Sable wasn't one to ask for certain shifts or posts within the city, preferring to ever be... agreeable so that if there was ever a time where he did need to ask for something or expressed his opinion, he knew that he would be heard. It had meant that he endured some truly grueling nights stationed in certain wards or patrolling areas that no one else wanted when he first came to the city, but by bearing it without complaint or incident, he had earned a modicum of respect and saw to it that he wasn't just enduring quite as frequently.

It had even helped in his captain's acceptance of his companion remaining with him, the small drake earning a wide range of reactions, not all of them tolerable. Sable's vague answers whenever asked 'why' certainly hadn't helped, just as his refusal to utter anything further on the matter other than to finally relent that he had found her and needed to take care of her hadn't either, but his dedication and reliability had made up for it in the end. Even if he did still get the occasional look thrown his way when a blue-scaled head peaked out of the hood of his cloak, nosing through the curtain of ink-black hair.

As it did now, a soft trill of... questioning sound accompanying the movement he felt against his back as Celeste uncurled herself and shifted to rest her front claws on his shoulder. It was enough to have Sable finally pulling his gaze from the area he was keeping watch over as he glanced down to see her looking up at him, her head canted in a way that spoke to intelligence despite how young he assumed she was.

"...yes, little one?"^[1] he asked her in the language tied to his family line, the one that she had shown to understand, ignorant of the way it all but burned his tongue each time he uttered it, that shame a burden he wished to have never have learned of himself. But fate had a way of being unkind and cruel in equal measure.

---

[1] Language Used: Draconic (denoted by red)

Sable's peaceful patrol was quickly disrupted by the sound of splintering wood and shattering glass as a human man is jettisoned through a nearby window into the streets by a geyser of water.^[1] The man rolls onto his back with a painful groan, the glass having left him cut up and bleeding which mixed with the water now running down the street.

A cacophany of shouts and other smashing noises carry on the air from the inside of the building before the wooden door next to the destroyed window bursts open from the impact of a heeled boot slamming into it.

Stepping out into the street is a short triton woman whose fine and skin coloration mimic that of the deadly lion fish. She's dressed in tattered leathers and a salt stained blouse with a curved scimitar lashed to her hip.

She huffs and slams the door behind her, smashing it into the face of burly dwarf who was just about to reach out and try to stop her from leaving. He howls in pain. 

"Count yerselves lucky, mates. Next time I'll throw ye ta the sharks."

Flipping her fins which are layered like hair over her shoulder, she flips a ratty looking leather hat onto her head and pulls it down snug. A few other civilians in the streets rubberneck from around corners at the scene and whisper between themselves about what possibly could have happened to cause such a scene.

The triton woman pays them no mind and strides confidently down the street towards Sable...that is until she notes his guard attire to which she promptly spins around on her heels and walks the other direction as if nothing had happened. 

---

[1] Smashing Wave

A frown graced his features as anything Celeste might attempt to convey to him what she wanted or needed was interrupted by the sound of fighting. Or so he assumed it was. A commotion might have been more accurate, but after several years of serving the city, he wasn't surprised to be proven right when someone was sent crashing through a window.

Were he one to talk much at all, Sable would have admitted that the means by which a man now found himself rolling in pain amidst glass and water was... unique, but now wasn't the time. "Down," whispered to his small companion in that acrid tongue before he began walking towards those involved, his features grim and his intended path quite obvious.

Whatever budding annoyance there was in his peace being disturbed, it quickly evaporated. The triton woman had clearly noticed him and his uniform, turning to see herself away from him, but the man that rushed past the dwarf in the now reopened door either failed to notice or was too focused on continuing the fight to do so.

Catching the faintest glint of metal in the newest adversary's hand, Sable darted forward and put himself in their path, an obstruction of sorts that was now between them and the woman. And with a flash of movement, he reached out, a sudden fire sparked to life within him, even as he grew colder.

