"How about him?" Twig pointed out a cloaked figure sitting alone in the corner of the dimly lit tavern.
"Him?" Bree squinted in the direction of the stranger. She usually let Twig pick out their targets, but this one seemed unusual. "He's not even drinking!"
"He looks rich," Twig surmised. Indeed, even as dressed down as the person was, they still managed to look like one of the more affluent attendees of the establishment judging by the material of their clothes.
Twig pulled her head back around to grin at her friend. She was the more voluptuous of the pair, with her wild, black hair in a messy side-cut over her left eye. The red, handsewn dress she was wearing clung to her body in a way that was surprisingly flattering, given how cheap it looked.
"Well, maybe..." Bree's hands fidgeted together, a common occurrence. Bree's frame was thin and wiry, in contrast to her partner. She stood a few inches shorter, and her straight, auburn hair came down to her thin shoulders, complementing the silver dress that hung slightly oversized on her slender form.
"What's the worst that could happen?" Twig was already hopping off her seat, having made up her mind long before even suggesting anything at all.
"Do we have to find out?" Bree wondered, already knowing she wasn't going to convince the stubborn goblin otherwise.
They weaved through the tables, making their way to the secluded corner booth where the mysterious stranger sat by themselves.
"Lonely in the corner over here, ain't it?" Twig asked.
"Perhaps I enjoy the solitude," the figure replied, his voice more deep and smooth than either of the goblins had anticipated.
Bree had to work hard to bite back a smug grin as the stranger all but dismissed her associate's advances. She had half a mind to give Twig a 'told you so', before she thought better of it.
Undeterred, Twig pulled herself into the opposite chair at his table. "Man, I've never seen anyone dress this shady in this hole before. What's with the getup?"
"Well..." the man relaxed back into his own seat. "Would you like to be seen in a 'hole' like this?" A low chuckle poured from his throat, filling the space around him. "I suspect so, actually, given how you're dressed."
Twig's ears twitched happily at the sound of the stranger's voice, despite the implied insult. It was subtle enough that she hadn't even realized it had happened.
"You're the one so focused on how we're dressed," Bree cut in suddenly, her attempt at a sultry voice only coming out slightly too amateurish to be tantalizing.
"And you're not quite as confident in your advances as your friend here," the stranger replied, yellow eyes peering down into Bree's from the darkness of his cloak. Bree's shoulders reflexively pulled towards her large ears.
"I've been around your type enough to know," Twig butted in confidently, "If you weren't interested, you'd have sent us away by now."
The figure chuckled again. The corners of the goblins' mouths tugged instinctively upwards, as if to share the laugh.
"You're smarter than you look," he admitted, pulling his cloak back.
"Dragonborn, huh?" Twig whistled, shrugging off another insult, "Don't see too many of those around this podunk town."
"And I do not often find myself in the presence of pretty green maidens." He smiled, his silver scales sparkling in the flickering torchlight. The dragon paused, stroking his scaly chin. "...Tell me, how would you two lovely lasses like to make a bit of gold?"
The goblins glanced towards each other, both trying not to seem overly enthused. Bree opened her mouth to say something, but was inaudible over the sound of Twig suddenly interjecting.
"What makes you think you can afford us?" She kicked her feet up on the table.
Bree swallowed loudly. They had already nearly sealed the deal, just to let greed get in the way? "I'm sure he can," she huffed, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Twig picked between her teeth with a long nail, leaning her chair back on two legs. She knew about dragons. At least enough to know they were loaded, usually. This was worth haggling for.
"Oh?" The dragon leaned forward, placing his chin in his hand. He seemed more entertained than insulted. "What's your price, then?"
"Two hundred gold pieces!" Twig nearly cackled, "How's that sound?"
Bree slapped her palm against her forehead.
"Two hundred, hm?" His eyes searched from Twig, to Bree, and back again. "Is that for the both of you?"
"Um." Twig, for the first time, looked taken off guard, like she finally had to think. "Each!" she eventually landed on.
There was a long pause, the dragon pondering. Finally, he answered. "A fair price. I think I can manage."
Twig's smile was so wide her sharp, jagged teeth showed. Bree looked astonished, then sighed in relief.
"Great!" Twig cheered, her chair slamming back onto four legs. "So, your room, then?" She clasped her palms together as she gave the dragon the most sultry gaze she could muster.
"In due time," the dragon told her. "But first, a small request..." He gestured at a nearby chair, wordlessly instructing Bree to pull up a seat next to her friend. The lump in the smaller goblin's throat hadn't fully subsided even by the time she was sitting shoulder to shoulder with Twig.
"Freaky stuff'll cost you extra," Twig warned. Bree tried not to look too embarrassed.
"I'd just like to talk, for a bit. I hope that won't be a problem." The dragon's smile was infectious, and the goblins found themselves mirroring it without realizing.
"Hagglin' for a discount already? You're not a cheapskate are you?" Twig asked, an eyebrow raised suspiciously.
