Al had been through negotiations with native chieftains who acted a lot like this eldritch-looking person; lots of flash and pomp, and overwhelming numbers. Mostly window dressing, but you never really knew how close they were to popping off, or which tree held a sniping blowgun artiste. Thingds were dicey at best, here.
He'd seen elves in Undertown, all classes were down there. It was like a chinatown but with elves instead of Asians. This person looked elvish, but...not. Maybe a half-caste? When her hand went to her sword, Al's moved toward the khukri and gripped the hilt. He noticed Meri taking a similar action, and moved, hand still on the hilt of the massive, almost sword-like nepalese weapon, to stand beside and slightly in front of the vampiress.
"Do nothing until they act -" he muttered sotto voce, head turned to the side and slightly back to look at Meri sidelong, taking in the uniform, the epaulet braids and single shoulder brush, and the rather minimalistic "scrambled eggs" on the visor of the wheel hat, "Commander, huh? You might outrank me in the Russian Airfleet, but here, we're equals at least. If you get Jace in a sword or fire fight and she gets it, you'll get it from me. Got it?"
Meri felt the silver inlays and magical nature of Al's knife; there was something there besides just regular Khukri mystique, to be sure. She doubted the thing could be as much of a threat as he seemed to think it was, but that magickal taint was nothing to sneeze at, and in any case, Al acted (and looked, damn him! both Dreyfuss and this loudmouthed cad of a merc lieutenant had the same face!) and talked like a certain Texian who'd shoved her off an airship and inadvertently into a certain hole in time.
"Al..." she answered, also sotto voce so that none would hear her but Al, and poerhaps Jace, "I will defend my comrades, including you, Jace, Donna, that hun-ahem. That person Liam, and Wilfred, to the edge of Tartarus' pits and within them. I won't precipitate a battle, but if one develops-!"
"Shut it!" Al's sotto voce managing to override Meri's. "leave it at that before they hear you. I get it, and I'm grateful."
