Teal: Blades are Drawn Andrew As the boy approaches and confronts Darrin, Andrew shouts to the lady: "Tell your boy here to back off, Lady. Master Darrin is in a bad mood today, and mine isn't that good either." Andrew points his finger to the lady and her husband. The air seems to shimmer over his finger. He makes a menacing face. "Tell him to back off, NOW. Lady Zephta is under OUR protection" Clavel Clavel, hearing Andrew's rash threat, swiftly positions himself in front of the Harpers as to shield them and raises his hand high. "STOP! I shall not have blood shed needlessly! We shall parley first, Andrew!" Andrew Andrew pauses, his finger still pointing at the Lady and her husband. He listens to Clavel's words and considers it. Then he says: " Let Darrin and Zeptha decide who they want to protect them. But I won't cancel my spell until they get their hands off their weapons." His finger still points at their direction, glowing brighter now." Get off the way, Clavel" Clavel "Back down, Andrew. Thou hast magic and they hath swords. We all have weapons that need to be left alone. Let us resolve this matter amongst friends. Tempus and Lady Mystra do war only upon their enemies." Clavel looks toward Darrin and Lady Zeptha, "Please tell Andrew to back down." Clavel turns to the Harpers that he is shielding, "Friends, I have shielded thee, for I believe thee to be who ye say thou art. Please. Let us talk. Andrew here has been a little rash. If we would all refrain from handling our weapons, we may continue with rational dialogue." Seeing the two young hotheads pull their weapons, Clavel barks an order to them, "Halt thy weapons! Let us not bicker here like children! We are ALL friends with a common interest. We are here to escort Lady Zeptha to Waterdeep. Sheath thy weapons! There shall be no blood shed in her presence!" Methos Methos gives a loud sardonic laugh, slightly moving his horse alongside Craelan's steed. "I've heard much about the legendary Harpers, their bravery in battle, deeds for justice, and their honor and chivalous nature. Tis a shame to see that they allow misplaced pride to control their actions. Here this very day, they would kill a man who chooses to ride alongside his cousin, placing others below their "greatness". Tis said that pride goeth before a fall. Do you not agreee, Craelan? Methos speaks to Craelan, but clearly loud enough for the others to hear. He then turns to the new group. "I am a simple guard, well below the standards of your party. Yet I know it is not my right to force my service upon someone who is not desirous of it, no matter how just my reasons are, and if you, kind sirs, choose to fight over this petty affair, then I will kindly oblige you. But if it was up to me, I would rather choose my fights where something more valuable than misplaced pride is involved." Clavel After giving Darrin a quick stern look to sheath his weapon, Lord Blueheart turns in his saddle to look back at the Harpers. He addresses the group "I am honored to meet Milady and Milords. I must agree here with my companion," he gives Methos a quick glance. Raising his palm to quell the anger, Clavel continues, "Let us calm ourselves and speak as civilized people. Let us keep our weapons in their sheathes." Clavel waits for tempers to cool and weapons to be sheathed before he continues. "It is Milady's decision," Clavel looks over at Zeptha, "to decide who her escort shall be. She knows you not and I am hired by her Ladyship to be the cautious one. So, I must ask, with all due respect to thee, to see thy pins, Lord Harpers. If thou art Harpers indeed, I suggest we ride together as friends." With that said, Lord Blueheart sits back into his saddle to await the mercenaries' next move. His steed, anxious as always to be on the move, gives a loud snort and shifts its weight back and forth from one leg to the other. Valimar "My dear Andrew i think that we should heed the advice of Clavel. No point in starting a fight over such trivial matter. We'll see if milady Agrardon and her party can prove that they are truly what they say they are",Valimar finally speaks after observing the whole situation for so long. "Milady if you don't mind can you just show us the pin and we can settle this misunderstanding peacefully", Valimar addressed Agrardon. Valimar then waits for Agrardon reply. Darrin Darrin glances toward Clavel and then quickly back to his opponent. He exhales his breath and as he lets his axe fall back into it's sheath, he glares at Christian of Farimaer, and says, "I will do as my Lord asks of me." Pins or Needles? Even as Darrin sheathes his axe, Christian's sword flicks forward and is held point first at Darrin's throat. There is a dangerous gleam in his ice blue eyes and a twisted grin on his face. Agrardon sharply commands, "Christian put up thy weapon. Our honor is as at stake here!" For tense moments, nothing happens, and all that stops Andrew from letting loose is that Clavel and Methos both block his way. Then Christian lets out a wild laugh and withdraws his sword. He cries out, "A little fun is all, boy. Did I hurt you?" he asks Darrin. There is the bare outline of where his swordpoint rested but no blood was drawn, and Darrin holds his tongue barely in check, though by the gleam in his emerald eyes, he is not nearly ready to end this encounter. Agrardon muscles her horse towards the young human and slaps him soundly on the cheek. "Fall back to your father until you can act your age." She then turns to Clavel and says, "I am truly sorry for this display. He is young and headstrong, but he has great promise when he is behaving. "As for our pins," she continues after a second's pause. Her hand pulls aside her riding cloak and reveals a small silver moon entwined with a silver harp pinned to her breast. "If you require all of us to show our sign, I will have the rest of my band do so immediately. I pray that even after so strange a beginning to our mutual friendship, you will allow us to accompany you. It would be our pleasure even more, than our duty requires this of us."