Again, Blackberry felt that horrid horrid flush of foolishness. He should have asked for more details about Avonshire before setting off to avoid this…oh well. No use crying over spilt milk.

“Ah I see.” He nodded at the women's explanation of their employment.

Whether they worked for Sheriff Arbalest on a long term basis or not didn’t make much of a difference to him. He paused for a moment when asked what his business with Sheriff Arbalest.

Best not burden them with it all just now as I am clearing stepping on some toes. He thought.

“There's been…some trouble near my home. I’ve been travelling for a while trying to find some aid but, alas, no luck so far. So I have been forced to follow rumours of famous heroes and the like. Admittedly, the Sheriff is just the latest in a rather long line of such.” A tired sigh escaped him and he quickly turned away.

Thunder crashed overhead like a laughing crowd. Evidently, Beshaba, Goddess of Misfortune was having a wonderful day. Casting an angry glare skyward Blackberry placed his hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating like a drum beneath, and let out a deep breath.

“Absolutely!” He grinned ecstatically at the offer to accompany them. “I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate the offer. You will not regret it I assure you!”

Pushing his way forward through the crowd he aimed to leave a bit of a wake behind him so the others could follow with relative ease. He pulled up some of the fabric around his neck like a hood against the rain as he continued to explain over his shoulder.

“As for providing assistance I can hold my own in a fight, if needed.” He grinned, baring sharp teeth, and clenched his fist first emphasis before letting out a chuckle. “Although let’s hope nothing of that nature comes up.”

Catching up with the vegetable woman, Blackberry put on his calming smile again hoping not to intimidate her.

“Of course, please, you have nothing to worry about. I’m simply a concerned individual trying to understand what is happening. I shan’t take up much of your time.” He explained with an open palm. “I am curious as to how you know the child from a moment ago. The one who…changed, just now.” He pointed a finger back down the street to where the scene had taken place. “I heard you mention that you knew him.”

The lady pushing the cart looks nervous enough, and while she seems that she might be the gossiping type, she clams up fast. "You seem like a nice ...boy? Right now I'm trustin' all of two folk in this town. I'm married to one, an' the other's not you. I aim to be behind walls, quick as I'm able." The woman resumes pushing her cart away a step faster than before.

His smile dropped and was replaced with a look of panic.This wasn’t going to plan at all!

“Ah-wait, no please, just a moment...”

But no luck, and Blackberry couldn’t help but wince watching the woman leave at a furious pace. He took a step or two forward as if to give chase but then thought better of it. Last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself by harassing some poor towns person. He turned and gave the pair a reproachful look. He had well and truly stuck his foot in it just then and knew it.

“Admittedly, that did not go to plan.”

Oh dear Gods PLEASE let their offer still stand.

Kathryn waited until they were out of conversation distance from Madame Marcie and the other workers before replying to her comments. She wanted to keep any party issues as internally as possible. "You never say his name right, and it sounds like you're doing it intentionally. Most people don't enjoy their names being intentionally mispronounced." She wasn't sure which would be harder to work with when it came to Kosara, explaining customs, or explaining why what she was doing wasn't going to help their situation. Or both. Either way it was making problems they had worse. Granted, Kathryn wasn't he;ping things as much as she could either. Her quip to the constable after he tried to diminish the worth of Kathryn's titles likely did not help things.

Kathryn listened as Kosara mentioned about mercenaries. This... was concerning. Maybe mercenaries were used differently from where she used to live? But as she listened to what Kosara had to say, it sounded pretty spot on with a lot of other mercenaries she had seen Ser Lucas work with. Blood lust, money hungry, perverts, many unfriendly folk. But she found people like that in any professional setting where there was a physical power over others. She tried to make the distinction between mercenaries and Adventurers and Kathryn had to think about it. The closest to adventure stories she got were family tails from when her house went to war. Tales from and about her uncle and his exploits, her great grandparents in founding their house, though she heard a couple others the more extravagant ones that Kosara was likely referencing were not stories Kathryn heard until recent years when herself and Ser Lucas arrived in the kingdom for work. "Kosara... We may be adventurers, but we're doing mercenary work. At last our cover is mercenary work. an many adventurers are in this gig for the money as well. Many yes are here to help where they can, but many also want to get paid. Hell, myself and Ser Lucas would also be considered mercenaries for the longest time. We worked guard jobs once I was old enough to fight properly." She wasn't sure she was helping now that she spoke the words. "It sucks you got stuck with assholes like that at you home. If it makes you feel better Ser Lucas and I had to deal with a couple of those kind of people ourselves when they didn't understand to back off at a tavern we like to frequent? I will say, adventurer sounds like an upgrade from mercenary. Assuming we can get this situation under control..." She was enjoying her time with party, though she could see things rapidly getting out of control here.

Making their way through the streets wasn't too bad. Most people had seen to have cleared the roadways going home to likely avoid the rain, or the rumors of monsters. "We all agreed to meet up at mid day. So that's what we'll do." But if the others were dealing with a monster? What would they do then? Just keep waiting while some creature had their way with their team? "We'll give them some time in case they are running late. But we have to assume at least for a little bit they're able to keep to the plan, and they will follow it." She paused as the front of the public house came into sight. If Cavendish was following or tracking them, then at least the Constable wouldn't be able to figure out where they were all sleeping at night. Maybe he was just annoyed, but he also seemed ready to escalate things. Something Kathryn would like to avoid. "If they don't arrive soon, we'll look for them. Alright? But we have to assume things are still going to plan at least for a little bit." Kosara went off a little more about not being mercenaries, but Kathryn already made whatever points she could about it. She hoped the others were okay, she hoped that the Constable wasn't already after them, or herself and Kosara. She hoped that whatever was going on was well within their scope of abilities.

The woman who spoke up earlier was suddenly less receptive to conversation. Or were that not the case, her desire appeared less aligned with discussion and more with brief monologue. Either way, the exchange with the blue Dragonborn did not bear the fruit that he had apparently hoped. With that, and the enhanced fleetness of foot which marked her exit, Victoria's opinion of the situation had altered. Keeping out in the middle of this fast emptying street with people looking on half hidden from behind window slits after something unnatural was not the kind of attention that she was after. These were not appreciative crowds of present and potential fans, nor were they the solemn crowd associated with her more noble pursuits of her College's philosophy. Her crowd-seeking was better served among those in cheer, or those in sorrow. Fear did not create a preferred audience.

The original deference to Marita's judgement on how to proceed was overruled by the Bard's more flighty nature, a decision having been made which was more along the avenue of what was more desirable for self. She would have called it pragmatic, even if such a word was rarely used to describe her to others. So in that amounted to a declaration of self assertion, Victoria leaned over to her much holier associate and quietly proclaimed, "I am not comfortable here. I shall find my way back to meet up with the others and..." Victoria paused for a second to attempt to find the right words for the occasion, continuing, "...and I leave your superior judgement to puzzle out the mystery of our new friend." She was not the most insightful of persons, and understood her limitations in this regard.

Victoria's hand rested on the hilt of her sword, a seeming act of nonchalance which kept it positioned for a fast draw from her other hand; not that her talents fully lay with the sword, but not everyone would know that. Her voice and her violin were the more deadly of her defenses, naturally, as well it should be, to her thoughts. She slid the first two fingers of her right hand across the brim of her wide-brimmed hat, gave the Cleric a nigh roguish smile and a wink, and strode down the street with more confidence than she actually felt. It seemed to be a trend with her lately. Responding to standing mental command, her previously living, burlap wrapped henchboar started trotting just behind Victoria and to her side.

She did briefly stop next to Baronfjørd. Her eyes were occupied with windows and places where folk could conceivably be hiding, and as such Victoria did not look to the young Dragonborn as she spoke, again just loudly enough to be heard by him. "I feel famished. I return to our group, hopefully to take a luncheon. Perhaps a bottle of wine. It has been that category of day. Perhaps we will hear more of your story then." It wasn't precisely an invitation. The thought did occur to Victoria that this person was another outsider, like themselves. He was also just sighted with her and Marita out in the open while that boy started to shift, after which he openly mentioned the Sheriff. If the wrong eyes saw this happen, then their new acquaintance was probably just made a target by forces still murky of origin. "Excuse me."

Victoria tipped her hat in him direction and again set off down the road. To her estimation, if anything particularly aggressive was going to happen, there would be a delay while the news of what had happened set in and plans were made accordingly. It was best to get off of the street before then.

