Once breakfast is finished, you head up to your rooms to store your belongings. Hel and Cole's room is a good size, with a bed sized for two, a wardrobe, and a washstand with a plain wooden chair before it. Another room has two single person beds, with a washstand in between. The final room is small, with only a single person bed and washstand, although it has a small desk and chair in it, as well. The rooms are clean, and the linens freshly washed.
Once taken care of, Hel and Bill seek out Bellam, who rousts one of the stableboys, a lad of around 11 named Haden. He listens as Bellam explains what they need, then nods and walks over to them. "Hello, Mistress Thomas, Master Cross. My name is Haden Barhold. My da asked me to show you around town. Is there some place you'd like me to take you?"
Cole heads out with his wife but parts ways as she is led off to meet a stable boy with Bellam.
"See you later dear." He smiles as they part.
"Bellam if you could point me in the direction of where I can find the reeve? Thank you."
He states assuming the man gives him directions he will wonder off to find the reeve to speak to about the possibility of a home or shop for sale.
Wesh unloads his meager possessions into the room with a single bed, content to sleep alone. If someone is to be attacked alone, he would rather it be him.
Taking his greatsword with him, Wesh returns to the inn's common room and finds a seat at a corner table with a good view of the entrance and the stairs leading to their guest rooms.
Lutor acquires one of the two beds, the one on the left when entering the room.
He then proceeds to seek a glass of wine - and chats about gossip.
'Jack' does his best to stow his trappings in order. It might be wise for Torbin and I to acquire some lighter armour since we'll likely need to skulk around at certain points.
I agree, Sir Gallen, though I've never been good at skulking. Perhaps it's time to learn.
With no pertinent conversations forthcoming, Wesh decides to do a bit of exploring. He offers for 'Jack' to come along if he wants to.
Oh!! Cole, I somewhat presume we left your coffin with Timeon and Grumblejack? I wrote about it, but it's still up to you. I just figured it'd be a bit morbid to be carting around a coffin. ;)
Clearly you need to learn how to be more priggish, Hel 'comments' with an absent sort of scorn -- not for Lutor/Bill, but for the Mithrans amongst whom the Knot is ensconced.
She proceeds to 'assist' in bringing the items up -- mostly conveying her bow, her 'current' quiver of arrows and an extra, and paying close attention to the carrying and placement of her chest, opening it and making sure of the various small treasures the Knot has acquired. Thoughtfully, she examines several things, then extracts them and turns to Cole. "Here, wear these," she suggests to him, handing him the sapphire ring from Branderscar. Waiting until he puts it on, she then lifts the chain of the silver (and fake sapphire) dragon pendant from the Nine Lessons, to loop it over his head, then tuck it in beneath his jacket or vest, tweaking the fall until the pendant is hinted at, but not entirely on display. "You are in town now," she explains as she does the latter, "you can wear signs of the wealth you have acquired." Giving him a long look, she adds, "Still, be sure to take along one of the guards at all times. One can never be too careful."
For herself, she removes and puts on the silver-and-sapphire holy symbol of Mitra they'd taken from Sir Balin; upright and uptight as she's supposed to be, a visible and moderately expensive symbol of her piety can only impress people, or at least so she expects. Looking out from their room, Hel's eyebrows lift at the sight of 'Torbin' emerging from the smaller of the rooms. Eyeing the desk and chair inside, she wonders aloud (and somewhat acerbically), "Planning on doing some writing, Master Torbin?" It is clear, at least to her, that the two-person room was meant for the guards, and the one-person with the desk for the clerk/mage 'Bill Cross', and her expression at Wesh running counter to the citizenry's expectations is one of disappointment, but it doesn't matter a lot to her; whether Wesh explains or not, she gives a slight shrug and returns to setting things out. Though reluctant to leave her bow behind, she does, taking only the walking-stick hanbo with her when she finally descends back to the common room.
Seeing the three 'servants' gathered, she moves over to them. "Master Cross," she begins, looking with a touch of displeasure at 'Bill's' acquisition of a glass of wine so early in the day, "with me. Mister Torbin, you seem antsy. Perhaps you can work off some of that energy by accompanying Master Thomas during his inquiries." She looks over at the aforementioned 'merchant', come down and giving her a farewell, which she returns with a clearly-only-courteous smile. "Why not walk with us to the reeve?" she suggests to him, then gives 'Torbin' a meaningful glance. Remember that you're a bodyguard, Wesh. So bodyguard. And no need for skulking yet; let's take a couple or three days before we start getting into deep trouble, shall we? Let's concentrate on gathering information first.
