Dain eventually rode off ahead, catching up to the main body of the train. Kre noted also that Beleg and Talimar had pulled off to opposite sides of the path, likely to wait for Kre to catch up so they could talk with him more.
“Well Maple,” Kre sighed to his horse, patting her gently on her neck, “at least I can trust that you aren’t judging my every word and deed.”
The horse tossed her head and gave a soft whinny in response, which did nothing at all to make Kre feel like she was sympathetic to his situation. “Figures you’d side with them,” Kre muttered. “You know who pays for your oats.”
“Kre,” Talimar said as Kre came closer. “A moment, if you will.”
“Of course,” Kre said, trying to sound more optimistic and cheerful than he really felt. “…sir,” he added, as a brief afterthought.
The older Ylveryan waved his hand dismissively, “Only you Tehynshin and dweorvkin care about that ‘sir’ stuff. Aside from a few notable positions in Ylveryan society, you will find that none of my kind care about titles or honorifics. We tolerate it in the company because the dweorvkin seem to derive some amount of joy from enforcing it.”
“It can be quite humorous,” Beleg admitted.
Kre cocked his head to one side. “Just how many probationary members have you guys had over the years?”
Talimar and Beleg looked over at each other and started to tick off on their collective fingers as they seemed to telepathically recollect on the names. Once they hit six raised fingers between them, they nodded.
“Six,” Beleg announced. “Seven if you count that rich brat that we were saddled with for a time.”
“Never,” Talimar said with a groan. “Lyntern Parlfray. I most assuredly do not count him as any sort of member of our company, probationary or otherwise.”
The large man nodded in agreement. “Aye, worst assignment we ever accepted.”
Kre glanced between the two of them, “Did any of the six…” He pointedly did not say seven, given their reaction to the Lyntern fellow, but he had trouble finishing the sentence out.
Beleg shook his head, “Our company has only lost two.” He briefly touched his red feather-shaped brooch and closed his eyes.
“Of the six, one could not tolerate taking orders from non-Tehynshins while another was found to be stealing from the company.” Talimar spoke with no emotion or bitterness in his voice, despite the likely pain the memories were causing.
Beleg cleared his throat and quickly added, “One other could not stomach the idea of killing and the last three found the adventuring life to be far too boring for their liking.”
“Boring?” Kre said with a sound that was halfway between a chuckle and a snort.
“Adventuring,” Talimar mused. “Hours of boredom followed by a few minutes of sheer terror.”
Beleg thumped his fist against his chest and nodded slowly in agreement. “That you saw battle in your first full day with us is a rare treat! Not that I would count goblins as any real foe but still, to be blooded so early in your adventuring career.”
“And it is that… career… that we wish to discuss with you,” Talimar interjected smoothly before Kre could stall the conversation any longer.
