“You've got some nerve, threatening us with the law when you're trespassing too.”
Maaike rolled her eyes. The group that had attacked hers were all fully conscious now and spent the last hour chipping away at her patience with strident pleas, obscene threats and, finally, pot-calling-kettle tactics.
“One, we're here with a priest of the Voice, so you can shut your traps.” As far as Maaike was concerned, Nikandros Phadra legitimised their expedition. These guys were just wannabe tomb-raiders. “And two, you think I give a flying fig that you're raiding a temple? I'm turning you in for trying to kill us. Morons.”
That turned their loud-mouthing into petty grumbles that she could ignore for a while. She wasn't entirely sure how she came to be guarding these guys in the first place, except that Faust was on camp duty and she'd opted to stick around just to be sure he wasn't going to somehow trap the rest of their party in the temple while he took the spoils for himself. He'd done nothing so far to suggest that he was up to something nefarious, and had even thrown himself into the fight along with the other members of his gang once their eyesight cleared, and Maaike was beginning to think the rumours about him were false. Maybe he really was just a war hero and protection-for-hire, and his hesitation when Nikandros was snatched by the kumo was just a one-off. Or maybe he knew he was being watched and was biding his time...
As if on cue, Faust turned away from the cart that Jericho insisted on calling "Bessie" and smiled very pointedly at her. “We're out of meat.” Maaike almost ignored him, but she was being paid to provide fresh food for the expedition and could be accused of a dereliction of duty if she refused. Not to mention that, so far as Faust knew, she had no reason to stick by him, so not doing her job would tip him off. Argh.
Gaze still on him, Maaike stood and rolled out the muscles in her shoulders. “I'll be back soon.” Or better yet, she'd stalk the camp in her wolf form to see what he got up to when he thought he was alone.