The Ancient Order

Ingrid

Ingrid was pretty sure she'd read every single fucking book in The Halo at this point, so when she heard about a giant library on the other side of the newly-opened portal, she had to come see for herself. It was a matter of personal duty. Not to mention the fact that she was loving the weather, and Gods knew she was taking full advantage of it.

She'd rolled up the sleeves of her floor-length cloak to the elbow, and she wore the front open. Underneath, her pants were long and loose, and her top was more of a bra than anything else. So what? Ingrid knew she didn't look the part of your typical legend-seeker, but she would leave judgement to The Gods.

She descended the steps into the Loreseeker's guild with purpose, having heard about it from a few locals she spoke to on the way. She came to a halt in the room below and looked around.

"I'm looking for ancient works on The Old Gods," she announced, hoping somebody might appear to answer her.

PR

There was always so much to be done in Flowerbirth, even though he'd only lived through one before this. Buildings to repair, crops to plant, the party to prepare for... and this year, of course that damn Memory Mud to defend against (or play with, if it was out of the Settlement). There was also a guild to tend to, and new members to try and recruit now that the portal was open and new lands were available beyond its magical border.

Jigano was seated at the large table in the middle of the main hall, making use of its length to have a half-dozen books spread out around him as he wrote in a thick Chronicle. With Caiside gone there was no one to work on the new Flora and Fauna entries, and the Memory Mud certainly seemed to warrant its own page! He'd been searching for any similar mention in past records, but the closest thing he had found was the Memory Snow - which reminded him to include a note on the great beast that they had found wandering the snowfields during Deepfrost.

He was lost in his work, white hair pulled back in a loose tail at the nape of his neck over his usual garb: a grey sleeveless overtunic and a light green undertunic with wide sleeves sewn with pockets on the inside. The fire crackled cheerfully at the far end of the room, warming the cold stones of the Hall, and a clever chandelier of reflecting crystals scattered light around the room from a glowing stone at its center in spite of the cloudy grey state of the day outside.

The welcoming peep from a pale white-and blue gryphon - the size of a small cat, but bearing aspects of a snowy owl and a snow leopard - heralded the stranger's arrival, and Jigano looked up in time to catch her entrance. Jigano smiled at the sight of a new arrival to the guild, taking her question in stride and rising to offer her a bow of greeting. "Welcome to the Loreseekers, lady. I am Jigano, Provost here. Are you looking for information on a specific God? And may I get you some tea while you wait?" She looked like she might be a bit chilly in such a light top - but then, he didn't yet know that she was from Halo, and of much hardier stock.

Ingrid

Ingrid flashed a grin at the lurking owl-cat. Companions were one of the few things that Caido and Helovia shared. Across the room, a man with long, gray tresses sat surrounded by books. Ingrid glanced at the priceless volumes and then at the roaring fire in the fireplace.

That seems like a fucking hazard, she thought, hoping to every deity she knew that the hearth was enchanted to keep it from spewing sparks. Her deep scarlet eyes turned back to the man, who had just introduced himself as the Provost, bowed, called her "Lady," and promptly offered her tea.

What. A. Nerd.

Ingrid couldn't help a small smile. He reminded her of several Wise Ones she knew from long ago.

"There's that much in the collection? And keep the tea; it's hot in here anyway," she said, pulling up a chair. She put both her elbows on the table and rested her head on her clasped hands.

"I need to know about the carnage between The Old Gods and the new ones. If there's going to be another war, I want to be ready. And... I guess the history is too recent for books, but do you have any idea how the hell they escaped? Being trapped here with that shit could not have been easy. You should know that theologians across Caido have tremendous respect for your sacrifice," she said, in a rare almost-solemn moment. (Seriously, she only swore once! When it came to Ingrid, that was like seeing a fucking unicorn.)

PR

The fire was contained behind carefully constructed screens that let warmth out but kept stray sparks within the hearth itself, protecting the overstuffed chairs and rug that were arranged just beyond it. The nerd, however, was exactly what she thought he was - he even had a pair of spectacles tucked into the fold of his tunic, though he wasn't wearing them at the moment. "It's more a question of where in the collection and how far I'll need to walk to fetch the right books," he admitted cheerfully. "Our historical texts on the gods are woefully lacking, but we have numerous entries from the past year or so that may prove useful to you - depending on what it is you're hoping to learn, of course," he added with a rueful shrug. If she wanted to know how to guarantee summoning one, for instance, he knew for a fact that no such book existed in the Atheneum's records, or else it would be the most popular text in the building!

