Second Chance [Charlotte/Saturos]

[Charlotte]

Swaying. The aching blonde didn’t usually welcome the to and fro motion that came with being aboard a ship, but relief had washed over her in waves as the ship set sail. It meant the arduous trip to the mines was nearly over, and Charlotte would make it back to the mainland, somewhat in one piece. She couldn’t deny that she was pretty badly beaten up, but she’d unfortunately been through worse. Considering how foolish she’d been, Charlotte was actually lucky.

Still, the thought didn’t take away the pain. Despite the hurry she and Saturos had been to abscond from the Isles, they’d been lucky enough to find someone aboard the medium-sized ship who could set Charlotte’s broken arm and hand, and apply some salves to her other open wounds. He’d warned her that if a fever started to come back to him for something, since the broken bones paired with the fever could lead to serious consequences – including death, apparently. She’d have to remind herself not to break any other bones from now on so she could avoid this annoyance in the future.

The pair had been able to secure a tiny cabin in the corner of the ship – barely large enough for a small table, chair, and two bunks, which the exhausted Charlotte was grateful for. The moment she’d been afforded enough time, Charlotte had stolen away to the cabin, peeling off the majority of her ruined, bloodied leathers and clothes until she was down to just her forest green leggings, a black bandeau covering her breasts, and the sling for her arm. While black and purple bruises stained her usually pristine skin, she felt worlds lighter - and cooler, considering the cabin was unusually warm - as she laid down on the small bunk to rest.

When she opened her eyes again, the small cabin was still dark, only a small oil lamp illuminating the wooden walls with a soothing, flickering glow. The sea was too calm for them to have gone far, so Charlotte assumed she couldn’t have dozed off for long. She sighed; even with the weight of being captured off of her shoulders, she still wouldn’t be able to have a full night’s sleep until she was back on land. Saturos was gone, though to where the blonde wasn’t entirely sure. There wasn’t much to do on the ship, but even as distracted as Charlotte was, she could tell he wasn’t very comfortable at sea.

Charlotte sat up carefully with a groan, watching her head as she leaned forward, her head and top of her back leaning out of the bunk. Her mouth was dry, but she didn't want to rise just yet to find something to drink. Yawning, the thief reached her left hand around to rub a sore spot on her back, her hand drifting over the slight grooves that scarred much of her back. Old, of course, but they served as yet another reminder of why she could never be at someone else’s mercy again. Ignoring those old wounds was was how she ended up like she was now.

[Saturos Prox]

The port town was small, and the warehouse had been close to the docks, so the trip from the basement had been quick and unventful. For that Saturos was incredibly grateful, as the walk, however short, had been extraordinarily uncomfortable. Neither of the two had had much to say, given what had transpired in that dungeon of a storage room, and for once the talkative operative was at a loss for words. Although she had tried to hide it, Saturos had noticed Myscha's initial reaction to his cold blooded killing, and while she hadn't given him any sign, verbal or physical, that she now thought of him as dangerous, it left him feeling like he had done something wrong. He knew had hadn't. Maybe it had been something distasteful, disgusting even, but not wrong. He had assessed the situation, and made a quick and judicious decision to complete his mission with as few complications as possible. It had cost Valen his life, but it assured Myscha's future safety and sometimes that was just the way things happened. People died. Saturos could only hope the man was not a father, because he would hate to be the reason a family went hungry.

Saturos shook the thoughts from his head. What was done was done, and there was no use worrying about it now.The man had assaulted his companion, tortured her, and he had fought to save her. Whether he had killed Valen during the scuffle or afterwards, it was still in defense. He never felt this way about cutting up a couple brigands assaulting him the snowy Ilian wastes, so why bother wasting emotional capacity on a man who was clearly human filth? No, he wouldn't make it a habit, the Saint only knew how little he enjoyed it, but he wouldn't guilt trip himself for doing what had been necessary either. On his way back to Bern he'd look into the two men's families, if they had existed. If they did, he'd allocate them some funds, probably from Aurelian's coffers, to make sure they were kept comfortable. It was the least he could do.