Sir Gallen gets a different look, Hel's eyes resting on him before moving for a moment to the stairs up -- Wesh had picked a good table -- and then to the other customers. Talk some, she suggests to him, buy some drinks, but please do keep an eye on who goes upstairs. Make sure our rooms aren't broken into -- we've a good bit of coin, plenty of valuable goods for trade, and a few incriminating items that'd see us hounded were they revealed -- like Demlin's Asmodean symbol, and our copy of the Pact of Thorns.
Once Bellam has been found and his son shows up bright and chipper in front of them, Hel examines the young Haden as though she were considering his worthiness to enter her service -- which in a lot of ways she is, since after all, he is. "To the chapel of Mitra first," she states firmly, as a 'good Mitran' would make a small offering in thanks for a safe (or at least successful) journey, and they are good Mitrans. "Then my husband has business with the town's reeve, so that will be our second destination. Otherwise, we seek an overview -- places and people of interest, so to speak. Shops, wise-women and expert craftsmen, a general orientation to your fine little town. I expect you to answer any question we might have," and here she makes a small gesture to indicate not just herself but 'Bill', 'Torbin', and 'James', "but I otherwise expect you to point out everything of interest, and what you know of them. Quiet," she adds, "is not something I expect to hear from you unless we are in conversation with someone else. Do you understand?"
"All right. To the Church of St. Alden it is."
Haden leads you out the front door, then turns left and left again so you're walking down a street at the outer edge of town. As he makes the turn, he points at a stone watch tower. "That's the town alarm bell. If there's any trouble, either in town or at Balentyne, then the guards there ring an alarm signal. They can call for aid from the watchtower, or alert people to an attack, or even tell people they need to flee. Helps keep us real safe. I'm just pointing it out to let you know that despite how close we are to the North, Aldencross is a very safe town. Balentyne is just down the road that way."
Haden leads you down the street, saying, "There isn't much to this street. It's mostly houses, and a couple seamstress and cobbler shops. Some people call it 'Clothing Row', but I think that sounds like a rather poor name, don't you? Anyway, behind these houses is a park area that becomes the Town Market on Market days. Everybody usually comes into town for that. Ma says that since it's right out the back door, it makes it easy to go get food for the inn."
After a few minutes, you come to a 4-way intersection. Haden leads you straight through, saying, "That northern road leads to a couple of farms - there isn't anything else out that way. Nothing interesting, anyway."
After a couple more minutes, you find yourselves in front of the Church of St. Alden. Haden says, "This is the church. A few years before I was born, there was a fire they had to rebuild the church. The new one looks pretty nice, I guess, but I don't know what the old one looks like. The graveyard has been here for three hundred years - since the town was first founded. Some people say there's ghosts and what not in the graveyard. I've never seen them, but some people swear they feel like someone's watching them when they're visiting the graves. Shall we go in?"
"Cross" deigns to go with the town party, polishing off his wine.
Listening, he makes observations.
We should consider the impact, if any, upon Sakkarot's entrance if we silence that alarm bell before his arrival. These "ghosts" could be of interest, if not necessarily worth a visit right now. Night may suit us better.
Wesh responds to Lutor, Assuming we can disable the alarm bell without arousing suspicion, I think we should certainly do so. The longer it takes for them to call for aid, the longer Sakkarot's army can pillage Aldencross unabated. The ghosts might be worth studying, though we would need some way to stir them to action. Doesn't seem like they've done much on their own.
The fighter glances towards the group's 'merchants,' waiting for them to respond to Haden's question. Wesh is eager to see inside, but does his best to hold his tongue to maintain the appearance of being a guard.
result of 20, and considering she's witnessed (and performed) plenty of these sorts of interactions before, I hope she has all the proper bowing and scraping down pat, as well as the correct offering amount.
But, if a roll is necessary:
... not a good roll. :P :) Might hit it, though. ;)
Little to none, responds Hel to the comment about the alarm bell. By the time it rings, it'll be too late -- and I've never known anyone who didn't try to grab a keepsake or some cash before running, which will make it really too late. Besides, I expect we want some survivors of the town. Terror running ahead of his army will do half of Sakkarot's work for him. But, she has to agree with Wesh's estimation, being caught by complete surprise would make things much more ... emphatic. And remember that the town calls for aid from Balentyne, and vice-versa. If Balentyne is incapacitated, their calls would be unanswered. She shrugs, just slightly. But information to be considered, certes.
