The barkeep takes his time putting the remaining bottles into their location under the bar before he stands up and answers Suny with a simple "One Silver". He then stands still staring straight at Bloody and doesn't seem to notice Silas or his silver coin.
Suny wiggles about as she fishes through her well protected coin purse before slapping coins down upon the bar with a silvery clink,
"Aye then, I be layin' enough silver shine upon yer deck fer a brace o' three!" She declares, giving Silar a cheery grin to indicate the first round, at least,is on her.
"So, how be things here abouts?" She asks conversationally as she turns and leans against the counter top, slumping languidly to appear as if she has not a care in the worlds.
Including not caring as to the fate of the three silver coins now spread upon the bar-top behind her.
Bloody stares back at the bartender and tries to gauge his body language and see his intent before reacting to his gaze.
Silas sighs, pocketing his silver, and waves back to Suny. "Guess I'll get the next one then." Wandering over to the bar, Silas unceremoniously drops 5 silver on the bar, and says "So, friend, why the empty bar? Has business dried up lately?"
The bartender takes Suny's coins and puts three cups on the bar. He takes one of the bottles he just stocked and fills up the cup. "Just another tide, lass." he says in response to Suny's inquiry.
When Silas walks up the man takes three of his silver and lines up three more cups with rum. "Aye, business be fine. Nay so busy this early in th' mornin' when most be ou' at sea."
Hearing the liquor pour into the glasses she turns her head and lets and glances at the Bar-keep,
"How much be it fer a whole dram? Um..I mean a whole bottle?" She asks, even as she turns and takes hold of a glass with both hands.
Bloody sits down after the drink is placed down for him, he looks to the bartender and says in a normal tone, "Do you have any intresting tales of late to share with us, barkeep? Drinks always go better with a tale."
"Fifteen silver fer th' bottle." the bar keep says without a smile. "With this id'll be five more silver t' keep it."
He then looks to Bloody "I could tell ye th' one about a guy who insulted a bartender an' then got thrown ou'! I ain`t here fer yer amusement." he says in a gravelly voice.
Karsielle comes out of her thoughts, turning to Mishael, "Nay, I think she had been taken by Calistra long before we came across her. Yet we feel empathy for one of our own. A daughter of the Savoured Sting, she must have caused some displeasure for our Lady did not continue her luck. Yet, in my prayers, I ask Our Lady for vengeance on whoever did lure Topaz to such a death." She walks more with Mishael, as they move the subject onto more pleasurable topics, love, men, clothes.... This lasts until she spots the Inn, Dread's Place.
Suny simply nods at the Bar-keeps response about prices though she now seems distracted. Looking around the sparsely populated room her eye's alight upon one of the tables and benches too which she wanders over and plonks down upon said seat, indicating Silas and 'Fang' should accompany herself.
"If she was laid low by other than her own choices, we will surely get the chance to even the score."
She welcomes the change to lighter topics, "Yes, love, men, clothes...sigh"
"Ah, there it is Karsielle. I suppose our companions are already waiting within with everything figured out."
She looks around the inn to see if anyone suspicious is waiting outside.
Despite her best efforts, Karsielle cannot be anything but noticed as she enters Dread's Place. Wearing her leather armor she enters the dingy place, trying her best not to look too disdainful at the base nature of the inn. She turns to Misheal, speaking loudly, "To think I have fallen to this, it will only be a matter of time until I can retake my position. I just need to make some money." Turning from her friend, she looks to the barkeep and asks, "Your finest and cheapest please?"
Taking the drink, she takes it to a table, before quietly blessing the drink to make it palatable.
Although Dread's Place isn't much to look at, the rum that is being is some of the best the group has had the pleasure of drinking.
Mishael scans the area around the entrance to the bar, but no one seems to be lurking this early in the day. The main road next down the alley is bustling with men busy doing their work: lifting large crates and nets full of fish, loading and unloading boats.
Karsielle takes her drink from the bartender, who looks like on old ex-pirate himself, and the group is together again, drinking in an empty bar a few hours before mid-day.
Leaning forward in his seat, Silas speaks quietly to his companions. "I don't think this guy is going to give up anything easily. None of us have had much success with talk. I think it might be time to move on to interrogation."
Mishael walks together with Karsielle into the bar and at her words adds, "Aye, I expect we'll find a job soon enough." To the bartender, she adds, "I'll have a rum mate."