He listened to her explanation solemnly, retaking his seat as Isuma fluttered down to land on the table and wend her careful way between the books to approach Ingrid curiously. At the mention of 'theologians across Caido', however, his brows went up and he took another long look at the young woman, tilting his head in consideration. "By chance would you happen to be from the Fangs?" he asked, suspecting the answer but wondering if she was perhaps from farther abroad than even that. "Simply put, there are no books here from before the barrier went up," he explained soberly. "None that have been found yet, at least. The earliest tome we have is still from years, perhaps decades, after the Hollowed Grounds were cut off from the rest of Caido... and from the Old Gods. We have some bits and pieces that Ludo, Safrin, and Frey have shared with us, and other pieces of the puzzle from the Voice's side of things, but most of our understanding of the Old Gods - of Vi, Mort, and Rae - come from that single tome, from the stories of the herald-gods, or from interactions within the past year."

He bowed his head slightly in acceptance of her compliment, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I think," he said slowly, "that we could both benefit from sharing what we know, both of what's been going on inside the barrier, and what has happened outside it. You mentioned the war between the old gods and the new ones... what do you know of the new gods that were shut away here? The Voice, and another who was trapped within the Spire... the Core, I think it was called." He didn't want to waste her time by telling her what she already knew, and he was curious as to what those beyond the barrier thought of the Ascended gods who had caused so much trouble and strife for so many.

"Our historical texts on the Gods are lacking..."

Great. So she came all this way for a chat with a geek and his bird-cat? At least the weather here wasn't shit. She just about choked on her own spit when Jigano said the herald gods had been inside The Hollowed Grounds, but she kept listening. (Well, she tried to keep listening, but she was distracted by the very strange yet somehow adorable flying kitty.)

"most of our understanding of the Old Gods - of Vi, Mort, and Rae - comes from that single tome... something something cat-bird-cat-bird-in-your-face-bird-cat... we could both benefit from sharing what we know..."

Ingrid swallowed hard. It wasn't as if she'd actually spoken to other theologians. Her knowledge came from one book about The Hollowed Grounds authored by religious leaders, and she was drunk off her ass when she read it, which wasn't great for recollection.

That said, if his single tome only spoke of three Old Gods, she could share some old news with Jigano, news older than The Hollowed Grounds. Hell, this news even older than the dead lady Ingrid saw in a snow drift a week ago. (Judging by her face, Ingrid estimated snow drift lady was about 537 years old and thirteen months frozen.)

"Yes, I'm from Halo. My knowledge is limited, but I can tell you that Mort, Vi and Rae aren't alone. Did your book omit Caido in its telling of the Old Gods?" she asked, her eyes flashing with something that was either conviction or horrified recollection of the dead lady's frozen nose hairs.

"As for the gods locked away here, all I know is that their uprising once caused destruction across the continent. Records show that Halo has always been frosty, but I personally believe it's their war that caused Halo to get cold enough to freeze dog piss before it hits the snow. I know that they've created an imbalance that must be corrected, and I know that their escape probably means a continent-wide clusterfuck."

Isuma paused a foot away from Ingrid, looking up at her with fearlessly curious wide golden eyes and a cheerful tilt of her head as she chirruped a quiet greeting. Jigano hid a smile as he saw how distracted his guest was by the little gryphon. He continued to speak, hoping that something he said would be useful, and it was - at least for him, as Ingrid confirmed Halo's name and added Caido's to his list.

"It's Safrin's book, not mine," he said mildly, amusement flickering in his eyes at her brash presentation. "And no, she didn't mention... them?" He wasn't clear on the pronouns, so for the moment he stayed neutral, trying to coax a little more information from the young woman from the land of snows. "But then, I still don't know your name, either," he teased gently, to see how she would react to it.

