Lungworth

A little ahead of schedule, Gulveig arrived at the statue of Felicia and thanked the local valkyrie for the warm welcome in her land. Soon after, the first people began to arrive, clearly joining her squad, as they were all some kind of bandits.
Their number was perhaps less than she would have liked, but it definitely exceeded her worst expectations.
Convinced that the time was right, Gulveig began her speech.

For some reason, the leader of the band of mercenaries, Garret, seemed completely different in reality. His imagination had painted a picture of a stern man, with a shovel-like beard, piercing gaze, strong calloused hands, and a body covered in scars – a veteran who had seen it all, surviving countless dangerous skirmishes, but at the same time, not some invulnerable hero, miraculously avoiding attacks that ended up hitting his comrades, but rather someone who could stoically endure blows and pain, spitting out bullets and tearing out blades stuck in his body. Such a man would be laconic, clearly and simply conveying their goal and the actions that would lead to its achievement to his comrades.

But here, it was some girl, rambling on about plants, trust, ready to show almost maternal care for the twigs she was collecting in a bundle, lost in excessive thoughts about the vicissitudes of life instead of a firm hand and a strong word... All of this bred skepticism, but Garret didn't even think about leaving, even though, with somewhat inappropriate kindness, she directly suggested that those present rid themselves of such a commander. Despite the not-so-inspiring speech, he noticed considerable courage and will in the girl. And her subsequent words described her as an experienced warrior – this was more pleasing, considering that there was no hint of falsehood in it. Although, emphasizing her faith seemed a bit strange to him. Overall, it was possible to work with this, but promising trust and long-term fruitful cooperation was difficult.

Gulveig moves on to a personal acquaintance with each candidate she doesn't know yet (and in the case of Guy and the old man, she asks them too). She approaches, looks into their eyes, asks for their name, where they are from, what their faith is, why they decided to become a mercenary... And asks in more detail about their skills than just "specialist in one-handed/two-handed/throwing toothpicks."

For politeness, Garret twisted his lips into a smile and said his name.
— From Aster. What motivates me? The clinking of coins doesn't sound too original... But it's very tempting. And I also like adventures like this. My main skill is simple – to stick arrows into the face of an enemy who appears in the distance, naively thinking that no one will reach him. But you know...
He patted the skeleton on the shoulder and gently pushed him forward.
— Meet my brother, Gulveig. This is Harold. He's a little dead now and not very talkative, but death has made him much stronger. It's not easy to put him down for good. While you're trying to stop him, he'll already have cut up a lot of meat with his knife, like a real chef. He's a great guy, overall.
A contagious laugh echoed in his head, and Garret grinned.