"Don't," he growled lowly, peering down at the man that was now held in place by the arm Sable had caught mid-swing and the glare that made a fair amount of silent promises of what might happen if he tried anything.

"You as well," he then warned over his shoulder, his sharpened gaze leveling on the woman in the moments before she could slip away. "...or I'll have no choice but to disseminate your description to the rest of the city guard." His gaze then narrowed back on the man after a cursory shift of his attention to the dwarf that had enough sense to remain in the doorway. "And as your friend here can attest to, I have an eye for the finer details."

Much, much lower and with the same level of promise as his hardened expression already carried, he added, "Drop it," to only them, his grip loosening just a touch only after the dagger clattered to the floor.

"Explain," came louder afterward as he began counting how long it would take for the next pass of the guard rotation.

While a guard coming to her defense against a vengeful man was a pleasant surprise, a guard was still a guard. She ain't got no time for guards. 

"Explain."

"No-thank-ye-bye!"

She takes off running down the street, shouldering past some civilians who had gathered outside to see what the commotion was all about.

"Don't let her get away! She robbed us!" The dwarf shouts angrily from the doorway at Sable while clutching his bloody nose. 

Whether or not that accusation was true, the fact of the matter was that one suspect was on the run while these three were surrounded by witnesses and were injured. They likely wouldn't get very far if they also chose to flee the scene of the crime, and the next guard patrol shouldn't be too far behind the tall man.

In the moment's head start she managed to get by just bolting as soon as possible, Tsarra had made it a ways down the street. Not far enough to be out of sight, but enough to make it just a matter of time before she could break line of sight and possibly become unfindable amongst the crowd.

Though her style of dress did hinder her from blending in with the crowd, she definitely did not look like the rest of the locals. The only saving grace for her was that this all happened near the docks, which meant there were plenty of other sailors from other regions around. That said, few were short lion fish triton with bright blue stripes.

Stealth was never her strong suit anyway. Her ace in her sleeve was a lot less conventional.

Now, it was annoyance as he was disregarded, but this fight and the attempted escape from answering for it couldn't have been timed better for him. Just as the dwarf shouted his accusation, there was a shift of light reflected from armor as two more guards emerged from a nearby alleyway and happened upon the scene.

"After her," he commanded Celeste, a sudden burst of brilliant blue scales erupting from the hood of his cloak as the small drake took to the sky, her thin wings carrying her above the heads of the crowd that had started to form.

With a piercing whistle, Sable caught the attention of the other members of the guard, releasing his hold on the one he had stopped in such a way that he was forced to stumble back a few paces. "Interrogate these three," he spoke with an air of authority, one that was not earned by rank but experience for the years served among them.

Not needing to wait to see if he was heeded, knowing those two well enough to rely on them to act without question and manage the others culpable in the destruction of property, Sable turned on his heel and began darting down the same street the triton woman had gone, the sight of wings and a small blue form serving as something of a guide that he tailored his path to as he gave chase. Thanks to her and his own deft movements, he was able to dodge out of the way of others, his stride long enough that he not only kept pace but gained on the woman, and catch sight of the fleeing woman between clusters of people about the docks.

"Now!" he called out to Celeste, no longer trailing behind, and with a sudden snap of her wings, the drake dove downwards... crashing onto the woman's head and forcing the brim of their hat down over her eyes.

Wings still flapping forcefully to shove away any hands that would try to grab her or tear her off, Celeste waited until she saw Sable had caught up. Once he was near, with a stronger beat of them, she lept off the hat and glided her way over to him, landing on his shoulder. Even as she was perched, though, the small drake kept her wings outstretched on the off chance she should need to fly once more.

Something Sable was hoping she wouldn't need to do as he came to a stop, his breathing even if only the faintest bit strained from sprinting. "...shall we end this now before there is collateral damage?" he asked her firmly, his gaze sharp but not cruel. "I care not for running nor drawing others into something that could be settled with conversation."