Her own brief history lesson meshed well with what he already knew and he nodded agreement of the war, though he hadn't realized the Ascended had been involved in Halo's extreme temperatures. Since he hadn't yet been there he found it fascinating, even if her vulgar descriptions tugged a smile from the corners of his lips, enjoying her down-to-earth manner. The smile faded as she continued and he exhaled a sigh, sitting back with a more sober expression. "We've suspected as much," he said quietly. "When Zariah and the others first brought the barrier down the Ascended moved into the Greatwood, the Fae forest to the north of us, and the Voice used them to spread a Blight - a sickness upon the land and people that twisted them... us," he amended with a wince. "Turning plants, animals, people... into monstrous shadows of what they had been, and sucking the life from the land beyond the barrier. It took Rae, Vi, and the sacrifice of a Wild Fae named Arduinna to counteract the infection and save those of us who had been attacked by it." His brows knit together in a frown as he looked at her soberly. "In their attempts to reopen the portals the Ascended, led by Wessex, have already killed Fae guardians and Rae's serpent who had been set to protect the portal here. So, yes, I can readily believe that things will be getting worse soon. I don't suppose your beliefs are common in Halo? Or will the Ascended be welcome there?"

"Safrin gave you the book herself?" Ingrid murmured, a note of envy in her voice. What the provost said next made her grin.

What's this? The Provost — excuse me, I mean Glorified Librarian — attempts humor?

"My references refer to the God of All as 'It.' Caido is the creator of this land. It grew sad watching the strife we wrought on the soil It created, so It left. We drove Caido to forsake us. I don't know if It can ever return, but I hope that Its dream of a land at peace comes to fruition someday. I'm Ingrid, by the way, but 'it' works fine for me as well. There are also some who call me 'Shrine Hoe,'" she said, giving her cloak a fancy flourish as though it was a title of nobility. (Sure, it was just the one drunk who called her that, but she thought it was fucking hilarious.)

"When Zariah and the others first brought the barrier down..."

Ingrid stood up and slammed her hands down on the table, sending a tiny shudder across the surface of the woodwork.

"You're telling me it was LIGHTNING BITCH who unleashed Armageddon?!"

So much for liking her. She could go peddle her agenda to snow drift lady for all Ingrid cared. It took a minute, but she managed to calm herself down enough to listen to the rest of what Jigano had to say.

"In my experience, the people of Halo welcome all those who can survive their climate and the alcohol content of their tequila. It's part of what I like about them, actually... But killing a guardian sent by Rae is a crime of massive proportions. What do the Ascended look like? How will I know them? Is there any chance they'll spread this sickness to Halo?"

She hadn't heard the name Wessex before, but she'd already asked the poor nerd too many questions.

He nodded, complicated emotions flickering in his eyes for the goddess of stars. "To my guildmate Amalia, specifically, but we were there together and Safrin shared the knowledge in it with us both," he explained with a ghost of the awe of that day still lingering in his voice.

"Ahhh... well, I can believe that," he agreed to Caido's retiring from the stage, so to speak. Hubris it might be to compare himself to a god, but even just with the squabbles of the Hollowed Grounds Jigano thought he knew something of wanting to leave it all behind sometimes. Rory had already withdrawn from public life, and it was more and more tempting to join his mate in tending the farm and letting the rest of the Hollowed Ground go to hell on its own...

Not that he'd ever succumb to that temptation for more than a few weeks. He was far too meddlesome to ever be content not knowing what was happening in the world around him.

"M'lady Ingrid, Sacred Hoe of the Ice-bound Shrine, it is both an honor and a pleasure to meet you," he intoned with as much stuffy, courtly pomp as he could fit into the words. His eyes twinkled brightly with mischief above his very serious face, however, somewhat ruining the pretense of formality.

Ahhh, Zariah's name had its usual effect on those who'd dealt with the wretched Launceleyn more than once, and Jigano frowned as he nodded. "A number of the Naturals here tried to stop anyone from accessing the Spire once the Ascended creature that had been guarding it was defeated," he explained. "But the Voice did... something. Some trick or spell that put the human defenders to sleep so her Ascended could access it. They opened the door... but Zariah led the charge to the Spire's peak to release the barrier." Technically it had been 108's sacrifice that had done so at the end of that night, he thought, but 108 could never have reached that room atop the obelisk if Zariah hadn't cleared the way for them.

