A Matter of Trust (Dayan/Charlotte)

[Dayan]

Dayan sat on the back of the wagon, enjoying the sunrise. Despite what others thought about him, such things could be enjoyable in the right mindset. Cen had long since fallen asleep, but Dayan still had work to do. He'd joined this trope with little more than his wits, his fists and his tools. Quick reflexes and a silver tongue opened many doors for him. Speaking of silver tongues, he noticed the blond from before walking among the carts. Now she, she was one he needed to deal with.

"Good morning. You said to call you Myscha, right? he said with a friendly smile and a wave.

In truth, he had no idea what they were even doing here. Traveling at night meant they were sneaking something around, and people who favored stealth preferred to keep as much hidden as possible. He wouldn't bet five gold on anyone here having given their real name. He hadn't, after all, and he would expect no different from anyone else. The only difference was that he hadn't tried to deceive them, mostly because he already knew they didn't trust him.

Dayan took a quick draw from his wine skin and then tossed it over to her. "Stay healthy, it makes my job easier," he said. His offer had three reasons for it. One, he didn't want her overworking, getting dehydrated, and then doing something dumb like fainting off her horse. Setting broken bones was always a pain, and people like her never liked the idea of waiting for them to heal properly. The second reason was because he was trying to earn her trust, to maybe get a bit more information about their job. She was very insistent that everything go perfectly. Why was that? Coin? Loyalty? Professional pride? He couldn't say for sure.

The third reason for his offer, was that he'd taken a drink of it in front of her before offering it to her, so she could be assured that it wasn't drugged.

[Charlotte]

With their camp finally settled down after corralling the wagons and carts a ways off of the main road, Charlotte was finally able to find a moment alone to go over the map of the nearby area. For most of the night she had stayed with the front cart, communicating with Rogus and ensuring they didn’t run into anything dangerous along the way. It was a surprisingly quiet night, but that didn’t mean the rest of the road would be as quiet. As they got further from Macendew, they would get closer to areas where there were still Illians looking to quell the rebellion, which was bad news for them.

So Charlotte sat over her map, a small piece of charcoal in her hand as she mapped a few potential routes for them to take. All came with their potential hazards, unfortunately, but when you were moving this slowly trying to cover cargo as large as this, the whole move was a hazard in and of itself. Add to that the twenty or so people that were moving with them, not all as experienced with this kind of job as she would like, and Charlotte definitely had an expert-level smuggling job in the hands of a handful of amateurs. It was frustrating, but at least Charlotte – who’d had plenty of experience with smuggling all sorts of cargo – was at the head of the operation.

A grumble of her stomach broke the blonde’s concentration as she finished drawing out her plan C route. She hadn’t eaten since before midnight, and considering the sun was nearly past the horizon now, Charlotte figured it was as good a time as any to get something to eat. Folding up her map and sliding it into one of the pockets on her pack, Charlotte jumped down from her cart and began walking quietly through the camp, towards a small patch of trees that she planned to eat her meager breakfast in.

As she passed the last cart, though, Doc’s voice nearly startled her as he gave a greeting. He’d chosen a peculiar way to clarify her name, but Charlotte knew it wasn’t productive to argue semantics when she knew what it implied. “Yep,” she chuckled, turning to face the man and returning his wave, “that is my name, after all.”

Catching the wine skin, Charlotte gave a quick “thanks” before taking a sniff to make sure it didn’t smell off and taking a gulp. Considering her own water skin was in plain view on her hip, Charlotte wasn’t sure why he had offered his own, but she didn’t turn down another’s generosity. Being inconsiderate was bad for business, so as long as she or the job wasn’t at risk she didn’t mind playing along with whatever Doc was trying to do. Besides, this was an opportunity for her to get to know their new “friend” a bit better.

Walking over to him and handing back the wine skin, Charlotte motioned towards the area she had been headed in. “Have you eaten breakfast? There’s a nice, shady spot over there I’d be willing to share for some company.”

