Bleeding Heart 30 Bargaining With Children

He was not sure what had possessed the girl to head into the decrepit building. She had been supposed to be looking for a good source of water, not exploring abandoned buildings. Really, it should have been expected though.

He moved quietly down, keeping his footsteps light. He felt a trifle annoyed with Vixen for running off like this.

When he heard voices, Lowks pulled up short, and listened for a bit.

"Seriously, I'm not, um, this Mem, I don't even know who this lady is!" Vixen's voice drifted into his ear, with a slightly panicked undertone to it.

Lowks rounded the corner, wondering what she had gotten herself into this time. The sight he saw made him let out a soft chuckle.

Vixen was surrounded by children and she looked completely bewildered. Three boys and two girls, dressed in nothing but ragged old clothes who looked malnourished seemed to almost be taking her hostage.

Listening to what she had just said, he supposed that they had mistaken her as someone else.

Because she heard his chuckle, Vixen's head swung around to look pleadingly in his direction. "Lowks! Can you please tell them that I am not this Lady Mem of theirs."

At this the kids looked at him and they all backed away. The biggest of them, though, put himself in between of him and the other kids. Lowks felt a bit startled; he had never had kids put up such a guard against him.

"We sent you to find water and instead you find some kids." Lowks tutted at Vixen and walked over to her, "I should be more surprised than I am but somehow I just feel like I should have expected it." He then turned to the kids and smiled, "So, children, are you all siblings or-?"

For a moment they did not answer him, but gazed at him wearily. Finally, their apparent leader spoke, "Look, mister, we don't got nothing worth takin'. You might as well just let us be."

"Come now, I don't want to hurt you. I was just asking a question." He kept his voice level. Then after thinking for a moment on what he knew of Nix'Rylians and how they thought, he tried a different tactic, "Perhaps we could make a trade of some sort?"

The kids shared a look, but eventually the leader turned to him. "What kind of deal?"

"Well, we need to find some water but our person who was supposed to find some has neglected her job." He shot a look at Vixen as he said this only to be met with her glower. "So if you could help us out, we could give you something reasonable in return?"

"Do you have any food you could spare?" All of them seemed fairly interested and Lowks nodded before he thought twice about it.

"Back with the others. If you would like you can follow us back to the camp we set up. And you can tell me where to find some water on the way."

It seemed to satisfy the kids and they had soon scrambled over. The youngest peered up at Vixen and muttered, "Are you sure you are not Lady Mem? I was really hoping to meet her." Vixen quickly shook her head in complete and utter denial.

"Who is Lady Mem?" Lowks asked Vixen as they were walking with the kids in tow. She merely shrugged.

"No idea, they were talking about her when I came in. Ask them for more details if you want."

"Do you resemble her or something?"

"How would I know? I don't think they've ever seen this Mem girl." She rolled her eyes, "It seems to be wishful thinking on their part that makes them want to think I am her."

Lowks left it alone as he realized that Vixen would not be able to give any more information to him. He would ask the kids but they seemed to be somewhat weary of him. This was not something

the half-elf was used to as kids tended to like him.

He wondered if he was losing his touch. It had been a while since he had babysat anyone. Well, other than Vixen but as she was technically an adult, he was not sure that it was actually babysitting anymore. Just looking after an accident-p.r.o.ne woman more like. That and rescuing unsuspecting men from her incessant flirting.