Mas Bagus

Through a Wayward Glimmer -- to a Faraway Place

"U-uh… erm… y-yes! A vacant room–w-we have! Th-That'll be fifteen coppers for the night, please!"

Fifteen coppers was indeed a good bargain, even in a rural place like this. Smiling back at him, Sonia opened her purse and merrily counted her coins. "Fiveteen coppers for the room," she said, before placing an additional twelve pieces. "And here, for venison stew, mead, and a loaf of bread. Keep the change!"

Letting the innkeeper count her payments, Sonia turned to the other patrons, realizing the curiosity she had drawn for herself. A smile and regards were delivered, but from where she was sitting, the receptions were mixed at best. Not her fault, Sonia thought.

"So where is that bearded fellow Robert?" She asked when Engie removed her headwear, drawing some more onlookers' attention to them.

Through a Wayward Glimmer -- to a Faraway Place

Another newcomer joined, and Sonia was slightly taken aback by how the conversation developed. Truth to be told she had not much to say about the logging business, and felt a bit relieved that this fellow commented on Robert's merchandise.

Shifting her attention to something else, the demoness glanced at a metal signboard hung in front of a large wooden building not far. It reads Whistling Reed.

The men were still chatting, and Sonia did not interrupt until the newcomer introduced himself and then directed the question to Sonia.

"And you as well, ma'am."

"Sonia Al-Hathya. Glad to meet you."

After some nodding, this fellow named Arthur excused himself to head toward the town hall. Considering that there would be better circumstances to exchange pleasantries, Sonia said nothing and turned to wave her hand.

They stood at the inn's entrance now, and the first thing that caught her attention was that redhead adventurer leaning on the counter and chatting with the bartender. Instinctively Sonia entered the establishment and looked around as she walked, and noticing that they too looked at her like there was something odd about her presentation. Sonia had grown accustomed to it and paid the ogling gentlemen no heed. For what was worth, this was... a human civilization; it was funny how years working in the wilderness could make a trip to an inn a fascinating experience.

Sitting on one of the stools at the counter next to the redhead. Sonia waited until there was a pause in their seemingly important conversation. The adventurer girl had made some initiative it seemed. Sonia heard her asking about the missing Lady.

"Good day!" the hunter said, trying not to intrude too abruptly. "Any vacant room left?"

Through a Wayward Glimmer -- to a Faraway Place

"Well thank you," said Sonia, taking the first step out of the building. Meanwhile, Jean continued behind her.

“Any specialties, no I can’t say they have any. It sort of changes by the day. I saw some deer hanging near by, so we could probably expect some venison tonight. It ought to be pretty good. There is plenty to forage around after all."

The young demoness nodded, her eyes surveying the road, and found that inn's description to be quintessential to the town's general look. It promotes the kind of feeling of not expecting much, or less. And she finds that acceptable enough.

“I’m sorry if my answer isn’t all that solid. This is actually my first time being out here, and with how far out it was even from the neighboring village, I think it’s safe to say this isn’t really much of a tourist town.”

"No it's fine," she said, putting aside a thought about venison stew to the back of her mind. A moment later, the bearded lumberjack somehow managed to catch up with them, and he immediately offered to share his knowledge.

"Master Bayard is decent man. His son is a bit younger than I am, and settling in about as well as you'd expect. Still a bit timid though. Their inn is clean, and they don't overcharge. This far out, the food they serve is at the mercy of what's available. It's pretty much the same for my family back home. I understand that some people are accustomed to having more choices more towards the larger cities, but out here, seasonal dishes are the most common. Theo does a better job cooking than I ever will, at least... .. It wont get you a better price, but if you want to make his day, tell him he did a good job."

Ah, gotcha! Master Bayard seemed to be the name of the owner of that inn. Sonia quickly noticed that the man had a slightly more balanced assessment of the town and its surroundings, as expected of a regular. Sonia did not know his name, but he was one of the vocal ones he managed to persuade the captain to go into details about their preparations. Not that it was an urgent matter for Sonia, but she genuinely appreciated his thoughtfulness.

"Clean, fairly priced, and the food, hmmm... sounds good from what I heard. Certainly beats camping in the wilderness."

Sonia still felt a bit disappointed that there were no pre-arranged accommodations from their gracious ruler, but she did not show it. Meanwhile, the lumberjack continued.

"This time of year, they might have mushrooms. If they do, consider yourself lucky. They don't keep long, and are only available for a short time every year. ...They tend to have that this run... Probably soup. They have a decent enough sweet ale, but the beer tends to be a bit too heavy on the bitters. Not terrible though. I think it's a regional taste. That, or they need it to last longer. Hard to say, I never asked."

"Seems like a cozy place to hang out," Sonia responded, looking at her left and right. "Probably the only place one could find some amusement in this peaceful town. Makes me wonder if perhaps the Lady we are looking for is kinda fed up with the idyllic air of her hometown and then risked an adventure for some thrills and giggles."