Drink in hand, she joins the rest at the table. "Well, sweet talking is more my game. Sounds like it is time for Flag again."
From where she leans against the Pub's wall, her legs folded/crossed upon the bench, Suny's eyes are closed as she holds the cup beneath her nose enfolded by both hands and breaths in the aroma of the alcohol. Occasionally the cup is lowered and the pink tip of her tongue licks the rim or dips into the tilted depths.
At Mishael's and Karsielle's arrival and introduction Suny's eyes open slowly, her internal gaze still seeming lost on some far distant thoughts and scenes within her mind's vistas. When Mishael proffers that 'Fang' 'takes a tilt' at the Bar-keep Suny looks at her companions with a still hooded gaze.
"C'n I be sayin' somat?" She asks quietly, her thoughts seeming slow to be returning to the present. "I be thinkin' I might have a go wi' th' bloke. We c'n take a middle tack kind o' course. We's not really in'a spot t' throw broadsides about. Whut say I run up me colours an' have a lil 'Heart t' heart' chat with 'im?" She finishes slightly louder as her eyes and mind seem to come completely into focus.
"Jus' an' idea, like." She finishes quietly and awaits her companions responses. (^_^)
Karsielle hears Suny's words and considers them and the thoughts to send Flag in. Leaning forward she looks into Mishael and Suny's eyes, gauging their resources. Looking across at BF she sees him drinking his grog as confidently as ever, but there is a steeliness in Suny's eyes. A look of determination, as though she will not be easily dismissed, "Suny has a point, I'd let her see what she can do, though we'll only get one chance. What do we need to know from this man?".
"Sure, happy to let Suny have a shot, though charm would probably be just as effective here. I think we really just need to know the lay of the land for the Saltshacks and especially if there are likely locations to find Montrose or if he knows of Welby or Gartold. Mishael takes another drink of rum, "Maybe we see what Suny can come up with and follow it with a charm if she's unsuccessful?"
"Yes my lady Mishael, but I think that it may be more useful left to someone who knows the ins and outs of the Saltshacks, not just an outsider, if you know what I mean. There will be many halflings wanting to impress us later. You never know!" she shakes her hair back. "Maybe one might give us a guided tour, given the right encouragement." a wistful smile shimmies over her lips and face.
Suny smiles happily at her friend's compliments and confidence in herself.
"Hey, bein' of a 'Charmin' persuasion' wouldn't hurt none, neither." She replies quietly before unfolding her legs and walking casually over to the bar again.
Slipping up onto a stool Suny again smiles at the Bar-keep as she leans forward, propping her elbows upon the counter top, lacing her fingers together over her tankard of Rum and resting her head upon the entwined digits.
"So then matey, where were we?" she asks, opening the conversation slightly neutrally.
"Agreed, if you need that kind of convincing I have plenty on stand by." Bloody says in a gruff, and awaits to see how suny does.
"So then matey, where were we?" she asks, opening the conversation slightly neutrally.
The bartender turns around from his stockpiling of liquor. "Another round for ye?"
Suny smiles and shakes her head,
"Nah, thank'e mate, this'll keep me fer a while yet. So, where have yer travels taken ye?" She tries a standard opening line.
Karsielle watches Suny's progress from the corner of her eye. "Let's hope she gets round to asking about our missing friends. Tough I am less sure she'll get that much out of the fella, he is seemingly quite reticent, from his frame. Let's hope she finds out some useful contacts in the halfling population, that might get us inside. Otherwise Flag, it's probably up to you to get what we want and need."
Mishael continues to nurse her rum, "I'm sure she will in her own sweet way. We may be here all night, but I'm sure she'll get there eventually. So, Flag, any chance those nifty disguise skills will let you pass as a halfling or are we all going to have to head to the Saltshacks looking a little out of place? I suppose we might be able to do something with Suny, but I think Karsielle, Silas and I are hopeless."
Bloody shakes his head no to Mischaels question, "Too small, though we can scout it out and see if they let in any one our size." Bloody looks on at Suny's attempt with the bartender.
The bartender looks at Suny for a bit in silence, then starts "Well, pretty lass, I`d say me most recent travels be about a dozen years ago, runnin' slave ships past them nay good double-crossin' do-gooders." He then smiles an evil grin, showing his mouth only half full of teeth. "I`d give a good swashbuckle t' brin' an attractive elf one like ye aft across t' some bidder. Course, I`d be havin' me way wi' th' lass' a wee times first."
