When the laughter died down, Jenn did her best to keep her expression resolute. She didn't want to think that she or those with her were affected by the mocking laughter, although, she wasn't sure if it really was mocking in the first place. All she could say was that it at least felt like she had been getting mocked at the time.
"I can't be sure if you're serious or not," Tchisa commented conversationally. "Though, regardless, I can't see what's in it for me. I mean, I'm sure that your settlement will be impressive enough, but why should I give up the live I'm living now. It's comfortable enough, regardless of what happens."
"Well, for one, you wouldn't have to worry about your people turning on you," Jenn answered calmly, pulling out a piece of information about Tchisa she'd gleaned from peeking briefly into her mind. "Another is that you would have the chance to rise higher than you would right now with any other mercenary band you might want to join."
"Really? How high would that be? I mean, I'm already the leader of my own band, so why should I care about what little promotion you might offer me? I don't work for no one."
Jenn couldn't help but sigh. While she was confident that she would be able to make an offer to Tchisa that she'd accept eagerly, she also understood that Tchisa couldn't make it easy for Jenn. That she needed to get worn down before she agreed. As her bandits certainly wouldn't be happy if she didn't do that.
"You would need to speak with our leader to discuss that," Jenn said out loud, while she quickly added with her magic, –I'm willing to negotiate with you. I'm not so desperate that I'll accept just any help. If you're not interested I'll continue on and look somewhere else and make the offer to them.–
Tchisa stopped for a moment, her eyes narrowing. She looked at everyone around her before returning her gaze to Jenn. Jenn was confident she realized that it was Jenn who spoke in her mind, but she wasn't sure she liked how the woman was looking at that time. It was like she might have done something that she was going to regret. Something that couldn't be taken back just like that.
"You know, I probably should discuss this with their representative somewhere a little more comfortable," Tchisa said, standing up to her full height, which Jenn couldn't help but feel she was towering over her. Where she estimated that was just under seven feet. Maybe around six foot ten, but she wasn't willing to put any money on a specific height like that.
Jenn nodded, as if she had expected that statement. "Sounds good. We've been walking a while and could use a break soon enough."
Tchisa laughed as she stepped towards Jenn. "Where we're going, taking a 'break' isn't going to be so simple." When she was next to Jenn, she whispered, "How did you do that? Speaking directly into my mind?"
"I used my magic," Jenn replied just as quietly. She wasn't sure why Tchisa was staying so quiet about it, but she had a feeling that there was one. Only she couldn't say if she was going to benefit from this point or if it was going to hurt her. At that moment, either possibility was just as likely. Yet, Jenn had a feeling that she should trust this woman. Even though she was ready to call it quits and start looking for someone else.
"Tchisa, are you sure?" another woman, this one with green hair and a single green eyes asked, sounding hesitant, and eyeing Jenn suspiciously. "That merchant who'll be going by today isn't likely to come by again for a while, nor will there be another this far away from the cities that we know of."
"Don't worry about that," Tchisa replied, looking at Jenn. "I have a feeling this encounter will be much more profitable for us than any merchant caravan could ever be."
Jenn didn't respond to that. She would agree to it, but at the moment, she wasn't sure if Tchisa would be demanding more than she could accept. While she had a feeling that the woman wouldn't, she couldn't be absolutely certain. She was just going off what she had been able to glean from a quick peak into the woman's mind. While she couldn't be completely certain of her character, she at least felt like she could at least give her the benefit of the doubt.
Besides, one thing Jenn was absolutely certain about: Tchisa was a thought mage. While she wasn't sure how strong her was with her magic, nor how much she could be trusted, Jenn at least knew that her being a thought mage with be a significant boost to their power. Even if it wasn't something that would be as immediately apparent as a huge influx of people into the settlement.
When Jenn looked at those who had accompanied her, she could see that they looked worried about the developments, but they seemed at least a little reassured when Jenn smiled at them and nodded. As if it was all part of her plan. Though, in truth, she couldn't help but start feeling a bundle of nerves starting to build up inside her stomach.
While she was confident in her ability to fight her way out of any location they could get taken to, especially if she used her magic, she couldn't guarantee that she'd be able to make an escape without taking any casualties. While she was confident that she could right now, she knew that she'd lose her chance at gaining a strong ally if she did that. As such, she just hoped the benefit would outweigh the risk. Even though she hated the idea that others under her care could get killed by this decision.
If the worst case scenario played out, Jenn wasn't sure how she'd be able to handle it. She also couldn't help but wonder if she'd then try to find a way to disappear from her friends lives altogether as a way to try and cope with the guilt.
Right now, she was confident that she'd be able to win without losing any of those she'd brought with her. Yet, a nagging part of her was quickly driving her crazy with worst case scenarios playing in the back of her mind. She hoped that part of her was just being paranoid rather than potentially prophetic, but she had a hard time not reacting to it as she followed the bandits.
