Ushari sighs while she downs the last of her wine. Clearly Strae needs better taste in women...
Clearing her throat, she puts on a reassuring smile . "Look, Miss, we have no interest in robbing your tavern or hurting anyone in here. As for why my friends are up there..." Here her voice lowers, "we noticed someone stalking us earlier and we decided to check it out."
The waitress looks surprised, "Wait... and they, these stalkers, are in my attic?"
Ushari inwardly groans, What are they doing in the attic?
"I don't know, maybe they wanted to get the jump on him?"
Ushari & Strae...
The redhead puts her hands on her hips as if it might help in unraveling this mystery. "Wait. So if this stalker was following you... how could he sneak into my attic before you came in?" It seems your sincerity has convinced her that there is a stalker but she can't quite puzzle out how he managed to be in the attic.
Jayse & Jofram...
It seems the large rats are set to defend their territory. As one they scurry off the supplies and onto the rafters. A few creep gingerly onto the ceiling slats. So, you've learned two things:
1. The slats will support at least 40 pounds of weight (2 rats side by side).
2. These rats are spoiling for a fight.
ORDER:
70|70
79|79
Straehan sighs. "Ushari here saw someone on the building across the road. Our friends are trying to get onto your roof to see if they can spot the man. They probably figured any way up would get them to the roof. They didn't intend to stomp around your attic."
Her gaze shifts between Ushari and Straehan for a long moment. "Alright. But if there is any damage, you are picking up the bill... and it doesn't count as bride-price."
The gnome lets out a relieved exhale and a smile. "Of course! Not that there will be any damage. Our friends are discreet and careful. I'm sure they are already on the roof and just making sure things are OK."
He pushes out the chair Jayse vacated. "Perhaps you should sit down for a moment and we can discuss what sort of dress I'll be buying you..."
Jayse's mind easily slips into the Calm as the room seems to contract around his goal, the small window-doors on the front of the room. In a heartbeat, his mind has weighed the variables and settled on a plan. Stealth and mobility to bypass the rats and hopefully avoid the attention of any external watchers. At the decision of stealth, there is a slight but profound shift in the barrier around his Calm. The barrier becomes more transparent, and a part of his mind registers that his own body is melting from sight.
That's new, he thinks... even as he realizes some part of his mind knew this was always possible.
A rush of wind and a retreating voice are all that tell Jofram that Jayse is on the move. "Vanish and make for the window. I'll use my shoes to stick to the open side of the little door thing and wait. You can use me as a climbing aid to get to the roof and I'll meet you up there." There's a grunt of effort as the monk streaks towards the opening (trying to avoid the rats), but he can't help but throwing back one joke. "And try not to get too friendly using my body as a jungle-gym."
He activates his shoes in mid-air as he twists past the rats, landing with a roll and attempting to squeeze through the door and allow his shoes to hold him to the outside of the tavern's front wall above the entrance… all while being as quiet as possible. He waits, breathing deeply of the night air, an invisible statue in position to aid Jofram's climb as his eyes and ears strain for evidence of the mysterious watcher.
As Jayse suddenly disappears, Jofram muffles a curse and follows suit. Giving the monk a respectable lead, the ranger works his way across the beams, doing his best to avoid the ROUS's .
And how am I supposed to see you, monk...
Jayse successfully vanishes and races down the rafter jumping the squeaking swarm. Rodent heads rise and sniff the air. They may not have smelled him until he was already past but they definitely had his scent and their chisel-like teeth and sharpened snouts turned in his direction.
Jofram sees the half-open louvred door sway slightly. Possibly Jayse has made it outside.
Jofram skims along the rafter, stopping short of the rat swarm. Their noses twitch and the subtle vibrations of the half-elf on the rafter transmit through. The rats sniff and pick up the scent of another two-legs - Jofram. A few begin to move after the trailing scent of the monk while the vast majority begin to move toward the fresher scent and vibrations of the ranger. They move as a group, their confidence growing as to Jofram's location with every foot. They can't see their targets but their noses never lie and vision isn't the only sense that can be used to hunt prey...
A quiet but imperious squeak comes from a large pallet of sacks on one of the platforms near the eaves on the opposite side wall from Jofram. All of the rats halt, then scurry towards one set of eaves or the other - leaving Jofram a clear rafter and an unimpeded route to the louvred door.
