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The Valiant Huscarl is a squat, fortified structure that seems to impose its presence on the road that it sits right off of. Two stories tall, the Valiant Huscarl serves as a stop over, fort from raiders and trade center for the small farming communities around.

The second story consists of rooms overlooking the courtyard and stables. The bottom floor houses the stables, rooms for staff and guards. The kitchens occupy the back of the structure and are constantly toiling.

The stables are fairly large and can easily fit multiple merchant trains inside.

The Common Room is a massive long hall affair where dragon skulls adorn the walls from Heroes and Monsters. In this hall, the lights are dim, music is continually played, providing a deep tribal feel to the hall. Serving wenches provide food and drink to those who want it, and with a bit of coin, more could be found.

It is in this hall, where the whispers of Hildegard, the Prophetess of War are heard as she amasses a host to the South, near the city of Wulfheim.

The midnight black stallion tossed its head as Damien reigned him in next to the seedy looking Inn and its' master twisted his mouth in distaste. He swung out of the saddle gracefully and handed the reigns to the stable boy, flicking him a coin and offering him a couple of thinly veiled threats to encourage the lad not to run off with property that didn't belong to him.

The filthy child took one horrified look at the scaly black-taloned hand that clasped his shoulder, gulped, and bobbed his head vigorously. Satisfied, Damien swept out of the stables and entered the bar.

The smell was almost overpowering, he nearly spun on his heel and headed back the way he came, certain that he had the wrong establishment. A discreet glance at the slip of parchment he had received a few weeks ago quenched the hope. His eyes scanned the main room, finding the decorations crude and its' patrons even worse. With one exception. The woman was taller than your average man, and strikingly beautiful with the shining winged helm proclaiming for all to see her status as a daughter of Odin. She was tucked in a back corner in a pitiful attempt at anonymity, since the eye of every man in the room, and more than a few women, he noted with a smirk, were locked on her.

Damien threaded his way through the tables and slid into the seat across from the woman, reaching up with one hand he pulled his hood down and met her steely gaze with one of his own. His long sable hair was tied back into a tasteful horsetail, revealing the delicate pointed tips of his ears. Twin strands in the front framed his face, the right side side of which was decidedly reptilian, a ridged brow over an electric blue iris split by a slitted catlike pupil. Soft turquoise scales blossomed around the eye from temple to cheekbone. The other eye was chocolate brown, his skin pale and hairless.

"If you wanted to blend in..." he began in a silky purr, "I would have suggested leaving the helmet behind, its hardly discreet." he smiled broadly revealing the glistening tips of his canines, "not that anyone with brains would mistake you for a simple mortal." He motioned the shaking serving wench over for a second time and ordered his drink.

Damien accepted his drink from the returning barmaid with a gracious tilt of his head to his companion and took a long swig, arching one brow at Savarti from over the rim of his tankard but choosing to let her comment pass. Oddly enough he found it comforting that a creature of her unnatural beauty and unique pedigree would possess some shortcomings. It restored his faith in the order of the universe.

He leaned back and gazed at her unabashedly for a few moments, noting the slight tightening of her eyes whenever they swept across his most defining features. He was used to those damning looks, had been on the receiving end of them throughout his entire life. Unlike most of his lineage, the reptilian aspects of his looks were not easily concealed. He was forced to confront the truth of his heritage every day as well as the prejudices and hatred that came along with it. It had made him somewhat cynical and short tempered when it came to dealing with people on a day to day basis, he had had to grow up fast to survive and it was difficult to trust a population that would cut his heart out as soon as look at him. Many people considered his kind no better than beasts, to be honest many of his kinsmen weren't but it didn't make his position any easier. At least Savarti was polite enough to keep her thoughts to herself and maintain her composure enough that he could pretend to have not noticed that look in her eyes.

he leaned back crossing his long legs and steepling his fingers as he thought on her question. "Not much more than you I would say... It is difficult as of late for me to approach Hildegard's forces with any amount of stealth...I don't exactly blend in. Her tactics are brutal but effective and regretfully if not unexpectedly she has accumulated a force of considerable size and power. Most of the men serve her out of fear rather than loyalty which gives us somewhat of an advantage, but it will be difficult if not impossible to shake her seat of power enough to do us any good at this point. She is wreaking havoc across the country side and leaving mayhem and terror in her wake. As of now we don't have the numbers to make a difference, any direct assault would be suicide and our campaign wuld be ground to dust. I've had my men tracking her movements from afar and trying to predict where she will strike next so we can evacuate the villages and towns beforehand but many of the people are reluctant to abandon their homes and livelihoods. They don't fully understand what the woman is capable of."

Rowan shifted on the stool she was occupying uncomfortably. The cloak she wore was low quality and it itched in annoying places. The hood felt like it was rubbing the back of her neck and face raw anytime she shifted too much. The barmaids were ignoring her and her cup was empty. Over all she was unhappy with the evening. Unfortunately she had little choice in being here. The woman who had approached her a few days ago had asked her to meet tonight and she really would rather be here than incarcerated and waiting to be hanged for her latest bought of thievery.

Not that it was a serious concern being stuck in the pathetic prison the city ran. It was child's play to pull lock picks from their place hidden on her person and escape on her own. It was actually outside said prison she had encountered the Valkyrie and agreed to this meeting.

Rowan sighed and tipped the cup up in hopes there were a few drops left. She made a face beneath her hood as a tiny trickle of warm liquid hit her tongue but did little to satisfy her. The Valkyrie had entered a while ago shortly followed by another who sat at her table. She appeared to be picking up the tab so Rowan rose to go join the little party, mind made up. As long as there was money involved, she was in.

She rose to her feet and crept over silently to the conversing pair, throwing the uncomfortable hood off her face as she did so and taking a seat without a care, "I heard something about free drink. May I join you?"

Rowan ordered a drink and scowled. She was plenty brave when the reward at the end was worth it. She glared at Savarti but kept silent. It was a lesson she had learned early, pick your battles. She did grumble 'more than decent' to herself, however.

After her drink arrived, she looked at her table companions. "Well, where do we want to be? You were more than a little vague when we met the other day."

Indeed, it was time to find out if the reward was worth it.

Rowan smirked, a powerful artifact that she was being asked to steal? This was perfect. In the back of her mind she wondered if the stick was going to be bigger than the carrot but didn't pay much attention to the thought.

"Well, you've recruited the right thief. I can steal anything, from anyone." she bragged with a smirk.

She met Savarti's gaze squarely, confident in her skills as a thief if nothing else.