The small blonde paused, letting out a small, soft sigh that barely reflected her much heavier mental one. ‘I gets asked tha’ a lot o’ late. Dependin’ on jus’ wha’s botherin’ you abou’… “this”, there be a lot o’ answers.’

She turned to face her questioner, leaning lightly against the arm of the settee. ‘Firs’, mos’ o’ wha’ I does ain’ no more dangerous ‘n any other form o’ travel. Sure, I travels alone, an’ sure, I’s covered in scars. I din’ get th’ scars from travellin’ – an’ I ain’ got many new scars in quite a while. I’s got a lot better at th’ thin’s I does. M’ travels is near all through centaur country – by which I means Krytan lands they’s disputin’, no matter wha’ th’ ‘istory migh’ be – an’ I knows them lands by now. I knows where th’ centaur camps is, I knows there they patrols, I knows where I can ‘ide… an’ I knows ‘ow t’ kill centaurs if’n I needs t’. I tries t’ avoid it, mos’ly, since I ain’ real sure they ain’ been wronged – but genocide be too much their answer, an’ I don’ ‘old wi’ tha’, so I don’ try too ‘ard.’

She ticked off another point on her fingers. ’Nex’, m’ mos’ recen’ scars be from gettin’ kidnapped out o’ th’ Reach while actin’ like a civ. I din’ get ‘em workin’. Stoppin’ don’ jus’ magically make life safe. I reckons I’s safer in wha’ I does ‘n mos’ construction workers is in th’ Reach. I’s jus’ more hones’ abou’ m’ dangers, ‘cause I ain’ ‘idin’ from ‘em in m’ own ‘ead.’

Ticking on another finger, she continued. ’Third, an’ related, be tha’ I’s tryin’ t’ plan f’ th’ results o’ such danger. I don’ got skills – or no’ much o’ ‘em, anyways – wha’ works when crippled. Some I migh’ be able t’ adjust, given time, an’ dependin’ on jus’ ‘ow I were maimed, but they ain’ th’ ones wha’ pays th’ best. An’ sure, I got friends wha’ says they’s goin’ take care o’ me if’n anythin’ ‘appens. There be two thin’s wrong with tha’ off’n th’ top o’ m’ ‘ead. One be tha’ thin’s can ‘appen t’ other folks, too, not jus’ me. Bein’ took care o’ ain’ no more certain than m’ curren’ life. An’ th’ other…’ she trailed off for a moment into a sigh, her voice resuming in a more introspective tone.

‘Th’ other be tha’ I ‘as a awful lot o’ ex-lovers f’ someone so young. An’ they’s ex-friends, besides. There be only one thin’ I finds t’ be in common wi’ all them failed relationships – an’ tha’s me. Jus’ because someone says now tha’ they’s goin’ take care o’ me if’n some’at ‘appens don’ mean they ain’ goin’ get real tired o’ me if’n it come down t’ doin’ so. One thin’ I learnt growin’ up be tha’ charity jus’ ain’ reliable, anyways. Mebbe y’ circumstances changes after y’ tries t’ be takin’ care o’ me, even aside from gettin ‘urt y’self or startin’ t’ resent m’ as a whingy burden wha’ ain’ th’ same girl y’ took on. I jus’ can’ count on tha’ sort o’ ‘elp.’

Her arms crossed in front of her chest as her voice regained its earlier confidence. ’An’ finally, it come down to it, there be two more basic reasons, an’ I ain’ sure even in m’ own mind which be more impor’an’. Th’ one be tha’ I growed up bein’ a leech on society, an’ while I reckons tha’ weren’ no fault o’ mine, bein’ one again jus’ migh’ be, if’n I could prevent it. I don’ wanna be no leech on m’ friends’ charity. Don’ matter ‘ow willin’ on their part – I needs t’ feel like I’s useful t’ society in some way… even if’n it ain’ Krytan society in specific. An’ related…’

She shifted her position slightly to relieve the discomfort her oh-so-casual pose was causing her, thanks to the hilt of one of her hidden knives poking her in the backside. ’One way I contributes t’ society be tha’ I’s real good at wha’ I does. Other people doin’ wha’ I does… don’ come back, or no’ in one piece. When I goes ou’, th’ job get done. If’n I don’, others gotta try – an’ people dies tha’ way. Tha’ be why I gotta go ou’, an’ why I can’ jus’ stop. By goin’, I’s savin’ lives. If’n I chooses t’ stop… I’s chose them deaths. I don’ claim t’ be no perfect li’l angel, but when it come time f’ me t’ face Grenth, I needs t’ be able t’ look ‘im in th’ eye an’ know I done m’ best.’

With that, she straightened and pivoted, her greatcoat flaring about her legs as she resumed her interrupted progress out the door.