Walked aside to avoid muddy patches on the road. Sonia turned to the lumberman again, for a moment, she considered calling this man a 'sir', but upon a closer look, beyond that bushy beard, he might not be that much older than them. "I'm Sonia Al Hathya. A hunter by trade. What do they call you around these parts anyway?"

Through a Wayward Glimmer -- to a Faraway Place

“Wait, so you were being serious about having explosives?”

Sonia silently sniffed the air and whispered 'yes' to no one in particular. Whatever that meant, the demoness masked it with genuine affability as she turned at Engie and spoke.

"Regardless, feel free to tag along if you feel so inclined."

As cautious as she may, Sonia was not one to enforce anything on someone, and Jean's assessment had a slight merit to it. Still, she expects a certain degree of thoughtfulness from this girl. At least inform the barkeep of her luggage so the correct precaution can be taken.

Sonia turned to Jean again gesturing him to take the lead and start moving. "You seem like a regular around here. Are there any specialties in that inn you can recommend? Well, let's not tarry any longer, shall we? Tell me about this place while we go there."

@Randomness@Soldat Elf

Through a Wayward Glimmer -- to a Faraway Place

"It is zarcasm. Anyvay, zoze Hexbloziffes do not haffe fuzes yet. Zo it is fine, as like ein candle vizout fire nearpy." Engie said to her fellow party members nearby.

Sonia had been on the road long enough but this bubbly princess in front of her was one heck of a specimen. In hindsight, she looked like a wayward noble girl whose smartness encompasses many things but lacks it in the common sense department. Sonia noticed that when she explained the nature of her words earlier; a sarcasm, she said. And suffice to say Sonia wasn't impressed by the girl's explanation.

Still, she intently listened to her, until the point when Engie changed the topic by offering her a room to share.

"Zince zee ozer voman had peen left Halready...

"Miss Engie," Sonia said, discarding her trademark friendliness and swapping it with blunt assertiveness. "I'd like to accept your offer, but as it stands now it seems you intend to bring explosive ordnances into a public lodging establishment without any surety but your words only. Hence, for now, I would say no, and I'd greatly appreciate it if you would pay more attention to your accouterments and ensure they are stored safely, handled responsibly, and informed to nearby authorities. Danke schön."

Giving the girl an enigmatic smile, the demoness turned to Jean and added teasingly. "But, what about master Jean? Why not invite him instead?"

Through a Wayward Glimmer -- to a Faraway Place

Sonia waved a hand at the blonde girl. "Sonia Alhathya here, pleased to meet you."

Sonia studied the girl, her features, her accent, and the luggage she brought with her. The latter caught her attention more, and the recollection of the girl declaring the potential explosion brought a ripple of concern.

When the girl was starting to act bothered by her brief but intense scrutiny, the young demoness spoke. "I believe if your equipment is as dangerous as you described, I'd rather have it here than the inn. Or better, somewhere far away from other people." Sonia was still smiling when she said that, and her tone was warm. A perfect gesture of friendliness for the onlookers, but for those gazed by her red-slitted eyes, the glare flashed a crystal-clear message. "Don't you agree?"
@Randomness @Soldat Elf
_____

On the other corner of the hall, Sonia heard the bearded timberman discussing with the old swordsman about his findings and the result of his parlay with the captain. Suffice to say, he brought some interesting information; that the town had a Herbalist who might know more, that the captain promised 3 days' worth of supplies for them, and his suspicion of the captain not being thoroughly honest with them.

After her business in the inn is done, she will check this herbalist as well. Sonia might had a thing in her purse to make their interview more productive. @wierdw

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

“The red stripes are probably still licking their wounds. I doubt they would be able to get anyone into town any sooner than we to arrive. We’d have to be vigilant, but I doubt they would have the time or energy to prepare any sort of bounty or even properly inform any authorities that could challenge us effectively. If we go and leave swiftly, gather what we need as quickly as possible, I don’t think we’d face much trouble.” said Osric.

"It takes more than just several hundred soldiers to control an entire province. If the Redsripes are the de facto ruler of Sielse, then we should expect their presence in Katwiz too. In my experience, the town will be the first objective to see in a military conflict, and it is unlikely that they will reassign their soldiers, and leave the town inadequately defended just to replenish a faraway outpost."

Pausing, the Captain gazed at the fireplace before him and let a moment pass in silence.
Until it was Caranathia's turn to speak.

"First of all, I think we need to reassess our situation here. Our orders were to determine what happened to Paladin Thomas, yes? And I think more or less we have confirmation that he is dead. So what are our current objectives? I presume to find out more what exactly happened? Well to do that, I doubt going into hostile territory would be productive. Perhaps we should go to their enemy instead? The ones they considered traitors. Perhaps they might be more amenable considering we have shown to be thoroughly opposed to the Red Stripes. We need to consider getting Linceleste to a medical facility too, depending on the severity of her wounds."