Tsarra sprints off, not really expecting an attack from above. She glances back over her shoulder as Sable gives chase only to suddenly get blinded by her own hat being pulled down over her eyes. 

"ACK!"

She flails and trips up, skidding her knee across the cobblestone and dropping onto all fours. Some of the crowd step away and visibly wince at the tumbling triton. 

"Fuckin' 'ell!"

A slew of curses leave her lips in a strange language before she scrambles back up onto her feet. She ignores the blood running down her leg as she pulls her hat off her head. 

Looking back, she sees the little blue drake alight on the towering guard's shoulder. Damn, who was this guy? He didn't seem like some run-of-the-mill guard. He's kinda cute, but curse those long legs!

She backs away and assesses her situation. A guard with a drake before her, onlookers all around, and the sea mockingly close but not close enough for a clean escape.

"Sorry mate, no can do. It's nothin' personal, just don't trust guards much."

Tsarra claps her hands together and a stream of water forms between them, arming her with a lash of rippling water.^[1]

"Now, I'm goin' that way," she points towards the water, "an' yer goin' to let me, savvy?"

---

[1] Water Whip

Although nothing about him betrayed it, Sable's options were very much limited. Without a true weapon, he had no way of forcing the woman to comply with him and return to the others, and while the woman's gaze was leveled on him, he was not willing to take a chance and risk Celeste finding herself at the end of the spell that was prepared. He had no magic of his own, and it would be hours before a patrol happened upon this area of the docks.

He was on his own.

It was frustrating, and the blame lay squarely upon his shoulders. He had been dragging his feet on rearming himself and replacing everything that had been damaged in the... incident, and only part of it could be blamed on the healing process being slow and still ongoing in some aspects. Even as the wounds were now smoothed away to nothing more than scars, there was so much more. So much that bound him in chains.

"...then do not make it about trust," Sable told her. "If you jump into that water, you will not be able to return to the city without needing a disguise or concealing yourself in some way." He took a step forward cautiously, rolling his shoulder in a wordless signal to Celeste to prepare to get out of the way. "...you might have better odds in some of the other towns and villages in Moonglade, but it was not an idle threat when I said that your face would be spread between our outposts."

Taking another step forward, Sable then pointed to a notice board that was along the side of one of the buildings that lined the docks. Upon it were several parchments and notes tacked, notices of upcoming events, a few notes of ships that would be arriving, postings of available jobs that widely ranged... and wanted posters. Three specifically.

"Yours would join them," he warned her, his voice even and unchanging as he spoke, though he didn't make any additional movement to approach her. "...but a conversation might change that." He wouldn't make her any promises that it could, of course. For all that the dwarf claimed that she stole, he could just as easily be lying.

'I'm not familiar with the livelihood of someone like you" he added, her accent marking her a stranger to Moonglade and her clothing speaking to a certain kind of profession, "but I can imagine that not having to worry about being recognized across an entire continent would make it easier."

The triton eyes him. No weapons. That's odd. Most guards at least had a sword or two on 'em. Was this guy just a poser? Nah, he spoke with too much authority for that. Maybe he forgot them at home or lost them while on patrol. That's a funny thought. Sad funny.

She raises an eyebrow at his not-so-idle-threat. Was he for real? That wasn't a threat! That was a gift! Notoriety was what she was after at the end of the day. Standing toe to toe with the many other pirates across the Luna Sea, living the freest of lives out on the waves, doing as she pleased and taking what she wanted regardless of who stood in her way. Ah, that was the dream. 

"Yer tellin' me I'm not already up there? That's the real crime 'ere!"

She looks over at the notice board, taking a quick glance across the three wanted posters. She puffs our her cheeks and stomps a foot with an indignant huff.

"How's any self-respectin' pirate supposed ta build a reputation if ye guards aren't doin' yer jobs right?"

Propping a hand on one hip she flips the water whip back and forth casually over her shoulder. 