While she had thought that the bandits would have set up the ambush close to where they were hiding out, Jenn felt more than a little surprised at how long it was taking for them to get where they were going. Not only could she be certain that they weren't backtracking to try and throw Jenn and those with her where they were heading, but she could also feel the tension drain out of everyone as they walked.
Not so much that she thought both sides were less likely to attack the other, but rather they fell into a rhythm while they walked that at least made them less tense around the people who could still turn out to be enemies if negotiations fell apart.
"How many children do you have?" Tchisa asked, when the day moved into late afternoon and they'd been walking for a few hours straight.
Jenn thought about how to answer the question. She knew that many girls on this world started having children early, if only so they could get a leg up on military careers, though most hadn't had more than one, if that, by the time they reached her age. Although, adopting children in some cases still counted in those regards.
"Two," she answered after a minute. She could always clarify how she came to have children of her own later. At the moment she had a feeling that the details weren't exactly that important.
"Why would you risk your life coming out here where you might not be able to see them again?" Tchisa asked in response, almost immediately. "Or are you one of those who have children then hardly ever see them again one their father takes them to raise?"
Jenn merely shook her head. "Their father isn't in the picture," she said, not caring to elaborate at the moment. "What I do here is to try and find a way to give them a better life than they'd already had so far." Jenn paused as she gave Tchisa a wry smile. "Besides, where I come from, there's a saying: Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
"So, you're not worried about ever seeing them again?" Tchisa asked.
"No, I'll see them again, regardless of how things turn out," Jenn answered calmly. Then, she added while looking directly at Tchisa, the challenge in her eyes very clear, "I just can't guarantee how many of those who came with me will survive if it came to blows after this."
Tchisa looked at Jenn for a minute before laughing. Long and loud. Jenn acted like it didn't bother her, but she couldn't help but worry she might have just kicked a hornet's nest without meaning too. Of course, she knew her challenge would be rather provocative, but it wasn't until Tchisa laughed at her attempt that she even thought to wonder if Tchisa had more thought mages with her. Jenn was pretty sure that wasn't the case, but she also had to recognize the possibility. Remote as it was.
"You don't look like it, but you've got steel in you. You don't back down easily," Tchisa remarked, and Jenn wasn't sure, but it sounded almost like there was admiration in that comment.
Though, while she hoped that it went in her favor, she couldn't deny that it might have just been in her head. The possibility wasn't as good as she'd like, but she also couldn't deny that she hadn't a clue as to what she was doing in this at this point. She hadn't even thought to plan for anything like this, so it wasn't like she could just go with any ideas she'd had before.
It wasn't long after that, when they were directed to enter a cave that looked like it had been made for children rather than anyone near the height of Tchisa, leading downwards. Yet at the same time, Jenn couldn't help but admire the willingness of Tchisa to work with something like that, if only because if Jenn had been chasing these bandits, she wouldn't have thought to check a cave this small. Especially with how tall she knew some of the bandits were.
However, as they travelled into the cave, first by crawling, the cave eventually widened and the ceiling rose to the point where everyone could stand easily.
Jenn couldn't help but feel surprised at how spacious the cave had gotten. Though, she did feel like that some of it had been dug out to increase its size, despite her not knowing what to look for if that had been the case. It was lit with torches that didn't seem to give off any smoke, though Jenn wasn't sure if that was because of the type of fuel with the torches or if there was magic involved.
"Follow me," Tchisa said to Jenn, wrapping her hand around Jenn's forearm, pretty much dragging her down the cavern, to a location Jenn wasn't sure about.
However, she did her best to reassure her allies, hoping that none of them would react before really thinking it through. She'd hate to have successfully come to an agreement with Tchisa only to find that her people and Tchisa's couldn't get along and so pretty much killed each other. That would certainly make Jenn's position down here much more precarious.
While Jenn had been nervous about what the cave might mean in general, Tchisa merely walked next to Jenn as if this happened every day for her. Which also made Jenn hope that she was giving off the same air. Like she wasn't concerned about anything at all right then.
After they'd been walking together for several minutes, with torches placed at what Jenn had a feeling were regular intervals, providing clear light along the cave, or at least as clear as possible with such a weak source of light, Tchisa stopped. She didn't turn towards Jenn, but instead just spoke.
"Are you really just someone sent by your leader or are you the leader herself?"
Jenn looked around for a moment, not sure if this was a trap, even though she felt that Tchisa wouldn't do that. Despite knowing very little about her.
Tchisa sighed when Jenn didn't respond immediately. "Look, I'd have asked you around my people if I felt like it, but since I get the sense that you are the leader, that you might have reasons of your own to keep that knowledge secret. I couldn't care less if that's true or not. You clearly have some plan in mind, and joining you probably will give me the best chance at my own goals. If I have to keep secrets from everyone I know, then so be it. I'll take those to my grave if I have to."
Jenn felt moved by the speech, but still didn't care to just trust blindly. She'd seen too many people do that to others who later used that trust to either bully them, manipulate them, or just ruin their entire lives for their sole entertainment. She didn't plan on letting something like that happen here. Not if she could help it.
