Taking it all in

Alexis was quite pleased to see the established soldiers join them.

There was a chance those a bit lower down the food chain might be a bit more talkative. She did not expect to get a full account from the commanding staff. The common soldier would, of course, not have the full picture, but one could at least hope for some honesty.

So while they all shared a surprisingly generous meal she got the veteran soldiers a bit talking, asking them to share some of their “war stories”, while subtly inquiring what kind of man that lord commander was and what they thought that “big thing” might be.

In her experience, when those in power planned “big things”, those things usually served to gain them even more power.
So maybe he planned to aggressively expand? Ensure that those tense relations with the native turned sour definitively?

It seemed odd, in a way, given how little information he had about the continent. For all he knew there could be forces very much a threat for the young settlement beyond the charted lands, and he could set them off before Ostiarium had as much as a proper fortification, though it was good to hear they were getting to work on that.
So, if expansion was what he was going for, the lord commander might have decisive information he did not share with the common folks.
Or he could be one to make big plans protected from reality behind his cozy thick walls.
Or anything in between, really. Time would tell.
Not that she planned to voice such thoughts right now.

Looking around, her gaze fell on that peculiar man who called himself Hunter. He claimed to have been a hunter -funny coincidence with that name, wasn’t it - in a noble’s service.
Alexis had seen the man try to keep in shape. She knew a training regimen when she saw one, Vastad knew she had done her own within the limits of the ship. This was no mere hunter.

But didn’t most of them come here to leave behind the past? Who he was, in the end, mattered little here. What counted was who he would choose to be.

Reaching a contemplative mood she leaned back a bit and shot her fellow mercenary Frespit a look. She had thought before that the man was tough as nails and knew what he was doing, but seeing him in action had been even more impressive. A very effective and skilled fighter, great to have on your side of the battlefield, if sporting a slightly defiant streak.

Not that she blamed him. She had not as much qualms to follow orders herself - as long as they made sense and didn’t reek of personal… indulgence. Other than that however she was a firm follower of the “The gods gave me a brain so I can think for myself, thank you very much“ approach. And there was a lot of fun in more subtle and less punishable forms of insubordination.

What made her address Frespit in the end in a lowered voice despite only half expecting an answer, was the fact that unlike many other recruits he had actually shown interest in something other than the expected pay.

“So what’s your take on this hot mess, Frespit?”