"Nothin' worth takin' is easily took, mate. Life's a struggle an' only the strong make anythin' of themselves. Yer lucky ye've got a cute face, but that'll only get ye so far."

Despite the distraction of the conversation, she keeps a an eye out for any more guards. She might not be the smartest fish in the sea, but she had good instincts and a damned amount of luck. This guy was clearly just trying to talk because he had no other means of actually stopping her and he was stalling for time. Luckily enough for him, she wasn't out to actually hurt any civilians or guards if she could help it. She wasn't THAT big of an asshole.

"Ye want ta talk so badly, I can tell ye that those bastards back there are lyin'. I didn't steal nothin' from them. I simply took the payment they owed for the goods I delivered. Not my fault it turned out the package was a dud."

She shrugs. Smugglers always got blamed for things like this. It was like shooting the messenger. They had no control over what was actually delivered, they were just providing transport. Now, could she have done a better job keeping the package dry, thus protecting the contents from being damaged by sea water? Sure, but they would have had to pay double for that much effort. 

Ah, she was one of those then, the sort of pirate that preferred to have the fragile fame that came with being known for defiance and the daring sorts of acts that were needed to breed stories. A knife's edge of living, in his opinion, as their form of being known relied heavily upon risk instead of reward, especially in the number of laws that were broken instead of simply... sailed around.

"...with their name, perhaps?" he countered. "Or a title, even. By the name of their ship is also an option as we have a few whose colors we keep an eye out for." He refused to break eye contact with her, even as the whip flicked back and forth, remaining rigid and ready should things suddenly escalate. "Is it not better to be known by the fewest of details than recklessly with an accurate description?"

The more vague the details were on a person and their exploits, the more easily one could pass on into legend with the exaggerations that were sure to be crafted by those who heard of them, after all. A truth that he was flirting with, but would not say for himself. It was not his place to encourage piracy as a guard, just as it was not his place to pass judgment for crimes that were committed. He watched and listened, acting only when both pointed to the law being broken. Nothing more and nothing less.

As she spoke of strength, the dig and backhanded compliment made towards him causing him to narrow his eyes ever so slightly, Sable kept silent. She was not saying anything he did not already know, and it was clear she was no fool. She was aware of her surroundings, the glances she made at the various alleys and streets that emptied out to the docks quite telling of this.

...and yet, she talked, her words confirming a suspicion that he had and would now need to corroborate. The situation at hand would be nothing but the word of one against three others, but perhaps, he could learn enough specific details from her that he could catch them in their lies. Or her, as was also a possibility, but he was under no illusions that he would be able to come back and arrest her if that were the case.

"What were the contents of the package?" he asked her, still unmoving. "How much were they supposed to pay you?" if it was still inside, he could question them about it, and their tune would change. As would the accusation that they were accomplices to piracy by hiring a known pirate. "And I imagine there isn't a contract, but did you meet with them there when they hired you?"

He wouldn't explain the reasoning behind his questions, but the directness of them and the press for certain pieces of information were hopefully telling enough that he had no interest in anything other than learning the truth. Without judgment and demand.

"I don't 'ave a title or ship yet, they're damn expensive. Not everyone gets an allowance from the big bad Crown, ye know."

The triton woman frowns. She didn't appreciate being criticized. She got enough of that from the rest of the smuggling crews who all looked down on her. Buncha asshats the lot of them. Think they're so much better than her. She'd show them. She just needed more time to enact a brilliant plan. Oh, and she had to come up with a brilliant plan. 

"I'm not reckless. Everythin' was goin' accordin' to plan 'til ye showed up outta nowhere with yer cute little flying iguana there."

Tsarra casually starts sidestepping over to the side. Some of the crowd shuffle away to maintain a safe distance from the water whip still coursing in her hand. She kicks a pebble up the street towards Sable, not hard enough to actually reach him or anything. 

