Adventures of Jessa

25

Early the next morning Jessa heads out to the hiring grounds, which are located off to one side of the market. The side opposite of Alaric's shop, so she makes her way through the early dawn light through the mostly empty plaza. 

She makes her way to the hiring grounds and finds herself greeted by other guards. She is shocked to feel herself picked up and swung around. When she is set on the ground she turns and swats the man that picked her up and treated her like a rag doll.

When she realizes that it was Nathan she squeals and hugs him tight. "How long have you been here?"

"Got in the day before yesterday. So you were able to get hired immediately after I left?" Nathan asks genially. He hadn't liked not working with Jessa and having to leave her behind.

Jessa rolls her eyes and snorts. "No, dumbasses wouldn't hire me the next day either. It wasn't until near the end of the hiring time the following day that I was approached by the caravan master, Dale? Have you heard of him or worked for him before?" 

Jessa waits for Nathan to respond, "No, I've heard rumors. He's not the most honest of the masters to work with. Be careful with him. Did you get your wages?"

"Yeah, I think he was too terrified to try to cheat me of them. We ended up having Prince Dhiren come with us and his entourage. We had a little sparring match and they stopped backbiting about me after they saw me go against the prince after watching the prince go through his guards like it was nothing."

"Damn, what I wouldn't give to see that." Nathan says a bit bitterly that he wasn't able to see the demonstration of the human going against and holding her own against the elven prince. The prince is well known for his fighting ability.

"There was an assassination attempt on his life."

"Shit! He wasn't hurt was he? It wasn't any one from the caravan that you were with was it?"

"He wasn't harmed, I was. I was able to deflect the arrow."

"Bullshit, Jessa, you took the arrow meant for me." Dhiren says coming up to the two.

"Dhiren, what the hell are you doing here?" Jessa demands shocked more than anything about seeing the prince up so early.

Dhiren smiles and turns to the male standing next to him. "I came to see if you would like me to get you some breakfast. Who is your friend, Jessa?"

"Ahh, Dhiren, this is my friend Nathan, the one I told you about." Jessa explains a bit more rapidly than she normally would, but she could detect some jealousy coming from Dhiren. The last thing she needs is for Dhiren to be jealous of her male friend.

"Nathan, this is Prince Dhiren, prince of the moon elves."

Dhiren smiles happily at the introduction. "Nathan, I would like to thank you for watching out for Jessa since we are no longer able to have her with us in Silva."

Nathan relaxes at Dhiren's words, he had felt the jealousy as well and was not sure what to do about it. "In Silva? I thought you were raised outside of Silva?"

Jessa shakes her head, "No, I was raised in Silva, by General Kallen Brightblade and his wife high priestess Sorid Brightblade."

"You are human, why then do you bear their last name?"

"She was raised from infancy by my general. There is reason why she was given the writ when no other human has. You are her friend and so are welcome to visit Silva with her anytime you are together. She can show you around if you would like." Dhiren truly is pleased with the help this young human has given Jessa and so gives him unprecedented entrance, with condition, to Silva.