Varin was loath so speak up in such a situation, but his confusion was killing him.

Thank his pounding heart, the person that had rounded the corner was no mercenary. Doubled over almost directly under the ladder he had been preparing to drop was a human woman with flushed cheeks and curly coppery hair. It was currently limp with perspiration. What had she been running so strenuously for? She caught her breath and muttered to herself, something quiet, yet audible enough for him to hear. "Just see if I ever try to save you again."

To be honest, she was as queer a sight out here as he was. And yet, a human was unlikely to be working with Drakari mercenaries. Varin cleared his throat and risked revealing himself. “Excuse me,” he piped up from above, “but who are you speaking of saving?”

"Whoa!" Quite naturally, the woman startled at this interjection. Her verdant gaze snapped up to meet his as she straightened herself. What a sight he must have been! Hunched over gripping a ladder, blood dripping from one wing, his hair disheveled, out of breath much like the woman was, and with a tiny bird glaring out of his hood. It wasn’t his best look. Yet, her face brightened once the initial shock wore off. He couldn't pinpoint the exact emotion. “You, actually!”

Varin shifted his ladder into a less threatening position and considered the woman with a cock of his head. “Me?”

She nodded, leaning against the rusted house. “I came here to get some advice and saw you in the square. You took off so suddenly earlier, after your argument with that other…” she seemed at loss for what he was. “Man. It looked like you could use some help, so I thought I'd see what I could do.” She held a dusty hand out to him. “I'm Rayleigh, but you can call me Ray.”

“Oh. Varin. The bird, Arie." He gingerly leaned down to shake her hand before retreating back to his ledge, still clutching the ladder, and Arie chirped an inquisitive greeting herself. Bleeding hearts. This was Aynur all over again. Still, he thought as he peered down at the girl, it might not be a bad idea to have an ally. She didn't appear to be the fighting type, but one never knew with humans. A handful of them had ridiculous powers for one reason or another, and it was rarely evident by appearance alone. He grunted in agreement. “Thank you for your concern then. I am in need of aid, I suppose. That “other man”? A bounty hunter. Yet, I doubt you could do much unless you had a means to make me smell like -- ahh, not me to be frank. He has the scent of my blood, and the nose knows, far too well…”