Baderon Tenfingers had been patiently waiting for this chorus of introductions to reach its end. He opened with a preamble of praise for the hunter's talents, the latter of whom answered with stoic nods, agreeable grunts and too-broad smiles. Though Baderon admitted to posting the bill for adventurers of all sort, he made clear his hope that the Hyuran hunter find it of particular interest. Ever gleaned from the exchange (could one call it that), to her great satisfaction, the beginnings of a profile about her mystery muscle man. He had dealt with the likes of pirates a short time ago freelancing as an adventurer. This was the Hyur's primary occupation; hunting game for trade represented the meagerest portion of his work. The bulk of his obligations comprised of fending off threats to farms, settlements and people alike. Thus had the adventurer single-handedly defended a vulnerable village from the murderous, mindless terror of the Serpent Reavers.

The most interesting discovery among these was the adventurer's mastery of not only the bow, but also the axe and lance, as well as his bare fists. He had made many names for himself, though Baderon decided not to remind him of them, and the adventurer made no attempt to goad Baderon into revealing them to his present company. Ever supposed it would be incorrect to continue addressing him as 'the hunter' in light of his achievements; but the moniker 'adventurer' seemed too broad an address for him, and she was fond of the bow he had neglected in favor of launching a Gigantoad skyward. The words 'lad' and 'dear' and 'mate' played a frustrating part in keeping hidden his identity, but she would not make a scene. Thus did she decide upon 'Ser Archer', for the name would satisfy both her fancy and her particularity until such a time came that she could ask the man's trueborn name herself.

With his obligation fulfilled, Baderon apprised them of the situation that warranted posting the bill. The Commodore of the Yellowjackets, Mister Reyner Hansred, soon appeared to pool his intelligence with the pubmaster. In truth, the object of the Commodore's suspicions, Sastasha Seagrot, had already been searched prior to the bill. However, sightings of the Reavers and their Sahagin masters continued within the area despite their thorough inspection of the grotto. With his forces stretched eerily thin due to conflicts with the territorial Sahagin at the borders of the Sapsa Spawning Grounds, the Commodore saw no other recourse but to enlist the aid of adventurers, both novice and elite.

Thus, it should not have surprised Ever to see the parties of adventurers gathered outside the seagrot. Eyrisunn, who recognized an elderly Elezen by the name of Isildaure and his granddaughter, Alianne, excused himself to speak with them. The three youngsters lingered by the entrance of the Seagrot where they were greeted by a Yellowjacket standing guard. It was in the midst of exchanging salutations that their attention was drawn to a boisterous party standing near.

"I-I'm sorry, Avere!" A young Hyuran maid draped in white was gasping for breath. "I came as fast as I could! I tried haggling with the merchant, but two potions was the best I could get with the money you gave me. I had no idea how expensive they were!"

The man she addressed was clad in the irons of a helm and breastplate. He growled in reply, anger twisting his features, "What took ye so bloody long, Edda? If me purse was too light, ye might've considered usin' some of yer own bleedin' coin to get us what we need!" He placed a hand on her shoulder, though Ever could not discern whether or not it was meant to comfort. "Ye've only ever been as useful as the contents o' yer pockets—the gods know ye can barely 'eal a scratch! We took up the 'venturin' life to take on the big jobs an' claim the big rewards. How're we meant to do that if ye can't even get our supplies in order?"

A swaying Elezen, standing just behind him, giggled with an abundance of amusement. The color of her countenance, a deep red, spread to her ears as she tittered. "Edda! You're so slow, you'd lose a footrace to a tree slug!"

The Hyuran maid called Edda hung her head in apology. Ser Archer, who stood watch from Ever's side, made to step forward in defiance; but the dainty Papaya tugged at his finger pleadingly, so he did not intervene. This was enough to call Avere's attention to their presence. Meeting Ser Archer's gaze, the anger upon his face hardened to resolve.

"It's 'im," said Avere to his company. A Dunesfolk Lalafell joined Edda and her Elezen drunk of a friend in observing Ser Archer. "He's the one Baderone was talkin' to!"

"What of it?" replied Ser Archer with needless aggression. Ever took him by the arm and yanked him away.

"We mustn't waste our time with them," she told him.

"Can we not all go together?" Papaya asked, fluttering the veil of her thick, maidenly lashes. "Eight heads are better than four, are they not?"

Avere snorted, likely smarted by Ever's indifference (she had seen the look before, the wounding of masculine pride, in another life). "Well, we'll see who gets the glory! This job should've been ours in the first place!"

"Indeed!" rejoined his Dunesfolk ally, gleeful and carefree. "How difficult could it possibly be? Wandering around in the caves, turning over a few rocks… I never expected our first visit to the Adventurers' Guild would yield such a straightforward way to win fame and fortune!"

"I gather," said Ever, wrinkling nose, "they do not wish for our help, sweet lady."

"Aye, well," said Ser Archer, haltingly, "we oughta grab Eyrisunn an' head into the grotto. Before some idiot hurts himself."

Avere huffed. "And when he does, we'll come runnin' to his rescue."

Ser Archer watched Avere and his companions turn away with a look of concern and protest, but said nothing more. Ever waved to Eyrisunn, who flapped a hand as if to say, Just a minute. Papaya fiddled with the long sleeves of her robes, her brow furrowed deep.

"They're not very nice, are they?" she said in barely a whisper.

"He's tryin' too hard t' lead," said Ser Archer. "The healer's spacey, the archer's drunk, an' the thaumaturge's too carefree."

"You have a point," said Ever, surprised at his clarity of judgment. "Challenging you was merely a show of confidence."

"That seems to me a vapid reason to be so—so rude." Miss Papaya frowned and shook her head. "He almost seemed desperate."

"Desperate to prove his ability," Ever insisted. "I fear you underestimate the ego of men."

Ser Archer shook his head. "Ego's a heavy burden, but a desperate man's twice as likely tae be a reckless one."

"In that case, we should have allowed them to join," said Papaya. "They did not outright reject us. Had we been persistent—"

"They would have been a liability," said Eyrisunn, approaching from behind the Plainsfolk maid. He lowered his eyes, mournful. "I've seen their kind time and time again. It is a rare thing, in this profession, to see the same men over the course of many years. More often does one meet another adventurer only the once, never to hear from him again. I pray that the Navigator guides them through this storm of impulsivity."

The paladin's comments introduced a great tide of conflicting emotions to Ever's mind. On one hand, it did not strike her as surprising that the life of an adventurer was so dangerous; but, on the other, a spirit such as Eyrisunn's, equal parts caution and confidence, did not seem to possess the degree of recklessness required to answer the call of adventure. Ever Starfall had herself been an impulse turned reality; and her other companions did not appear either as experienced or as patient as the grave Roegadyn that stood before them. Why in the world had he taken up the sword? Could he not have it melted down and become a blacksmith?

With a sigh, Ser Archer made known his own thoughts on the matter. "We can guide 'em ourselves if we get the job done first. C'mon, let's get goin'."