"Perhaps you should ask him if the 'long shanks' was ever in the company of a giant feral hamster," Ethan suggests quietly.
Catching something of interest in the goblins chatter Runk steps closer to Ziz and says, "Outcast might be useful, where's this Gogmurt?"
Zizouket listens to the questions of his allies and passes them on.
"How many longshanks are with the tribe? Is the one that led the attack last night the leader of the other longshanks, too? Have you seen any of the other longshanks? What do they look like?"
"What's the thistles? Who's Gogmurt? And why did he go to the thistles?"
"And..." Zizou looks down at the ground, and grinds a pebble under his foot as he thinks about how to phrase the next question: "any of the longshanks have a, uh, giant hamster with him? Like, a small bear, but cuter... and scarier, at the same time?"
Glub looks overly confused by the last question but attempts to answer. "Er... I don't know how many they've been coming for some time now at least 2 or 3 I've heard of." he shrugs "They mainly stay downstairs while the rest of us stay in the fort. The thistles are outside the fort. Gogmurt was the chief's adviser but he didn't agree with working with the longshanks."
Kesten stands back, not wanting to blow the magic Zizouket has used on the small goblin. He tries to make notes of how the goblin is playing his game, and before he knows it he starts giving him "advice".
"Shouldn't that card be put on the left pile? How about if you.. No, there. THERE!"
He will even go so far as to use mage hand to move the cards to the "correct" position, while explaining why and ignoring the goblin's outbursts.
Kesten will turn around, apologetic for his sudden rise in volume, and back down again.
Hope I didn't ruin anything. Silly Kesten!
"Okay, now hold on. They longshanks stay downstairs beneath the fort, but you've never seen them. So they don't have to walk through the fort to get downstairs? Is there another entrance to the downstairs? From outside the fort? It's okay, we don't want to hurt your tribe, we just want to talk to these longshanks, same as you and I are doing now. If there's an entrance, but you don't know where it is, would Gogmurt know where it is? You know how we could find Gogmurt? I'm sure the thistles is pretty big."
"Cutters have a fort? That can't be good."
The goblin spits and curses at Kesten's interruption, starting to cause a big ruckus in the other corner of the cell. Glbu shrugs to Ziz's question "I'm sure they come and go. I've just never seen them myself. I am often out on raids or other tasks. The chief keeps his new friends to himself and doesn't allow any of us to go downstairs. There could be another entrance as well. When we found it we only went so far down, who knows what lies further below. Gogmurt knows lots but he has been shutting himself out from the tribe for awhile since the longshanks came around. I don't know what he might know."
"Find out where the fort is b'fore he gets his ears chewed off." Runk mutters to Ziz with a meaningful glance at Kesten.
"Yeah. So where is the fort? And where are the thistles?"
He tries to describe it, but after a short time you decide to get a map and have him draw it out. He maps out a basic route that leads north and then east out of town along the main road to about Thistle River in the Nettlewoods and then straight North through Nettlewood to the coast.
Kesten will move away, and stop annoying the other goblin.
"How long will we need to move to get there? A day, maybe two? I'm not very good at measuring distances. Are these the cormorants? I thought they were in the south?"
"Looks like we have found were to go next, we should check in with Belor...the sheriff... and gather some traveling gear. That looks to be a few hours way."
"I suppose we should make haste, as we still have the better part of the day. If we are diligent, we may be able to make it before nightfall."
"It may be best to wait for tomorrow. I don't think we'd want to arrive in goblin territory just in time for nightfall. That'd be to their advantage. Besides, remember that Foxglove guy will buy us lunch this afternoon."
"Any other questions for Glub?"
"No, I'm good. I also would like to emphasize the fact that being in the dark surrounded by goblins is not in our best interest. An early start tomorrow however should be fine.."
During the whole affair, Fofin stands by with a look of indignation. He rolls his eyes at the attempts to get some useful information from the goblins and scowls in their direction any time they happened to look toward his.
Interrogating goblins is like questioning a week-dead possum. Where will it end?
