It was early morning. Morning that heard the creaking of warehouse doors opening, shops jangling bells as they unlocked their doors, and the aroma of pastries and breads would exchange for dankness of left over night. Ewan walked through the warehouse district towards the warehouse that was once the property of Yransea, but more so used now for his cousin's business interests. He had an overdue interest there himself, and had made it his first intention of the day to see it through.
The workers were all arriving, surprised to see him among them at that hour, and it set them to whispering. Ewan went up the steps, past Hudson's empty office. That was expected as he anticipated the man would be out at sea fishing. It was the other office's occupant he had come to see, and he was relieved to find he had not come too early. There was the briefest knock at the door frame before he entered. "Good morning, Eva." It was an intentionally simple greeting.
Though Eva had been warned to expect a visit from Ewan, she had grown accustom to days passing without seeing him in her door. So it was a look of surprise that first greeted him, followed by a polite, if reserved, smile. "Good morning. Please, come on in."
She'd only had time to begin organizing her work for the day. But ledgers and notes were quickly pushed aside, and she gestured for the single chair on the opposite side of the desk. "What can I do for you?" Though she had been coming to the warehouse everyday for work for months now, she still felt as if she weren't certain who was the guest in her office, she or Ewan, and it felt odd to offer him a seat. She did so all the same.
He nodded at the polite offer of the seat and stepped towards it, but before he sat he raised a hand to silently ask her indulgence. At that he removed his weapons. The cross sheathed blades from his back were set upon a nearby cabinet. The daggers from his belt, too, joined the others. It was symbolic to him, though he doubted Eva would precisely understand. If he was to ask her certain questions, then it would do for him to be undefended, in a fashion, as well.
When he sat, he did so with ease, hands resting unlaced across his abdomen, the leather of the bracers creaking only slightly as they brushed against the supple leather vest. "I believe you were told to anticipate my coming to see you, and I must apologize for the delay in that. Do you know why I am to speak with you?"
Eva watched as he removed his weapons. Though no one had ever told her explicitly, she assumed that her handgun was contraband. Ewan had explained to her upon her hiring that she was to respect Yransea culture, and she took that to mean that anything from a ball point pen to a calculator was not to be used in the warehouse. For the most part, she respected that. But her gun, which was currently stowed in its usual place in her top left hand desk drawer, was smuggled in and hid in her office on a daily basis. She wouldn't even leave her room unarmed, let alone cross the West End. The Muse and her minions were everywhere. Carrying a blade was not in her skill set, and as far as she was concerned, required her to be much too up close and personal with her enemies. She'd recently been that close. She preferred her gun.
She retook her seat across the desk from him, and shifted the chair forward a bit, scraping its legs on the floor. She waited until she was settled to answer his question, the pause giving her a moment to try to find a polite answer. "I assumed it was regarding your reservations... about my... employment."
A thoughtful nod, he could not deny it was part of it. "Partially, yes. I was told to speak with you as my cousin thinks my concerns may have unduly influenced your decision to accept the raise in position and its accompanying salary." He slowly leaned forward, bracered forearms on knees. He wanted her to know she had his full and undivided attention, and there was expectation in his eyes as well: expectation for the truth.
She looked back at him, silent. There was no direct question in his statement, and though she knew what the implied question was, the expectation in his eyes made her loathe to respond. She simply didn't wish to be the first to speak on the topic.
The workers were all arriving, surprised to see him among them at that hour, and it set them to whispering. Ewan went up the steps, past Hudson's empty office. That was expected as he anticipated the man would be out at sea fishing. It was the other office's occupant he had come to see, and he was relieved to find he had not come too early. There was the briefest knock at the door frame before he entered. "Good morning, Eva." It was an intentionally simple greeting.
Though Eva had been warned to expect a visit from Ewan, she had grown accustom to days passing without seeing him in her door. So it was a look of surprise that first greeted him, followed by a polite, if reserved, smile. "Good morning. Please, come on in."
She'd only had time to begin organizing her work for the day. But ledgers and notes were quickly pushed aside, and she gestured for the single chair on the opposite side of the desk. "What can I do for you?" Though she had been coming to the warehouse everyday for work for months now, she still felt as if she weren't certain who was the guest in her office, she or Ewan, and it felt odd to offer him a seat. She did so all the same.
He nodded at the polite offer of the seat and stepped towards it, but before he sat he raised a hand to silently ask her indulgence. At that he removed his weapons. The cross sheathed blades from his back were set upon a nearby cabinet. The daggers from his belt, too, joined the others. It was symbolic to him, though he doubted Eva would precisely understand. If he was to ask her certain questions, then it would do for him to be undefended, in a fashion, as well.
When he sat, he did so with ease, hands resting unlaced across his abdomen, the leather of the bracers creaking only slightly as they brushed against the supple leather vest. "I believe you were told to anticipate my coming to see you, and I must apologize for the delay in that. Do you know why I am to speak with you?"
Eva watched as he removed his weapons. Though no one had ever told her explicitly, she assumed that her handgun was contraband. Ewan had explained to her upon her hiring that she was to respect Yransea culture, and she took that to mean that anything from a ball point pen to a calculator was not to be used in the warehouse. For the most part, she respected that. But her gun, which was currently stowed in its usual place in her top left hand desk drawer, was smuggled in and hid in her office on a daily basis. She wouldn't even leave her room unarmed, let alone cross the West End. The Muse and her minions were everywhere. Carrying a blade was not in her skill set, and as far as she was concerned, required her to be much too up close and personal with her enemies. She'd recently been that close. She preferred her gun.
She retook her seat across the desk from him, and shifted the chair forward a bit, scraping its legs on the floor. She waited until she was settled to answer his question, the pause giving her a moment to try to find a polite answer. "I assumed it was regarding your reservations... about my... employment."
A thoughtful nod, he could not deny it was part of it. "Partially, yes. I was told to speak with you as my cousin thinks my concerns may have unduly influenced your decision to accept the raise in position and its accompanying salary." He slowly leaned forward, bracered forearms on knees. He wanted her to know she had his full and undivided attention, and there was expectation in his eyes as well: expectation for the truth.
She looked back at him, silent. There was no direct question in his statement, and though she knew what the implied question was, the expectation in his eyes made her loathe to respond. She simply didn't wish to be the first to speak on the topic.