"I dunno, some sort of fancy herbs." She shrugs. 

Tsarra wasn't one to ask about what she was transporting, that was a job for smarter members of the smuggling ring she frequented. Half the time she didn't even interact with clients. There were people with much better people skills than her for that. Sweet talkers who could avoid a fight just by saying the right thing at the right time to the right people. Tsarra lacked such tact and finesse.

"Can't tell ye that, mate. Client confidentiality and all that." She flashes him a toothy grin. 

If she had anything going for her it was confidence. Brash, unchecked confidence in a short body that could swim well and breathe water. And magic. Can't forget the magic. Course how exactly she has magic is beyond her. She sure didn't study the arcane or have any dealings with otherworldly powers. Heck, her understanding of her own abilities was shaky at best, which is very evident by how the water whip suddenly splooshes down her back and becomes a puddle on the ground much to her own surprise. 

"Ah, shit."

To say that he was not amused would be an understatement. His inability to... connect was making itself apparent as the woman grew defensive in the face of his initial questions that were supposed to demonstrate that the path of cooperation was far better than attempting to fight or flee from him. It also didn't help that she was insisting that her choices were the best made and warranted no explanation, the comment that it was 'according to plan' causing him to raise an eyebrow. He decided it was for the best to not ask about the broken window, just as it was best to not engage with the jabs made at himself or the 'flying iguana.'

That she was still engaging with him proved that he was not erring completely, though if she thought she was being subtle with her choice of direction as she began taking a few steps to one side, she was mistaken. Sable noticed immediately and mirrored it, his gaze occasionally flicking to the side to ensure no one was in immediate danger of becoming the spark to set the situation ablaze and burn this small bit of... civility between them.

Fancy herbs was someplace to start, at least, and Sable ignored the urge to let his gaze drop to the pebble that skittered across the ground between them. Instead, he waited for her to continue, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly when she refused to answer the other two of his questions.

"...and you're going to continue to maintain that confidentiality for the very clients that are throwing you under the cart, currently?" he asked, continuing to watch her closely. "Especially when that confidentiality was bought with the very coin they are accusing you of stealing?"

They both found themselves surprised when the magic that was the woman's only edge suddenly lost its form, but Sable would hazard a very safe guess that no one was more surprised than the woman. There was even a barely contained snort from somewhere amongst the people that were gathered—or rather, were attempting to look as if they were not gathered to watch very poorly.

Sable ignored them, just as he ignored the sudden loss of the whip made of water. Magic could easily be conjured again and without warning. He wasn't about to ease up on his stance a little

"I only need an answer to my questions to serve as your statement. If it's enough to prove that they were the cause of the... damages as you acted in self-defense—" and ties them to consorting with pirates and hiring them, he didn't say, "—you won't find yourself wanted by the Moonglade guard, and they will be the ones to find themselves facing punishment." He paused a moment. "If it isn't, then you'll have the name for yourself as you seem to be inclined to earn, and my recommendation that you don't consort with those three again."

Perhaps, he was the one being reckless with a small show of faith, because in either instance, even as it remained unstated, she was able to run off, and he would be the one to have to explain to his captain why. Without a weapon himself, it was the only outcome regardless, and he was more than aware of his own ineptitude that convincing her to return with him wasn't a possibility.

Tsarra is about to argue her point when she thinks about what he said for a second time.

"Huh, good point."

Still she shrugs and does not elaborate on the situation with the guys. If word got out that she sold them out to a guard it could hurt business. The logic was not her own, and instead belonged to the captain of the smuggling ship she worked aboard. While she seemed to be someone who didn't follow orders very well...which was very true, she still had those she respected enough to follow the lead of. And those few she hardly ever questioned. 

That was more a symptom of not really having much direction in her life. A loose cannon shoots wide until something ties it down after all. She didn't care much about that though. The pirate life was still far more free than any other as far as she was concerned. 