Marita listened to the Dragonborn's reasons for seeking out the Sheriff, her face scrunched up in puzzlement. That certainly wasn't a reason she was expecting to hear about. The man definitely came off as a grizzled veteran, but more in the vein of one who spent most of his life on the force rather than somebody who would carry a title such as "hero." Certainly if she were in need of one with a reputation of that, Avonshire is definitely not a place she would seek such personage out. However, from the sound of it, he was getting rather far down this list of people to seek aid from. Regardless, this new tidbit of information lit a spark in Marita's mind, connecting a few more things regarding the situation in the region, although it likely had nothing to do with their biggest problems at hand.

Marita noted that the first thing he went to when it came to providing assistance was combat prowess. They weren't necessarily wanting for that, but in the context of potentially the entire town being hostile, every bit helped. Judging by his martial-mindedness, lack of armor and light weapon, she guessed that he was like Hugh. To a degree. He certainly didn't seem the stealthy type. It would be seen if he was another such 'ki cultivator.'

The cleric followed behind the Dragonborn and tried her best to shield herself from the rain, to little avail. Now was the time that she regretted not bringing her shield. It wouldn't have been a great source of protection, but it would have been leagues better than nothing. To make matters worse, their new friend completely fumbled his first question and the lady ran off before she could try to interject. When Blackberry turned around, the face he'd be greeted with was one of irritation and disappointment, devoid of surprise, makeup ruined and running from the weather.

"It's about high time we get out of this rain," Marita said authoritatively. "We and our compatriots are staying at a hayloft in town. There we can get dry, have some privacy and catch up on the current situation before any of us catch a cold. We're supposed to rendezvous with the others around now. Hopefully they haven't gotten into trouble somewhere we can't locate them. I'm Marita, and my partner over there is Victoria by the way." With that said, she turned around to go to the hayloft arms crossed to maintain some degree of warmth.

Weather: The heavens have opened, spilling the contents of a thousandfold skyward buckets upon the earth below. This is no massive, flooding deluge, but a respectable enough downpour to chase folk from the streets. There might have been enough water to cover the cobblestones of the main streets, at the least, were it not for a superior drainage system which performed valiantly in its task of channeling it into the nearby river.

Time: It is just past midday, or thereabouts. Without context it would be difficult to say, as the sun is nowhere to be seen and the usual townish occurrences associated with midday were nonexistent.

Ambience: Rain and rumor have removed the lively action of the town almost completely. The streets are largely abandoned, with exceptions being the occasional awning under which handfuls of people might be clustered. Precipitation hammers out white noise and obscures vision at a distance; not as completely as the fog from the night previous but notable enough. Persons attempting stealth might find their efforts easier in these conditions. Rain dominates the Township as a feature, giving an eerie, ghost town feel even though this is the objectively the densest population in the region.

The Farmers' Market contained the best example of locals caring a little bit less than others about the crisis that they were all in. Maybe it was due to the utter stubbornness of the salt of the earth folk, or the clannishness of the agricultural families from nearby. Suffice it to say, they are holding fast. Pavilions, covered wagons, tents, and the like are heavily occupied, and the smell of roasting, smoking, and curing pork continues, though blunted by the weather.

The Traders' Market is virtually abandoned. All of the big trades done in the morning, but a couple of later boats came in nearer to midday. One tied off and its inhabitants fled to shelter from the weather, the other staying put under a tied-down shelter, its inhabitants patiently waiting for the rain of soften some.

Outside of the walls, things are tightly battened down. Many are awaiting a good opportunity to travel while others form up in knots of people and vehicles like a bolstered caravan encampment. No one sells wares, and their numbers have gotten even smaller.





COMING FROM THE WEST: The rain patters down regularly in front of the Honey Barn, turning the street into a respectable but quite fordable stream. This is a more secluded section of town, on the other side of the river and away from the places commonly populated during daytime hours, making it just perfect for prying eyes to gaze upon the unwary amid its corners and copse of trees. Luckily, Madame Marcie showed her newest guests across the main floor, up stairs to a low balcony, through a wonderfully appointed bathhouse attachment, and out a back way. The weather outside was not ideal, but it might just have beaten the alternative.

Naturally, the rain and obscuring conditions made it quite possible that any who wished to follow could do so at a distance, if they knew what they were doing. Once or twice, a person might be forgiven if paranoia had them look behind, anticipating hooded figures or the like but never quite seeing them.

Rainwater spilled from the bridges and cobblestones of the Township, feeding a slightly swollen river even as the settlement's ample drainage system did the same with greater efficiency. From this point, one may travel south and west to get back to the Hayloft/Public House/Stable area quickly, utilizing side streets. Either way, it is inevitable that Kathryn and Kosara make it back to this area about a minute before the others arrive.

COMING FROM THE EAST: Feet hit the flooded stones of the main thoroughfare with purpose, even if that purpose is to get out of the inclement weather. An uneasy sort of white noise peace fills the air around the trio of Baronfjord, Marita, and Victoria, as what should be a crowded and bustling street is abandoned, and all of the windows visible have been shuttered. With the exception of movement at the edge of visible distance, likely from others hurrying along to their destinations, this place could pass for a ghost town.

The most direct path takes the trio down the main thoroughfare and into the Township's center, where the huge stone basin still stands and a great, gurgling fountain seems to push water even higher in defiance of he rain's presence. No performers play their music here this time, though; no jugglers a'juggling, no songs being sung by skilled vocalists. Pushcarts, may of them, simply lay where they were left, the valuable things they might have once held removed for spots more secure.

From here is it south, as if to leave the same way which the party entered the Township. A quick cut to the east puts them within sight of their intended destination. The sign of the Public House swings back and forth in the rain and wind, pitching rivulets off to the ground below. The Stables seem open and friendly, as its proprietor is in the small, covered farriers' smithy in the front of the establishment. Fields by name, he remembers Marita and Victoria from before and gives a wave before getting back to repairing unruly nails with heat and hammer.



The party now removed from one another by a matter of traversable meters, and is within clear(ish) sight of one another. Casual observation has no one else out and about on this street right now, though you can hear something that might be business come from inside of the Public House. The Hayloft, nondescript and closed up as ever, lay right across from the Stable, which is right beside Neil & Bob's.

Anyone entering the Public House will see that three tables are occupied - the ones nearest to the bar proper. Lea is here, taking to her usual duties even if there really isn't much to do. Robert is here as well, taking up his position behind the bar like a seasoned professional. The former gives a smile and wave in the party's general direction, while the latter casts a wary look with steely eyes. There is a fire in the hearth, crackling warmly against the oppressive sounds of the rain from outside, and the overall feel of this place is more comfortable, with a decent toothsome smell of food cooking over the notes of ale in the air.

BlackBerry let out a relieved sigh as apparently his fumble wasn't so severe for the other two to take back their offer.

The woman he now knew to be Marita left no room for disagreement to meet up with the rest of their companions. So he simply gave a little nod and marched after her through the now near abandoned streets.

“A pleasure to meet you both. You may call me Blackberry."

Ah so there were more of them? BlackBerry had the distinct feeling he was missing something here; depending on how many more had been sent to Avonshire it could mean something very serious was afoot.

Could it be related to the disappearances?

He pushed the question away for now. He hadn't started off on the right foot so now was not the time to be asking such questions.

"Again, I must thank you, both of you, for allowing me to accompany you. If there is anything I can do to repay you for such kindness. Please do not hesitate to ask."

The idea of a nice, warm Hayloft and the enticing drink Victoria had suggested helped keep Blackberrys mood from plummeting, and kept the bitter chill of the wind and rain mostly at bay.

"Have you and your companions had a chance to enjoy the festival?" He asked Marita in an attempt to brush away the awkwardness of meeting someone new. "There was a rather marvellous celebration the other day, around here actually, dancing all across the fountain."

Blackberry listened and continued to try to make some idle conversation with the other two while letting them both lead him to a section of the town he hadn’t yet explored yet and then on into the nearby Public House. Warmth and the welcoming smell of a food roasting somewhere out of view enveloped him like a cosy blanket when he stepped in and he couldn’t help but let out a sigh as he pulled down his hood, grateful to escape the horrid weather.

He stood off a little to the side towards the fire to try and dry himself off at least a little bit, and so the others could talk amongst themselves for a moment to discuss their own matters in private if need be. The other two people Victoria and Marita had greeted outside looked similarly battle hardened and well travelled as they did.

Yes. He thought. Definitely a group of adventurers.

So in all, now including the heavily armoured human woman and thinly veiled tiefling woman, it looked like Sheriff Arbalest had only sent four people to town. Now, either they were all very good at their work or whatever issue they had been sent to deal with wasn’t too serious. Blackberry’s eyes darted over their equipment and made him lean more towards the former option.