The church being obvious, Hel will eye the largish building a few doors before the church; if the nature of the place is not immediately apparent from signage or displays, she will prompt Haden with a cool-voiced "And what is this place?"
Once at the church, however, she gives the boy a quelling glance. "Do you have business inside, boy? Sins to confess? Then you may sit yourself down," she looks pointedly towards a nearby log, stump, seat, or bench, "and wait upon our return. And keep your tongue behind your teeth about us should some passer-by ask."
Moving towards the entrance to the church, she 'allows' one of the men to open the door for her, giving a warning glance towards Wesh as she does. Do keep a lid on your hatred, 'Torbin'. Fantasize about decorating the chapel with his guts all you like, as long as it doesn't reach your face. You can have your fun after we break Balentyne.
Once inside, she will return proper greetings to whatever Mitran pastor comes to greet them, tell him of the reason for their visit (just arrived in town, an offering of thanks for a journey safely completed), and go to a position proper for a woman of her (lowered-from-noble) rank and (implied-to-be-more-than-many-nobles) wealth, kneel down, and mouth the proper prayers. After all, she is the pious one; the three men can chat up the chapel's clergyman or -woman.
Jack opens the door for the lady Hel Thomas into the church, his eyes dart for a moment towards the graveyard.
These ghost could be some kind of carrion eater or some such foul thing that is clever enough to avoid the attention of the locals. If it's sentient we might come to an accord, if might have useful abilities or be privy to valuable knowledge. I agree that it would be worth investigating.
You know the proper tithes (10 gp) and prayers.
Haden looks at the house Hel is pointing to. "That? That's where Captain Mott, one of the captains of the Watch Wall, lives. He doesn't do much business with merchants, so you probably won't see a lot of him." He moves to sit on a bench, a confused look on his face at Hel's instructions.
Upon entering the Church of St. Alden, a middle-aged human man with brown hair and eyes, wearing simple robes of blue and white, with a painted wooden holy symbol of Mitra approaches you. "Greetings and welcome to the Church of St. Alden, visitors. I am Brother Justin of Travismere. How may I assist you this day?"
Nodding to Hel's request, he says, "Of course. The doors of the Church are always open." He motions Hel to where she can go to "pray".
Lutor remains silent as he enters, barely glancing at the brother.
Wesh finds his hands moving unconsciously and instinctively towards the handle of his blade as they meet Brother Justin. He manages to stop himself, forcing his hands into the pockets of his pants to hide his excitement. The time would come, but now is the time for planning.
The fighter follows Lutor's example and stays silent while listening in on any conversations that take place.
Jack tries to strike up a few conversations, not forcing the discussions in any directions just yet as there is still generally much that remains unknown.
"Thank you for the warm welcome brother Justin. I am James Thomas. This is my lovely wife Hel. I have business with the reeve. I'm sure we will meet again." He then looks to his wife lifts her hand and kisses it.
"Good bye my love. We will meet you back at the inn. Come along now Trobin."
Hel will give Brother Justin the ten gold appropriate for the thanksgiving, and receive the kiss from Cole / James before nodding at his departure and going up to kneel and murmur the appropriate prayers. She returns after the few necessary minutes, giving Justin a cool smile. "A very tidy chapel, Brother Justin. Our native guide tells us 'tis practically new, though he adds that your ancient graveyard is haunted."
The emptiness of the common room means that, while those in it are receptive to Gallen's attempts to strike up conversation, he doesn't learn much. Perhaps when more people come in the evening he'll be able to learn more.
Brother Justin bows his head towards 'James', and says, "Of course. Have a blessed day."
Brother Justin smiles at Hel. "Thank you. The fire almost 20 years ago was before my time here, but I am told that the damage was quite severe. As for a haunted graveyard, such stories are always told about graveyards. I assure you, there are no ghosts haunting our consecrated ground. I think there may be a stray cat or dog that wanders the area, though."
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Outside, Haden points 'James' in the direction of the Town Hall, "It's back to the big intersection we just passed, turn right, and walk up to the circle with the statue of the Victor. The Town Hall will be on the opposite side of the square.