[Dayan]

Dayan chuckled a bit as she sniffed it. "Not to worry, I save my alcohol for the instruments. Drunk surgery isn't fun for either party."

He hopped to the ground at her invitation. "Preventative medicine, hm? Sounds like a fine idea. I don't imagine we'll have need for an inordinate amount of strength and endurance, but what do I know?" he said, replacing the skin on his belt.

He watched how she moved and looked around the camp. She was all business, much like he would be in her position. Still, he was 'off the clock', as it were, so he didn't feel the need to keep his business persona up. "You've sure whipped this group into shape. I could spot maybe two or three really disciplined men among the lot of them. An impressive general is the one that wins the battle with poor troops," he said, as casually as if he were remarking on the weather.

He declined saying any more. Keep it subtle and simple, don't push for too much too fast.

[Charlotte]

“You never know,” Charlotte smiled as she watched the man jump down from his seat, and she started to walk towards the shady spot. The way he had referred to breakfast was funny to Charlotte, considering she was honestly just looking to fill her stomach with something mildly tasty at the moment. Normally she would have quipped in response, but with her hunger turning her stomach, she wasn’t as quick-tongued as usual. Maybe most adventurers were accustomed to fewer meals, but Charlotte was a creature of pleasure and comfort.

As Doc commented on her command over the group, Charlotte couldn’t help but feel an odd mixture of ego and uncertainty come over her. Of course Charlotte’s instinct was that she was right, so she didn’t disagree that what she’d been able to do with the small group was impressive. Then again, an outsider who had been traveling with them since sunset of the night previous wasn’t necessarily privy to the week of infighting and doubting that had been flung her way from the rebels when they discovered it wouldn’t be one of their own rebel companions coordinating the trip. The attitude had severely slowed down their planning phase, and she knew quite well that the resentment still remained in many of them.

This wasn’t something Doc could be privy to at the moment, so Charlotte picked her words carefully as she sat down in front of one of the trees in the patch of shade, hands reaching to pull the small pack down from her shoulder. “Everyone just wants to make it to Lucerne safe and sound, that’s all. It’s not the easiest trip to make, but considering most of these men and women are just civilians separated from their families for weeks or months now, we’ve got to at least try.”

Hmm, hopefully she didn’t come off as insincere. Considering all of three or four people on the trip didn’t know the real reason for the caravan since they weren’t “cleared” with the rebels, it had been challenging to keep them in the dark. Those who did have the knowledge had been told to mention nothing about their part in the rebellion or the caravan’s siege weaponry unless otherwise instructed. Charlotte thought if they were hired they had every right to know what they were getting into, but that was just one of many concessions the woman had to make to not lose the job. It was a pain working for a “movement,” but their financial supports paid pretty damn well all things considered.

Charlotte swung her leather pouch on her lap and plunged her hand inside, searching for the first victim of her breakfast hunger. “So, do you have another job lined up once we get to Lucerne? Or is that where you’re from?” Charlotte’s first question had basis, as she was quite aware that the man had supposedly been “hired” to assist the caravan with any medical emergencies. Charlotte was almost certain it was a lie, but she’d chosen to ignore it with good reason. Her second question was more of a stab in the dark, a way of trying to get the man talking. She wasn’t sure he would bite, but he seemed personable enough for now.

[Dayan]

Dayan pulled a roll out of his own pouch, taking a bit of it and offering a small chuckle. "Civilians, right," he said after swallowing. Dayan relaxed in the shade, taking another bit of the roll before speaking again.

"Let's be honest here. Neither one of us trusts the other. I'm not dumb, nor will I act like I think you are. You or your companion, probably both, checked and double checked the paper work. You know that any claim I made about being hired before that altercation was a bluff. Hell, you probably knew it at the moment you agreed to take me along on this little adventure. However, I did speak the truth before, I honestly don't care what you people are doing. I have my own reasons for being here, but none of them give me any reason to sabotage your job or anyone here that doesn't start a fight with me. Also, the part about me being a doctor is true. If nothing happens on the way, I'll take the ride and be on my way. If I have to sew people back together, I'll charge you for that and head out."