Hopefully he still had some money for some food and drink…

The rain poured down harshly on Kosara and Kathryn. Though Kathryn's helmet helped mitigate some of the downpour, it was far from water tight. The leather that held the chainmail in place was damp as hell, her under garments were beginning to get soaked, and she could feel her braided up hair getting more and more wet underneath her armor. Though the rain was annoying, it was far from her top concern. Her concern in this moment was the Constable. Kathryn had taken a few looks behind herself as she and Kosara walked down the roadway, and she was fairly confident that they were not followed. She didn't want to chance their safe house being compromised off the chance she didn't see anyone following. Or if someone had been waiting around for the party to return. They had too few allies and safe places to risk what they had. The more things progressed, the more she was concerned things would turn into a fight. Occasionally she would reach behind her head to make sure the grip of her family's sword was still there. A rather large and unweidly blade to most hands, struggling from it's years of age, combined with not seeing the maintenance of a true professional in years. It had also seen harsher conditions in recent years than it had since the founding of her house. In her hands though? It was a lethal weapon comparable to the best of arms available to any foot soldier. After confirming yet again it was still present, she looked around again to look for the others, and to make sure they were not followed.

She didn't have to wait long before she could see the others, but what she did notice, is that Rickard wasn't present? And they were being followed by... A dragon? Kathryn's first instinct was to prepare for a fight, having never seen a creature like this. Though seeing the casual nature of Marita and Victoria and this dragon like creature, she eased up a bit. She had heard rumors of humanoid dragon species, but she chalked them up to Kobolds, maybe larger then average Kobolds. It really made her wonder about how diverse her home land was considering the number of species she has seen in the last couple months she has never seen before. Kathryn gave a wave of one of her arms to get the other's attention, hopefully keeping them away from the hayloft for now. She had no idea how harsh the situation may end up being, so everything now had to be approached with caution.

Kathryn gave the dragon man a small wave as he entered, with her helmet on though her dumbfounded face was well hidden. She waited for Marita and Victoria to catch up before speaking up. "Things have changed. We need to talk, but not at home. Or out here. Let's get inside." She made it an effort to not mention the hayloft. Though it was no fortress, it was somewhere they had total control of the environment. Kathryn made her way inside, ducking further than usual to make sure she didn't bump her head on the doorway again. She had done enough of that recently. She took a quick look around to make sure no one was eyeing the party as they entered, as best as she could tell though, they were safe. But she ha trouble telling the difference between people curious about the strangers who had just entered, and those who may be looking for the party specifically. But she was comfortable enough to take off her helmet. As she went to take it off, she had trouble first locating the buckle holding her helmet on, and when she did find it, she found it stuck. After several jerking motions she wondered if the rain and wear and tear had finally had it's way with the old piece of metal. She could live with the buckle on for now, hoping it would be easier to remove once the leather it was attached to dried out some more.

Kathryn grabbed one of the large tables towards the back of the public house and sat down. Once everyone had joined she pulled her glove off, letting water pour out of it as she did so. Then she slid off the silver ring and put it in the center of the table. She had no idea if she would see what the silver smith was looking for, but with how things were going she wanted to figure out what she could. "I have a request for everyone. Kosara and I have already done this test, But we'll do it again if need me. I want everyone here to take this ring, and put it on their tongue, and hold it there for a moment. Once you are done pass it along to whoever is going next." Kathryn tried to give it as a request, but between her cautioned tone and the helmet covering her face, she sounded a bit more serious. "As well, has the constable confronted any of you yet?" she didn't think it was likely that he caught up to the others before they met up, but she wanted to be sure. She wanted to make sure all relevant information was out and on the table. In this case, literally.

Kosara was listening, but if she was taking in whatever was being said about adventurers and mercenaries was anybody’s guess at this point. She just looked impassively at Kathryn when she was being spoken about on that topic, but wasn’t replying, just giving her an neutral stare… Or maybe she wasn’t looking at her at all, for the moment the talk stopped she looked energetically to the side without nary a care in the world.” Adventurers are better than mercenaries indeed.” She finally quipped, indicating that yes, there indeed might have been some listening being done and she wasn’t just tuning out the warrior woman’s voice at that point of the talks.

“Alright… I suppose we COULD wait a bit for them to show up.” Kosara agreed reluctantly with the statement. If it was up to her, she’d be already rushing off to find the rest of the group, but she also had to admit that Kathryn was completely right on this and they had agreed on a plan. She had to follow the plan, well at least until a better one presented itself. Or this one was proving to not work out in any case. So she was going to wait and see, maybe they’d show up.

Sadly the weather was not nice. Rain was present nearly as soon as they left THE barn, but it was getting worse, she felt. Her hair was soaking in the water, making her feel cold! Maybe she should have stayed behind in the Honey Barn. It was warm there and she could make friends!’ No ,no ,no , have to meet with the others along with Kathryn. Quest to be done, adventure to be had!’ She reminded herself.

In the end when they neared the hayloft and the public house, the also spotted their jolly friends! Along wit ha new friend! Kosara thought hard on it and concluded the man was a dragonborn. It was a very astute deduction that certainly had nothing to do with the fact he looked like a dragon! Alright, it was cause he looked like a dragon and she had seen others at the caravan stop back home.” Hey! We found each others!” Kosara exclaimed when they spotted the party members by the Hayloft and Kathryn had rushed to grab them.” I was about to go search for you if you didn’t appear, but Kathryn convinced me to wait a bit before doing so first!” The tiefling quipped, eyeing her friends that were getting soaked in the rain and the newly appeared dragonborn whom she was certain was not with the group before.

“Hello there, I’m Kosara! Nice to meet you!” She greeted him, before looking at the public house.” Yeah, Kathryn’s right, let’s go out of the rain and grab some grub at the Public House!” She smiled and dashed away, content in the knowledge that they had met the party, so she was not going to need to search for them. Instead she rushed her way inside the Public House. It was dry and warm inside!” Hey, Bob, Lea!” Kosara greeted them laudly as soon as she entered, waving at them and taking seat by one of the tables where Kathryn was also in the process of getting a seat.

“Yeah it was really weird. I mean why silver and why rings? And why the tongue?” She added to Kathryn’s statement.” As for the constable, he was really grumpy still.”

Victoria was not surprised to see Kathryn and Kosara near the loft/pub area. They had agreed to meet up around this time. What was surprising was that they were waiting outside in this uncomfortable autumn rain. Not that rain was bad; many a time the occasionally flighty Bard found herself laughing and dancing about in a fine, gentle rain toward summertime back home, but the width of space separating that bit of nostalgia and the chill drenching of the present hour was vast. The weather did nothing to enhance her mood following the shocking event with the kid in the middle of the street, as well. She might have even been a little rude to their new acquaintance, giving him a curt nod at his introduction and little else on their sodden double-step walk back.

The initial idea was to get into the Hayloft as quickly as possible and dry off, but something in the way they were motioned over hinted at urgency. So, feeling quite like a wet cat, Victoria stepped in the direction of Kathyrn and Kosara in front of the Public House. The very tall, armored lady make a very bold statement with the sentiment that things have changed. Victoria suppressed a sarcastic laugh and instead nodded in agreement. Yes, things have changed. If their news was as big as what she and Marita had witnessed, things were going to change even more.

Inside of Neil & Bob's, Victoria beelined to the table nearest to the fire in the main room. Luckily it was unoccupied. While others began to settle in and meet the new Dragonborn, she removed her now soaked hat and flopped it upon the table unceremoniously. Immediately, she stripped away her slim, purple jacket and hung it across the back of a chair. The black silk she wore underneath clung uncomfortably to her physique which she immediately pulled away from her skin (as to maintain modesty in public) and immediately fanned it a bit in a futile gesture to remove excess moisture. With a sigh, she realized that a moment of immodesty was necessary as she let the fine, imported cloth fall back to her body and began to hum. A light shimmer of heat displacement and magic flitted about her clothing as water evaporated. A subsequent casting took care of her hat. Victoria was wearing lighter clothing now but at least she was dry, and near to a fire. Morty kept near to her, at mental command getting near to the fire to dry itself (but not so close as to let the smell of roasting ham fill the room).

After a sigh, Victoria began abruptly, "To speak plainly, Rickard left. We were investigating the property of one of the missing people. Next I was aware, he just left. For what reason, I could not say. This one," he motioned to Baronfjord, "Is looking for our employer." She felt like being succinct, and her words were beginning to reflect this. Victoria lay her violin case on the table in front of her and leaned back in her chair. Then she listened.

An eyebrow raised at the mention of the silver ring. She took it with some suspicion on her face, but placed it delicately upon her own tongue and held it there for a few seconds. The Half-Elf seemed almost surprised, even a little disappointed that nothing happened. But the final result was that nothing did happen. It looked to her like silver. Victoria's hand trailed over to the brooch pinned to her coat in the shape of a raven skull, likewise made of the argent metal. "What was the connection here?" she wondered silently. Based upon what she and Marita had seen, any pieces of supposition to that end were frightening. "We have our own news that changes matters here in town, though I daresay Marita is better qualified to speak on it. She had a significantly closer view than I." A brief look around the room had Victoria following with, "Quite franly, would prefer to have an in-depth dialogue with a hot meal and carafe of good wine, myself."

