Peter Oliend tilted his head to the side to inspect Colt?s ear, confirming that the tiny flesh-colored ear piece was virtually undetectable. A smug smile formed on his lips at his own handiwork as he picked up his tablet, fingers jumping over the keyboard to input data even as he spoke to the trio of onlookers standing in his laboratory.

?Alright. So the device should translate Icecrestian real time and in the speaker?s voice,? Peter explained. ?Let's give it a try. Sir Luca, if you would speak the dialect of your people.?

Luca Bertand?s brown eyes landed on Peter momentarily before turning the look on Colt. His native tongue was a North Germanic mix of Norwegian and Swedish mashed together and peppered with its own distinct flavoring. ?Du er en stygg geit.?

?You are an ugly goat,? Luca?s voice repeated perfectly clear in Colt?s ear through the device.

Colt lifted a hand to rub his scruffy cheek, narrowing his eyes at Luca. ?Do all of your people?s insults involve farm animals??

Harper shot a vaguely alarmed look between the two men, thwapping Peter on the back of his shoulder, just because she knew he was enjoying this. "Say something he's likely to hear." she suggested to her husband with a mildly reproachful look.

"You don't think he's likely to hear that?" The question was asked before his gaze reached Annie-Love's. When he caught the reproachful look, the Knight-Commander gave in to his wife with an apologetic nod. "Puben er ett kvartal til ost."

"The pub is one block to the east," the device translated in Colt's ear a mere millisecond behind Luca.

"Hell of a little thing, Peter." Colt gave a laugh and then reached a finger out to tug the device from his ear for a better look at it.

It was like Harper's head had been underwater, and then she could suddenly here clearly. She almost felt her ears popping. Colt was back in her head. She gave a fuddled blink of her gray eyes and caught the edge of the table. "Woah."

One of Luca's hands reached out to settle on Annie-Love's lower back. His voice was a low whisper in her ear. "You alright, Annie-Love?"

Though the swirl of Harper's emotions returning to the place they occupied in Colt's brain was unsettling, Colt recovered quicker. He simply had more years of practice with the bond than Annie-Love. He jumped in to save her the explanation while she was still catching her breath. "The device sort of jammed up the pipeline between us. The return wouldn't have been so intense if we hadn't been standing so close. Next time I pull it out I'll make sure we've got some distance. It won't be such a shock that way."

"Really? I was wondering if it might block the signal a little bit." Peter looked up from the tablet to curiously glance between Harper and Colt. "Was it completely blocked?"

"Pretty close. It felt like...." She shook her head, negating what she'd been about to say, "No. It was worse than being far apart. Even when he in RhyDin while Ten and I were in Sainte Ouen there was a stronger ... signal." She looked up at Colt, for confirmation from his end.

Colt's eyes lingered on Harper for a long moment as he gave a nod to confirm her thoughts. Having a way to block the signal... it would have to be something they discussed. But there wasn't enough time now. Instead, he slipped the device back into the small box on the table, snapping the lid shut. "So... intell gathering only. I slip into the country, track this Olof Fersen around for a couple days, and then get out?"

Remembering their surroundings, Luca reluctantly let his hand fall from Annie-Love's back before responding to the question. "We're hearing he's a power player in the new government but we don't know exactly how he fits in. Reports are that he is incredibly elusive. We don't even know for sure where he lives. We're hoping that we can piece it together from what you're able to gather."

"He doesn't look Icecrestian," Harper repeated her earlier concern. "What's his cover story, since he doesn't speak the language? They're going to know he's not local." There was a subliminal sigh in her posture when Luca drew his hand back.

"Icecrest is the world's hub of trade and commerce, not only due to their location within the country but because all access to nexus portals is on the island or within a shipping route that they control. It is certainly not uncommon for people of all shapes, sizes, and colors to be in the capital city. And your English is a common enough language. But his partner for this mission should be able to assist him on that front." Luca responded, his lips threatening to twist into a grin with the final statement.

"Whoa, whoa. Partner? Really?"

"What partner?" She chimed in on Colt's heels. She was his partner. Wasn't she?

Let no man say that the tight-lipped and formal Knight-Commander didn't have a flair for the dramatic when warranted because, on cue, the security system beeped as identification was accepted. The laboratory door slid open to admit one of La Rocca's agents, Phil Erikson, and an unknown blonde woman. Annie-Love studied her as she strode in behind her escort and by-passed him to veer straight to Luca. She was tall, willowy and elegant as an ice sculpture, with the most startling blue eyes. Harper's brows rose as she followed her progress.

"Luca! De ikke fortelle meg at jeg woudl se deg her. Du ser fantastisk, elskling." She leaned in to pucker an airy kiss to his cheek before continuing in a charmingly-accented Common. "Will you introduce me?"

"Som du gjor," Luca murmured distractedly before he tackled the introductions. "Annie-Love, Colt, I'd like you both to meet Bergit Katarine Enberg. Bergit, this is my wife, Annie-Love Bertand, and Colt who will be traveling with you in Icecrest."

Peter waved a hand at Luca, eager for an introduction to the leggy blonde. Luca let out a heavy exhale before motioning to the man as well. "And that's Peter Oliend."

"Yes," she murmured with a gamine smile. "We had heard you'd married. It was such a surprise..." She traced a look over Annie-Love as she said that, making particular note of her bruised face, the slightly unruly way her hair was gathered into a knot, the way she dressed. "Annie-Love, it is such a delight to meet you. I am sure we will become good friends." She turned away from her to share a bemused look with her husband on her way to greeting Colt. Really? that look said.

Colt's lips split into a grin as he outstretched a hand towards his partner.... at least for the next couple of days. "Nice to meet you, Bergit."

"Colt Daniels. I have heard so much about you. Please, call me Git," she pronounced it Geet. Reaching for his hands, her fingers were long, slender and cool. "And Peter," she murmured at the end to include the tatted out elf. "How charming."

"This is going to be a breeze," Colt stated under his breath to Luca as Git turned to shake hands with Peter. The elf had reached out with both of his hands with a bright smile forming at the attention.

Luca chuckled, clapping a hand against Colt's back. "We'll see, Colt, we'll see."


((Pulled from play with thanks to the players involved.))