaves of a rye bread from their breakfast. "How the hell does does someone so short get that strong?" Welker said aloud. There was no response besides a shrug from his companion and often mistaken brother. "Course you wouldn't know. Wonder what else you're missing,"

As he got closer to the wagon he gave the wooden side of it a solid thump from the side. "We the last one's showing up for this job?" Welker said holding up the papers for him and Grogash, so the driver can see. "Or are we expecting one more brother dwarf?" He says of the humans gathered.

"De Dwarf lef earlier to other town." Answers the man with the black and white beard without moving from his position in a gruff voice.

"Don be such a mood breaker, Man. We are goin to kill orcs!" Says animated the human with the red beard, the youngest of the trio. Then he looks at the half-orcs carefully and starts to blush. "I mean... Sorry."

"I never seed a half-orc." Says the human with the black beard. He approaches unceremoniously and says to Grogash. "I am Wic. You are?"

"Let's stop with the the futility, my fellow travel companions. Presentations can wait for later. We have a mission to accomplish and money to produce." John says climbing at the back of the wagon.

Welker tried to keep the smile on his face as it was, but wasn't sure he was succeeding at this point. "As long as you aren't killing me, I won't complain too much. Father's people were bastards, now dead ones, if someone told me it straight," he said first to the red bearded man. "Name's Welker, the One-Tuske,"

There was a half-grunt from the stiff looking other half-orc. "And there's two of us going on this trip. There's Grogash. Missing his tongue, but it ain't like he'd use it if he had one," Welker tilted his head towards the wagon and Grogash began to board, followed shortly by Welker himself.

"And I am Tom." Says the human with the red beard, jumping over the wagon.

"Glad you are here" Wic says in a low voice to both Welker and Grogash before jumping over the wagon too. "De other guy doesn pass much trust. He doesn seem battle tested like you." He says unceremoniously staring at both scars.

"And that lovin guy over dere is Man. He is truly a man, not a woman." Tom says when Man sits next to the priest. He laughs with a hearty spirit. "Dat joke never get old."

"I heared you." Man says angry piercing Tom with a deadly gaze. "Dis one here know dat de job is dangerous. And know when to shut up."

"Indeed. Please, wagoner, start to move this wagon now."

And the wagon starts to move slowly out of the town.

"Him?" Welker said refering to Grogash. "He isn't as far as I care. But does well enough," The other half-orc only stared on blankly. "He also grunts more if blades stick him. Makes some funny noises. Lots of people do that. Not me though," It was as if it barely mattered to him, except when he brought up funny noises. A smile came with that part.

"Come on Ludwig, not sure how long this trip will be might as well it enjoy it with Tom, Wic, and..." He paused. "Man? There are story behind your name?"

"No." Man says surly.

Welker feels a light nudge at his arm. Tom makes some signs with his hand indicating that he will tell the story later.

"I have an ugly scar too." Wic says standing up. He turns and removes his pants, almost shoving his butt at Grogash's face. "Here. A wolf bited my butt."

"For Athena! Where did I get myself in? I am surrounded by troglodytes."

And the wagon continues until the wagoner, whose name is Richard, decides to stop some hours later to let the horses eat and rest.