The ordinarily purple-clad Bard raised a hand to wave over the barmaid, Lea, a cheery smile spreading across her delicate, proportioned features. This faded quickly as something Kosara said began to sink into her thoughts. With everything else going on, she had no desire to leave a detail, even a seemingly innocuous one, unaccounted for. "Half a moment... What did you mean by 'the Constable was grumpy still', Kosara?"

It was nice to see the others again, even if Rickard wasn't able to catch up. Kathryn hoped the man knew what he was doing, and he was alright. Seeing everyone though had relaxed Kathryn somewhat. Though her facial expressions were not visible, her posture relaxed a little, her shoulders were no longer tense, she leaned forward a bit to listen to what others had to say, and her hands were not in immediate reach of her weapons. Though she was still on guard, she had relaxed enough to have a real conversation with her fellow party members. Seeing Victoria dry herself off with magic reminded Kathryn to take another attempt at her stuck helmet. Taking off her gloves, she made another attempt on the still damp clamp. Still no luck. If all went well, she'd get a new helmet at the end of this. New everything if things went well. Though that was far from her top concern, she would be glad to get her ageing gear replaced. Some bits of it were older than herself, and were battle tested before she got her hands on it.

Kosara explained a little of their situation, but in her adorable fashion, she did leave out the important context. Kathryn took witness to Victoria putting the silver ring on her tongue. She didn't notice anything, and with that, was wondering more and more if maybe the Silver Smith was just a crazy old man who had lost his mind. Having nothing to do with what they were doing. "Food would be wonderful. I haven't eaten since yesterday. Anything warm will make me one happy gal." Though it seemed that Victoria and Marita had their own moment or two of interest. It seemed they were making progress on their job, she worried it was the kind of progress though that would turn them into victims of current events rather than those who would be the heroes of this story. She left that concern to herself. They had no way of knowing where this story would go until they did something about it. And doing nothing was not an option. Victoria had her own questions on the events Kosara and herself have been on. "It's... complicated. So if you have questions as I explain, do ask. And I will do the best I can to answer." Kathryn took a deep breath as she decided which bits of information were the most important.

"Kosara and I made our way to see the L'Roses, they are doing okay, though shaken up. They seem to be safe now, and I have asked them to stay on guard." And Cecily was armed now. For whatever good that did. Kathryn hoped the poor woman wouldn't need the hand axe, but it was better than leaving her unarmed. "Kosara and I then went to check out the Silver Smith, and with some persistence from Kosara, we were let in by a Mr. Milard. Our resident silver smith who held us as crossbow point until we did his little test." Kathryn emphasized the ring now sitting on the table once Victoria was done with it. "Once we passed, he calmed down drastically, until mention of imprisonment came up. Then he lost it, and we found ourselves outside again. At this point, I can't tell if he was onto something, or maybe he had lost it. Or... Both." Kathryn had heard of some dungeons being so brutal, that the people who returned from them never were the same again. "With our immediate leads dried up, and time on our hands, we decided to explore our options and found ourselves at...." Kathryn realized it sounded almost silly, or that they may have been looking to slack off on the job while the others worked. "Madame Marcie's Honey Barn..." Kathryn said with a bit of a shy tone.

Kathryn sat back, a little more tense again. "That is when things got concerning. More so then they already were. Constable Cavendish was there with some guards. Taking a bag of coin offered to him by the staff. It reminded me of almost like a gangs protection deal, or some kind of bribe. We were not able to get a lot of details but they seemed very off." Kathryn wanted to choose her words carefully here. Maybe she misread the situation, or maybe he was on the lookout for something else. But if he wasn't, then they could all be in danger. "When he was aware of our presence, he appeared to be trying to take us out of the public eye. He seemed to be looking around for... witnesses. I have reason to believe he planned on taking us somewhere to arrest us, or something more..." She paused, she didn't want to jump to assumptions. But he left little to be implied. "Extreme. We exchanged some words, though not entirely friendly, far from hostile. When we tried to walk off, his men tried to stop us. He called them off saying he would go have a chat with you. Once he walked off Kosara and I entered the Honey Barn to figure out our next move. Fearing he may be waiting for us to leave either to catch us off guard, or for us to lead him back either the rest of the party, or our hideout, we began making our way out the back. At which time we heard about... A monster. With you two." Kathryn spoke with a puzzled tone. She briefly wondered if the Orphan Monster was this Dragon man with them now. How things were turning, it would surprise Kathryn, but she had an idea how rumors could spread if left unchecked.

Blackberry took a minute to savour the heat of the fire and work some warmth back into his hand exposed arms, savouring the bitter bitter smell which wafted up from the hearth. Casting his eyes around, he took a moment to appreciate how well put together it was inside. Despite the cold and frigid weather outside, the lashing of the rain against the windows was surprisingly quiet. The public house had clean floors and worn but sturdy furniture throughout to really cement itself as the place to be on a day such as this.

BlackBerry chewed his cheek when he spotted the price board behind the bar preaching all its wonderful and tasty sounding food that was, unfortunately, a bit out of his budget at the moment unless they had something else a bit cheaper. Maybe some nice warm soup and a slice of bread was on offer, or some cheap ale of some kind? Frankly, BlackBerry was also quite happy for anything warm and moderately fresh at this point, so long as it was edible. He cast an eye down to the small pig that had joined him by the fire and noted that it was standing very still. Rather oddly so…

Hearing Victoria talk pulled him out of the thought and he looked over just as she motioned and explained he was after their employer. He took that as his cue and stepped over and swung his bag down off of his shoulder beside another chair at the table.

"Hello there, it’s wonderful to make your acquaintance." A polite smile and a wave to the other two, with an extra nod to the Tiefling Kosara who had introduced herself outside. “My name is Blackberry. Your companions have very kindly offered to let me travel with you until you meet up with the Sheriff again."

Having now stepped up to the table, and resting an elbow upon the back of the chair, he couldn’t help but take in the rest of the conversation and wonder just what sort of mad adventure he had stumbled into this time. Looking over at the ring in Victoria's hand he couldn’t see anything particularly unusual or special about it at first glance. His eyes followed it back to the table.

“Disgusting behaviour. Especially for one of the law.” He grumbled at the mention of the Constables' behaviour. "But in any case, the rumour mill is working hard already, I see. Personally, I wouldn't go as far to say there was a monster; there was a child who changed suddenly in the middle of the street and did look rather frightful for a moment.”

He held the image in his mind for a moment; all red eyes and long teeth as the child's body writhed frantically out of his coat and then scampering away.

He looked to the woman, or so he assumed by the voice, sitting opposite him decked out in tired heavy armour. Initially he had been taken aback by her voice given her sheer height. While he didnt count himself as being tall he had gotten used to seeing over the heads of other races.

“Beg your pardon, do you require some help with your helmet?” He asked with his hand out towards her. “You appear to be having some trouble with the buckle.”

Kathryn looked over to the Dragonborn known as Blackberry. She considered his offer for help, but there was clear hesitation. She’d be vulnerable to any harm he may want to do to her, and there would be nothing to stop him if she let him. But she was stuck, and she couldn’t get the leverage to undo her near broken buckle. “That would be nice. Thank you.” She said softly trying to hide her reservations. It was nothing she had personally against Blackberry. Anyone asking she’d have a comparable reaction, she felt vulnerable easily. And the only time she let someone make physical contact with her so far was when Kosara felt her arm underneath her chainmail.

BlackBerry could hear the hesitation, possibly borderline distrust, in her voice which was completely understandable given he was a complete stranger who had introduced himself barely a minute ago. He moved around to her side of the table and Knelt down slightly to better see under her helmet so that when the woman removed her hands and tipped her head back slightly he spotted the problem immediately; the buckle's prong had bent and so was now firmly lodged in the frame leaving the poor woman trapped in her helmet.

“Ah. Worry not, I see the problem. One moment.” Using his thumb to push the strap over to the side he was able to wrap his middle finger around the prong and pull, whilst also pushing against the frame with his index and ring fingers. The Prong held defiant for a moment before popping free, letting Blackberry undo the strap.“There we are. And through the grace of the Gods, you are thusly made free!”

He moved his hand up towards the top of her helmet to grab it and pull it off for her, but then BlackBerry thought better of it before he grabbed the helmet and instead put his hand on the table to push himself back up. The ring caught his attention again as he stretched back up. Sitting there on the table's surface it looked plain as anything and without a care in the world. But it must obviously have something going on if the Silversmith really asked for it to be used for a test

“Was the test simply to place it on your tongue?” He asked, eyeing the ring and deciding to give it a closer look once Marita had done her own test. “I assume theres an enchantment of some kind upon it?”