He nodded thoughtfully at her information on Halo. At least the mages would find some succor there, it sounded like, but her unfamiliarity with the Ascended brought a crook of a smile back to his face. "Outwardly they look fairly normal," he explained. "But if you get close you'll see that they have sharpened fangs that they can use to drink blood with. If they get your blood they can use it to... mmm... borrow?  or steal, depending on if you were willing or not, your magic or animal shapes. Though only once per feeding, from what I've heard." He'd never allowed himself to be bitten and he never intended to, either. The violation of it sent shivers down his spine thinking of it. "But they don't feel pain or... much of anything, really. They lose physical sensations when they Ascend, so if you see people walking around Halo looking unbothered by the cold? Chances are pretty good that they're Ascended. Also they move faster at night, practically becoming blurs if they're running," he added with a faint grimace. He'd learned that from Lucas.

And then there was Sam, who could become invisible... but she had enough to digest at the moment as it was.

Ingrid nodded. She'd have to remember the name Amalia.

She found herself wholly unprepared for what the Provost said next. She raised her eyebrows and gave an amused snort: HAH! Nice one, Nerd.

"And here I, Hoe of the Ice-Bound Shrine, thought you had an ice-bound stick up your ass. I misjudged you, Provost," she said with a grin.

Ingrid settled in to listen to his crash course on the Ascended, relaxing in her chair and letting down her guard. She couldn't help but feel at ease: the hearth crackled, the air smelled of parchment, and the word "hoe" was uttered out loud (by somebody other than herself). It felt like... hoe-me.

"Depending on whether you're willing or not? Who the fuck would do that willingly? I don't know about you, but when I say 'bite me,' I don't mean it literally."

She managed to hold the rest of her commentary until the end. It was a battle, and it involved a few pained expressions as she actually bit her tongue. Jigano had barely finished his last sentence when Ingrid chimed in, "So they feel, what, nothing at all? No wonder they run fast: they must jog constantly to be able to deal with that much pent-up frustration." She couldn't help it. She was cursed with the mind of a fifteen-year-old.

"Not an ice-bound one," he corrected her, continuing to play the stuffy academic. "It's Flowerbirth, after all." Then he let the act drop with a wink. "But I do tend to get a little too caught up in my own sense of self-importance sometimes. Feel free to poke me if you see it happening." She was a stranger, but one who wasn't afraid of a little humor or vulgarity. She reminded him of Edy in some ways, his dead friend who had been eaten by a Landshark half a year back, and the nostalgia softened him towards her more than he might have otherwise done.

"I want nothing to do with it, either," he agreed drily, lips quirking at the phrase 'bite me.' "But I've been told that the bite causes a feeling of intense pleasure in both the biter and the bite-ee. I suppose it's a mechanism to keep the bite-ee from trying to run away or fight back." Her quip had him chuckling and he nodded agreement. "As far as I'm aware they're not, ah, 'fully functional' in that capacity, but I've not wanted to get close enough to see for myself." He shrugged lightly. "The bite seems to be enough for them, though."

He tilted his head at her curiously. "What about Halo? Any particularly dangerous people or races I should keep an eye out for there if I go to visit or trade? And what would make good trading materials?"

"Self important? You?" she asked, chuckling at the man who had introduced himself with a fucking bow. "I'll be vigilant then, because I the want the excuse to poke you," she added, still grinning. Ingrid wasn't usually quick to make friends, but humor was probably the second fastest way to her heart after free beer.

She listened to Jigano's information on the Ascended with the same expression on her face as a ten-year-old hearing the talk for the first time. "Back up a minute. The bite seems to be enough for them... You know incredibly fucked up that is? It was gross when I thought they saw humans as snacks, but it's so much worse knowing that they see us as snacks." Ingrid shuddered. What being, divine or otherwise, would think it was a good idea to create a race where every member had the same kink?

Gross... moving right along:

"In Halo, it's the wildlife you should worry about. The most common thing you'll see is a huge snow bear that wants to eat you. The giants, evil ice spirits and dragons are different: they're rare beings that want to eat you, and they're better at it! Oh, and did I mention that the temperatures are about as far below freezing as this place's weather is above it? So once you freeze to death, the birds will scavenge off your carcass, and then the hunters will kill and sell the birds, and then Zariah fucking Launceleyn will eat you. In summary, I'd recommend dressing in about an onion's worth of layers," she said. She knew Jigano was a self-important, powerful Provost, but she had recently decided that she liked him and therefore didn't want him to end up like Snowdrift Lady.