Perking up suddenly at one's mention of a "half-breed" amid the long-shanks in their midst, the dwarf turns cautiously to hear more. Despite having little else to go on, his features display a look of smug satisfaction.
"Well, let's be makin' sure we get out a'fore the sun so's we ken get t'the bottom o' this! I got a damn good feelin', as if the stone itself were singin' t'me!" he said, with a wink in Blake's direction and a boisterous laugh.
Ethan changes his walking pace ever so slightly, falling into position directly between Fofin and Blake. He keeps walking, as if this were the natural result of the group's movement.
"I will see all of you tomorrow then? Before the sunrise, market square?" Kesten says as he walks away, hesitates a second because he hadn't heared anyone's answer whilst murmuring to himself.
Blake glares at the racist in their midst then rolls his eyes at the absurdity that is the slow moving support for a tangle of beard. "Then we should leave at dawn." Blake then quickly diverts away from the others and heads to find the sheriff and or mayor to report what the investigators have discovered and the groups plan to follow the map.
Once the questioning comes to a close Runk follows the gnome to the nobles home. Though feeling pessimistic that any reward will be worth listening to the man blather he figures it's worth a shot since he has little else to do at the moment.
Ethan watches Blake stride away in anger. He speaks softly, but firmly to Fofin without removing his gaze from Blake.
"The discord between the two of you will bode ill for all of us in this endeavor. What is gained by taunting him over Gorham? Either the man he thought was his friend all of these years has betrayed him and his community, or his friend is innocent, and is being slandered by a stranger's speculation based solely on circumstantial evidence and racial hatred. He will not thank you if you are correct, and he will not forgive you if you are wrong."
He turns and looks Fofin in the eye.
"If we are going to travel for a full day, cross-country, into a land crawling with goblins, we all must be able to trust the ones we travel with to stand with us. Do you trust Blake, now? Do you think he trusts you? If the two of you come to blows, will the rest of us be forced to choose sides , or simply stand by and watch you kill one another? Will the goblins care if the two of you are fighting, or simply cut your hamstrings and set your writhing bodies on fire?"
Ethan sighs and puts a hand on the dwarf's shoulder.
"Beneath that gruff exterior lies the heart of a true and loyal friend. I see it in you, even if others have not yet done so. Please, make peace with Master Deverin."
He smiles, and removes his hand.
"Come, I believe a grateful Master Aldren has invited us to lunch with him this afternoon."
"Oh damn, right, the dinner. Good thing you mentioned it Ethan, I was already waist-deep in goblins and halfbreed longshanks..."
He turns to Fofin and Ethan, and smiles as he says: "Our divine intermediary here has a point. We do not know the half-orc's intentions or motivations, but I would like for the ones present to watch my back, as I will watch everyone's aswell. Let's put these feelings aside, get together later tonight for a "tactical meeting" with ale... Lots of ale... And wait for what the future might bring. It will be a shock to someone, either side the coin drops."
He slows his pace to match the speed of the dwarf, so he can vent some more anger should he wish to.
As the group continues down the road Runk notices Kesten starting to drift a bit seemingly unsure if he should be following or leaving. Grinning a bit maliciously Runk calls over to him"Hey silver tongue, come with us."
"This little tea party might just be interesting yet." He thinks to himself.
"Euh sure, it's only bread and pea soup at my place.. Not exactly my cup of tea..."
Kesten follows the group.
Zizou thanks the goblin for his help, in case they need to talk to him again.
Outside, he waits to see what everyone else is planning. "Blake, you going to meet us at the Dragon for the free lunch? At least see if Foxglove's courier had any luck finding Gorham this morning. Yeah, Kesten, come along. I'm sure the guy'll have no problem paying for another 'hero' to sit at his table, and if Gorham and Boo don't show up, he'll still come out ahead."
As Fofin walks beside the cleric, his demeanor is still one of stubborn rigidity. However, at Ethan's words and gestures, the dwarf's attitude softens somewhat. Indeed, by the time Erastil's follower has finished his speech, it has left the dwarf deep in thought. He tugs on his tangle of a beard, mulling over what his friend has spoken.