Kathryn's response was written by @Remipa Awesome

By the time they had managed to get to the hayloft, almost all of Marita's makeup had run off completely. All that remained was a mere echo of streaks showing what had used to be on her face, obvious to anyone who looked, but no longer giving her the visage of an angered specter of one who had perished with a grudge against the living. As they approached, Marita saw Kathryn wave them over towards the Public House. Although she would much prefer the privacy to talk about what she wanted to discuss, if they were being flagged to go elsewhere by Kathryn, there was likely a good reason to do so.

When she stepped into the Pub, for a brief moment an expression approximating contentment briefly crossed her face. The Hayloft might have been more secure, but there wasn't much in the way of climate control in the building, and the cleric was very wet and absolutely frigid. Sure, if she was some sort of mage she could whip out a Prestidigitation cantrip and instantly clean up and light a fire, but things were not so convenient for those of the faith. At least in here she would dry out before nightfall and perhaps they could wait out the poor weather. Unlike Victoria, she resisted the temptation to head towards the fire. It would take far too long to get dry and there was much to discuss. No, she would simply bear with her sodden garments.

Marita took the ring from Victoria and looked over it. It appeared to be an ordinary silver ring. She briefly considered casting Detect Magic to see if that really was all that there was to it, but then decided against it. Such an action would likely be read as a brazen display of suspicion and the argument from 2 days prior was still fresh in her memory. No, she would trust in the others. Marita stuck her tongue out and moved to place the ring there, but stopped short, thought better of it and flipped it around so that the side to touch her was not the same as the one that had been on Victoria's. It was gross, she had to do what she could to mitigate that. After a few seconds of nothing happening she removed it. She didn't question why they had been asked to do that, she had a pretty good guess as to why.

She listened to what Kathryn had to report of their doings and thought about how much she should say in return.

"First Victoria and I headed over here where we met Rickard. Rickard was another outsider we met yesterday," she quickly explained to Blueberry, "He wanted to check in on a friend of his who owned a woodworking shop here before we would talk to the dressmaker about his missing daughter. I asked Lea a few questions about some other leads while they went ahead. By the time I caught up to them, Rickard was gone. I'm not sure where he went, but I think he'll be fine. However, the woodworking shop was abandoned. It was almost like nobody had been in there for several days. However, upon closer inspection, there were signs of a hasty clean up, and Victoria found an lock of beast hair. Furthermore, it appeared that everything of value had been looted, and there were deep claw marks on the insides of the cupboards. It was around now that I had an epiphany on what is likely the reason behind things." Marita very specifically did not name what he conclusion was to avoid spooking anybody who might overhear the discussion or tip off any errant eavesdroppers.

"Unfortunately, before we could do anything about it, I noticed we were being spied on. He was a young boy, quite thin and clothed in threadbare hand-me-downs. He gave us quite the chase before I managed to catch him in the main thoroughfare. It was then that he changed as Blueberry mentioned it. His flesh and bones warped and twisted in my grasp before he broke free and ran off. It was then that we met Blueberry looking for the Sheriff. After that it started to rain and now here we are." Marita made an expression that she hoped would be read as There's more I'd like to say but I can't here before shifting around in her seat. Wet clothes and mail made cheap seats even more uncomfortable to perch upon.

"Would you like to explain your plight to out comrades," she off-handedly asked the Dragonborn. If nothing else, it would fill the silence with things that were not security liabilities while they were waiting for food and drink.

Weather: The rain has kicked into high gear. While the temperature remains around 50^oF (10^oC), the humidity is a steady factor.

Time: It is very early afternoon, though if one turns their eyes to the sky to get a better idea they would be sorely disappointed with the lack of reference points. If one stares at the sky for too long with their mouth open, drowning is a possibility.

Ambience: The sounds of rain roared against the roof of the Public House. Hammering white noise filled the ears and made casual discussion difficult without raising one's voice a little. Considering that the few others in this place were also speaking in raised voices and it was difficult to make out what they were saying, it seemed everyone was having a little difficulty. Luckily, thunder was not a thing with which one had to contend to be heard, just the seemingly omnipresent downpour.


Of the three tables sparsely occupied by locals and other guests, one group of three stood and readied to leave. A modest but acceptable gratuity was left on the table, the last of drinks were drained, and coats were pulled over heads before a mad dash out into the weather. Apparently, they had somewhere to be. Lea, the barmaid, wasted no time in tending to their table and picking up her tip. This left two tables (aside from the party's) remaining. They seem not to be interested in any business but their own.

Robert remained behind the bar for the meantime, giving studious expressions to the occupied tables remaining. He poured himself a tall mug of ale and leaned forward to rub his temples briefly, but otherwise did nothing of consequence. Once the vacated table was cleared, Lea made her approach to the group's table (or whichever table the majority of the group had gravitated toward) and gave a friendly, well-meaning smile. A slightly more personal greeting went to Marita, who helped her with her work the previous evening, in the form of a quick wave. Lea then entered into a variation of one of her usual professional queries. "Hi! It's great to see you all back. What can I get for you? I'll let you in on something," She spoke the last sentence as if to reveal a quaint secret, continuing with, "The bread is very fresh, the fruit is really good today and... I think Daisy is just finishing up a batch of her butternut squash soup. It's sooo yummy."

Behind her, Robert had taken the opportunity to walk to one of the tables near the bar that still had patrons. There was a quick discussion followed by the shaking of hands and this table's occupants also getting up to leave. As Lea took orders or fielded questions, Robert had a similar conversation with the final table. It was more than a sentence or two between them, and the sound of coins hitting the floor could be heard, hastily scooped up by Robert and placed back on the table. They too made their preparations to exit.

The named proprietor finally made his way over to the party. He lay a hand on Lea's shoulder and spoke in a softer voice than any of you recall hearing from him before, saying, "Their meal is on us. We're losing money today, anyhow. No sense letting fresh food go to waste." He quickly added, "Drinks are still full price," raising a brow at Kathryn. He paused, giving what appeared to to considered thought and waiting until the last person from the last table exited the building before offering, "As a matter of fact, I have an errand I would be willing to pay you to handle for me, if you would." Robert reached into apron and pulled out a small moneypurse. From this he withdrew five gold coins and stacked them neatly on the edge of the table. "I am in no great hurry. But if you can, Mr. Mallard has a special order for me. I would appreciate if you would collect it and bring it back after the rain lets up some."

The main room of Neil & Bob's Public House was empty except for the party, Bob, and Lea. The ever present rain seemed to enhance what was an otherwise notable quiet. It is broken by Robert, "Dry off for a while. Let Lea know if you want anything. Excuse me." The proprietor; the Bob on the shingle of the business, tapped the gold coins on the table and finished with, "Let me know if you don't know want easy money, I'll come by to take it back," and moved to return to his spot behind the bar.

Kathryn was slow to accept help from Backberry. She would be vulnerable as he dealt with the stuck buckle, and if his intentions were anything but honest and helpful there would be nothing Kathryn could do to stop it. She winced slightly as he bent the prong back into place, and relaxed as he retracted his hands. "I... Thank you very much." Kathryn said very relieved. She took off her helmet and set the battle worn helmet down on the table and pulled her long braid out of the confines of her armor. "It's been a crazy moment here but uh, I'm Lady Kathryn Pyke. Or Ser Kathryn Pyke depending on which titles you prioritize above others. It's nice to meet you Blackberry. I hope we can help you with your quest here." The dragon born was a strange creature to Kathryn, but he was polite and helpful. "As for the ring..." She hadn't considered if it could have been enchanted. She just assumed it was silver and there was nothing else to it?! "Well uh... You just place it on your tongue... but... I don't actually know if it's enchanted..." Kathryn's inexperience to matters such at these were very evident. She saw information that seemed important, and took it an ran with it. Her lack of knowledge in magic seemed to also not help her.

Kathryn listened closely and Blackberry and Marita explained the situation with the child monster. First, a spy, then a spy turned... Monster. The whole thing was strange. And Kathryn was wondering if this whole thing was a lot stranger and had a lot more too it than was implied. She paused for a moment, Marita seemed to want to say more, but didn't. Kathryn gave the woman a knowing nod. She figured she either had something she didn't want to risk saying in a public space, or she was still building trust with Blackberry. She would have to find a chance to talk with the Cleric in private. She may also be one of the better people to talk about with her own suspicions. To either tell her she was crazy, or that she had a legitimate concern. Or maybe she could get answers right here and now? She turned back to Blackberry when the conversation seemed to wrap up. "I don't suppose by any chance you speak goblin tongue?" If they could wrap that up, then maybe they could get some answers instead of questions. So many questions opening up. Too few answers. And she worried more and more about the connections of those goblins and their mission.