Suny smiles and laughs a little in reply, "Ah, righty. We have folks such as like turn up back home once in a while as well. Th' encounters usually end up with us throwin' rocks at 'em. As a way o' dissuadin' them o' their intentions." She finishes chirpily.
"So, ye've made enough shine t' settle down then?"
"Whut sort o' folks d'ye have about th' place here abouts?" She adds, sipping at her Rum.
"Hell nay! If I had that much enough coin I wouldna be in a dump like this! I recon ye be lookin' fer someone or else ye wouldna be here either."
"Around here we be havin' two types, an' neither be like ye an' yer shipmates thar. One o' which be a mean set o' swashbucklers that be starboard nasty, an' I`d rather cut ou' me own tongue than betray a word t' ye. Now, if ye want t' know about one o' them wee fellas, we may be able t' strike a deal..."
Suny simply extends her hand and says with a smile,
"There be things th' mates an' I be wantin' t' know an' a fair transaction sounds reasonable t' m'self. She nods in agreement,
"If ye be also in'a likenin' mind then, we have an accord." And she wait for the Bar-keep to shake and seal the deal.
After overhearing that he was a slaver, Bloody started to note his face and features. He thinks to himself, Scum like this I will have to set up later with one of my guises.
Mishael stares darkly at her rum, eyes smoldering as her brows draw together. Not the job, not the job, not the job. Sweet Barleybrew it is good Suny's the one chatting him up. I would have run the bastard through by now.
Silas drinks quietly, watching Suny's little game unfold. Not bad at all. Looks like it certainly pays to have friends with silver tongues around. I'll have to make this a habit. Putting the mug down, he whispers to the others "Even if we tried to put together a deceit, they'd most likely see right through anything but straight up magic. Best we just approach them mostly honestly. I'm sure we can think up some angle."
Mishael nearly snorts a swallow of rum back out of her nose, "Ya, so you don't think Flag's got a few bits o' magic about him Silas?"
She sips more rum to cleanse the burn from her throat, "But obviously not the magic we need. Since we seem to be lacking in that department, I agree we'll need to go in as we are. Assuming that is even possible. I've no experience with the Saltshacks, but I've been to other ports where it would be suicide to enter if you aren't the right race. If that is the case here, we'll have to grab who we need when they leave."
"If ye be also in'a likenin' mind then, we have an accord." And she wait for the Bar-keep to shake and seal the deal.
"We will be havin' an accord as soon as I be seein' some dubloon thar lass."
Suny nods, still smiling, slipping her hand into her belt purse to bring out said mintings. Sliding said coins surreptitiously across the wood counter.
"Now then, where's the beginning of th' tale?"
Hearing the doubloons clank onto the counter, Mishael looks at Suny out of the corner of her eye and comments, "Looks like that silver tongue has the slaver loosening his."
Karsielle nods at Mishael, in answer to her comment about Suny.
"Now then, where's the beginning of th' tale?"
Bloody sips at his rum, awaiting for Miss Suny's new tale,
Suny continues to talk quietly to the Bar-keep for a short while. The tone of her muted voice sounding light and cheerful, which seems to be its only setting.
Mishael strains to hear the discussion as Suny chats away, "Social butterfly, eh Flag? We ever run into an enemy with a word vulnerability, we know who to send in."
With a chirpy giggle and a bright grin Suny bids her good days to the Bar-keep, spins about and skips over to her companions at their bench,
"Okeys then. Th' Keep be sayin' th' weather be fair an' that th' Barge folk be good at keepin' their house in order, so's th' waters shouldn't be too bad fer swimmin' in." She blinks happily and innocently at her friends.
And spoils her delivery with an escaped giggle. Seeing her friends aren't bothered with her humor she leans closer and imparts all the knowledge delivered to her by the Bar-keeper.
"Nice work Suny. It isn't even tomorrow yet. So, sounds like we need to approach Gartold peacefully. Are we going to tell him we're looking for Montrose or show him the note and get a reaction to that? I'm voting for the latter."
"Excellent work my dear. Glad to see your charm works so well. Now then, as for how we approach Gartold, I'm all for the note method. We need to see what he thinks about it before we just go spouting off about Montrose."
"I agree with the note, and maybe I will need to change to get a better response."
"Shall we go then? Sounds like we head to the Saltshacks and see if we can find someone to lead us to Gartold. I'm ready." Mishael tosses down the rest of her rum and heads for the door,