Caranthia's reasonings were further reinforced by Amaris'

"Like Osric said, the red stripes are likely still recovering themselves. For now, I think we can afford being a bit careless, at least regarding them. Our main priority should be treating our wounded. Particularly Linceleste. While we might not be exactly on friendly terms with the red stripes... We are not completely sure their enemies will receive us with open arms... It might be better for us to recover ourselves first before considering negotiating with the so called 'witch' and the 'traitors' mentioned by the red stripes."

"Then to Katwiz we go." Said Carmen, intentionally ignoring the first half. "We can't wander aimlessly in the wilderness trying to find the Red Stripes' enemies, and a major town is the only place with serviceable medical facilities."

He paused to look at Amanita. The strange creature was sitting motionlessly, excluded from the rest of the group. Unresponsive, but seemed to be conscious enough to follow them in a dire situation. The fact that he had one person missing, one dysfunctional, and one wounded in his party started to worry him.

"Either we go to Katwiz with careful steps, or we return to Dragon's Waw." he concluded, and said that like he was swallowing something bitter. "If we go forth, it will only get harder from now on. I will not sugarcoat it with you, but I will also not risk your safety for my own ambition. If you have doubts, voice it now."

Through a Wayward Glimmer -- to a Faraway Place

Sonia raised one of her eyebrows before turning back to answer a fellow named Jean with a polite smile. He was standing as tall as her, with a steady posture and outward appearance that suggested that this man was a seasoned adventurer. His commentary about the town gave off the impression that this was the kind of guy who always see everything positively. Looking at his presentation, Sonia started to guess; some sort of cleric, perhaps? or maybe A novice paladin?

"Eh, you are right. ...A hidden gem."

Sonia wasn't so sure who he was trying to impress with that metaphor. She was more wondering if the Captain or this blonde cleric understood the veiled request of hospitality or, if she had to face the reality that there were actually none at all. She looked around for a while, taking a mental note of the Captain's appraisal of his own town hall and the reality of the place itself. The place was not a shack, but there were almost no suitable amenities, let alone any luxuries to accommodate guests.

"I am Sonia Al-Hathya, from Glaic, Dagorlad. Glad to make you an acquaintance. Jean." She made a small curtsy. "Well, since there are two gentlemen with a similar recommendation, I gotta check the tavern first then." sighed the young demoness, ignoring the stern look and the warning from the Captain as she made her way out of the hall. Seriously, the last thing she wanted was to barge into an archive room of a random remote town.

The demoness stopped to look back at Jean. "Well, are you coming?"

@Randomness

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

At the Crossroad

Life is full of hard choices, sometimes too hard that you'd rather roll the dice and let fate do the rest.
______

Carmen Friston expected many things to happen in thirteen days since they crossed the border, but all in one day? Not even in his worst dream. For more than thirty minutes the captain just sat there, sometimes with eyes closing, and sometimes he was wide awake in silent vigilance. Only the sound of owls and clutterings from his teammates kept their night from becoming deathly desolate.

A sharp chill snapped him awake from his long contemplation. The night air was cold enough, and now Leinceleste's self-ice-entombment arose warry on him. Was she still alive? Had someone mended her wounds?

A moment later, he knew he had nothing to fear, except the presence of an ice block that made their camp chilly.

"Everyone. Gather around, I want to speak about our next plan." He announced with misty breaths. Once in a while, he glanced at the ice, seeing a sleeping princess inside with an exhausted look. The campfire was thankfully high and bright enough to keep cold at bay.

"I know we just moved on from a great difficulty," he began, pausing to clear his throat, and intending to make his next words less cryptic. "We can stick on the off-beaten path and arrive in Katwiz in half a day if we depart tomorrow morning. But that's the least of my concerns. There is a possibility that the Red Stripes are controlling the town and that means we have to deal with them again regardless."

___

The man was still visibly wounded, and not at all tended, but the resoluteness in his voice remained unwavering, and everyone there could see that if it was up to Carmen, he would storm any citadel, come hell or high water. The determination that almost crossed into total zealously, reined only by modest logic and thoughtfulness like what he was demonstrating right now. The question was, what was the other's opinion on this?

Through a Wayward Glimmer -- to a Faraway Place

Sonia was well aware of the captain's vexation, well it wasn't like he made an effort to hide it anyway. Smiling to herself, the young demoness let the bearded fellow finish his inquiries about paperwork (what a thoughtful fellow he was) before gleefully adding to the Captain's troubles.

"Pardon, captain. Another thing. Assuming we agree to show up tomorrow, do you have any *recommendations* on where we can stay overnight?"

For a mission that did seem... iffy, her question was whimsical at best. Surely, Sonia could pick on the lack of 'knowledge' that the Captain seemed too fond to answer. The crown not knowing about their territory? In this time and age? Seems fishy. And where was the Duke by the way? She figured if they were his next hope to find his baby girl, he would at least be present to see who his employees were. And lastly, Sonia didn't really like the idea that the captain would depart with them. Making her wonder if the guy wanted some of the credit for himself.

Sighing, Sonia thought; people were always like that, right?