So, Jenn reached out with a thread of her magic and touched Tchisa's mind. While she didn't like reading the minds of allies, Tchisa wasn't an ally just yet. Which meant that she didn't feel bad at invading their privacy like this. Plus, she needed to do this to make sure that trusting Tchisa at this point wouldn't be a mistake that would haunt her later on.
As she looked at what was going through Tchisa's mind, she couldn't help but feel surprised at how genuine the bandit leader was at that moment. While there were points of darkness in her mind, it wasn't directed anywhere near Jenn, so she was confident that she could let those go. At least for now, but she could also see what Tchisa wanted most of all: To find a place where she could raise a family of her own. Where she'd be able to find a husband who would be good at raising their children.
Though, Jenn quickly pulled away as she saw that Tchisa wasn't beyond getting multiple husbands to father children with her. While she didn't care about things like that, she at least didn't care to know about them either. After all, she didn't see what the problem with it would be. At least as long as all parties involved were aware of it happening and were fine with it.
Just like how she had let Alex know that she could sleep with other girls if she felt like she needed to while Jenn herself wasn't able to give Alex permission to do that with her just yet.
Pulling her magic back from Tchisa's mind, Jenn took a deep breath to try and calm her mind. She hadn't expected to have to deal with longing for her girlfriend like that, especially from just touching the mind of another woman's, yet it had.
To try and get her own thoughts and emotions under control, Jenn sighed and then said, "I am the leader of my people. I've merely taken steps to hide my identity so that I can leave and take care of some things that I had going on before I ended up as a leader of anything."
Tchisa chuckled. "Yeah, it's never fun when leadership is thrust upon you, even when you'd rather not deal with it at all."
Jenn merely shook her head. "Anyway, I was hoping to find a group of bandits to join my people so we could try and start up a mercenary band. That way we can earn enough money to not only build up the settlement my people have started, but also to purchase slaves to help with our population there."
Tchisa looked a little confused and Jenn wondered if maybe she'd said too much with too little explanation. Though, she couldn't say how she should have changed what she had said. She wasn't sure if it was even what she'd said to begin with.
"Uh, you mentioned a 'settlement' but you realize that even building a village on the land controlled by a lady of any noble status without getting their permission isn't going to end well, don't you?"
Jenn hoped that's what Tchisa was confused about. It would make things a lot easier for her if that's the case.
"Oh, don't worry about that. Where we've started to build our settlement isn't anywhere that has been claimed by any lady of this world."
Tchisa looked like she was about to say something, but then she stopped when Jenn's last sentence sounded. A moment later she spoke, and Jenn was pretty sure this wasn't what Tchisa had originally wanted to say.
"How far away is your 'settlement?' You don't look like you've been travelling much, but the closest place for any land that isn't part of this queendom is at least a week away."
Jenn nodded. "Don't worry about that. If you agree to join us, we'll show you where to find our settlement. Once you see it, you'll see how we know it's not land that's been claimed."
Tchisa didn't exactly look convinced in Jenn's opinion, but she had a feeling that she was going to be given the benefit of the doubt. Not that she was concerned about having any problems with what she'd promised about where the settlement was.
"If that's the case, then if I join you, I'd want to be in charge of a city or large area of land, at least," Tchisa said, not surprising Jenn at all. She'd picked up on that desire in the woman's mind when she'd first touched it with her magic.
"Of course," Jenn said, already starting to think of where that could be. A location where she'd either want a city to be built or at least a place that she could see a benefit of having at least an outpost. "When it's time to expand the area my people control there, I'll look with you about where to find a good place to build another start to a city."
Tchisa arched an eyebrow at Jenn. "A 'start to a city?' You make it sound like you found a large area of land that no one around here has seen."
Jenn thought about that statement for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, you could say that. It is a large area and when you see it, you'll understand why no one around her has seen it before. Uh, I mean other than those who were with me."
Tchisa scoffed at that statement. "Of course it'd be 'other than your people' otherwise you wouldn't have been able to start the settlement you keep mentioning. It's like you…" Tchisa trailed off, her eyes widening in surprise. "You're from that slave caravan that disappeared, aren't you?"
Jenn thought about how to respond for a minute before nodding. She couldn't see the benefit from admitting to it, and it's not like Tchisa would likely turn her and those with her in for whatever reward they might be able to get. Besides, while she hadn't expected Tchisa to have known about that, she couldn't deny that that sort of detail wouldn't come up anyway.
It wasn't like she knew precisely how far spread the knowledge of them technically 'escaping' was, but she had a feeling that she'd eventually need to deal with that detail at some point. So, if anyone joined them, they were potentially going to run into that problem as well.
"Yeah, I was, though I'm not sure I'd say 'disappeared' or anything. We just found an alternative location to go to instead of wherever the caravan had been heading to," Jenn replied calmly, unable to resist smiling at Tchisa when she started chuckling at Jenn's remark.