"Aye, I can understand that," Umbriak agreed, casting Light on his hand. "I dinnae think they're my biggest fan either, ye ken? Can ye tell us where yonder Elves be? If they're who we're lookin' for, and namin' no names ye ken, they're holdin' a package for us."
Ridley places his head in his hands again. "What my companions mean to say," he says, looking up again, "Is that we have business to discuss with a few elves at this school, but we didn't catch their names. It's all very hush-hush, and concerns some us doing some things the Inquisitors might find a bit aggravating."
He's a subtle one, Thom thinks as he looks at Ridley. He nods his head in agreement at Ridley's remarks to the Mage.
"Thanking ye," Umbriak said with a small bow. "And good luck with ye vigil." The bulky Dwarf headed towards the building, whistling slightly as he went.
Ridley looks around as he follows Umbriak, well aware of how distinctively the dwarf stands out, and wary of any potential repeat-ambushes.
"Be wary, our best bet might be to find the lantern archon or students that have been seen with one," Thom tells his companions as they travel to the dorms.
"Yes, Sheallis's familiar, where can we find them," Thom asks.
"Tis a most polite floaty ball of light," Umbriak observed.
"We think she has something that belongs to us." Thom offers.
"Handle?" Ridley asks, feigning surprise. "We'd just like to have a bit of a chat about an embarrassing miscommunication."
"Oh, she fond of Enchantment spells is she?" Umbriak frowned. He'd been disabled by such spells, despite his Dwarvern resistance to such things, in the past. "Well, 'tis an interesting choice, true. You have a suggestion on countering such spell-webbery?"
"Why are you so eager to help us," Thom asks the Mage.
"Aye, that too," Umbriak added.
Ridley shakes his head at Thom's comment, putting an effort into not snapping at his comrades for making everything they do sound so damn suspicious.
"Right," he adds. "Well, there's been a bit of a mix-up, somewhere on our way here. Your... colleague has taken some items that right now might just be crucial for the continued defense of this city, and for the sake of all the mages here we'll do what we can to get it back quickly. Thanks for being so forthright."
Thom silently watches the exchange between Ridley and the mage, I don't trust the mage we've been betrayed at every turn so far.
Judging from the once again unimpressed look Deacon was giving him, Umbriak kept his mouth shut.
"Thanks for your help. we'll let you know if we need anything else," Thom says to the Mage. He looks to his companions to make sure they have nothing more to add and once they are ready he heads to the barracks.
Umbriak bowed his thanks politely.
"Okay, then. Any last advice on what to say so that she won't assume we're trouble and attack us on sight? I don't know how civil mage's schools tend to get."
As they make their way to the dormitory Thom cautions, I don't expect this to go well. She will probably recognize us from the tower and attack on sight." He scratches his chin and asks his companions, "Some how we need to separate her from her familiar while discouraging any from helping her. Any ideas?"
"With my magic, I can try to make one of them attack me, or cover the area in fog." The bulky Dwarf shrugged. "I can also hit things exceptionally hard and cure the odd wound, ye ken?" Considering, Umbriak added, "My suggestion? I dinnae think we can sneak through the whole building. Mayhap we can go around instead, find her from the outside. Use me fog to flee once we grab the prize...we'll need time to open yon gates again, after all."
"Why is violence our first response?" Ridley asks. "We're in a school. Everyone here is friendly, except our thief. And the familiar seemed more sensible than its master; maybe I can talk it down."
Umbriak raised an eyebrow. Running his mind back over what he'd said, he didn't think he'd suggested violence, but stealth. Still, if Deacon wanted to try talking her down...well, Umbriak wasn't sure it would work, and suspected it would be more liable to cause a fight. She would know who they were and might not give them a chance to talk if she saw them. But Deacon had made it clear he was smarter than Umbriak, so the dwarf shrugged his shoulders with a clank. "Dinnae know if it's wise to let a hostile mind bending spell-caster see us, but if ye think ye can, we can try it."
Thom looks down at the plucky halfling, "Perhaps you can, but I'll remind you that several people have already been killed for this information. What do think you can say to prevent this from happening to you?" He stops and considers for a moment, "I personally think sneaking in and stealing it back makes sense and to be prepared to use force. We are likely to only get one shot at his and I would rather not give up the element of surprise."
"Well, she didn't try to kill us. Maybe she's just confused as to who we're working for, or who she is. And it's not likely that the archon working for her will be interested in murder."
Thom voices his concern, "Well the Archon did threaten to harm us if we followed its master." Against his better judgement Thom concedes, "Perhaps your approach is best, there are to many unanswered questions, we are not even sure if this is the right mage. But we better make this quick, we haven't much time."
Umbriak gestured to the door. "Walk in and talk it is," he said dubiously. "Keep ye wits about ye, though. If she is hostile she'll start twisting yon brain like dough."
"Right." Ridley starts walking down the hallway. "If you'd like, you can hide or try to sneak around while I talk."
"Nae," Umbriak shook his head, following. "Do ye nae read the stories? That one would be a set up for reaching peaceful accords before she realizes myself is standing behind her, axe raised from tripping on the carpet in a hilarious and comical misunderstandment. If we're gonna speak to the lady, then I dinnae think sneaking is wise."
Thom looks to Ridley expectantly as he thinks, I hope you've got good words.
"Because we're trying our damnedest to save this city," Ridley replies in frustration. "We've been tasked with bringing important information on Ragesian troop movements to resistance allies far to the South, and that intel has been taken from under our noses. Since none of us want to see every one of this city's mages tortured to death, like they might be without outside allies, we find this a bit frustrating."
"We reckons we're workin' at a cross purpose," Umbriak added. "We ask aid of thee in these times."
Umbriak smiled, noting the wording. "Ah, ye dinnae have it here? That's fine, ye ken. And ye needn't stay and help. But if ye could take us to the information...well, it'll be a bone that sticks in the Raggy's craw, aye it will. I dinnae know if you have any love for this place, but the fact ye be talkin', that says you dinnae like Ragesia much. Help us a wee bit, be on your way, and know you've put a stone in there path to trip on. It dinnae cost much, just takin' us on a wee walk."
"Well, it was taken by a student of this school. Roughly your description, but with a pretty obvious familiar. Just explaining why you haven't seen us around here, and why we're a bit on edge."
Ridley thinks for a second. The elf's spell could be anything, if she's already readied it—and if she's about to fry the whole case with a Burning Hand or Shocking Grasp spell out of some misguided zealotry, that's clearly worse than working out some kind of compromise.
"So you're working for Ragesia, then, attacking resistance agents like you did?" he asks, raising an eyebrow, "Or at the very least, you could give us, say, half an hour to copy the documents under your auspices."
"It's no use arguing or appealing to her better senses," Thom concludes. He continues pointing out,"If we waste any more time we might not be able to get out of the city.
He looks at the elf, "Do you know a way out of the city?"
Ridley shakes his head. "Quiet, Thom. If we don't have those papers with us, there's not much point in leaving, unless you're just trying to save yourself."