Though a lot had happened, things were calm now. They were relatively alone within the public house, and now that the party was back at full strength-plus, she doubted Constable Cavendish would attempt anything against them. At least not like what was going on at the Honey Barn. Lea soon approached the table. Kathryn hadn't really gotten to meet the woman yet but she seemed really nice from what she could gather. Kathryn found herself intrigued by Lea as she held off a on her "Something". Kathryn's curiosity would always take a priority in her thought process. "Oh that does sound good, if I could get two bowls of that with some bread and..." She paused for a moment, skipping breakfast meant her stomach was on a warpath. "If you still have some fruits I'd like some apples as well, maybe a slice or two of watermelon if you have it. Could I also have some milk? If not some water would be lovely please!" Her purse would lose this battle against her stomach as Kathryn ordered with glee. Maybe she should pick up cooking and see about making her own food to save on purse? Then, the best news she had gotten all day.

Robert had approached the party and had offered the lot of them free meals. Had today gotten much better, Kathryn may have forgotten that she was about lured into a hidden part of town by members of the law participating in suspicious activities. Though he made sure to add a comment about the ale, looking at Kathryn with that line. Had she really drank that much last night? She paused to think about it, and remembered a brief moment where she gripped how loose her chain mail was in an attempt to determine if she had gotten fat. She went red face at the thought and had to resist the urge to hide underneath her helmet. Then, he offered the lot of them a job. Pick up an expensive order from Mr. Mallard and bring it back here. Not timely, but she assumed the job wasn't one to just be forgotten and done whenever the party felt like it. "I don't see why not, seems strait forward enough. And it shouldn't take long at all." She saw the pay, five gold coins. Whatever it was, it was pricey. She wondered though... If the shop was closed then how were orders being made? Did he have contact with the silver smith while he was in hiding? Maybe it was a back order? She was tempted to ask about it, but held her tongue.

But they had a job and at the very least a direction, and an excuse to followup with the silver smith. And maybe also figure out if that ring Kathryn made everyone put in their mouth was cursed. She could also return it as well. But until the rain calmed down, it was better to wait it out. They were not in a rush at the moment, and for now they were safe. Adding to Marita's question to have Blackberry explain his situation a bit, Kathryn figured she would try to learn a bit more about the people she was working with. "Adding to this, I know how some of you came to be here on this mission, but I don't know why if that makes sense. What brought you lot here? Money? The idea of adventure? Something more personal? I think it would be good if we lot got to know each other just a little bit." Kathryn said with an innocent smile on her face, a little excited to know more about the people she had been working with, and if things kicked off to the extreme, people she would have to depend on.

With Kathryn explaining out the situation they had experienced, Kosara hummed in approval to the retelling of the story.” Mr Cloverwish.” She nodded when the warrior woman mentioned the man’s name. Alright she was doing it on purpose right now, but she was a bit angry at the grumpy man right now. Not that it mattered much as far as she was concerned really. The constable was a mean man by the looks of it and there were certainly more happening here if what was being told by Marita about one of the people who vanished and returned, turning into a monster was true. She wasn’t sure what could turn people into monsters though.

Also their new friend that had appeared had a most delicious of names, a name that made her want to have some pastries with blueberries… Yes his name made her think of sweets and with a name like that, she wasn’t even in the need to think him a nickname. He was already using a good fitting nice and fun name! Her attention was pulled away by Lea and her sweet siren call of foodstuffs.

“Yes, I would love some fresh bread and anything that’s for lunch proper. Fruit’s good, but I want real meal!” She nodded with great enthusiasm on the topic of tasty food. She wasn’t planning on eating much right now, but she really did need some lunch, her stomach felt so empty from the energetic events in the day so far.” We can probably do that task, Mr Robert! Though gotta confirm with the rest of the group first, can’t promise for them! Who is this Mr Mallard though? Are there like many people with that name in town? Or is it Mr Silversmith?” She asked, wondering whom the man had meant. There was a Mallard that was the Silversmith that was so rude and had them do unreasonable demands and then tossed them out on the street like they were nothing! They had to know, it would be a very weird thing if they showed up at a wrong Mallard fellow. Maybe it was a common name in these parts!

“ I wanted adventure!” Kosara replied to Kathryn with a smile.” I grew up around adventurers and travelers who would stop at our caravan rest at the oasis in the desert. They would retell me great stories of wonders and adventure and I wanted to see such things too! Besides it is good to be out there to help people, Grandpa would bring me around every now and then to help people on his travels around the desert, so I figured I could continue helping people while I travel.” She explained and pulled her leather bound big journal from her bags.” I write everything of my adventures here, once it’s filled I will send it back home, so my sisters could see and read about everything I’ve done! I want to make Grandpa and them proud one day!”

The explanation from Marita, concerning their part of the adventure separate from the others, was factually accurate if not quite as flowery in speech as she might have preferred. But not everyone could be a poet, she supposed, and relating the meat of what happened was more important than an entertaining monologue. Victoria was ever the performer, she supposed. Not that the discussion at the table was fully without entertainment value - the fact that Kosara and Kathryn made their move for the Honey Barn was a thing which the young Bard was a little disappointed she did not witness for herself. "I look forward to seeing what sort of place The Honey Barn is. Especially if there is a little coin for my travels to be had."

The other side of that issue was the direct answer to her question about the constable being "grumpy", and details surrounding their encounter. That he received a payoff from a place of questionable legitimacy did not raise her hackles; such things were commonplace and often beneficial to all parties involved, if just a touch shady. But the reports of borderline (if not direct) hostility and an insistence that he would seek out herself and Marita were unsettling. "It was a smart idea to keep away from ...our spot... in case you were followed. Thank you." Diplomatically, Victoria did feel the need to state another point, "We will need to get back in there eventually." This was going to be a problem, and unless she missed her guess, Cavendish was part of this whole business somehow. Now all she had to do was figure out what precisely this business was and how the unpleasant Constable was involved.

More to recent developments, Victoria dedicated an amount of her brainpower to the mystery of the ring that Kathryn brought back from the silversmith's place. Having already taken the same test, if that display was a test of some sort, the act of it puzzled her. What was that supposed to accomplish? The idea that a simple silver band placed somewhere delicate could invoke a reaction of some sort might have merit, though for what and under which circumstances simply eluded Victoria's ability to deduce. Skilled in matters of general Arcana thanks to her specific training, this tiny detail had gotten past her in a way that she knew was basic. Victoria found this annoying. Vexed and wishing to focus on something else, the ordinarily purple-clad Bard focused her attention outward to what was going on in the rest of the Public House.

Robert busied himself with getting rid of the few remaining people in the building. Victoria could have sworn that he saw the man give them coins but could not quite tell what he was saying to them, thanks to the steady roar of rain and their distance from the other occupied tables. But he looked to be intentionally clearing them out. Them, and not the party. This was curious. She almost lay her hand on her sword. When he approached, the promise of free food was taken with both suspicion and gratitude. A girl's got to eat, after all, even if there was something ulterior going on. If said motive was to hire them for a quick and simple delivery job, then sure. "I'm confident that we might find inclination to run your errand, Robert, seeing as you are extending us a courtesy." Quid pro quo, and all that. But suspicions remained. She quickly added, "Perhaps people who were not thrown out of Mr. Mallard's storefront may achieve a more equitable result. What is the situation with the Silversmith? What exactly did you say to him?" Information to build an arsenal for a social engagement were just as necessary as when preparing for a fight, to Victoria's experience.

Answers would have to wait for a moment as Lea came to take their order. The presence of the hardworking, comely young woman gave Victoria a little smile despite the dire circumstances playing out around them, even so far as to allow a little color to rise in her cheeks before she gave some effort to fully recomposing herself. Still, in pleasant, melodic tones, she responded to the recommended repast with a spirited, "Then that is exactly what I shall have, Lea. It all sounds heavenly, thank you."

In the event that anyone caught her sudden change of demeanor, Victoria removed her now drier hat from from the table and shook it a bit, then turned to hang it on the back of her chair in an effort to give herself something to do while conversation progressed. When she was finished, she piped up with, "I am glad to hear that the L'Roses are faring well." A memory crossed Victoria's mind just then; one she had put aside for later, involving little Lizbeth and the state of repair of her favorite purple jacket. This would have to wait a while longer, it seemed.

