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Pyotr rode to the rendezvous point quietly, motioning Pesnya to scout from off the trail when they drew near. As the rabbit disappeared into the brush, he came into sight of his band of charges. A quick but casual glance told him that the promised numbers were present, as well as the first guard that he had been informed of. Usually, he declined jobs where he had to partner with another, but the pay on this one was too good to pass up in good conscience, even though he was not precisely strapped for money.

Of course, the high pay for a relatively simple job almost guaranteed complications, but it was not as though he could not handle anything that came his way. Besides, with all the talk of wolves in the north of late, it could be simple paranoia that had the money-grubbing cowards parting with their beloved coin. Time would tell.

For now, he nodded at his employer, then eyed the other guard.

He had no problem with her being female - he was an equal opportunity cynic. Instead, what irked him the most upon first sight of his soon-to-be partner was the guardian by her side. Pyotr liked animals. They were, in fact, one of the very few things that he liked. Chosen, on the other hand, tended to be more trouble than they were worth. Lovely.

He pasted a cordial look on his face that no one would have guessed was perfectly fake and rode up to the woman. "Nori, I assume?"

"I am," he said, mostly ignoring the guardian's posturing. It seemed that their employer had not told her of him, then. He had been hired on after her, or so he had been told. Apparently, the number in the caravan had increased unexpectedly and there had been need of him.

He glanced at the fussing, gesticulating merchants and raised a wry brow. "They do seem to be a handful." They were amongst his least favorite employers - fussy, pompous, in need of babying, and usually withholding important details. Pyotr really did despise merchants.

He returned his attention to the woman. "My manners desert me. Pyotr Volkov, at your service."

Pyotr glanced at the buck, but he was not overly concerned and not the least intimidated. In his experience, there were two types of merchants: those who completely ignored the guards save for when something went wrong, and those who felt the need to give their opinion about every little detail, especially when something went wrong. He was hoping that these would be the former, but he could not be certain until they started moving.


"Mistress Nori," he said, testing the name. It was, after all, as unusual to him as his was to her. "I am sure the pleasure is all mine."

"I have been called Wolf. Or Peter, if you prefer," he said, well aware of the irony of holding both names.

"I am certain I can defend myself," he replied. It would be inconvenient if her hardheadedness jeopardized the job, but so long as that was not the case, he could put up with a less than amiable personality. In fact, he might take some small amusement in stirring up her temper, should he grow bored on this mission.

His only response to her commentary on his name was a rather lupine grin.

How many such jobs had he done? "I'm afraid I've lost count," he said. The information was so inconsequential that he had banished it to some little-used corner of his mind. In truth, if he took a moment to think about it, he could dredge up the number, but it hardly seemed worth the effort. Though escort missions were not his favorite type of job, he was not unfamiliar with them. He eyed the young female. "And yourself?" he inquired, keeping an eye on the merchants out of his periphery.

Pyotr arched a vaguely amused brow at Nori's method of...conveying affection, but made no comment. She was a most unusual female. This job would doubtless show him whether or not that was a good thing, but in the meantime, she should at least entertain him. Ah, and at the very least, she was not inexperienced. Of course, he had no way of knowing for certain whether she was any good at the job, but instinct suggested that she was at least competent.

The bird's appearance did not make him flinch, but he did find it interesting. If such a beast felt loyal enough to stay with her, then Nori could not be all bad. The way an animal reacted to its master was always telling, and this one's attitude clearly conveyed affection. The Guardian did not count, all things considered.

"That depends," he mused, his cool, grey eyes taking on a wicked glint. "Do you suppose our clients know the way to Edinburough?"

Most attacks they might face would come from bandits at the rear, but Pesnya could act as a rear guard as easily as he could scout ahead. Of course, in the event that there was trouble, it would be easier if someone were at the front to direct the merchants. There were advantages to working either end of the line, really.

In a more serious tone, he said, "I suggest we range up and down the line, or each take an end. Easier to keep an eye out that way."

"And I've eyes on the ground to catch anything your rook might miss," he told her, deciding that it might be wise to mention his rabbit. "I believe we are well covered. Nothing left but to move...and it looks like we are ready to do so."

He had been keeping half an eye on the merchants. As he spoke, they were shouting to each other and making broad gestures, and the first wagon lurched to a jerky start. Time to move.

"Shall we?" he said, then turned his horse about without really waiting for an answer. The Frisian snorted approval at finally being able to get going, and eagerly trotted over to the line. Pyotr spoke briefly with their main employer before settling into the relaxed pose of a guard in for a long ride. If there was some hint of military alertness to him, well, few would notice and among them, who would bother to comment?

"Not giving you trouble already, are they?" he inquired without bothering to turn around and look at the pair of them. It would take more than a buck attempting to be sneaky to ruffle the ex-soldier's feathers. For that matter, it would require a stealthier beast than a Guardian to get the drop on him. If he knew the buck's efforts were deliberate, he gave no sign. Instead, he glanced back at Nori.

"Merchants can't keep their eyes off of you?" he wondered. It was sure to be a very long ride if he was bored enough already to start teasing his temporary partner. Sometimes, he could go half a trip without starting anything. Or perhaps it was just Nori who warranted this treatment.

He did wonder how she would react to his remarks, it was true. Few people actually interested him, and he was not yet certain whether she would prove worth his time, but he was stuck with her for the length of this job, so he may as well find out now whether it would be worth it to invest any genuine effort into amiable relations with her.