Once on the boat they had secured a room, which Myscha had retired to, while Saturos had left to find some nourishment. It wasn't meal time yet, so the mess officer had been reluctant to spare much of anything, but after Saturos had spun up a story about his pregnant wife, the man had relented and given him a small meal. So, food in hand, the operative approached the door to their far corner cabin.

"I was only able to scare up a waterskin and a couple loaves of bread, but I figured that would be enough to tie you over for-" Saturos softly kicked open the door to the cabin, only to see Myscha lying half-naked on the lower bunk. Obviously the sight was not unwelcome. Saturos might have been a spy and a con-artist, but he was foremost a man, and men enjoyed seeing lightly clad women. Still, eyeing the bruised and beaten woman in a very vulnerable state made the operative figure that he might have barged in a little too quickly, so pausing in the doorway, he decided to give the woman a mockingly suggestive.

"Oh my," the Etrurian announced, a playful grin crossing his face as he tried to downplay her injuries. "Perhaps I should have knocked. Is this a bad time?"

[Charlotte]

Sitting up had proven to be a temporary move, unfortunately, as Charlotte decided to recline again after only a few moments. Her body and limbs were still aching at their very core; laying down in the small bunk at least allowed her legs and back minor relief. She likely wouldn’t get back on her feet until morning at least, maybe longer. The blonde frowned at the thought, but considering how tired she was, she’d accept being bedridden if it meant she might find even temporary relief for the aches steadily pulsing through her muscles.

Closing her eyes again, she relaxed her body as she counted the sways of the boat beneath her. Unlike her first brief doze, however, the brief moment was broken by the sound of a familiar voice opening the door to the closet-sized cabin. Charlotte opened her eyes, confirming it was indeed Saturos who had come bearing gifts, which brought a smile of her formerly scowled expression.

But while Saturos took pause at realizing his female companion’s state of dress – or undress, if they were being technical about it – Charlotte made no moves to cover or hide her exposed skin and curves. She found no shame in being naked, something which made some of her colleagues uncomfortable at times. Even bruised as she was, covering up and hiding the aftermath was an admittance of defeat, in the sense that the Bishop’s men had won when it came to tarnishing her usually pristine appearance. It didn’t matter how tired, bruised, or broken she might be, but no matter what, Charlotte wouldn’t, couldn’t let shame or perceived weakness ruin her like that. She was too stubborn for that.

Propping herself up on her left elbow, she met the teal-haired man’s playfully suggestive grin and comment with her own smirk. “Oh come now, I didn’t take you for the shy type, not with that silver tongue of yours.” Charlotte beckoned him to come in with a tilt of her head. “Besides, I’m parched and famished. At this point, the only bad time left to be had is if you withhold part of that meal for much longer.”

Though their short trip to the ship had been an uncomfortable one, Charlotte made no allusion in her speech or body language to her still mulling over or considering the conclusion of the events in the cellar. She still didn’t like that Saturos had been forced to kill the Bishop’s man to cover her errors, but there was no reason to dwell on the idea further. She had no plans to address the matter unless the Etrurian brought it up. As long as the man wasn’t tired himself, Charlotte had something else she hoped to address at some point instead, but for now she enjoyed the playful banter. After all, it was one of the reasons the past two weeks had been tolerable, and it was a very welcome distraction. One thing at a time, right?

[Saturos Prox]

"Shy? Hardly. My father just raised me to be a gentleman, and gentleman respects a woman's privacy," replied Saturos with a small chuckle. It wasn't a lie. "And don't worry. I gain nothing by seeing you starve. I just spent the last sixteen hours breaking you out of prison." He unfastened his swordbelt and, taking it off, leaned the weapons up against the wall next to the door. As soon as he turned away, however, the swords clattered to the ground. Saturos sighed, considering righting them, but instead waved it off. He walked over to Myscha, took a seat on the very edge of her bunk, and handed the woman a loaf of bread and the waterskin. He then lifted his own meal to his mouth and took a nice sized bite of out it. The bread was a bit dry and grainy, and the crust was overly hard, but the operative couldn't complain. He had been so focused on rescuing Myscha these past hours that he hadn't taken the time to take care of himself. Right now even the poorest quality bread would prove to be a welcome treat.