On the subject of waiting longer, the rain seemed relentless and they had food on the way, so they were staying put for a little bit, at least. This seemed to be a prudent time to engage in a bit of non-business-related conversation. So she settled back in her chair, glad for the presence of the fire, and waited for an appropriate moment to speak. After Kosara related her story, Victoria figured it was as good a moment as any. And with a point in common with the Tiefling lady, she had an opener. Dulcet words flowed from Victoria as she said, "Oh, that's just precious, Kosara! I have sisters back home, too. Three of them. They're the entire world to me." Her tone shifted to something more serious. "I have a, ah... a cousin, as well. His name is Virgil." Victoria paused, as if contemplating exactly how to phrase her next words. When she resumed, it was with precise diction. "He is very much like myself. A Half-Elf. A True Bard; violinist. He studied the philosophies of the Grey Requiem. We even greatly resemble one another." A sigh, and then to the meat of her story, "Virgil was lost to us. I place a high wager on the possibility that, as I continue to walk the path of the Grey Requiem as an adventurer like he did, I will find out what happened. Hopefully by then I will have the ability to do something about it." A smile returned to her face. It was a little colder; a little more ambitious. But at least her spirits seemed improved.

So…there had been another member of their group who had simply left them suddenly? That didn't bode well at all.

And the more Marita explained their current situation the more questions BlackBerry had. How many people had gone missing? How long had this been going on for? Why weren't the local guards doing anything? Although, after a moment's thought, the issue of the Constable taking protection money might explain that last question.

Catching himself about to voice his own questions, he snapped his mouth close, thinking better of it. He had humbled into this situation and wasn't in much position to be asking questions the others no doubt already had had the answers to. Still…

At Maritas prompting to speak BlackBerry raised his eyebrows, almost surprised he was addressed, and replied. "Hm? Oh yes of course. I suppose I may as well."

He coughed a little to clear his throat, and to give him an extra moment to think of what to actually tell the group before him. Settling back down into his chair he began.

"Well, first and foremost I am from the Hiltoszin Monastery. Over on the Celadon Coast, if any of you know of it?."

A moment's pause to see if any in the group recognised the area. It was a large stretch of coast far off on the Eastern End of the continent, with only several fishing villages, small towns, wind battered hamlets, scenic bays and his own Monastery as its noteworthy features.

"It is a rather lovely spot, if I do say so myself. But, unfortunately, there has been some…trouble brewing, has been for quite some time actually. And my hope is to try and find someone who might be able to lend a hand, or at the very least give some direction. It's why I've been travelling out and around, lending a hand here, clearing out a group of bandits there, that sort of thing."

A buffering of rain crashed against the window, like a dark chuckle from the storm itself, made him pause. BlackBerry settled his gaze firmly on his hand resting on the table, now taping a half remembered tune softly on the stained wooden surface. He took some comfort in it whilst he took another moment to pull his thoughts together and to focus on his next breath in…and breath out. The storm would pass as all things do.

"Frustratingly though almost a year into my travels and half a continent away. I am unfortunately no closer to my goal than when I had first started." His temper flashed and slapped his hand on the table with a small bang, and his eyes returned to hopping around the party. "Every lead has been fruitless for one reason or another; no longer working, too far to travel, not enough information, wanting a frankly extortionate amount of gold both upfront and after, or has simply died in the meantime."

BlackBerry drew in a breath, sucking on his teeth, when he caught himself getting a bit too riled up with his own frustration, mixing in with embarrassment from before and the terrible unease all brewing in his stomach like the wind outside. He took another breath to steady himself.

"It was a few days ago I stumbled upon another such lead. Tales being spun in an open house and the like when someone mentioned…" For a moment he paused again. This time with a look to Marita and to consider what her own phrasing had suggested. Maybe she didn't want others to hear about them working with the Sheriff? He settled on his next words."Your employer. Apparently he had been quite an adventure in his younger years and I had hoped to meet him to ask for help."

Again Blackberrys brow furrowed deeply and pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly annoyed at the situation he had found himself in. Somewhat calmer now, he continued.

"But, alas, I may have been unwittingly led astray; being told he was in Avonshire I made my way here without knowing he was actually the next town over. No doubt you can see the source of my confusion." Motioning to Marita and Victoria he then added. "It was then that I heard Victoria mention your employer's name just after the incident. And well, now here I am."

And may the Gods please bring me some luck.

The arrival of the barmaid broke him out of his self loathing for a moment to add in his own order. "Might I also request just a bit of soup for myself please? It sounds absolutely delightful." He asked politely.

The offer of a quick job that followed caught his interest. 5 gold pieces to do a pickup. Such an amount in BlackBerry's experience carried the weight of some importance, and coupled with the generous offer of a free meal left only to accept as the one clear option in his mind.

"I'd be more than happy to lend a hand with the task as well?" he asked with a hopefully charming smile. It was a very cheeky thing to ask but there were five coins and including himself there were five people in the group.

"Oh" BlackBerry looked, surprised, from Katheryn to the others. "So did you all meet when you were asked to do this job then? And to answer your question, no I'm afraid not, I'm not familiar with Goblin Tongue." He apologised.

BlackBerry cocked his head to the side slightly towards whoever then spoke. In the meanwhile he reached back out and plucked the ring off of the table to examine it further hoping to spot any markings or runes that may suggest why the SilverSmith had apparently been so adamant they do the strange test. Tilting it this way and that, it was a handsome thing, and while BlackBerry had no experience in making such things even he could see in the way the light reflected across its smooth finish that no small amount of skill and effort had gone into making it despite how plain it looked. If he were one to wear such things, BlackBerry mused, it might have looked quite nice against his own blue scales. But even combing through remembered books and second hand tales he couldn't see anything obvious that would suggest an enchantment or spell of some kind.

After giving the ring a quick and thorough wipe on his robes, he plopped it onto his tongue to await whatever happened next. He gave it a few seconds. And then a few more. Almost a minute went by with nothing appearing to happen, he looked to the others waiting to see a reaction before he took out the ring.

"Is something supposed to happen?" He wiped the ring on his robes and then returned it to the table.

Listening to Victoria and Kosara tell their tales was heartwarming, for the most part; the former looking for adventure and to help with such enthusiasm that Blackbery couldn't help but grin as well, and the latter looking for answers for a loved one. BlackBerry felt a pang in his heart for Victoria who had lost her cousin.

"Well I do hope for the best and that you find him, Victoria. Or, at least some answers." He gave her a sympathetic smile.

Marita took note of the fact that Robert cleared out the Public House for them. While others might still be suspicious of him, knowing what Marita did, she felt that they could trust him. Not completely, but enough. She wasn't going to directly acknowledge his actions, that would potentially dispel the plausible deniability he had. If nothing else, she now had the freedom to speak freely about the rest of the things she had to share with the rest of the party.

"The others have already agreed, but I'll formally accept this job as well. I've already worked here one night, might as well do another. That said, while we should all go there together, only Victoria and I should go in the building. He would likely bar entry if he saw Kathryn or Kosara again and no offense Blackberry, but you saw what happened the last time you tried to approach a random townsperson politely." If they were in a less backwater region it'd be a different story, but those were the breaks when it came to operating an inquisition in a rural environment like this. People tended take one look at them and see a monster acting like a person.

"As for the ring. I'm fairly sure it's mundane. I'll check with Detect Magic." Marita makes a few swift gestures.

"Light, reveal thy nature."

The clerics irises flash with light quick quickly fades away until all that remains is a mere glimmer that you could see if one looked closely at her pupils. Her spell cast, she focuses on the ring for a few seconds before turning back to the group.

"I see no magical aura about it. It's simply a ring, which means that that's enough to do its job." Marita didn't mention what that job was with Lea nearby, hoping that Victoria would be able to figure it out and planning to tell the rest when they weren't in a public place. She saw all she wanted to, but the spell lasted another 10 minutes. She figured that she didn't need it for anything right now, but perhaps there would be something else Kathryn or Kosara had yet to bring up, and it was in poor form to waste a spell given how few she could use in one day.

"Yes, I'd also like the soup and some bread. Oh, and a glass of Zinnoberrot if you still have some available." Last night Marita's justification for not getting wine was because she was on the job. That was still the case, nothing had changed in that regard, but the past 3 days had been so bad, she decided 'Fuck it, I'll treat myself just this once.' One glass wasn't going to impair her abilities or judgment.

"Well since we're divulging our reasons for traveling instead of having a real occupation, it wouldn't hurt to tell a bit more about myself. I'm out here because I don't have a home to go back to. My family home was destroyed long ago, and I'm exiled from my church for... let's call it heretical reasons. Perhaps one day if I can do enough out here I can return, but I doubt I'll have that kind of fortune. Regardless, even if I'm stuck in exile for perpetuity, staying on the path will see me rewarded." Idly she thought about how her situation was mirrored to Victoria's. Her relatives may still be out there, and while it may be good to see them, she dearly wished to never find out what became of them, lest she have to investigate. A worst case scenario involved her having to kill her own kin, an outcome she would prefer to avoid.

