Chartering Territory (Hiei)

[Hiei]

"Oh, well that's interesting. It's funny, you didn't strike me as the type to serve him. I figured you'd simply go for somebody else. It's the personality clash that confuses me, but I suppose he pays you well."

"He's the only one that provides a steady pay thus far. Everyone else just gives a one-time pay for a head."

And their orders had arrived, Hiei allowing his two new companions to retrieve their meal, before proceeding to take his own, placing it in front of him. He would raise both of his hands then, placing his palms together in a soft smack, a soft smile on his face. Muttering a soft 'itadakimasu', the man would proceed to pick up his glass of water, taking a sip out of it to first moist up his mouth.

"So, how has Lord Yuan Shao been these days? I hear he is having some trouble with the latest uprisisngs in Nan Pi as well as the rebellion of Dong Zhuo."

Hiei looked up at Lady Wu, staring blankly at her for a brief moment, before allowing a smirk to come upon his face as he leaned back against the chair. Ah, why had he not thought of it earlier? She already knew who he worked for, that was for sure. She probably was even fully aware of who he was. He chuckled, scratching the side of his head as he kept his eye on the woman opposite him. She really was the wife of a Lord. Her sources of information were limitless.

"Well, I'm sure you already know, but Nan Pi has been quite quiet recently. And as for Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao is still busy preparing for his march against that tyrant. Other than that, I don't really have any liberty to say."

He smiled, before proceeding to take the first bite off his meal.

[Nohime]

Mei shrugged slightly at his response. "I was just hoping you could tell me a bit more. After all, I am not allowed to join my husband on the battlefield. He won't allow it." She then thought for a moment before continuing. Finally, she decided to go ahead and ask him another question. "May I ask how much Lord Yuan Shao pays you? I have heard many different rumors about how good or bad he pays his subjects."

((sorry for the crappy post v.v i've got some writer's block right now))

[Hiei]

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"I was just hoping you could tell me a bit more. After all, I am not allowed to join my husband on the battlefield. He won't allow it."

Hiei was not surprised. Sun Jian had always been known to be passionate about those kind of bonds like families and close friends. He was a man said to be able to put the interest of others before himself. Quite a virtuous lord, and one that would rather march into battle then use underhanded means like Hiei. He chuckled at that thought, as he swallowed the food in his mouth, before giving her a reply for that.

"Well, I'm not sure how to help you. I can't be ratting out on my employer to you, you know. It'll ruin my reputation."

Hiei grinned, saying it both as a mood-lightener and a proper answer. After all, he was still starting his business here in China. He'd have to keep his reputation as both an assassin and a mercenary clean. So far, he had done well by assassinating a major player during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, commander Zhang Bo. Mercenary-wise, there was nothing that Hiei had done yet.

"May I ask how much Lord Yuan Shao pays you? I have heard many different rumors about how good or bad he pays his subjects."

"One two five."

Yeah, he was paid a salary for as long as he waved Yuan Shao's banner beside his own. Though, he had to admit, it was considerably low...

[Nohime]

Mei laughed. "I wasn't asking you to help me. I was merely stating that I was curious as to what has been going on lately on the field of battle in general, not simply what your Lord is up to. Although, I must ask you, if you don't mind, what exactly have you done on the battlefield? I'm just curious."

She then returned her mind to what Hiei had said about his pay. 125 gold? That certainly seemed like a small amount to be paid, especially to an assassin. "Would you mind if I gave an opinion on your salary?" she asked in such a tone that, oddly, it didn't reveal how she felt. It was almost monotone, but it still had some feeling to it. It simply sounded strange to the ear, especially to Nohime. At first, Nohime actually thought that Mei would have stated immediately that it was a very low pay, but her response had her questioning whether she actually knew how to handle money? Could she possibly be one of those noblewomen that was left out of money affairs and didn't know the value of gold at all? Surely not...

[Hiei]

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"I wasn't asking you to help me. I was merely stating that I was curious as to what has been going on lately on the field of battle in general, not simply what your Lord is up to. Although, I must ask you, if you don't mind, what exactly have you done on the battlefield? I'm just curious."

Hiei would stop mid-way through a bite, his eyes rolling upwards to lock with hers, those two chopsticks wedged in between his teeth. It was just a brief stare, before he would remove the chopsticks and begin to chew, a soft smile coming onto his face as a gesture for her that he would answer, once he had swallowed his food. And so he would chew, and chew, and chew, and finally swallow. Taking a soft breathe, he would pass a shrug.

"Well, quite a few, but the most influential thing I've done on a battlefield is the retaking of Pu Yang, where I assassinated the Turban Commander Zhang Bo mid-way through the battle."

He did not have to say how that affected the battlefield. She was a woman of high influence. She would know how her presence, and her husband's too, at that, affected the people around them. They were the ones who motivate, who lead, who give hope. If they disappeared, their people would be lost. And if it was mid-way through a battle, it'll be a real killer to their morale.

"Would you mind if I gave an opinion on your salary?

"Feel free."

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[Nohime]

"My goodness, that's quite an impressive feat," Mei replied. She was greatly surprised to hear that he was adept enough to assassinate a particularly noteable Yellow Turban commander. "I imagine that was a highly powerful morale booster for the Han forces, and a decimation to the will of the opposing forces to continue fighting."