"Technically I'm not supposed to be eating this," he said through a mouthfull of bread. A couple of crumbs escaped his lips as he spoke, causing the Etrurian to finish chewing and swallow before he spoke anymore. "This food is all supposed to be going to the nourishment of my pregnant wife. I hope she doesn't mind." Saturos shot Myscha a playful glance, then laughed. This light-hearted atmosphere was a significant improvement to the dull, moroseness that had hung over their heads on their way over here. Of course the gloom had been understandable, after all Myscha had been through, but it didn't make him appreciate moments like this any less. "To be completely honest with you, I'm starving, so even if she did, she'd have to pry this bread from my cold, dead hands."

Saturos continued eating in silence, slowly mulling over each bite as he allowed the dry, crust bread to soften in his mouth, but eventually decided to venture a question.
"So, now that I've saved your life," he said, eyeing the blonde haired woman, "do I get to know your name?"

[Charlotte]

Charlotte gratefully accepted the waterskin from Saturos, taking a long draw of water, only breaking to breathe as the bunk sagged slightly from the teal haired man sitting. Handing the now half-full waterskin back to her companion, the blonde grabbed the bread from in front of her and also took a hearty chunk from the small, stale loaf. She’d usually eat with a bit more grace, but considering how empty she felt, she couldn’t have cared less if the man thought her a pig.

Only after she’d finished chewing her first bite of bread did she smile at the man’s comments. Sixteen hours? It’d felt like days, but she trusted what Saturos had said. Strange how time seemed to stretch itself out when you were horribly uncomfortable and trying to find any way you might be able to get out. Taking another small bite, she mulled over the thought for a moment before the man spoke again.

“Oh, is that so?” Charlotte finished her bite with a laugh, joining his as he revealed his way of getting food out of the chefs when it wasn’t mealtime. In between her laughs she gave a “tsk” with her tongue, adjusting her position so she could better look at the man. “Tell me you’re a gentleman and then steal from the hungry mouth of your pregnant wife? Shame on you,” she teased as their laughing subsided.

While the silence that hung in the air over them on their trip to the ship had been heavy and filled with uncertainty, the silence now was much lighter, more like a simple break in conversation than anything. Charlotte smiled as she took yet another bite of bread, chewing a bit more slowly now that her stomach wasn’t tearing at itself. Of all the wonderful foods she had eaten since leaving the Western Isles, this horribly stale and dry bread was the best she’d ever had. This must have been what food tasted like to a man destined for the gallows who managed to escape his fate.

Charlotte had begun mulling over bringing up what she’d hoped to with the teal-haired Etrurian, but instead, she was met with a question of his. It was something of a sting considering her “conversations” - if one could even call them that - with the Bishop’s men in the cellar. She hadn’t ever used the name with them, and she’d conditioned herself to not give her name to anyone but those who she truly felt she could trust with the name over the past few years. Now, it seemed she’d misjudged someone along the way.

Placing what was left of her bread on the bunk, the blonde sat up again, resting her left elbow on her knee and curving her back forward before returning Saturos’ glance. “What, you don’t think I look like a Myscha?” A playful grin flitted across her features before she sighed, running her free hand through her now short hair as she diverted her eyes to the floor for a moment.

“Well, considering it’s not as well-guarded a secret as I thought… It’s Charlotte.” Just as it had with Rogus, saying the name aloud felt foreign, as if she spoke the syllables in a different language. But it didn’t feel wrong telling her companion. The man had sought her out when he hadn’t been obliged to, and he’d killed to ensure her safety. Considering all of the half truths she’d fed to him on their trip, the least she could do was be honest with him now. Still, she sounded annoyed, though none of those frustration were directed at Saturos.

“Tell me something,” Charlotte said, her eyes snapping back to the man next to her. “You seemed to have a fair amount of insight into the Bishop and his men. You’re now the…” The blonde paused for a moment, counting on her fingers, “fourth person I’ve used my real name with in the past seven years, and it’s never been so much as written on a scrap of parchment. So how could those goons possibly know it?”

