He fit her preconceptions of a raider, apart from the eyes. Asva saw a cunning mind behind them. This wasn't someone who'd be taken advantage of.
Could she work with him? Should she? When Thjorn revealed where the arvinim came from she'd been dubious about attending the meeting. She could have let the information out and damaged the Society, possibly forcing them to abandon the trade. But doing so would have helped the Alliance's standing, and she didn't know what the long term effects of that would be.
If this meeting ever became known it would mean trouble, but given the paucity of other options available it had to be worth the risk.
He seemed amenable to an alliance so the Society couldn't pit them against each other. With the amount of arvinim they had compared to other sources – assuming she trusted Gulmaer's estimate – they could establish a monopoly. Of course they'd still be supplying the same two buyers, who'd control the market.
Or did they have to? That was the way things had always been, selling to the guilds at one price, and they'd sell it on to their members at a mark up. Could they set up an independent distribution system, selling directly to their members? Or any glyphpunks who could afford it? Maybe they could even reduce the price if it reduced the power of the guilds.
It was something to consider. And she saw few other possibilities. So she'd deal with him.
Not that she had any intention of shaking on it, especially if he spat in his hand.