Brannoc let his next complaint go as Quinlan turned his full attention to him. The man was still smiling, and his keen interest in what Brannoc could offer drew the pirate in.
Back in Avaranth, Quinlan's soldiers were fighting while he stood here in bloodied armor, recruiting for the wars ahead. With Iskaris spread around them, Brannoc was beginning to grasp the size of that ambition. The scumbag already had an entire continent, and he was getting started on the next.
"You wanted a better life," Quinlan said. "A better use for everything you fought to earn."
Brannoc looked across the clearing at the roads beyond it.
"That I did."
"You could go to one of the nations here and offer your services. Spend years convincing their rulers that a former pirate deserves a little responsibility. Perhaps they'd eventually trust you with some ships."
"Perhaps."
"Or you could help me build something far more than that."
The pirate finally turned fully toward him.