He paused after a moment, chewing another bite thoughtfully. "Sweet roll? he offered, extending a fresh one to her as casually as if they'd been discussing the weather.

[Charlotte]

Well, Doc wasn’t the type to deal in subtleties, that was for sure. Much like his introduction the night prior, he didn’t waste any time making it known that his motives were in question when they had no relation to what the caravan was attempting to accomplish. She wasn’t put off by the rant, merely letting the man say his piece, pulling a small leather pouch full of dried meats and berries, her usual traveling diet. There was no glamour to be had in smuggling jobs like this.

Even after he had finished, Doc seemed unaffected by what he had said, as if it was some sort of general disclaimer he gave before partaking in his breakfast. Charlotte accepted the sweet roll with a “thanks,” taking a bite of the surprisingly fresh roll. She wondered what kind of response he expected to garner from what he had said. Swallowing the first bite she had taken, she decided to address only part of what he’d made known.

“Well, you’re right that we know you weren’t hired by us or anyone else. To tell you the truth, the only reason I decided to bring you was because you disposed of the ‘doctor’” – she used the word very lightly – “they hired. You displayed more knowledge in a few minutes than he had in a week of bringing him on, and you were able to defend yourself too, so it was more that I could say for him.”

Charlotte took another bite of the roll Doc had afforded her, chewing it and swallowing before continuing. “That doesn’t answer my question though,” she said, making reference to what she asked the man before. “Any reason you’re looking to go to Lucerne? Can't imagine you're going on holiday.”

[Dayan]

Dayan blinked in legitimate surprise. "That oaf called himself a doctor? I don't know if I should be impressed that anyone would let him work on them, shocked that he could tell a vein from an artery, or disgusted that you would hire someone like that," he said frankly.

He reached back into his pack, biting into and ripping off a piece of jerky. "Normally I'd ask why you wanted to know, but I don't suppose I'm at an advantageous position here. I suppose you could say I'm looking for someone. I'm not sure who they are, but I know they are there. I know they are all over, in fact. Every city all across Elibe, there they are."

He took another bite of his jerky, looking to her with an odd smile. "I hope my answer gave you all the clarification you required," he said with a bit of a snicker. "So then, why are you doing this? Coin? Loyalty? Personal pride? Traveling at night suggests that we have something to hide, and moving inside Bern limits the amount of things that could be for. I don't care about the particulars, but I cannot help but be interested in your own motivations."

He eyed her curiously. How would she respond to this, now?

[Charlotte]

“Well, certainly wasn’t my decision to hire him, that’s for sure,” Charlotte stated plainly, taking a sip of water to wash down the bite of roll she had just been chewing on. Unfortunately the man in question had come with the rebel package, but his outburst had been enough for her to make the call to leave him behind. Thank goodness, too, since the doctor was pretty much spot on in his observations. Charlotte would rather bleed out than put her life in that brute’s hands.

The man had a strange reason for why he was going to Lucerne, but Charlotte wouldn’t question it further. Everyone was looking for someone these days, it seemed, especially among travelers like themselves. Granted Charlotte could tell there was a bit more to it for Doc, potentially with a hint of crazy behind his ‘search.’ But it didn’t affect their current mission, so she didn’t care to dive any deeper. If the lone man had some noble cause to embark on, let him. He’d learn soon enough that noble intentions wouldn’t get him very far alone.

“It’ll do,” Charlotte stated plainly, enjoying another bite of roll as he asked about why she was here. It was certainly a weighted question, and it was one the man would likely try to use to construe who she really was. Charlotte had played this game many times before, though she was usually on Doc’s side. People loved talking about themselves, so more often than not strategic questions and statements led to whoever she spoke with figuratively spilling their cuts to her. But in a way, she liked being the subject of question, as it gave her a chance to flex her story-telling skills. She was surprised with the question he had chosen, considering she’d given her reason for being here already, but it gave her an opportunity to reaffirm her already constructed tale.