Following the boy's directions, after a few minutes of walking, Wesh and Cole find themselves in what is clearly the center of town. The King's Road intersects with the road from the north, and the road going south look's like it leads all they way to Estyllis. In the exact center is a great statue of a knight on a horse. The statue is clearly of Markadian I called the Victor. You notice something unusual about it. Statues of the Victor typically show him clad in armor, sometimes charging into battle. This statue, however, depicts him in fine clothes, riding his horse and looking dreamily to the north. There is an inscription at the base that reads, [b]"Till All Talingarde is Free."
On the other side of the statue from where you are you can see a building that is clearly the Town Hall. It has an official look about it.
Wesh has to keep from rolling his eyes as he reads the inscription on the statue. If he could, he would lop off the statue's head here and now. But that would be unwise. And, even worse, doing so would likely dull or even chip his blade.
Glancing at Cole, Wesh says, "Well, Mr. Thomas, shall we see what we can learn?"
As the others speak with the brother, the statue draws Lutor's attention.
He paces around it, examining it, trying to work out if there is some hidden meaning or component. At the same time, he considers what he knows of Markadian I.
After, he nods slightly at Wesh's suggestion.
"Bill" speaks up.
"Brother, do you know how the fire started? Are such fiery hazards common in this town?"
Cole takes note of the statue thinking it a bit odd. He then looks around finding the town hall. He nods to Wesh.
"Yes let us go find the reeve and conclude our business."
"I'd imagine most of the soldiers are fine upstanding folks but are there any I should be mindful of." He puts a hand up "Don't get me wrong but sometimes good men turn a little sour after one drink too many. I've learned that as a stranger in places its best to avoid them."
Brother Justin shrugs. "Fires are no more common in Aldencross than anywhere else in Talingarde. I believe the cause of this one is that a lit candelabra was knocked over, catching some of the drapes on fire. The old church was mostly wooden, and the blaze spread quickly. Only the foundations were left. As you can see," Brother Justin gestures to the stone walls, "that particular architectural choice has been rectified."
Wesh and Cole move past the statue, and move into the town hall. Sitting behind a desk is a middle-aged woman, who looks up as you enter and says, "Welcome to Aldencross. How may we be of assistance to you?"
The off-site guards shake their heads. "Don't have to worry about that here. Lord Commander Havelyn won't tolerate it, and with Captain Barhold in charge of the duty roster, it's a good way to end up with the worst shifts - and maybe even latrine duty." The guard's shudder makes it clear he thinks latrine duty the worse of those two choices.
Cole takes a moment to study the woman before speaking.
"Another pleasant greeting. Thank you for the warm welcome. I am James Thomas, a noble and merchant. I have come to your town with my wife and companions. I wish to speak with the Reeve of possibilities of property for sale or setting up shop here. Can he see me or do I need to make an appointment?"
He smiles warmly to the lady.
Wesh simply listens as Cole speaks to the man. He suspects a real guard would stay silent, so he might as well play the part.
Trying to appear stoic, Wesh surveys the area for anyone who might be watching them while keeping one ear focused on the conversation.
Lutor nods, taking the opportunity to examine the stonework.
Hel nods absently about the 'truth' of the lack of ghosts in the graveyard, waiting with bored hauteur for 'Bill' and Brother Justin to finish their conversation. "Where there is wood, there is fire," she agrees, then nods courteously to the Brother. "Thank you, Brother Justin; you may expect me on the next worship day. Come, Master Cross, our guide awaits."
With that, she will leave without a look back, calling out, "Boy!!" as she emerges. Presuming that gets Haden's attention, she makes a gesture for him to continue down the way they'd been heading. "Lead on, child. Tell us everything."
"You'd wonder if they keep the latrines primitive enough just for the opportunity to help enforce discipline." Jack takes a swig of his drink.
"So aside from this establishment is there anywhere to relax?"
"Bill" speaks up before leaving:
"Certainly, my lady. Thank you, Brother, for your time."
That graveyard bears investigation. Stealth may be our best option. Perhaps sending Faila and/or Nospca in may aid with finding unguarded entry ways., Lutor notes.
"Of course, my Lady. It was lovely to meet you, and I shall see you Sunday."
The chruch is well-made, but definitely human work. The stone is smooth and well-shaped. You do not spy anything that could be a secret passage.
Outside, Haden leaps to his feet. "Alright, my lady, let's go this way." He gestures to the west, down the street from the church, and leads the way.
