"If you like making them as much as I like eating them, we can switch to sandwiches immediately. But for now I think we're going to enjoy the treatment, that normally only nobles and rich people get to enjoy." Jominda replies.
"But if you insist on a decision, you can ask the maid for a cook-off and I'll be the judge." Jominda offers selfless.
Kendra smiles. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? You food maniac."
Kendra finishes her food like Herm, and then asks "You guy wanna talk some more? Consult with people who we want to help hunt wolves or how to get into contact with the nicer packs? Or just go sleep now and talk tomorrow?"
"I bet it's past midnight already. It was dark when we arrived here. I vote for bed." Jominda states.
"Sleep now and then we have all day tomorrow to talk." Herm says with a yawn
The maid shows the ladies and gentlemen to their rooms. They are on the first floor along the corridor. Ascanor Lodge has seven rustically - though luxuriously - appointed private rooms for the use of its guests. Each contains a bed, chest, desk, chair, and fireplace, and (with one exception) has an exterior balcony. The maid hands Kendra and Herm a key to the respective room, tell all good night and leaves.
"I'm in this room. I wish you all a good nigth's rest. See you tommorrow. Ladies, gentlemen." Graydon tells with a slight bow to the ladies and a nod to the men. Then he enters his room, next door to Kendra's and locks the door from the inside.
Jominda watches all in awe. She smiles back at Graydon as he tells his goodbye. As the door closes it spills out of her "This is so exciting! After staying at a castle with a former count we are now treated like nobles. This new life is so exciting!"
Herm just shakes his head and heads into his room, taking his armor off and putting his equipment in a corner so that Harrold can have the table. Herm then goes to polishing his armor, and looking for any cracks or dents in his weapons, taking time to inspect all his gear before heading to bed.
As her excitement isn't shared by anyone, but only met with tired looks, Jominda walks into the assigned room, drops all her stuff where she stands and lets herself fall into the bed. Where she starts snoring within minutes.
Kendra smiles at Jominda's excitement, but it actually too tired to be excited along with her.
She puts her belongings and sits down on the bed for a moment. "Maybe we should see to getting you some actual titles and lands?" she inquires, only partly in jest. Before she can hear any answer, she has already nodded off to sleep.
It is a short night, for those who get up with the sun, but the beds are comfortable and invite to stay longer.
Herm gets up and does his morning prayers, once he is done he goes and gets some food allowing Harrold and the ladies to sleep
Jominda half wakes as the sun becomes too bright through the window, even in these dark woods. She stretches herself and turns around once more. Only to notice after a moment, that she is no longer lying on her really comfortable pillow, but on Kendra.
Other than her usual really slow dragging herself out of bed she practically jumps out of it this time. Blushed beet red she stand there wondering if Kendra noticed.
Kendra opens her eyes, and sees Jominda standing there. "What are you looking at?" she asks. "Is there anything wrong?"
"No, everything is fine, are we going for breakfast?" Jominda replies, speaking a little too fast. To hide her blush she turns around and walks to the door. "I'll wait for you where we sat yesterday." she adds over her shoulder and then leaves the room.
Breaking his fast Herm looks over a book that Kendra had been looking at before. As Jominda comes in the room Herm looks up.
"Morning, did you and Miss Kendra sleep well last night?" Herm asks
"Yes. I did sleep well." Jominda answers. So much for fleeing conversation.
"Enjoy your breakfast, I am off to look the grounds over, see what is here." Herm says as he stands, Herm puts his dishes neatly stacked on a serving tray then leaves the room. Herm heads outside to inspect the grounds
Kendra looks at the door that Jominda just stormed out of, quite flabbergasted over what just transpired. Dressing herself she makes to leave for some breakfast before studying her spellbooks when she notices the letter on the floor, just inside the door.
Her relaxed feeling from having a surprisingly good night's sleep completely lost, Kendra rushes downstairs, where she sees Jominda at the table.
"Where are Herm and Harrold? Have you seen them already?" She looks around hastily as she hands Jominda the letter. "This is what I found in our room. I think it had been slipped under the door."
"Herm left already to look around the premises." Jominda answers. She accept sthe note and reads it. "Who would write something like that?"
"Either someone who wants to get us to be worried. Or someone who has genuine concern for us." She says. "But I don't know why they wouldn't write their name down for some reason."
She grabs Jominda by the wrist, and pulls her up. "Let's find Harrold, and then Herm. We should not be apart too much."
Stepping out of the lodge, Herm finds that the building dominates the grounds. Everything else is tiny in comparison. A path connects the other buildings with the entrances of the lodge and the gatehouse. Besides a watchtower, the stable, a shed, a beast's pen - recognizable from the noises within - and some cottages, where the staff lives. The only person already around is the stable master, a short, fit woman who cleans the horse boxes.
"That bad?" Jominda asks. "Then let's start with Herm. I know where he went." But she doesn't get up. She takes the fork into her free hand and continues eating hastily, to not let her scrambled eggs get cold.
