[Malber] [U] The Watering Hole

[Rand M. Guardman]

"If you wanted to demonstrate your strength we can do that without moving the furniture around."

Rand leaned forward, planting an elbow onto the table and extending an open palm towards the warrior.

[Riesig]

Riesig gave a shrug to Arl. "Never really paid attention to it. Enough not to burn me or those helping me. Not enough that I feel like a battlehardened veteran though."

Then he settled in to watch the demonstration.

[Arl Lotreab]

Arl quickly sends a nod Riesig's way before focusing on the hand before her. She'd done this before a few years ago... how did to go again... did the elbow have to stay on the table? Yeah, she was pretty sure it had to stay on the table. The woman looks Randall in the eye as she moves her hand near his own, pausing just a moment before grasping the open palm with a confident grip. "I accept! On 3?"

[Rand M. Guardman]

Rand nodded and the count went down, until both parties began straining against each other. Rand was obviously more used to this particular form of strength test, but both sets of hands stayed relatively close to the top.

"Hah, you're as strong as Doran..." he grinned as he continued to apply pressure, tightening his grip.

[Arl Lotreab]

"You're.. *hew* .. really strong yourself." Arl could feel Randall's hand tighten. She responded with a tightening of her own, but it did little to assuage the slow dipping of her hand towards the table. Incredible. Arl had suspected he was more familiar with the test - he suggested it, after all - but for him to match her raw strength was unexpected. Her plan of picking up some of his technique while the man struggled to overcome her strength advantage flew out the window. Or onto the table, as it were.

Arl's hand softly thumps against the surface. "I was not expecting that!" laughs the woman.

[Rand M. Guardman]

Randall grinned as he released Arl's hand, clenching and unclenching it a little before shaking out some of the tension.

"Its been a while since I've had a contest that close. Safe to say we're not lacking for raw strength in the group." Rand laced his fingers together and placed both his elbows on the table.

"So, we need a plan."

[Drevin]

The door of the tavern swung open wildly and landed shut in an unceremonious and noisy fashion. A short thin man with a slight scowl on his ruggedly handsome face quickly surveyed the occupants of the bar. His keen eyes flowed over the dislocated peasants and landed sharply on the pointedly out of place trio at the table. As quickly as he had found them he seemingly disregarded them and moved to one of the few empty tables and sat down. An astute observer would notice however that he placed himself intentionally so that he could observe the group in his peripherals and just barely within earshot. He waited for one of the staff to approach him to take his order.

[Rand M. Guardman]

The staff (such as they were) consisted of a young woman who seemed to be flitting between the various refugees and grizzly looking elf at the bar who seemed to be very pointedly wiping a clean mug.

Randall noticed the man walk in and take a table near their own, the sidelong glances told the former guard that he was likely here by chance rather than because of his notices. Randall raised a hand to the newcomer, waving him toward them.

"You there, if you're looking for work you should come and join us," he yelled.

[Drevin]

Drevin's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise at the man's forwardness but he wasn't going to complain about work falling into his lap. He asked the young woman for whatever was on tap and the house special on his way to the table. He pulled out a chair and sat down. "What sort of work?"

[Rand M. Guardman]

The young woman nodded and disappeared through a door towards the back of the room. Rand for his part extended one of his calloused hands to Drevin as he sat.

"Name's Rand, and the job is hunting bandits." he said.