ORDER:
70|70
79|79
Jayse the invisible gargoyle sticks motionless to the wall of the tavern above the front door, trusting in Jofram's ability to make it through the room without engaging the rats. His mind thoughtlessly tracks the duration of the invisibility web around him as his senses stretch out into the night. His body is a coiled spring -- primed to react to the faintest hint of Ushari's observer.
While hanging, breath coming evenly, eyes and ears still scanning, Jayse whispers a few strange words. The barrier around his mind shifts one more time. This time the now-transparent veil hardens, and he feels a barrier similar to the one Straehan often provides spread across his skin.
For a brief moment, Jofram weighs the benefits of trying to soothe the giant rodents with some tricks of the wild, or just moving on. Urgency wins out, and the Ranger moves forward, carefully testing the beams with a leading foot, as he goes.
Jofram slinks up to the louvred half-open door and looks out on the Orfallen night. Somewhere, either directly in front of him or possibly at the roofline, the monk awaits.
"I'm here, by the doors." Whispers the ranger, searching in vain for the now-invisible monk.
Eyeing the roofline, he searches for Ushari's watchers.
Exchanged whispers and some fumbling are enough for Jofram and Jayse to link up. With a bit of dexterity and the wondrous help of spider-climb slippers they find themselves hunched along the ridge of the sloping and wet roof. Jayse is a bit more secure on the rain-slicked surface than Jofram but both achieved their perches several feet back from the edge in relative silence.
Peering through the gloom and rain haze, you see no figure moving or creeping along the opposite roofline.
Perched on the roofline, Jayse sits considering the night. Just loudly enough to carry to Jofram, he whispers, "At least one of us should stick around and keep watch... and frankly two sets of eyes are better than one." He looks around, quickly searching for a place to hide himself before his spell wears off, "And we need to find some actual cover to hide in. Two guys popping out of the night air on the roof are sure to draw attention of the wrong kind."
Continuing in his whisper as he scans, "I plan on staying out here long enough to take a really good look. If that takes a few hours, that's fine. I at least want to wait long enough for that chap with my coat to leave. Still hoping that little play will lead to something. You sticking around with me or do you want to go check in with Strae and Ushari to tell them what's up?"
Ushari sighs as she watches Straehan continue his impossible quest for the barmaiden-faire. Men are all the same. All they think about is the size of a woman's...melons She cannot help but recall a time when her other self had seen another bar wench on a yacht far, far away.
Not wishing to dwell on those unpleasant memories from a past life, Ushari takes a long drink of wine, while glancing towards the window leading to the front of the tavern.
What is taking them SO long?
"Agreed." the ranger whispers back, searching for a proper hide, or the best the rooftop has to offer.
Ushari tries to finish her meal but her thoughts drift to the missing monk and ranger. I hope they are OK. As the minutes tick by, and and still no word from either of them, her concern grows to worry. Seeing Straehan still ogling his latest romantic interest, she waits for her to move off, then turns to whisper to him, "I am worried about Jayse and Jofram, I am going to see what happened to them. Keep an eye on that man who is wearing Jayse's coat."
She then slips out of the booth and heads towards the kitchen.
Jayse and Jofram look about in the moments of invisibility they have left. The best possible perch they see is the building just East of them. It is a full story taller than the tavern's roof and is one of the highest buildings in sight. The roof is relatively flat and three chimneys, like broken teeth, rise from it - good spots for hiding.
Relying on whispers and Jayse's slippers, they manage to clamber up the building and duck behind separate chimneys as their magic fails. They are barely concealed when they suddenly reappear. They settle in to wait and watch...
Straehan plays the barnyard dance of love with the buxom red-head. She greets his approaches with laughter and smiles but seems no more likely to warm his bed than she was ten minutes ago. It was the expected and disappointing result but it proves worthwhile - she is a pleasant distraction while he waits for the men to return.
He glances over at Ushari and sees that she is pushing food around her plate, brooding, and itchy to move. It comes as no surprise when she decides to check on the other half of their team. Straehan merely waves her on as she leaves.