Charlotte shrugged. “I’m being paid a small sum for coordinating the whole thing, sure, but honestly, I just want to help these people get back to Lucerne is all. Macendew’s full of rebels now, and honest men and women are getting caught in the middle when they don’t want any piece of it. They just want to be back with their families, and I intend to make that happen, without incident.”

She paused, swallowing another drink of water from her water skin. “But you already know it’s hard to avoid conflict these days. Doesn’t seem to be much of an issue for you, though,” she added. “Can’t say I’ve seen a doctor floor a man that size before.”

[Dayan]

Dayan tore of another chunk of the jerky as he digested both her food and her words. She kept making this claim that it was a refugee train, but he wasn't buying it. Too well coordinated, heavily armed and way to many big and burly guards. No way.

"I'm sure you are quite a bleeding heart," he said with a knowing smile. "But if that is your answer, I suppose there is nothing for it.

She was very tight lipped about the whole thing, but Dayan imagined that would be futile. They would more than likely encounter something over the course of their journey that would reveal the intent of this 'caravan'. Dayan heavily doubted that they were not ferrying something dangerous, but decided against pushing her further.

"In order to heal, you first have to learn how to hurt. Can't make an anti-toxin unless you know why a poison works. Can't set a bone unless you know how it was broken. The line between medicine and murder is thin and blurred. All it comes down to, really, is the decision of the man on how the knowledge is used," he said.

"But enough about hypothetical murder, what brings you to Lucerne? Do you hail from this area, or is it some more foreign locale that you call home?" he asked.

This girl was tight lipped, which was a quality he expected to see in thieves, spies and smugglers. She could tell a good lie and she stuck with it. She didn't let him intimidate her into revealing more than she wanted to, since she knew he was going on mostly guess work for now.

Clever girl.

Still, his bag of tricks wasn't quite empty yet. He had a few more ways to try and get a clear answer out of this woman yet. The battle of wits had only begun.

[Charlotte]

Charlotte had to keep herself from chuckling as he knowingly commented on her ‘altruistic’ nature. She never really could pull off the whole philanthropist bit, but it was the easiest stance to take with the men, so she just stuck to the story for continuity’s sake. Of course, some people had doubts about her intentions, but most figured that she was just, well, a shrew, and went on with their duties. To them, it didn’t matter how Charlotte acted, just that her job was done and that they all made it from point A to point B with the siege parts. Charlotte could have cared less about the rebellion, but she did care about her coin so the desire for success was mutual.

“Fair enough,” Charlotte said as Doc answered her back-handed statement about his combative skills. His answer made perfect logical sense and he explained it quite well, which left little room for doubt on Charlotte’s end. Still, an inkling of disbelief resonated in the young woman’s mind as he finished, though she had no basis other than a gut feeling, so she’d let the feeling go unvoiced for now. Besides, he had just asked about her.

“This and that,” the woman replied, turning the roll she had been afforded over in her hand before focusing her eyes back on Doc. “I grew up in a small village north of Macendew, so I’m familiar with the area. Pa was born and raised there,” she continued, giving the same story as she had told Cen, “but Mom was from Arphen. Wasn’t too much of a problem until all this, but we all have our challenges,” she added giving a light shrug of her shoulders.

Despite many conversations like this one, it was still strange for Charlotte to discuss things like parents (even fake ones) with strangers. Most people, like Doc, tended to ask where she came from or who her family was, interested in making polite conversation. But Charlotte had never known her parents, so it was still hard for her to really get it. Sure, she knew what having parents was supposed to be like, but it didn’t mean she understood something like a parent’s supposed unconditional love or guiding wisdom. Still, she knew it was something most people could relate too, so to most, Charlotte had parents at one point in time.

“What about you? Is Bern your home, or are we just another stop in your travels?” Charlotte smiled, flicking some hair out if her face as she took another bite of her roll.