"As for trading materials, it's too cold for common crops. We work our way around most of the obstacles Halo throws at us, but some things are just hard to make from animal hide. You can use a fur coat instead of a cotton one, but Jigano, have you ever thought about how hard it would be to use a fur tampon? Sell those and you'd make a fortune."

Ingrid paused for a moment. She felt like she was forgetting something...

"Also, I'd like to apply for the position of official ice-bound hoe in your guild-y thing. I want to come back and poke you again later," she said.

"I should start keeping more poultices on hand then," the bard mused thoughtfully, a twinkle in his eye. "Just in case!" He didn't doubt that she would poke him, too. Which... really, he probably did need, and from someone who had an uncomplicated view of him, undaunted by his title as provost and unbothered by his history in the Hollowed Grounds.

The Ascended topic was a delicate one for him. He really didn't like thinking about it, but Ingrid had more or less asked, and sharing information was part of what he did, even if it was information he wasn't personally fond of. "Yes," he said drily. "Yes it is." Though thankfully those few Ascended he counted as friends had never shown any interest in him that way. Even before the blight had twisted his patience to anger towards the Voice and those who would defend her...

Halo was news to him, and he listened avidly, giving Ingrid his full attention. "Bears I can handle," he mused thoughtfully. "I speak their language, you might say." He spoke almost everything's 'language' these days, but he thought he could probably fend off a few giant man-eating bears, so long as they didn't run in packs of a dozen. "Ice giants, though? That... explains a few things..." he trailed off in a fierce frown, his affable cheer falling away to reveal a glint of steel beneath the geeky exterior. Was that what Wessex had summoned to try and kill him and Rae's guardian? How had she known about them, though?

"I would really rather not be eaten by any Launceleyn," he agreed, the dry humor back in his voice again as he refocused on her words. "Sounds like fur will be the best approach." White fur, no less. His fox form would be perfect for blending and scouting discretely, he decided, but some other words had caught his attention, and he hummed thoughtfully. "Ice spirits, you say? I don't suppose you can tell me anything about Eirachi?" The name he'd found in a book, attached to a woman-spirit of ice and snow who had looked significantly formidable. What better place for her to be associated with, then Halo?

But then fur tampons came up in conversation and the bard was left blinking and momentarily speechless. "Ahhh... nooo, I can't say that it's... ah, ever come up before," he said delicately, but he couldn't help but think it would be the sort of thing that would have Rory howling when he mentioned it to his mate. The leatherworker did a brisk business in condoms and other such safety devices on the side, but perhaps they could try and grow some cotton this year and see what sort of profit they could make across the portal.

That damn Portal.

His head was still spinning from the previous bomb Ingrid had dropped, so when the second one landed he couldn't respond to it with nearly as much surprise. Her knowledge was going to be invaluable to the Guild as passage to and from Halo opened up, however, and her curiosity and proactive approach to finding the guild and seeking answers to her questions made for compelling points in her favor. He found himself grinning, an expression that was honest and as warm as the weather outside before he caught himself and cleared his throat, giving her his stuffiest nod. "Ah, yes. Well, there's usually forms to fill out - in triplicate, of course - and stamps to collect and three references to your good character to speak for you but given that you do hold the title of 'ice bound hoe' in Halo, I think we can waive the requirements just this once." He arched a brow at her as superciliously as he could manage - which was very - before the twitching at the corner of his mouth overcame him and he relaxed back into his previous smile. "And... truthfully I'd be glad to have you, Ingrid. We lost some good people last year, and our numbers are thin. We could use a fresh perspective, and I'd be glad to trade information on the Hollowed Grounds and Halo for as long as you'd like. I can probably even send you back with some fresh provisions if we make a quick stop on the way back to the Spire."

He rose to go to his office, returning a moment later with a collar pin; small, with an open book in copper against a silver background, and rays of gold coming from the open book. He handed it over solemnly. "You don't have to wear it," he assured her, "But it's the symbol of the Loreseekers, for as long as you're with us."

"Poultices? Why? As ice-bitch repellant?" she asked, snorting. Yeah, she fully intended to poke him. If he wasn't careful, she'd do it before their conversation was over.

She also decided to let the topic of the Ascended end there. It could only go downhill from bite kinks. As for Halo hazards... "I speak their language, you might say."