Around this time, Robert happened to pass by, and she noticed a magical aura about him. She focused further and saw that it was magenta, enchantment. Uh oh.

"Actually, sorry to do this to you after all you've done to help us, Robert but I just remembered something we forgot to do. We won't be able to run that errand for you after all. In fact, it's pretty urgent so I think we'll be leaving about now." The tone of her voice brokered no discussion or argument about this course of action. Marita stood up, dug in her coin purse and placed a gold coin on the table. "Here, to compensate you for the trouble and make up for the lost business." She fixed her clothes as best as she could and turned to leave the Public House.

Weather: The sky is still dropping buckets outside. Temperature remains around 50^oF (10^oC), with humidity creeping along at a steady clip.

Time: It is still the afternoon, so far as anyone can tell despite the lack of direct sunlight. The good news: There isn't even a piece of errant glare to sting at the eyes. The bad news: Heavy rain impedes visibility at a distance.

Ambience: A steady drone of water upon wood and stone serves as background noise to what has become a hollow sounding, open public house. While one's ears become adjusted to the noise and can more effectively tune it out, the volume still prompts one to project one's voice to be clearly understood past a few feet. There is still a lack of people inside of this building with the exception of the party, Robert, Lea, and Daisy (though one hasn't seen the latter, merely heard her referenced as being in the kitchen). The fire in the main room is still crackling along and there are a few small lamps about the walls, giving light enough to see by but not overly so; windows have been shuttered against the weather.



Lea balanced a heavily laden tray in her hands as she exited the kitchen. From the look of it, she carried almost all of the food ordered by the party simultaneously. One could look at it and easily come to the conclusion that it was the culmination of the orders in their entirety, but this thought would be banished by the sight of Daisy, the Halfling cook, hurrying out with a basket containing little round loaves of bread in one hand and two covered pitchers of what one might assume to be fresh beverages in the other. Steam rises from the tray in an inviting manner. The two of them paused at the bar to reposition their loads to more effectively get them to the table without incoming catastrophe.

Meanwhile, Robert looked annoyed. He was perceptive enough to have surmised the use of magic just earlier with the unabashed casting of Prestidigitation and was insightful enough to gamble on detection magic utilized more recently. Perhaps another gamble was taken when he moved from behind the bar to begin putting up unused chairs, bringing him into the range of the divination. The reaction he gave to Marita began with a frustrated sigh and an actual, bona fide facepalm. "Don't insult my intelligence if you can help it."

The tone of the barkeep instantly made Lea and Daisy freeze in place, faces showing an even mix of confusion and concern. "Is everything well?" asked Daisy, shuffling uncertainly on her feet.

Robert walked partway to the bar, a weary voice requesting, "Toss me that chalk, would you, Lea?" Still confused, the young Human lady did as asked, procuring and launching said item ordinarily used to change writing on the slate boards behind the bar. A stick of the white mineral found its way into Robert's hand, which he held out to his side opposite from his other hand in a nonthreatening gesture as he made an approach to the table. He hastily inscribed a single word onto the wooden surface. "Can any of you translate this from Elvish for me?" He expectantly and impatiently looked to those still at the table, gesturing at the newly written word in question.



The older barkeep did not make an attempt to stop anyone's egress, nor did he make hostile movements of any kind. But his voice resounded with the same overt annoyance that has colored his words as he said, "Please tell me that the people sent by Sheriff Arbalest to help aren't morons."

Still highly confused but ever dutiful, Lea and Daisy began to slowly make their way to the table with the many dishes of lightly steaming lunch munchies.

Kathryn listened with excitement as her fellow party members listed off their reasons for wanting to go on this adventure. Kosara wanting to go out and see the world, and go on... well adventures! A want to help others, and a chance to see what she could offer the world and vice versa. A sweet and humble enough reasoning! Overall she was glad that her really good tiefling friend was able to go on this adventure. "I'd love a chance to see your journal if you don't mind. Before you send it off! I think it would be really cool what you decided to record and share!" That alone was a rather epic thought. What had Kosara decided to save and share? She wondered what kind of home the tiefling grew up in, and Kathryn wondered if she would ever get a chance to see it? Hopefully so. She wondered what Kosara's sisters were like and if they were anything like Kosara herself.

Responding to Victoria's comment about the Honey Barn Kathryn said "We didn't really get a chance to look around or see what's up. Even before we entered things had escalated. And when we got inside, there were concerns they had gotten more extreme. Maybe we'll get another chance?" It was not the normal place Kathryn would go to hang out at nowadays. But she had to admit, she was a little curious herself. The concern of getting back to the barn though... Maybe there was more they could do to help make sure they were not followed. "Maybe we can still lure them off our trail in case we were followed? Walk randomly on roads, waiting to see if we can spot if we're being followed. All together I'm sure we could spot something. Once we are sure we make our way back to our safe spot." She wondered if they would include Blackberry in that safe spot? Or if like Rickard he may have to stay in the public house. It was interesting to hear about the sisters of Kosara and Victoria as well, hearing some of Victoria's stories added into the pot made things all that more interesting. Kathryn listened as Victoria talked about Virgil. The two sounded close, but Kathryn worried when the idea of using her abilities to solve this problem. Did she mean... bring him back from the dead?

Blackberry was an interesting case of his own. His home was in trouble, and he was running out of options of those who could help. He was unfortunately not familiar with goblin tongue. But he was still willing to help how he could. "Maybe we can return the favor when we are wrapped up here? I don't know if we're the most qualified, but maybe we can help non the less." And if not all of them, maybe just herself? She held no commitments outside of this quest. No lands to call her own, no property outside of the clothes on her back and the supplies in her bag, and no friends or family to return too once the mission was over. On more good news, Everyone seemed to be willing to help with this quest with Roberts. How perfect! Free food, a job t hey could do on the job, a chance to figure out more with the Silver Smith. Overall a good day! Marita began detect magic on the ring, and Kathryn was relieved to hear she didn't curse the whole party with this test she knew so little about. Kathryn then listened to Marita's story. Lost with nowhere else to go, her family home destroyed. A cleric without a church? And a woman without a home. "I'm sorry to hear about your home. I hope we're able to help you on your quest to return to your place of worship." She had no idea if the cleric wanted their help. But she wanted her to know that the offer was there if she ever wanted it.

Kathryn then figured it was her turn. Everyone else had shared their stories. "So uh... Me now. Well, I'm a lady without land, and so myself and my most loyal knight have been traversing the lands attempting to rebuild our own names and keep ourselves fed for some years. We did some jobs to help ourselves, some jobs to help those we met. But after Ser Lucas passed, I was lef tto find my own place in the world. And a few weeks after his passing I got a letter intended for Ser Lucas from our neighborhood Sheriff. I saw it as my chance to figure some things out, do some good while getting my foot in the door to figure out my own life." Kathryn said a bit amused with herself. "Kind of funny, 15 years ago I was being set up for marriage, talks from our parents about which castle and what lands we shall someday hold, and having to decide which family name we shall take. Now? Every day is just day by day. It's kind of exciting in a way, not knowing what the future holds." She spoke with a bit of glee to her face. Though her home being taken from her at such a young age was tragic, she was doing what she could to enjoy her day to day life. And she had been doing okay so far.

Kathryn watched as Lea brought out the food. SO much soup, so much bread. The half giant warrior was starving to the point where she wanted to take the whole thing and dig in as if she was in her own personal eating context with her willpower. THEN DAISY CAME OUT WITH MORE!!! Things then got weird. Marita turned down the job suddenly, and with a hurried tone that implied there would be no talking. When she started to leave Kathryn almost protested. She still hadn't eaten all day and it was getting into the afternoon! And today's lunch was free! But the hurried tone in Marita's voice compelled Kathryn to stop. She was a sensible woman, maybe she spotted something Kathryn missed? She wouldn't question her here. No matter how much she wanted lunch. Maybe Morty wouldn't mind a nibble... Just a small one. Kathryn watched as things broke down, but re-stabilized. Robert took some Chalk, and began writing. Kathryn stood up to take a look at what he wrote, and moved to read it when asked for a translation. Elvish. Kathryn knew Elvish pretty well. Elvin nobles were not uncommon for her growing up.

Kathryn spoke the word outloud. As she learned the bulk of her elvish from when she was in her family home, her homeland accent was more noticible than usual. "Geas." Kathryn spoke in a serious, though confused tone. She knew the word. Or at least did at some point. She had heard it before, and she had heard it used in context... but she couldn't place it. It was on her mind but she couldn't place the context to it. The comment Robert made about being morons wasn't reassuring. She knew this. She was sure. But she couldn't place it now. She just needed something to jog her memory.