Exton

"Ambassador Inari, I am Torin, Captain of the Screaming Eagles cohort of the Nighthawks. May I know your companion's name, so that I may offer her welcome?"

"Of course, Captain. This is my friend K'thyri of the Wyldfae."

"Ka-theer-ee?" I sound it out slowly, not wanting to give insult by mispronunciation.

"Not bad for a barbarian," K'thyri smirks. "Tell me, Captain, can you do anything else with that mouth of yours?"

I almost blush - which says something about K'thyri or me, I'm not sure which - then I grin. This one is a spitfire!

Inari rolls her eyes with a pained, I-don't-know-this-person expression. "Ky… that mouth of yours…," she says reprovingly. "Is sex all you ever think of?"

"Nope," K'thyri says smugly. "Sometimes I do it, too!"

I watch Inari while they banter. She doesn't look like a great warrior; in fact, she looks like she'd be way out of her depth in some of the situations that I know she's been a part of. But she does have a certain reputation, and she is still alive, so there must be something to the rumors….

Then I notice the way she moves - graceful yet efficient, no wasted motion. That's not something you can fake, not consistently. That's something that the great warriors of my acquaintance have had in common… and she has it, too….

I think she bears watching… maybe I could learn some things from her….