He's about right, I'd wager. That fellow would stick a picked dogslicer in my guts and keep moving if he'd have the chance, at this rate. Besides, I owe the boy, he found me near dead on the road.
The warrior peers down at his scalemail, seemingly absorbed in thought. His rough, thick fingers turn the links this way and that as he nods, more to himself than to Ethan. Inhaling sharply again, his features are drawn as if the dwarf were battling internally over some great matter, much more than the simple spat with the magus.
At last, he turn to look up at his only friend on the surface, "I s'pose yer right." He then scowls at the man, "But ye don't have t'be so damn good at it!" The dwarf chuckles and rubs a tear from the corner of his eye, "I'll look to amend a'fore our journey, but I ain't rushin' it. In the meantime, I want t'know how ye came to yer god, boy. What struck ye int'his service s'well?"
Ethan chuckles at the question. "I came from a small community; little more than a collection of scattered farmsteads and crafters’ shops compared to this busy, bustling place,” he says, making a sweeping gesture towards the town square.
”I was a smart, talented, lazy, arrogant boy. I knew that I was cut out for something more than farming, herding, barrel making, or blacksmithing. Because of that, I decided to skip our annual coming-of-age apprenticeship gathering, and instead spent the day wandering the woods, dreaming about my grand destiny. That’s when I ran into the Old Man.”
He chuckles again at the memory then continues.
”I was trudging around the woods, hitting trees and shrubs with a stick, imagining myself anywhere else. I inadvertently flushed out a stag, which was followed by a slew of curses. A crazed-looking old man with a tangled white and yellow beard burst from the brush, longbow in hand. After cursing me and my entire lineage, he calmed down and proceeded to lecture me on the discourtesy of scaring off a hunter’s game. He finally introduced himself as Delbyr Roan.”
His hand goes reflexively to the wooden symbol around his neck.
”It started simply enough, with a few basic lessons on how to move through the brush without scaring game, how to draw and aim a longbow, and before I knew it he was challenging me with questions about life, and community, and responsibility and how I fit into it all. Before I knew it, the sun was setting, and I needed to get home. Delbyr walked with me, and when we reached my home. He surprised me by introducing himself to my irate parents as my new master. “Ethan has decided to apprentice as a priest of Erastil,” he said, and I found myself nodding in agreement. That was ten years ago.”
”I learned a lot in that time. I learned that having talents and wits can be wasted on arrogant, selfish pursuits that benefit no one but myself and yield nothing of worth, or I could use those gifts to help others find their own gifts, and help them see how those talents could be used for the betterment of all.”
He chuckles again.
”And so, though Master Roan, Erastil granted my wish for a greater destiny. Except, instead of leaving my home to prove how much better I was than that simple, rustic life, I am leaving to advocate to the rest of the world for that very way of living. To share with others the pride of purpose in a hard day’s work; the honor of belonging to a community built on trust and mutual support, and the wealth found in a loving family.”
He shakes his head, and sighs, smiling.
”I just need to remind myself to do more, and talk less. Master Roan would bust his gut laughing at how I’ve been blathering on.”
Fofin affords the cleric his occasional glance as he tells his tale, otherwise continuing to inspect his armor. Digesting the story, the dwarf looks up to Ethan through narrowed eyes, his head cocked somewhat to the side.
"Ye got a gift fer words, boy! I'd suggest shuttin' up only when it's cost ye a few teeth and only rarely even then," he advises in a tone somewhat reminiscent of a feisty grandfather goading a young one with a black eye back into the fray.
Continuing to follow the rest of the company at a distance, he inquires of the cleric once more, "And d'ya think a godly callin's always through another or do some take on th'mantle themselves? I mean, how might a feller know he's got that deity's blessin'?"
As they walk Runk listens to the exchange between Ethan and Fofin. As the cleric speaks of community and working together he feels a tug at heart strings he'd though long since cut. After a wistful moment a black anger rises in him putting a scowl on his face. Humiliation and hurt not long scarred over bleeding anew.