"I mean, once you search the house ye'll find all the proof ye need. Hardly need me ta do that."

She waves her hand a bit as she inches close to the water's edge. Something he says does make her pause though. Most guards didn't spend this much time talking. Most just made a lot of noise and threw their weight around. Was this guy new to this whole thing or something? It didn't seem like it based on how he talks and acts.

"Why're ye tryin' so hard ta act like ye wanna help me?"

What was he after here exactly? Was he maybe not a real guard? An idea pops into the triton's head and sticks like a stubborn barnacle. She has a sudden expression of realization and then she glances around and winks at Sable. She figured out what was going on here.

"Ooooh, well...ye got me! Yer too smart for me, mister guard sir. Alright, let's get ye that statement." She winks again like that's supposed to mean something. 

It seemed that he was finally getting somewhere with her, which certainly beat having to grasp at threads of information that were either let slip because of her talkative nature or given offhandedly. Not that what he had gleaned so far was useless, of course. There were enough details to point him in a direction and give him a few leads and questions to follow up on once he returned, but her cooperation would certainly make things easier in the long run and see to it that he didn't have to give his captain a lengthy report explaining himself and his actions.

He'd blame that little bit of give in her stubbornness for the reason his own cold exterior cracked just a touch, why he eased up on his stance and the barest hint of tension left his posture as he continued to watch her. His gaze was still sharp, the icy color lending an edge to already critical observation, but the harshness from before was absent.

"...we would need a reason to enter the house first, which you have adequately given me now," he told her. "We are not allowed to enter homes as we so please." Yet even as he said the words, he could not help but remember the reputation that followed members of the guard no matter the nation they served.

It was not uncommon to hear of abuses made at the hands of a select few, those that were corrupt, that were selfish, that took advantage of people simply because they could and because their station allowed them to do so more easily. Since joining the guard in Moonglade, Sable had not heard of such trespasses... but he was only one man that kept his eyes and ears open, that watched his fellow guard as closely as the people they were supposed to ensure were safe within the city, and the poison that had been administered still circulated and would forever continue to linger, no doubt, no matter how long gone the culprits were.

Hence her question. Hence why it was not the first time he had heard it spoken. Bewildered expression, mistrust, venom, and vitriol, at times, as he was pulled away from and spit at, Sable had been faced with all facets of how one could ask why.

"It is my duty," he answered without hesitation. "I protect and serve the people of the city, residents and visitors, which... that latter applies to you, does it not?" Celeste shifted her weight on his shoulder, her wings stretching out for a moment as she wrapped her tail around his arm to maintain balance. "It is not my place to judge. Only to intervene when necessary to keep the peace or people safe... and report my findings and observations to those above me."

The small drake settled, and Sable stood unwavering... though, as he was addressed as 'mister guard,' a soft huff of amusement did escape him. "Sable," he offered her for use instead. "It is my name, and I believe a good place to begin would be with yours. For official use, of course, and nothing more."

She didn't buy it for a second. She had him all figured out now after all. She was just that smart. 

This guy was clearly a not a real guard. Maybe he was one of that damn smug tiefling's men. He sure acted like one of them. Even if he wasn't, no way a real guard wouldn't be walking around unarmed like this or be trying to negotiate. This wasn't guard behavior at all. At least, that's what she believed thanks to previous run-ins with local authorities. 

In the big cities, the guards were more organized and trained to handle civil disputes than the private militia found in places like Darkveil. While the standing army in Sol City and the civil guard in Eclipse City paled in comparison to the Sultan's armed forces of Zeinav City, they still were nothing to take too lightly. Even a brash pirate like herself knew better than to outright attack a guard while in the city.

While there were cases where someone could claim self-defense, often the system would work against them without some solid evidence to prove such a thing. Tsarra had no solid evidence and really, she would just prefer to flee than waste time trusting the justice system to come to a fair conclusion. Her choice in profession didn't buy much leniency with the law. 

