Dalanesca’s hands dropped to her side and she stepped quickly back from Marth.  A hint of a blush rose to her cheeks when she realized that he had, in fact, not been in danger of losing himself.  She felt foolish for a moment - but quickly dropped the feeling of foolishness when she realized that she had no way of knowing what would trigger him into… whatever it was.  She was being overcautious, but from the way he had explained the situation, she was unsure if that was a bad thing or not.

She nodded at his insistence that he was fine, though kept herself on alert.  As Marth continued his explanation that he would not deny this Martin his vengeance, she stood steadfast with her hands on her hips then.  She frowned a bit, but expressed her understanding.  “Alright, then,” she said.  “Forgive my overreaction, but, well, you know,” she said, assuming that he would understand why she had made the decision to act in that manner.

She cast her gaze to Martin as he wiped his face and continued speaking with Marth, narrowing her eyes slightly.  He seemed nothing but honest and straightforward, but she was not quick to let her guard down.  As Martin spoke, Dalanesca let her eyes continue to wander to Marth.  It appeared that he at least somewhat knew this man, while she did not, but she had already given Marth the benefit for the doubt in such a short time of knowing him that it made no sense for her to not follow his opinion.

She was not prepared, however, for Marth to ask her to make the decision on what their next move would be.  His question was met with silence at first, as she thought over the options.  After a moment, she finally answered.

“Let’s go with him,” she said, looking Marth in the eye.  “Extra information can only better our cause, and I can keep us out of public sight for the most part,” she added, thankful that she still possessed the skills of her past trade.  “So… that’s my decision,” she said, and glanced at Martin for a moment before looking back at Marth.  “Provisions won’t hurt, either,” she added as an afterthought.  She didn’t say it, but in her mind she made a solid promise to keep an eye on this Martin.  She had difficulty trusting people, but this seemed to be someone Marth felt he owed something to, and she was giving him the benefit of the doubt.

With Dalanesca's decisive answer, Marth was able to calm down. His mind was already racing, planning for contingencies and calculating the consequences of the delay as well as the added provisions and manpower. He was also trying to figure out the stealth aspect, but he was a soldier with limited knowledge about it. With so many X-factors, he turned to Dalanesca for answers. "Very well. But I was hoping this could be done with some level of secrecy - seeing as the shards pose such a threat, I wouldn't want the information to fall into the wrong hands. Can I trust your talents to keep the mission covert, Dalanesca?"

He didn't say it, but Marth, too, felt some suspicion towards Martin. While it was true he felt he had no right to deny Martin his chance at hunting down Reaver, it didn't chasnge the fact that Martin's family died at Marth's hands. The nobleman was young, prone to emotion, and the member of what was, after all, a religious sect with a hatred for all things dark and a zealous passion for retribution against murder. The fact that marth was in the same organization was irrelevant - zealots wern't known for their inner stability and mutual tolerance.

---

Martin, on his end, was much less scheming than his two companions believed. While he wasn't comfortable around the figure that had skewered his uncle on a clawed arm and burnt his father alive, he knew that the man now standing before him was a different man altogether. Besides, he remembered his father's last words to him. Hate the demon, son, but pity the man hosting him. For the horrors committed with his flesh is surely a curse more painful than even the fires of the underworld. And Martin truly believed that. In his naïveté, Martin was also in awe of how the middle-aged soldier could draw on his old experience as a tactician and strategist while bearing all that pain - oblivious of course to the fact that soldiering was Marth's foremost coping mechanism.

"Two demon-hunters - one of which is clearly a Wyllmochvarian arcanist - and an assassin on the road is going to look peculiar no matter how we spin it," Martin said, showing that depite his naïve nature he wasn't entirely bereft of insight. "However, if we move with a larger force, we'll look like one lord and some associates on the road, off perhaps to deal with brigands or similar, rather than a trio on a mission. What covert actions need be taken can be handled by miss… Dalanesca, right?"

---

Marth looked at Martin with a perked eyebrow, but chuckled and nodded. "You have a point, my lord. Yes, a larger group might serve to camouflage Dalanesca and myself." He looked at Dalanesca. "Wouldn't you agree? Yes, I am beginning to think better of this new turn of events. With some of the du Reolar's household's retainers, we'll also be able to more effectively keep our quarry where we want them. Onwards, then, to your county." Marth looked at Martin, allowing the young man to show the way.

---

"Yes, very well. And drop the 'my lord', please. We at least are brothers in arms, and as miss Dalanesca here would surely tell you, throwing titles around is a poor way to remain incognito." Martin gave Dalanesca sn apologetic smile. "Isn't that so, miss?"

She nodded confidently when Marth questioned her ability to keep their true path out of sight.  “It’s not a problem.  When we stop for provisions, I can get some different clothing, that will help, too,” she said, gesturing at the black leather that currently covered her.  “Don’t worry too much, Marth,” she added as a reassurance.  “Our mission’s secrecy is a top priority.”  She let her gaze linger on Marth for a moment, her gaze meant to offer him more further promise than her words were able to.  

She turned back to Martin and listened carefully to what the young man had to say.  He did not give off the impression that he was plotting against the two of them, but she eyed him with a slight suspicion nevertheless.  She had made a promise to Marth that she would assist him in this mission, and she planned to do everything in her power to make sure she was able to keep that promise.  

She turned back to Marth and nodded.  “The more people who surround us, the easier it would be to travel without suspicion, especially if we mildly disguise ourselves as we earlier discussed,” she responded.  There was an off tone to her voice - whether it was suspicion or annoyance was unclear.  Her eyes continued to occasionally dart towards Martin, but not in an attempt to be disrespectful.

She let out a low key chuckle when Martin told Marth to drop the formalities, as the thought had crossed her mind as well.  She had chosen to say nothing about it, however, because although she did not entirely trust the man, she knew better than to speak disrespectfully to those of higher status than she, especially considering the fact that they were about to head into his lands.  She did not want to first handedly experience the wrath of an angered noble - that was not to say that Martin looked easily angered.  Quite to the contrary, she was surprised at the coolheadedness he displayed towards Marth, considering the history between the two.  She offered Martin a smile, as genuine as she was able to, when he addressed her.  “You’re right, I s’pose,” she said, quietly.  She shuffled her feet and looked towards the sky.

“Should we get moving, then?” she asked.  “We’ve got a bit of daylight left… best not to waste it.”