"Tried that path preacher. Community didn't seem to interested in me if I wasn't in irons." he thinks vehemently though some level of respect for the clerics words holds his tongue in check.
Kesten is baffled by the sounds of wisdom coming from the cleric...
All he can think about is how hungry he is, and hoping his stern gaze is not understood as such. He tries to cramp his muscles in his abdomen, so his stomach will not growl too much.
But let's face it, it's Kesten. It fails.
A low "GRGBRGGRLLLBBL.." is heard, followed by a slight curse and an stammered apology.
"We almost there? Don't mean to be a stickler, but I skipped morning breakfast and I believe the boar in my belly is waking up."
Voice 2: 'Remember, you're a sorcerer.'
Voice 1: 'B...'
Voice 3: 'Yes, stick to that story, Zappy Mc'Lightning! Your grandmother was molested by one of those electric eels with wings. Everyone will believe it, just like in the stories.'
Voice 4: 'Hahaha!'
Voice 3: 'Shut up fatty! Didn't ask you nothing!'
Voice 1: 'Wha...'
Voice 5: 'Calm down everyone, you'll give him nosebleeds again.'
Voice 2: 'Yeah, remember last time.. And I think he wants to say something. Yes, child?'
Voice 1: 'Shouldn't I just be truthful? It seems the others are, and they will accept me for who I am and...'
Voice 2-10: 'NOOO!!!' (in choir)
Voice 1: 'Awe man..'
Ethan smiles at Fofin's question.
"How a person comes to find faith in one of the many gods of this world, is probably as varied as the number of people,gods, and motivations for seeking their guidance," he says with a mirthful shrug.
"I can only speak for myself. For me, it was natural. It was what I was supposedto do, what I was made to do. I just had not realized it until that first day with Master Roan."
As Zizouket catches up to Blake he ponders the the lunch invitation. "Sorry friend, I do not think I can spend anymore time today in the presence of that hate spewing dwarf. Besides, I do not need that rich man throwing money at me. I defended our home, no more no less. I think I will go find the sheriff and my cousin and let them know what we are planning. Please go, find out if he was able to locate Gorham. I will meet you in the morning at the north gate. If Groham is there have him come find me at the brewery later."
Heading back to the inn you find Aldern waiting for you at a table in the corner. Noticing your interest he waves you over, as has become custom over the last day people in the tavern thank you for your aid, patting you on the back or just saying thanks as you walk by.
Aldern welcomes you all over to the table. "Ah my friends. Welcome!" He waves for one of the waitresses to bring over some drinks and take everyone's orders. Aftwards he grins and looks to each of you [b]"Well I'll be heading back to Magnimar soon, but before I go I was hoping you all would accompany me on a boar hunt in the nearby Tickwood. I'll supply the mounts of course. Although word is, it sounds like you may be busy with all this other greenskin nonsense." A flash of disappointment comes over his face briefly but then he shrugs and continues "So I would understand if you must decline. In either case, here is a reward for helping me to defeat those unruly goblins yesterday" He tosses a coin purse on the table that has 300 gp. After a moment he looks around a look of confusion on his face, "I thought there had been 6 of you?"
Kesten looks around, waiting for someone to speak.
My money is on the gnome. They like speaking.
Shut up!
Take the money and run!
No, no, no. Kill more goblins, get more money.
SSHHHH!
"The locals of our new formed band have garnered a great deal of attention from the community. Sudden celebrity makes getting anywhere in a timely fashion difficult, if not impossible," Ethan replies. "Please do not mistake such tardiness as a slight upon your generosity."
Ethan sets down his gear in the corner, and removes his coat. He moves to the table and awaits a gesture from their host to be seated.
The dwarf remains in his armor and shows no inclination toward the abundant manners his friend displays. He sits down at the table and ventures to rest his feet atop it after scooting out his seat with a loud screech. Snorting loudly, Fofin coughs before nodding at the nobleman.