His answer to her question comes without any hesitation. Damn, he's a good actor. He's really bought into this whole 'I'm a defender of the public' shtick. 

"Duty, riiiiiight. Protect an' serve away. Be a good obedient guard dog for the pointy-eared nobility."

She rolls her eyes. It didn't matter much to her that the ones in charge were elves. Anyone in charge she would have doubts about since people in political power seemed to all be corrupt one way or another. Selfishness abounds even amongst those who have everything they dreamed of. Ironic. Sure, she wanted a lot too, but she hardly had the means to get any of it. She had to work for the things she wanted, unlike those born into the lap of luxury. 

She perks up as the man offers his name to her. Really? Was this part of the act too?

"Hm, Sable, huh? Ye sure ye should be givin' away yer name all willy-nilly like that?"

She crosses her arms and saunters over to him. By now the crowd was starting to lose their interest since the conflict had settled down. 

"Official use?" She scoffs. "Then it's Nonya ta ye."

It was a rare thing, Sable's anger. Emotions were always fleeting and flickering with him, hardly betrayed by his severe demeanor and the way he carried himself. He never allowed them to be anything more than that. To be controlled by them was to invite risk, after all, and if they could be read by others, it would give them something they could exploit. It was why he kept them at bay, kept them locked away where they could not hurt him—where he did not have to feel them. It was safer.

At the woman's flippant words and dismissal of his duty, however, Sable felt anger. He felt ice forming in his veins with a burning cold that sapped all warmth from him as there was a sudden shift in him, a sudden change. One that whispered sweetly to promise of violence, that was a deadly harbinger not unlike the stillness of the air one felt in the moments before lightning struck.

"Your incredulity is likely warranted, but I'll ask you to not insult me in such a way again," Sable said, his voice carrying the bite of winter that formed within him. "I am what I say I am. Nothing more, nothing less, and no one's dog."

As soon as the word left his mouth, a venom to it that only added to the warning, Celeste shifted uneasily from her perch upon Sable's shoulder. The small drake was one of only a handful that had ever seen him like this before. Rage, anger, and fury were those that didn't belong, but as she had seen, as Tallas and his family had borE witness to before, Sable could wield them expertly... though it was vengeance that he was the most dangerous with.

In the next breath, however, it was gone. The icy chill, the silent intensity that had bound itself to Sable, the reveal of something darker and harsher that could exist if ever he allowed it to, all of it vanished in mere heartbeats of time. It would not serve him now, after all, and he was no slave to the things that could claw their way to the surface.

He buried it instead, letting his gaze drift from her for just a moment as he regained control over himself. He only looked back when the woman asked about his name, ignoring the way annoyance had taken root in anger's place and was attempting to grow.

"...there are not many guards that have a drake with them," he told her flatly. "It would be easy for you to learn it by simply asking around."

Releasing a breath, Sable forced himself to ease up a little as the woman drew near. He had managed... something productive here, had managed to not find out what would happen in a standoff with her or what ramifications might follow should she have escaped. He could not risk undoing it all simply because she had found a nerve and struck it.

Pretend, he commanded himself. Serve, he reminded himself. He was a guard. He was not bound by the chains of his limitations.

"Hm... so much for making a name for yourself then?" he asked her with only the faintest traces of humor to alleviate the dryness of his tone. Whether she gave him her true name or not was not nearly as important as what details she could provide.

Reaching into one of his pockets, Sable produced a small notebook and pencil, flipping to one of the blank pages to copy down a few details to satisfy his captains that he didn't rely solely on infallible memory. "Let us start over for your statement, then: how much were those involved willing to pay to acquire the herbs?" he asked. "...and where did they agree to the initial terms of their acquisition? When, as well, if you recall."

It was a kindness and a testament to the truth of who he served that he made no mention that they paid her or that she met with them. Should she want to, she would be able to phrase her responses to avoid implicating herself. If she caught on, of course.