As you walk down the street, you begin to hear a bit of a racket. There's the steady clanging of a blacksmith's hammer on anvil, and the faint smell of livestock begins to permeate the air. Haden says, "Most of this street is homes and craftsmen. That building is VonKraig Smithy , run by Erasmus VonKraig. My uncle says he's probably the best smith in town. There are a couple of other smithies, too." Haden points out a couple other buildings with smoke coming from their forges. "That's Alouhin's Jewelery over there, and Ven Hilyard's shop next to it - he does smithing, too, but uses silver, not iron or steel. There's also basketweavers, carpenters, and some stables that occasionally have horses and things for sale."
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The lady nods to Cole and says, "The Reeve does have time today. If you could wait there, I'll send one of the pages to let him know you're here. He should be able to see you shortly." She gestures to a small seating area with padded, straight-backed wooden chairs. She then calls over one of the lads wearing a formal-looking yet simple tabard and tells him to let the Reeve know that a merchant wishes to speak with him about the possibility of properties for sale or setting up shop.
After a few moments of waiting, the page returns and comes over to you. "The Reeve will see you now. Please follow me."
He leads you down a short hallway, with a turn to the right before stopping at an office and knocking. A voice inside says, "Come in." The page opens the door, and bows you through, closing it behind you.
The Reeve himself is a handsome, middle-aged man with brown hair, graying at the temples, and brown eyes. He wears fine clothing and has a very well-made rapier at his side. Standing he comes around the desk and says, "Welcome to Aldencross, Master Thomas. Dominik Vallison, town Reeve, at your service." He extends a hand towards you. "I understand you are looking into property in town, as well as to possibly set up shop?"
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The soldier shakes his head. "Unfortunately for you, my good man, there isn't anywhere else in town that caters to out of towners. I suppose if walks in the woods are entertaining to you, you could do that, but otherwise, the Lord's Dalliance is your only option."
Wesh follows Cole into the meeting with the town Reeve, but stays behind the 'merchant,' as he suspect a real guard would.
Even still, Wesh messages Cole, Let me know if I can assist with your conversation in some way, or if you need anything. Don't think a guard would normally speak unless first spoken to.
Between the two of us, we could probably kill this Vallison, if we wanted to, but I'm afraid of the noise he would make before we were finished. Perhaps we should look into using some sort of magic to silence the area. Might make offing some of the more important folks much easier.
"Any good game to hunt? I've not had to before this far north but it might be an interesting diversion. Is there anyone around who'd be a good guide? Knows the wilds and wildlife around here well?"
We have a mission and it is Balentyne and her captains. These towns people will suffer at the hands of the FireAxe and his horde if we succeed. We will do noting to draw attention to ourselves outside of the Balentyne. Control your compulsions Wesh.
Cole extends his hand and takes study of the man.
"Greetings my friend. Yes yes. We would be interested in a home or property to establish a branch of my merchant shops. We cater in general supplies as well as adventuring gear. Are there any properties you could tell me about or show me? Anything a new businessman needs to know about your fine town?"
No secret doors in the church that I could see. Human engineering. How about we visit that blacksmith next?, Lutor mindspeaks flatly and silently.
Hel slowly nods in acknolwedgement to Haden's direction, looking with remote-seeming interest as she strolls along through the town. She's content to walk where the boy will lead; after all, the entire idea is to orient themselves so that later they won't need a native guide. No, she opinions back at Lutor, giving him a slow glance, not unless you have a particular need -- something you actually do have to buy. The chapel was a requirement given our personas, 'Master Cross', but except for the alchemist -- and unless you've an actual interest -- let us go on past. Sounding out the shops can wait until we know where we're going; gathering information takes patience unless you want your target to know you're up to something. And after all, the boy will have work to do back at home; we don't want to delay him too long. Just a walk about the town.
As you reach an intersection, Haden points straight ahead and says, "There aren't any shops down there, so we'll turn towards the center of town and then move back up."
Walking towards the center of town, Haden points to a house with a wooden sign hanging out front of a bubbling cauldron. He says, "That's Master Caldwin's Cauldron. He's the town alchemist. Comes from somewhere to the south. He's a bit odd, and his shop always smells funny."