Ushari drifts through the tavern, trailed by several sets of hungry eyes, one request for a lap dance, and a couple of wolf-whistles. She passes the end of the bar and looks into the small but busy kitchen. There is a rope dangling from a trapdoor in the ceiling and no other obvious exits. Given the bustle in the kitchen and the number of patrons moving about, Ushari debates how and when she should try to get in the attic...
The acrobat hears a discreet but decisive *ahem* near her. The ginger waitress is standing near the end of the bar. Her posture is slightly stiff. It practically says "don't test me". She tilts her head to the side. "Your table is over there."
Ushari gives the waitress a smile but the smile is not reflected in her eys. Strae is interested in this b****? Certainly he has no business questioning MY taste in men!
Maintaining a grip on her temper, she responds evenly to the waitress. "I am...concerned about my friends. I am going to check on them." As she waits for the other woman to respond, she takes a moment to judge how well-trained this waitress is in defending herself in combat situations.
It would explain her reaction to me, I guess...
Her reply is airy, "Oh, I'm sure those boys know how to take care of themselves. If you want to check on your friends, that's fine... the front door is that way."
Ushari stares at the redhead wondering just how far she would get pressing the issue. For a brief second she considered using her divine power to daze the waitress then sliping around her. She decided against it with some regret.
"Very well. Thank you sooo much for understanding." Her voice is laced with a heavy dose of sarcasm. No tip for her!
Ushari steps out into night and the sporadic drizzle. Her hopes of circling the building are dashed. The tavern sits amid a row of buildings that lean against one another like drunks. The only nearby alley way is on the other side of the street, adjacent to the building where she first spied the shadowy figure moving. Looking up, above the tavern's strange door-sign and the flickering oil lamp, she sees what appears to be a set of louvred loading doors. One is open but a few inches. Only a few feet above that is the steep roof-line of the tavern itself. The building to the right of it is also two-storied - with a relatively flat roof. To the left, is a much taller building that looks to be a flea-bitten hotel.
The redhead barmaid watches Ushari fume and leave. She shrugs and wipes down the bar out of force of habit. She eyes the gnome and can't resist having a little fun. She nods to the barman, "Arnie - cup of sugar."
The barman shoots her a curious look then hands her a metal sugar-bowl. She delivers it to Straehan like he ordered it.
The gnome looks down quizzically, "Sugar? What for?"
A smile crosses the barmaid's face. "It's for your girlfriend. With that sour look on her face, I thought she'd bitten into a lemon. This should help."
Ushari looks around her. She sees the open doors leading to what she thinks is the attic. Recalling the monk and the ranger wanted to head up to the roof to get a better look at any possible assailants, she slips her hand into her pouch and fingers her special Coin of Finding. Unsure whether the coin would work when held in her hand, she clutches it tightly and forms a mental image of the two of them.
The coin tries to jump from Ushari's hand. She can't tell where it is trying to go.
Ushari lets the coin go...and watches it head towards the destination. A resolute look appears on her face and she sprints towards the hotel and scoops up the coin. Taking one last look around her, she stows the coin in her pouch and returns to the tavern.
I have my answer...
Jayse and Jofram wait in the cold and darkness watching the opposite roofline. Nothing moves. A few more minutes go by and they see a man walk unsteadily across the street wearing a familiar coat. He stumbles beneath an awning and starts strolling aimlessly down the road heading in the general direction of the Lumber Consortium. They watch him continue on for perhaps 20 yards. If he has a tail, they don't see it.
Jofram whispers to his friend, "Perhaps they are not after you, but another of our group. Or perhaps Ushari was mistaken?"
Content to wait, Jofram peers into the night.
There is that, Jayse considers. He watches the night for a few more seconds before responding.
"If that's the case, then the best bet is for you to sneak your way back inside, enjoy dinner with the others, and leave when you all are ready. If there is a watcher, and my white-coat bait worked, then he'll be watching for the rest of you before moving out. So I can hopefully watch for any movement once you guys head out. I'd say you all go enjoy yourselves. If when you leave, I see anything suspicious, I'll shadow that. If nothing presents itself, then I'll wait here for an hour alone. If there's still nothing, I'll head back and meet you all at the inn. That work?"
If Jofram agrees, Jayse gives a half smile as he whispers one last thing, "If the owner knows we've come up here, make sure to let her know about her rat problem."
Jofram nods, searching the rooftop for the best means of retreat.