[Saturos Prox]

Saturos could feel the atmosphere of the room fall into a malaise as "Myscha", or should he say, "Charlotte" asked about her name, about how the Bishop's men knew her real name. The question, and the accompanying look of frustration on the woman's face, told the operative that the woman wasn't lying to him, that Charlotte was her real name. And if her real name was as big a secret as she let on, that meant that by telling Saturos she was placing her trust in him completely. A powerful postion indeed, but the operative didn't intend to abuse it. Not too much, anyway.

The swordsman put a fist to his chin. He could understand why Charlotte was upset. Her name was a valuable piece of information in her line of work, one where you needed to keep everyone at an arm's distance at all times. It must feel like an incredible invsasion of safety and privacy to have people know it without you having told them specifically, especially when those people were beating you senseless.

Saturos wasn't so secretive about his own name. Instead of hiding it like a treasure, he wore it as a mask. He crafted a number of false personas around his name, then buried it underneath even more fake names so that no one man knew the true story of "Saturos Prox". Was he an ex-soldier? Was he merchant's son? Was he wandering swordsman? Was he a spy? Perhaps all of them. Perhaps none of them. Peel back one layer and you think you've solved the mystery, but really you're just looking at another facade. But deathly careful about his own name or no, there were things Saturos told no one, secrets that he kept locked away, so he knew how Charlotte was feeling right now.

"You got close to what Aurelian held most dear," said Saturos. His voice was chiding, but he took care to sound like he was reprimanding Charlotte. People stopped listening when they felt like they were getting lectured. "I'm sure the moment you agreed to become Aurelian's middle-man he had you background checked by at least four different agents. If you have parents, they found them. If you don't, then they found someone else." He shook his head. "When your most powerful weapon is information, the last thing you want to do is get near the Inquisition, because they will always have more than you." As Inquisitional Intelligence himself, it felt a touch hypocritical to be telling Charlotte to keep her distance from Etrurian espionage after saving her from Aurelian's thugs. It was like dog eating its own tail. But Saturos held no special love for Kraft. His allegiances were his own, but the resources he was given as an Inquisitional Operative were second to none. His life was a balancing act between getting his job done, and accomplishing his own personal goals.

"Nothing stops them from getting what they want. It's all justified," Saturos continued as he began rummiging through his pocket. "That's the territory you enter when dealing with zealots. You experienced that up close." He pulled a small pouch out of his pocket, and from it, revealed a small stone. "I hope this was worth it, because he will never stop hunting you."

[Charlotte]

Charlotte took to chewing on another bite of bread as she listened to Saturos’s answer. She nearly rolled her eyes as the man spoke with a bit of reproach, but instead stayed quiet. Plenty of her employers did “background checks” on the blonde, but it was mostly having her provide good references and requested documents to them – which is what she’d done with the Bishop’s men when she’d been offered the job. Granted, the majority were forged, but they were damn good – and expensive – forgeries. Any written record of her real name didn’t exist.

But that didn’t mean there wasn’t a someone who knew. Charlotte hadn’t considered it, but Etruria controlled a decent portion of the civilized cities in the Isles, with the Bishop heading the northern diocese, which Charlotte consequently was from, before she’d begun using her false name. Shaking her head, she thought of the myriad of people who could have been found who knew her: kids from the orphanage, horrible Mrs. Parge, or even the men who had owned the tavern she’d apprenticed at. Hell, if they’d looked hard enough they probably could have found the leader of her old smuggling caravan. It didn’t explain how they’d connected her to the Isles when she presented herself as a Lycia tradeswoman, but Saturos made it clear that the Etrurians had a plethora of information at their disposal. It wasn’t unreasonable to expect that, if they could find the dots to connect they could find her name as they did.

