"Are you truly serious about this, Verona?" Elric's voice was a low rumble, cutting through the cool night air. "Making that girl your personal guard?"
Verona didn't miss a beat, her arm linked firmly with his as they navigated the widening street. "I am. She's fast, she's observant, and most importantly, she is desperate to protect those she loves. That is a kind of loyalty you can't buy with a standard contract, Elric. She doesn't just need a job, she needs a purpose."
The negotiation had been swift once they returned to the shack. Mina had stood amidst the peeling wood and the smell of damp earth, looking at Verona with a mixture of suspicion and a flickering, fragile hope. When Verona had promised not just a salary and safety for Mina, but a path to the North for the children, a place in a reputable orphanage, the girl's defiance had simply evaporated.
"I could just assign Zachren to you," Elric countered, glancing back toward the knight who was currently walking behind them.
