Rosewater Oasis Goodbye, sweet things

Like the lines in the desert sand being swept away by a breeze, the contempt faded from her features. She remained in the water, which seemed to grow more still around her yet, now that she regarded him evenly. He moved forward, so that he might too share in the water's touch, carefully keeping his movements benign and graceful so she might not feel cornered. Now that they were in talks, he felt they should lower their voices. 

Even the Oasis, he believed, could listen and be biased. 

"I cannot make bargains when I have so little to offer, at the moment," He admitted. After all- he had no claim to the Oasis, and no affiliates. No treasures squandered away in this area, either. "But I have a talent for acquiring valuable things...Whether it is knowledge, riches, affiliations..." He said, watching her features to see if any of those struck her fancy.