Herm walks over to her. "Good day Ma'am, how are you this morning?" Herm says politely
"I'm fine, thank you Sir. How can I help you?" the stable master asks.
Kendra doesn't let go of Jominda's wrist, but instead turns it a bit so her hand is facing palm upwards. In the meantime she uses her other hand to pick up the plate, and places is into Jominda's open hand.
"Ok, Herm then. He might know where we can find Harrold too."
"Ok, ok." Jominda says and gets up. She then walks to the exit with the plate in hand. Kicking the door open she steps outside.
"What sort of Animals do you board here? I would also like to thank you for looking after the horses that we brought in, well I am going to assume that it is you doing so." Herm hears his voice be called a few moments later, turning he moves to the door to the stables and waves at Jominda. "I am just here, has everyone broken their fast yet?"
Kendra moves up to Herm quickly, "No, I haven't yet. I found this though, chucked under my door during the night." she says, handing Herm the note. "I just wanted you to be informed as quickly as possible. And Find Harrold, do you know where he is?"
A short while after Jominda shouts for Herm, Harrold creaks out of the lodge, still in a nightgown and cap, however he has a pouch slung over his shoulder, out of which stick the necks of a few vials. Spotting everyone and seeing they are okay his hands move fro the pouch, "Shouting this early in the morning isn't polite Jominda." Harrold chastises her with a good-natured smile, "What's the problem?"
Herm smiles at Harrolds assessment, taking the note Herm reads it over.
"So someone here knows what we seek or just knows that we are seeking something and presumes?"
"I'm not polite when I get dragged from my breakfast." Jominda gives back with a wide grin, directed at Kendra.
"You know what my mother always said? If you presume, then it's only your own secrets that you come to. Someone is hiding something!"
"I think it's safe to say a number of people are hiding a number of things. Wrongdoers are hiding their nefarious activities just as our unknown allies are hiding their identity from the wrongdoers." Kendra reacts in serious, hushed tones.
"We should really devise a goal and strategy here." she continues. "But perhaps we should get dressed and fed, and then retire to somewhere more private where we can get a lay of the land, so to speak, summarise for ourselves who is who, and who wants what."
"I want to become a noble. What do think are my chances?" Kendra replies.
"You could marry the Count?" Herm says with a firm face. "I agree with Kendra, we need to figure out what we are looking for then pursue it."
"That man is rather old and he is still talking to his dead wife. I don't think he'd be interested." Jominda replies. "What other options are there to become a noble? Because this marrying thing has some man attached to it, and so far I've met no noble I'd take for that."
"I thought we are looking for the Whispering Way." she comes back to the topic at hand.
'We are I just wasn't going to say it out loud, do we suspect these werewolves are working with the way?" Herm asks quietly. "I guess you could always marry a female noble if you wished."
"I have no clue. But the hint from the count was, that they should come past the lodge. What we don't know is, if they went past, or stepped in. But this note makes me believe, that someone knows." Jominda replies.
"Maybe the count has an ally here and he passed a message them before we got here?" Herm ponders "What say you two?" Turning to Kendra and Harrold
"Well who here could be of the Way?" Kendra says. "The hunters we met yesterday seem ready to kill, maim and burn, but then again, the targets seemed to be pretty nasty werewolves."
"Mister Graydon seemed nice, but also guarded. He keeps his cards close to his chest, which makes sense considering where we are and why we're here."
"Who else?"
Kendra keeps a close eye on Jominda's reaction at Herm's suggestion to marry a noble lady.
On Herms comment about marrying a noble woman, Jominda shortly glances at Kendra, but pretends to watch after some bird flapping over behind.
\
Harrold grins as he spots Jominda's gaze drifting.
"We should have learn't not to judge by appearances, what with Thomas and all. The way wouldn't survive if they went around acting and looking like necromancers..."
"From what I can tell, they don't give a s@*! about that. They go for what they want, kill everyone in their way and leave a big mess. That's what we had in Ravengro, and again in Lepidstadt. It just wasn't obvious for those not in the know, that they were the cause." Jominda objects.
Thinking about her own words she adds "So we only need to find the biggest mess around and we'll be sure to follow the steps of the way."
"There is no mess here though? Maybe in the woods there is but we cannot just go stumbling around. We could ask Duristan if the Werewolves have meetings spots or something holy to them?" Herm says
"You both have good points. The whispering way hasn't been known for it's subtlety, and the most chaos we can find is probably those demon wolves. Though we could ask around for more recent upheavals around the area.
"But who from the lodge, could have written the note?" Jominda ponders.
Kendra studies the note, for any magical effects on it.
Then she the handwriting, the choice of words (even though they are few), and sees if she can make any educated guesses.
"Could be anyone really,Shall we move to a more private area?" Herm asks
"I haven't seen that many people around here. You could stick it in everyone's face and ask them. See if the one who did is good at hiding it." Jominda tells.