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Reeve Vallison says, "Things a new businessman would need to know? Nothing beyond what you would need to know in any other town in Talingarde. Obey the law, pay your taxes, and business moves freely. Stocking up on supplies soldiers might find useful isn't a bad way to attract business in Aldencross, with Balentyne nearby, and we have enough farmland to the south that if you can bring in some hearty seed, you'd do brisk business there. As for property for sale, there is one piece of property that might suit you. A local noble, Baron Osterman, owns a manor on the south side of the town. However, he has since moved away and has entrusted ownership of the manor to my office. I could sell the property to you, if you wish."
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"Captain Varning probably knows the area around the town best, and he may be amenable to a hunting trip if it doesn't interfere with his duties. There are deer and other game in the woods to the south, mostly, along with the occasional bear. Farmers sometimes hear wolves howling, but they usually don't come too close to civilized areas."
A manor you say? Yes that could do nicely. I do thank you for the information. How much for the manor then? I would very much like to see it and take a tour first with my wife to make sure it is up to her standards. Can someone show it to us today?"
Fair point. I should visit the alchemist. It might appear strange if I do not show an interest.
Could be a good way of taking him out just before the invasion begins. "I'll have to keep that in mind so. Any events coming up over the next while, festivals or anything planned?"
If we can manage to do that, we'd hopefully be able to recover the full amount if/when we participate in sacking the town, targeting a few places to raid immediately Balentyne falls. I doubt the Reeve will tell us whether he's going to send the cash south (which I assume he would do sometime in the next month), but if he has to keep it on hand to return it to us, then he probably would. Possibly keeping it in Balentyne, which might just be convenient for us.
Essentially, trying to get across to Haden that they're interested in finding a medication that will cure "Master Thomas" of what is clearly a 'condition', though also (with the glance) allowing for the boy to start a rumor, perhaps that Master Cross and Mistress Thomas might be lovers.
By the by, Simra, apologies for taking so long for the day before we can rescue you. I would love to rush ahead, but we gotta get in those first impressions. :P :) For us, I think the Master Caldwin's Cauldron is the last place Cole and I are going to actually stop in.
Hel nods in acknowledgement at Haden's breezy dismissal of the south branch of the road, and strolls along behind him, willing with some apparent interest in all the boy has to say.
Or I, Hel agrees with Lutor, looking with interest at 'Master Caldwin's Cauldron'. "Alchemist, is he? Excellent, I am ..." She glances at "Master Cross", then states carefully, "... interested in seeing if he has any different medicinals. And perhaps supplies for some practice and experiments." She briefly smiles at Haden, then approaches and enters the alchemy shop, this time not ordering him to sit on a bench outside. The chapel was a thing for privacy, you see.
Wesh stays quiet as Cole speaks with Vallison.
Still, the fighter can't help but message Cole, Right now may not be the time, but before the battle to come, it might not hurt to execute a few strategic assassinations. Obviously not in broad daylight, but a little chaos would likely help our cause, particularly if timed shortly before the fight begins.
"What about this merchant guard with devil blood? Was she here for long before she started to stir up trouble?"
Haden's nose wrinkles at the thought of having to go into the weird-smelling alchemist's shop, but he shuffles along behind Hel and Lutor as they do so.
The inside of the shop is somewhat cramped, with the front counter only a few feet from the door, and the majority of the inventory behind it. There is an indeed an aroma from the assorted alchemical ingredients likely in the back room. At the sound of a tinkling bell attached to the door, a pale, dark-haired man wearing a leather apron, leather gloves, and goggles pulled up onto his forehead comes out of the back. Looking you over he says, "Welcome, good master and mistress, to Master Caldwin's Cauldron. I am Teryth Caldwin, proprieter and alchemist. How may I assist you today?"
On one of the shelves behind him, you spot a bottle labeled arsenic.
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Dominik nods. "A tour could certainly be arranged. I have business to attend to for the rest of the day, but perhaps tomorrow morning at ten o'clock would work for you and your wife?"
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The guard grimaces. "Heard about that unpleasant affair, did you? She wasn't here long - just a few days. Fortunately, that's been taken care of, and once she's sent off to Branderscar, she won't trouble anyone with her lies ever again."
One of the other guards says, "Dav, we have to get back up to the Watchtower."
Dav nods and says, "Nice meeting you. Enjoy your time in Aldencross."
He and the other guards depart the inn.
"Bill" speaks up.
"Hello, Master Caldwin. I am Bill Cross and I am curious about your stocks. I may have need of ingredients in the near future."