"Trouble you say?" one of the people in front of them spoke, from their position it was a large man, bald and wore nothing but an unbuttoned sleeveless maroon vest over his chest, with long baggy pants that were tied with a rope on his waist and right above his ankles, leather sandals a long dagger on his side. His voice had the sandpaper rasp of someone who shouted more than he spoke.
Two other men were standing next to him while the burly yet large bellied man sat on a chair. "Y'all seem to be out of this region, let me guess spies for the empire?"
"Why would we be spies?" Tull said. He sounded hurt in the way that invited contempt rather than pity. Better that than fear.
"Don't act like a fool, your skin color is too pale for this region. What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I promise you we're not spies." Tull replied. He seemed to be more delved in this type of conversation with rugrats and thieves than the prince so the latter didn't even jump in to argue.