Still, she thought as she took another mouthful of bread after swallowing the first, the woman didn’t like the idea that she didn’t have access to resources like that. She sold herself on being extremely resourceful, but being outplayed as she had made her crave the knowledge the Inquisition had. Sure, she hated the damn fanatics just as much as she always had, but it didn’t stop her from wanting to become better when she’d been knocked down. Problem was, as Saturos had so plainly stated, that they wouldn’t stop trying to find her, make her pay for her betrayal. While a harrowing thought, Charlotte wasn’t scared by the idea. She’d been caught off-guard in the Isles, and she’d been terribly sloppy. If there was something Charlotte didn’t do, it was make the same mistake twice. Seeing the stone in Saturos’s hand instead of her own reminded her that she couldn’t let it happen again.

Finishing her bite of stale bread, she sighed. The mood had become too dour again, much too quickly, again thanks to her inquiries. “I’m a big girl, love. The stone would certainly make life more comfortable for a while, but I’ll get by. I don’t say down for long.” She eyed the stone in the man’s hand before refocusing her gaze on the teal-haired agent with a chuckle. “But it was certainly worth being reminded why I have a strict policy on no Etrurian clients...”

Granted, Charlotte spoke out of blind confidence in herself, but as she’d shown back in the cellar, even bloodied and broken she wasn’t willing to go down without a fight. The blonde had made the best out of far worse situations in the past, with not nearly as many resources as she had available to her now. It would be a challenge, staying off of the Inquisition’s radar until she could find a way to make all of this blow over, but she’d damn well try.

“But since when does a softie like you work with the Inquisition, hmm?" Charlotte teased as she looked to change the subject from her over to her companion. "Their... methods don’t seem like your style...” He hadn’t specifically said he worked with the Etrurians, but Charlotte wasn’t stupid. The man had been undercover, just as she had, going to the mines for some reason or mission unbeknownst to her, and had believed he could get her off scot-free. The man had some sort of connection to the Inquisition, and the more they spoke the more she got the feeling he was likely an agent of sort, if not for Aurelian then for someone else. But in typical Charlotte fashion, she wanted to hear it from the horse’s mouth, if he’d even admit that to her.

[Saturos Prox]

The jig was up, it seemed. Charlotte had put the pieces together and realized that he was part of Inquisitional Intelligence. Not that such a realization was inherently a bad thing; in fact if she hadn’t figured it out by now, Saturos would be having very strong doubts about the extent of her intelligence. He hadn’t been sly about his involvement with the Prophet’s forces, even if he was being very upfront about his desire to see her safe. Hopefully she wouldn’t come up with any strange ideas like he was doing it to see the Aurelian’s ends secretly furthered, or that he was lulling her into a false sense of security for some nefarious means. He was doing enough of that over in Bern.

“You can say many things about Inquisitional Intelligence, and most of them would be true..” the swordsman said, a bit of a pained grin across his face. He knew she had recently learned first hand just how extensive Inquisitional Intelligence actually was. “..but what you can’t say, at least not truthfully, is that they’re unprofessional.” Saturos shook his head. “As long as I adequately perform on and properly complete my assignments, then I am free to do as I please. This includes a generous monthly stipend and access to Inquisition resources.” He saw no reason to be shy about himself now that Charlotte had already figured out who he worked for. Perhaps if he was smart about how he went about it, he could even recruit the woman. He’d have to pull a few strings and burn a few files if she accepted, but it would be better than having her run off with Aurelian’s dogs nipping at her heels at the very least.

“The reality is that the Herald doesn’t care what the spymasters do as long as they attend to his wants and whims, and the spymasters don’t care what us agents do as long as we give them the information they need or eliminate the targets that want eliminated,” he continued with a hand wave. “I once worked with a man that killed a provincial bishop over a financial dispute and hung his body in the middle of the town for all to see, but he was an excellent assassin so he was let off with little more than a slap on the wrist for being too public about it.” Saturos cringed as he recalled the sight in his mind’s eye. The assassin in question had done a little more than hang the body, but the swordsman figured there was no point in getting grisly about it. “As much as Kraft proclaims to serve the light, he relies an awful lot on his shadows.”