"N'matter 'bout countin', friend. How're we meanin' t'nab these boars? Field-knife, bare-handed, other?" he inquires before picking his teeth clean.
"No worse for wear, I see!" Zizouket sits at the table and asks the waitress for a recommendation, which he orders.
"Oh yeah, this is Kesten, another defender of Sandpoint from last night. We figured you'd have room at your table since a couple of our friends couldn't make it. Our friend Blake is trying to find another of our friends who helped you last night, Gorham, the half-orc with the giant hamster friend. We haven't seen him all day. Did your messenger who delivered our invitations this morning find him to deliver his?"
Seeing the dwarf sit down, Kesten follows suit.
As Zizoukets mentions his name, he quickly nods and opens his mouth as to speak, but quickly closes as Zizouket keeps talking.
Runk looks at the table as they approach deciding which seat gives him the best view of the room and covers his back the best. Choosing one he sits ignoring the majority of the pleasantries. When the waitress arrives he takes the opportunity to order whatever meal seems most interesting and most expensive before settling back into his seat to see if Fofin or Kesten cause the fop to choke on his drink first.
When the purse of gold hits the table his eyes track to it trying to guess how much it might contain. Seeing no one else reach for it he does so and begins counting out neat little stacks unaware or unconcerned with the rudeness of the act. After starting the fifth stack he pauses and considers Kesten shrewdly for a moment. Finally he shrugs and starts a sixth pile.
As he counts he keeps an ear to the chatter at the table.
"Boar hunt...wonder if he actually caries a spear or if he just nicks it with his sword after his huntsman puts it down. Should try being one of the brush beaters and see how much he likes it." he thinks unconsciously running his finger over an old scar on his side.
"Hunting is a wonderfully meditative pastime, and were I not charged with an urgent expedition by the mayor, I would certainly join you, Master Aldern. I would, however, like to offer you my thanks for hosting this fine meal."
Aldern looks at the dwarf raising an eyebrow, taking a moment to process the dwarves words, finally he responds "Ah well, whatever you feel comfortable with. I'll have a couple of my men to accompany us of course, so as you will." Turning to Zii he shakes his head "No my messanger arrived and recieved no response from your man Gorham when trying to get the message to him" He nods briefly to Kesten at his introduction more concerned with his other conversations. After Ethan turns down the invitation to hunt he nods slowly, accepting the news "As I said, I understand. I shall be in town another 2 or 3 days if you should change your mind. In any case, I hope you enjoy the meal. Unless there is anything else, I do have some other matters to attend to." He slides hsi chair back and stands up moving to leave, then as a second thought he turns back to them "If you should change your mind, I'll be at the White Deer Inn." Unless otherwise detained he will casually walk from the table and out of the Rusty Dragon.
Runk notes but doesn't acknowledge the nobles departure. Finishing dividing the gold he pushes a pile of fifty coins towards each of the people seated at the table, with a second going towards the gnome presumably for Blake. He then pockets his own pile and says, "First light then?"
Ethan watches their host leave with a somber expression. He turns to the pile of coins before him, and slides the coins into his belt pouch without comment.
He eats his meal quietly and efficiently, wipes his face and stands. He gives a nod to his companions.
"Morning, then."
He moves to retrieve his gear.
"Which direction is the local dry goods and tack store?"
"Thanks for more info on Gorham. 'Fraid I wouldn't be much good at boar hunting. I'm pretty much a city boy." Additionally, Zizou nods in agreement as Ethan declines on the basis of the expedition.
Zizouket stands as their host leaves. "If I don't see you again, it was good to meet you!"
He sits back down, and takes another swig of the mead. He takes the two stacks as Runk passes them over, "One for Blake? You know, 'you never count your money when you're sittin' at the table; there'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done'" Then, with a wink and beaming smile, he puts the two stacks into a pocket and finishes his meal.
As Ethan stands to go for supplies. "I can take you, I need to get some myself, I guess."
"Thanks, " Ethan replies, smiling. "I need a few things, as well. Replacement arrows, for one."