She smiled and took a quick sip of water before continuing. "Anyhow, especially after hearing that bit of work that you did, I think that your pay is below minimum at best," she said nonchalantly. "I can't imagine why Lord Yuan Shao hasn't seen fit to increase your pay roll. Maybe it has slipped his mind?"

((sorry for crappy post v.v school is starting up again and my muse is low))

[Hiei]

You think...?
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"My goodness, that's quite an impressive feat. I imagine that was a highly powerful morale booster for the Han forces, and a decimation to the will of the opposing forces to continue fighting."

All Hiei could do was nod, for the young male had nothing more to add to what she had said. He was right. She did understand it the way he expected her to. He could only smile softly as he placed another wad of rice into his mouth, his use of the chopsticks quite natural indeed. And with that, he would allow himself to glance up at his companions once more. Lady Wu, a graceful lady of great stature and pose. She really was Sun Jian's wife. And the other, Nohime. A fellow Japanese. And she did not look half bad either.

"Anyhow, especially after hearing that bit of work that you did, I think that your pay is below minimum at best. I can't imagine why Lord Yuan Shao hasn't seen fit to increase your pay roll. Maybe it has slipped his mind?"

Hiei allowed his eyes to turn back to Lady Wu. Yeah, well, that was pretty obvious, was it not? Hiei was barely earning more than what he used to when he was still a freelancer. True, he did not have to do much, but it was getting boring too. Besides, having an exclusive access to his services was quite... Exclusive.

"I wouldn't know. I just go for the highest bidder, and at the moment, that's Yuan Shao. It's his risk for giving me a low pay. Makes it easier for other lords to buy me out."

And it's a good business deal for Hiei too, for now, under Yuan Shao's banner, his own banner would be more prominent and significant among the many others. He would not just be a mercenary, no. He was a legible officer, one that could easily be bought. Who cares if he was seen as corrupt? He was a mercenary anyway. And everyone knew not to trust a mercenary's loyalty save to that towards money. He turned back to Nohime, then.

"So, Nohime, you're Japanese too, huh? What made you leave Japan, out of curiousity?"

Yeah, why not let her into the conversation too? She seemed a little bit left out, after all. Hiei smiled.

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[Nohime]

Mei agreed with him with the fact that it could be easy for an opposing lord to buy him away from Yuan Shao. Of course, that was sort of what she was hoping for. After he finished speaking, she took a modest sip of her water before adding, "I'm sure that I could talk someone into giving you a higher salary. A salary of a mere 125 gold...it's humble, yes, but not nearly enough for your services."

After that, Hiei asked Nohime a question, and Mei turned her attention to her friend. It was true that she had been rather quiet. Still, Nohime didn't want to be suddenly put on the spot like that. Since she had, though, she had no choice but to speak. She sighed softly.

"I left...because my now late husband was a cruel man that didn't give a damn about me or his people," she told them. "There was an uprising led by one of his most trusted associates. Luckily, he and I were good friends and he smuggled me out of Japan to keep me safe. So here I am, in China, assisting Wu."

She really didn't want to say anything to anyone at this point. Sure, hiring Hiei might sound like a good idea, but the moment someone offers him a higher salary...he could use whatever knowledge he gained to the enemy's advantage...She really didn't trust the man.

[Hiei]

From one battlefield to another...
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"I'm sure that I could talk someone into giving you a higher salary. A salary of a mere 125 gold...it's humble, yes, but not nearly enough for your services."

Hiei's eyes and attention moved back to Mei, his eyebrows raised, his smirk hidden by the two chopsticks wedged into his mouth. The first name that came to Hiei's mind was Sun Jian. Among all the officials, Mei had the most influence over her own husband, after all. Hiei looked down at the table for a moment. Wu, huh? Well, that wouldn't be too bad. Those guys had a lot of mighty warriors, though he doubted his skills as an assassin would be needed under Sun Jian. However, his skills in war were impressive enough. Hiei would enjoy being in the battlefield with a great mind behind him. Although Hiei was well-taught in the arts of war, he never really took the lead much. He'd rather focus on fighting, and have someone else concentrate of the strategy instead.

"Well, I'm alright with anything. I'm just a working man, after all. I take what I can get."

"I left...because my now late husband was a cruel man that didn't give a damn about me or his people. There was an uprising led by one of his most trusted associates. Luckily, he and I were good friends and he smuggled me out of Japan to keep me safe. So here I am, in China, assisting Wu."

Ah, complications in Japan, huh? As always. Hiei had a good business back home. He was well-demanded for, constantly getting offers for both his assassination and mercenary skills, so much that he became a threat to every single force known to him. And with that as a result, all of them started to focus on taking Hiei down. And using whatever was left of his Japanese currency, then, Hiei would pay off a couple of opposing assassins to delay the forces, and then bring himself here to China, where the frequency of battle was attractive enough for the mercenary.

And he was doing well here too.

"Yeah... You ever thought of going back once it's all cleared out back home?"

[Nohime]

Mei nodded towards Hiei as he responded, but then returned her eyes to Nohime. She was curious as to whether or not her friend would return home after everything was settled there. The answer to this question could have been read by Nohime's body language. She clenched her fists and looked as though she was going to strike at the table.

"I will never go back to Japan," she muttered through her clenched teeth. "Too many bad memories...I like it here better..."

Mei felt slightly relieved, but also guilty for Nohime's reaction. She was glad that her new friend would stay, but she didn't want it to be simply because she has 'bad memories' of her former home.

((sorry for crap post again v.v))