[Charlotte]

“Must be nice,” the exposed blonde remarked, considering what life could be like with stable pay. Granted, there was some thrill in having to work her ass off to make sure she had enough coin to stay comfortable. At times like this, though, when she knew she’d have to spend the majority of her savings to recover from her injuries, a monthly stipend would only help, that was for sure. Not to mention, having access to all of the resources of the Inquisitional intelligence… she might not have been a fan of Etrurians, but she couldn’t deny having that kind of network at her fingertips would make her insanely more valuable as an information broker.

Saturos certainly knew how to paint a tantalizing picture, and Charlotte almost felt herself wanting the life as the man described. How wonderful it would be to do what she pleased and be paid for it, as long as she completed assignments as prescribed? She’d essentially be getting paid more to do the work she was already doing. But of course, as she was reminded, such cushy work came with a price. Even with all the pros, there was one glaring con that stuck out to her.

“I’m not surprised; keeping a whole nation in check and in line with your ‘prophesies’ requires quite a bit of work going on behind the curtain, I’d think,” Charlotte commented cheekily, leaning back and using her good hand to keep her upright. The way Saturos spoke about his work didn’t make it seem like he was all that attached to the Inquisition itself, so she didn’t feel the need to tip-toe around it. Eyes shifting momentarily to her feet that dangled over the side of the bunk, she gave a thoughtful hum. “But guaranteed pay and all that freedom? Seems the only downside is the employer, as long as most of the agents are as competent and... easy on the eyes as you.”

[Saturos Prox]

Ah, interested was she? Saturos wasn't surprised. Charlotte was a lot like him. She enjoyed the business of people. She enjoyed getting in people’s heads and navigating the spaces in between their thoughts. But most importantly, she enjoyed doing these things from a safe distance, and up until now she was forced to create the distance she so desired using tools like anonymity and secrecy, but they were difficult, burdensome tools to use. With the resources that the Inquisition could provide her, those tools would become much less tiring to use, and much less crucial. But there was always the issue of the employer. The Inquisition had a reputation for being, for lack of a better word, distasteful.

“We’re always looking for people,” replied Saturos, crossing his arms and flashing the blonde a boyish grin. “The right people, that is, and no, I’ll be honest, most of the agents aren’t as ruggedly handsome as yours truly, but…” The operative trailed off, twirling his finger in the air before placing it on his chin. “...if you did decide to join up with us undesirable types, I could ensure you a working partnership with me. Unless you choose to do otherwise, of course,” he said with a shake of his head. Then he held up the dragonstone still in his hand, “but if you did I wouldn’t be able to promise the same perks.”

“Because if we’re being honest here, I could use a woman like you on my side. You’re smart, intelligent, insightful, cunning, and you understand the power of subtlety. All big pluses in our line of work, and ironically rare ones at that.” Saturos rolled the stone between his fingers, watching its polished surface sparkle in the light of the ship window. No theatrics, and no nonsense. He liked that about her. “So I guess the next question is whether I give this back to you or not, this stone which caused so much trouble.” He tossed the stone up in the air before grabbing it in his fist. “No strings attached if I did, just a token of my goodwill. I don’t want to be the man who ruined your paycheck after one of the most trying jobs of your life, but at the same time, I want to keep you hungry for the kind of resources my organization can provide.” He shot Charlotte and inquisitive glance, then looked back at the stone.

“What do you think? I trust your judgement.”

[Charlotte]

Charlotte listened silently as her teal haired companion pitched the idea of being with the Inquisitional Intelligence agent. It was unfathomable to think she was even entertaining the idea, what with how much the Etrurian’s had already put her through. How could she pledge help with different jobs, assignments, etc., when she felt anything but obligated to help or work for another Etrurian again?

Still… even considering all that, she couldn’t help but find the idea tantalizing. The countless resources and connections she would be opening up herself to would be nearly enough to make up for the fact that it was the Etrurians providing them. Charlotte had to remain competitive in order to stay relevant, and the information she could gain just by working with the zealots would easily keep her germane in Elibe’s underworld. She’d have to tip-toe around the subject with a few of her clients, but that wouldn’t be a challenge at all, really.

