Zima intro

[21:42] <IterationDrive> Uldenfrost: Cold. Frigid. A light sleet is falling as the ship that Zima is on pulls into the town's lonely port.
[21:43] <IterationDrive> It's late--weather forced the ship to delay for iceburgs. Lanterns blaze in the city, and she knows where she needs to go--the garrison, for her task. It's not the most glamourous way to spend the winter... but it'll do.
[21:45] * Zima pulls her thick greatcoat tighter around herself, briefly lamenting its lack of fur as the sea breeze slips in down its high collar. She waits for the ship to fully dock, to stop moving with its last little lurch, before moving swiftly for the gang.
[21:47] <IterationDrive> The gangplank's down, and Zima makes it down there easily enough. There's no one here to greet her--perhaps thankfully, perhaps not.
[21:49] <Zima> With one last look at the ship--the travel was...okay, but she didn't trust travel that didn't include land within a few inches of its underside--she pulls the collar higher to kind of hide her face and slinks off into the city...or such as might earn the name, at least.
[21:53] <IterationDrive> The city's still fairly alive, most of the native Kossites ignoring the sleet. There's only a few buildings of note--a huge longhouse that belongs to the Great Prince, a two-story affair that is the local Posadnik's, two stone blockhouses, and the Winterguard Barracks, all of which stand over the basic one and two story wooden homes of the locals.
[21:59] <Zima> She concentrates on making herself invisible--a task aided by the locals' disposition, the nasty weather, and the coat hiding part of her face. Really the only thing that might be remembered was her thick mane of blonde hair. Soon enough the front doors to the barracks loom ahead of her.
[22:03] <IterationDrive> Zima notices a few things--one, that there's guards out, two Winterguard with blunderbusses, and both are scanning the area. One of them seems to notice her, and nudges the other, who peers over and clears his throat. "Who goes? State your business!"
[22:08] <Zima> She lowers the collar slightly, to avoid muffling her voice. "I'm here for the harbor watch job," she calls, her voice a surprisingly high soprano for her size. "You know, keep watch over the place so the real boys can go fight where it's warm?"
[22:09] <IterationDrive> The two glance at each other for a moment. The second one speaks. "One of the mercs?" One whispers lowly. "Has to be," the other replies, and then speaks out loud. "Give us your name, please?"
[22:10] <Zima> "Zima."
[22:11] <IterationDrive> "Just a moment." One ducks in and heads to knock at the Kommander's door.
[22:12] <Boris_Strizhakov> "Yes?"
[22:12] * Zima waits patiently. In the cold.
[22:13] <IterationDrive> The private opens the door and salutes--Private Orlov, if Boris remembers correctly. "Another mecenary, sir. We'll lead her in with your permission."
[22:13] <Boris_Strizhakov> "Granted. Send her in."
[22:16] <IterationDrive> He salutes again, and heads back out. "The Kommander will see you," he says to Zima. "If you'll follow me?"
[22:17] * Zima nods. "Lead the way."
[22:17] <IterationDrive> He nods at the mercenary, and leads her to Boris' office.
[22:21] <Boris_Strizhakov> "Thank you, private. You are the mercenary then?"
[22:22] <Zima> She looks around the otherwise-personless room. "...Unless you are, then I'd have to say so, yes."
[22:23] <Boris_Strizhakov> "A funny mercenary then."
[22:23] * Boris_Strizhakov does not seem especially amused.
[22:24] <Zima> She shrugs, letting go of the collar of her coat. "Not really. I just have a thing for people stating the obvious."
[22:24] <Boris_Strizhakov> "I am Kommander Strizhakov, I am overseeing the garrison for the winter. As a mercenary, you'll be working for me directly rather than being a formal part of the garrison. Do you have any questions?"
[22:25] <Zima> "Yeah. Exactly how hard are you going to push for the 'sirs' and the formal stuff?"
[22:25] <Boris_Strizhakov> "I expect you to treat officers and nobility with accorded respect. Other than that, I do not care."
[22:27] <Zima> "Oh, that's fine then." She relaxes her posture slightly. "What is it, exactly, that we're supposed to be doing, too?"
[22:27] <Boris_Strizhakov> "To be honest, I am not sure. Talking with the prince and posadnik, it seems most of the job of this garrison is to be bored."
[22:29] <Zima> She -stares- for a moment. "Really."
[22:31] <Boris_Strizhakov> "Uldenfrost's port freezes in a month, we are thousands of miles from the nearest hostile army, and will be covered in snow. I intend to keep us at full alert regardless, but I do not expect much to happen to require it."
[22:33] <Zima> "And this needs more than just your guards out front...why?"
[22:34] <Boris_Strizhakov> "I do not question my orders, even when I do not understand them. Perhaps High Kommand knows something we do not."
[22:35] * Zima shrugs. "Well," she says, her tone one of philosophical whimsy, "I signed up for it, not like I can exactly take it back."
[22:36] <Boris_Strizhakov> "You will also be compensated for your time serving the Motherland's garrison, so should nothing happen, you will still be compensated."
[22:38] <Zima> This time she gives him something actually approximating a salute. "Understood, sir."
[22:39] * Boris_Strizhakov nods. "The mercenaries have been issued officer rooms in this hallway, Private Orlov will show you to an empty one."
[22:39] <Boris_Strizhakov> "Dismissed."
[22:42] <Zima> She bobs in a graceful curtsy, then leaves the room before the officer can raise any complaint, looking for one of the other military types.
[22:42] * Boris_Strizhakov goes back to his book, closing the door.