What the hell was that, him trying to be cryptic? Ingrid huffed. Really, Nerd? You couldn't go fifteen seconds? Consider this a fucking intervention:

As promised, she reached across the table and poked him on the shoulder. "I'm from Halo, not the fucking moon. I know what an Attuned is," she said with a grin. She hadn't realized Jigano was powerful enough to command the ursur, but that didn't change her view of him. So what if the geek was a badass? Still a geek.

"Ice giants, though? That... explains a few things..."

Ingrid watched the humor drain from his expression and found herself fighting a strange compulsion to comfort him.

The hell? Hello, regular bitch over here. What the fuck is this? PMS maybe? Oh. He reminds me of Raziel, Ingrid realized, her expression distant for a moment at the thought of the dorky brother she'd never see again.

Fine then, she'd see if a joke would cheer him up. "Well they might be tall, but I think 'giant' is a misnomer. I've heard they're shorter than average where it really counts. What, have you met one or something?" His next question made her chuckle. "I've heard The Eirachi, blessings be upon her divine presence, roams the tundra in search of lost travelers to fuck with. I haven't met her myself. If I had, I wouldn't be here talking about her."

The caught-off-guard on expression of his face at the mention of tampons left her snickering, and she had to hold her breath to keep herself from chuckling through the more serious part of their conversation that followed.

In triplicate? Of course you fucking would, she thought. When he said he would waive the requirements, she let out a little sigh of relief and was soon grinning from ear to ear. What he said next meant far more to her than he probably knew, but she sure as shit wasn't going to tell him and inflate his ursur-sized ego. "Do I want to know what 'fresh provisions' means? Since you've made it clear that you've never seen a tampon in your life, I'll set my expectations accordingly and make sure there's room in my bag for two more pairs of socks and a week's worth of fucking ramen." She was still grinning when he came back from his office, and she pinned the token onto her scrunchie. "There. Now I look like a dweeb too."

"Would poultices work as a repellent?" he mused teasingly. "I just figured I'd need them on hand for all the poking!" Aaaand there it was, just a moment later. His eyes widened in comic betrayal as he pressed a hand to his wounded shoulder dramatically. "Ah, well... yes. Yes I suppose there's that. I'm still not one to say it aloud often. It's the sort of thing I grew up hiding on my world," he admitted, smile returning with its crooked tilt. "There was safety in letting people make incorrect assumptions about you, there. But you're right, that's what I am here, with all the fur, feathers, and scales that come with it." And occasional shedding, but luckily Rory had another animals on the farm that he didn't seem to mind one more too much.

Her joke was well-timed, and he smiled weakly, shaking out of his bad memory at her quip. "I couldn't speak to that. It, ah, didn't come 'up' in conversation. Wessex, the current Queen here and an Ascended working for the Voice, summoned one using borrowed magic. That was how she killed Rae's Guardian in the Spire basement, the one who was set to guard that portal against Ascended using it," he explained. "I don't know how she even knew about them... but she wasn't shy about using it to try and kill me along with Rae's Guardian." Best Ingrid knew what she was getting into by hanging out with him, in case she wanted to change her mind about hanging out with the Loreseekers in the future. Jigano had a terrible track record with the local monarchs.

Eirachi, though, was a less personally-fraught and more interesting topic for him to pursue. "So she's more of the dangerous than the helpful kind of deity?" he asked curiously. "Are there any offerings or attitudes that might appease her?"

As with so many men everywhere, regardless of world, mention of feminine hygiene products had Jigano nonplussed. He was glad she gave him an 'out' by changing the subject to the guild, and though he was teasing about the forms and requirements he wasn't joking about being glad to have a fresh mind among his colleagues. "Never heard of ramen," he admitted cheerfully as she added the pin to her hair tie, wearing it in a nontraditional yet very-Ingrid kind of way, he decided with a grin. "But we can get you some fresh fruits and vegetables to take back if you'd like something in the way of food." They probably had mostly meat in Halo, from the sound of the climate. "Though you should stay for awhile, or else come back soon. Fiat Lux is fast approaching, and there's going to be a party with plenty of food and drink. Honeybeer, ale, wine, cider, and harder drinks if you know which stalls to ask at," he added with a wink, wondering if she was anything like Edrei in that regard as well. "Also dancing and music and games. The Loreseekers will probably be putting up a booth to try and get some more new recruits, too, if you'd be up for lending a hand. We can probably pay you in socks by then, too, if that's your going-rate," he added innocently, though mischief sparkled in his eyes.