The blonde chuckled as he described her assets, standing from the small cot and taking two steps to the small porthole in their broom closet of a cabin. She leaned her unbroken arm against the ship wall, looking out into the dark, cloudy night outside, unable to make out anything besides the ebbs and flows of the ocean waves.

As soon as Saturos mentioned the stone, though, she looked back over her shoulder just in time to see it tossed in the air. Her heart rose for a moment, only descending again when the stone landed back in the Etrurian’s hand. She’d assumed he would keep it, but for some reason he must have been feeling generous to offer giving it back. No strings attached was a hard concept to believe, considering the line of work the two of them had taken on, but he sounded fairly genuine. He was at least honest that he wanted her to want to work with Intelligence; that definitely helped to sway her opinion too.

Turning around and leaning her back against the creaking wooden wall, Charlotte grinned. “I certainly still don’t like the idea of working with the Inquisition but… well, you certainly know how to drive a hard bargain.”

The woman paused for a long moment, mulling over everything she’d been considering, and she was almost unbelieving of what was about to come out of her mouth. “Let me keep the stone, and you have a deal. Contingent,” she added, “on that working partnership you mentioned earlier, of course.” It was fairly important to her that she had a resource and partner, especially embarking into such unknown territory. She usually liked to work alone, but this situation called for a different approach than usual. Besides, she liked the man’s company; he was endearing, and she enjoyed spending time around him.

“I’ll need some time to make arrangements and handle my affairs, of course, if that will be necessary,” Charlotte added; she was a busy woman after all, and she could only assume she’d be expected to uproot and travel into Etruria for some time.

[Saturos Prox]

"But of course," said the operative with a wave of his hand. He bowed his head in a gentlemanly manner. "What sort of cretin would I be if I didn't allow the lady to tend to her personal affairs?" Saturos straightened up, then nodded at Charlotte. "Just remember that when you're making arrangments, you will still have access to your clientele. The Inquisition does not frown on side projects as long as they don't run contrary to their own interests." He shook his head. "Of course, they will have to become side projects. You will be an operative first, a businesswoman second." The swordsman lifted up the dragonstone in his hand and held it towards Charlotte. "So since you're demanding this harmless little rock as my price to ensure your employment, I'll consider your taking it as your signing of our unwritten contract. You take the dragonstone, you become my partner. You try to back out, well..." Saturos shrugged, making a face that looked like something had gotten caught on the tip of his tongue. "...I come find you. Say hello." His face wasn't the least bit threatening, but anyone with any social insight would get the hint.

Saturos twirled the stone about in his hand, slipping it under one while over the next, repeating the motion indefinitely. He wasn't trying to push Charlotte into a corner, he didn't think he was, but he wanted the woman on his team, he really wanted the woman on his team, and considering not only the trouble he was getting her out of but the carrot he was providing her, he figured that was a small price to pay.

[Charlotte]

Resting her left hand on her hip while her right arm hung delicately over her bruised ribs, Charlotte grinned, appreciative of the man’s accommodations. She would have done what she needed to anyways, but it brought her some solace to know the man wouldn’t take the request for a partnership as an excuse to lord over her affairs. Granted, there was still time for that to transpire, but considering the man’s actions so far since they’d met, Charlotte was comfortable assuming this could indicate, in part, their future dealings.

The woman couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle as he mentioned her side projects not running contrary to Etruria’s interests. There was a reason she’d asked for time to handle her affairs, no? Charlotte didn’t usually take loyalties into consideration - she’d done business with all manner of persons, all with a different allegiances. So there would, of course, be a few of her colleagues and contacts she’d need to cut ties with - or at least arrange someone else for them to work with for the time being.

Her gaze was trained on the dragonstone for a long moment as Saturos held it up towards her. She’d never liked the idea of unwritten contracts, since so much could be left up to interpretation and amending. Then again, the offer on the table was better than any other option she was presented. If she walked away, she’d have to worry about Bishop Aurelian’s wrath on her own, with no way to stave his quest for retribution against her. If she accepted, she was working with the only nation in Elibe she looked on unfavorably, but she was gaining information resources, a partner, and a stable salary…

It wasn’t a hard choice to make, really; there was only one rational option that allowed Charlotte to profit from all she’d been through. “Like I said, as long as the stone is mine, you have a deal. I think I’ve learned my lesson on backing out of contracts, don’t you think?” Charlotte grinned at her small attempt at humor, albeit dark.

