Hermit - Ehmead Hill [Duke+Squirrels+anyone]

[Yeager]

Well. By that reasoning, it might as well belong to me, as I am on it right now.

[Duke]

. . . . . [ Really, blank, flat stare. ]

. . . . Do you have any intention of spending more than a short trip, perhaps a season, here, until need for sustenance dictates that you must travel on? [ A slight head-tilt away, watching from the corner of an eye. He's giving a lot away with this, and doesn't like it. But he doesn't trust these armed two with his back, or trust them enough to pass them. ]

If so, then your words would hold truth.

[Yeager]

Ah, so that is the criteria. I see. You have been living in that manner, then?

[Duke]

. . . . It is how the other beings dwell within this area.[ Have that as an answer, Yeager. He's still frowning in that way that sort of says "get off my lawn". And then silent staring and frowning. ]

[Yeager]

Hm. I do not want to be bothering you, then. We'll head this way for another hour or so, then start for town. [He gestures with his free hand towards the eastern edge of the area] Would that be fine?

[Duke]

. . . . Very well. [ And he turns slightly to go, but the flow of the Aer that had felt strange nags at him, and he stops. So very strange, yet so oddly familiar. He knew another with that sort of Aer flow and have a studied glance from the corner of the eye. His gaze is a little more vague than usual. ]

Odd. The flow of about you. . . Your blastia. . [ Some more silent staring, like he's talking to himself rather than thinking. ] Rather like the dead man...

[Yeager]

[Yeager's companion catches that and shoots Yeager a look. For his part, a look of barely perceptible anxiety flits across his features before he catches himself, smiling again]

I don't know. It does have a very high refractive index. [feigning puzzlement] The dead man..?

[Duke]

This is true. An oddly efficient model. [ Duke tilts his head, looking like he's watching something else. The way he continues talking might indicate he'd be circling if he was someone else, a more mobile person. ]

Like him, and yet. . . not. He was not so pale. . . .or blue. .

[Yeager]

I don't have a lot of natural aeric ability. I have to have a very efficient one to make up for that shortcoming. [Is watching him back, intently, not wanting to say too much in front of the noble but wondering exactly how much he knows]

[Duke]

. . . It is rare to see one that does not waste as much aer. . . [ A curious head-tilt. ]

You were on Temza.

[Yeager]

I was involved in that, ja.

[Oh, and the noble is definitely looking at him now. He reallly doesn't want to go into this, but he's torn between his own curiosity and his desire not to look suspicious in front of his client. Well, more suspicious than usual, anyway.]

[Duke]

I see. [ Some more blank staring, staring that focuses on Yeager's chest for a moment, then back to between both of them. ]

A start and a finish for a great many things.... [ And Duke starts turning away. He's had enough with talking for now. ]

[Yeager]

[Yeager calls after him--it might not be a very good idea to ask, but he does want to know]

You're familiar with Raven?

[Duke]

The blue knight, the purple archer, the orange swordsman. Yes. [ And without anything else, Duke's going to head back off into the forest. Not the same way he showed up, though... ]

[Yeager]

[Stares after him for a moment, running that over in his mind. The noble asks what the heck that was supposed to mean, and Yeager only shrugs. The man then starts to ask, naturally, what he had to do with Temza, and Yeager quickly thinks up an explanation]

I worked for one of the suppliers to the knights. Ja, this was well before Leviathan's Claw. How about we continue, now?

[And they walk off to shoot more game, away from Duke, with Yeager gracefully skirting more questions.]