“So what next?” Charlotte asked, rolling her head in an attempt to stretch her sore neck. “I take care of my business back home… then what?”

[Saturos Prox]

“We get to work, obviously,” he said matter-of-factly, rubbing his hands together in a non-plussed manner. There was a smile on the man’s face as he considered their future partnership. “Forgive me if I don’t say more at the moment, but even as far as we’ve come, a smart man doesn’t start leaking sensitive information unless it’s absolutely necessary.” He gestured out the window with a nudge of his shoulder. “I have no idea what will happen to you between now and when you get back. You could be apprehended by some ne’er-do-wells, or worse, I could have completely misjudged you and you go off selling my information to the highest bidder. At that point it doesn’t matter if I or an assassin gets to you afterwards, the damage is done.” The operative shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, I just play my cards close to my vest. Makes for less mistakes on my part, and gives my friends less opportunity to betray me, willingly or no.”

Saturos stared at the woman for a moment. He had no doubt his answers were some form of frustrating, but he also knew that Charlotte had probably made a career out of giving and receiving frustrating answers so she was no stranger to this type of behavior. Otherwise she wouldn’t be getting involved with him at all. But perhaps, just to be nice, he could give her something for her brain to munch on while she traveled about.

“What I can say is that we’ll be doing a bit more than you, as a middlewoman, are probably used to,” he said with a wave of his hand. He placed his hand on the edge of the hammock above Charlotte’s bunk. “Infiltration, espionage, and maybe even a bit of propaganda, if you’re lucky.” With a jump and a heave, Saturos pulled himself into his bed and wrapped his cloak around himself like a blanket. “Think of it as on the job training.”

“But for now, we can get some much needed rest.”

[Charlotte]

Charlotte nodded along as the man described the reasons he couldn’t go into more detail, provide more to sate her need to know about the job she’d just accepted. She almost wanted to cut him off, tell him how yes yes, she knew all of the terms and conditions that came with sensitive information, especially when it came from the information behemoth that was the Inquisition. But if there was anything Charlotte was not, it was impolite, so she stayed silent until he’d said his piece, laid out his reasoning for being so shifty. Not that either of them should have expected any different from the other, what with one being a rogue and the other an undercover operative.

“Please, you don’t need to tell me twice,” the young woman smiled, “I understand the kind of… discretion that’s required. Besides, I plan on living long enough to see the spoils of this whole arrangement… whatever they end up being.” Whether it be due to her own skill and expertise, or this agent’s blind trust in her, Charlotte recognized this failure of a job had really turned into a success despite ending up battered and broken. Sure, the employer was unsavory, but did it matter when they offered so much in return for simple loyalty? The money would be nice, but the information network she’d gain was nearly priceless in value. She had a feeling business was about to boom.

“I’ll relish in the challenge,” Charlotte purred, though she did with a cheeky grin. She, like her new partner, also liked to play her cards close to her vest. So while she’d told him of her ventures with being an intermediary, there were a lot of things about her day to day affairs she hadn’t told the man - courting Lycian nobles for information, smuggling stolen goods, among countless other jobs. While she likely didn’t have as much experience as Saturos, Charlotte worked herself to the bone; she breathed, ate, and drank whatever she set her mind to so she could become the best. And Charlotte wasn’t going to sign on with the people she disliked most in Elibe to simply be mediocre.

But Saturos was right. As she watched the man swing up to the top bunk, the blonde moved as smoothly as she could to the bottom bunk, her sore legs protesting until she laid down, relieving the weight of her body from them. She didn’t want to rest, not with everything that had happened, but she needed to heal before she’d be of any use to anyone. She couldn’t look nor act her part until these damn injuries went away. Maybe sleep would come to her, or maybe it would escape her grasp again. Whatever the case, she’d been afforded the second chance of a lifetime, and she wasn’t about to squander it.

[END]