Urza lets everyone know that he is going to exchange their loot. He invites any along who would want to come.
Urza looks at Lorenz, "I didn't realize that you were a pathfinder. No matter. Gelik, why don't you arrange a meeting?""
"I'd be happy to arrange a meeting with the Venture Captain for you," Gelik says, his mood clearly perking up a bit. "I'll head back there after breakfast."
Lorenz shakes his head at Urza. "Oh, I'm not. Maybe I will be one day, if I'm lucky." He takes another bite of bread while waiting for Sasha to return.
Mahjik calls out to Urza to wait up, then yells up the stairs: "Douena?! We're going to explore the city a bit, do you want to come?"
At the sound of Mahjik yelling, she pauses. His words are not entirely clear, but you can get the gist of them. "If Gelik's not going with them, you should go with them. Hold on a sec."
She opens the door and yells out.
The sound of Sasha yelling back comes down the stairs, "Is Gelik going with you?"
"Nope! He's going to the Pathfinders!"
Douena comes down the stairs with her pack and a half-eaten bread-and-preserves sandwich, looking disgruntled. She pauses as she nears the bottom of the staircase, her eye on the door into the tavern as if afraid Gelik or Lorenz will walk through it at any moment. "Let's hurry," she tells Mahjik. "There's a very low level of clientele in this inn."
"Wise woman would wash and try again," Mahjik intones, agreeably. "Although I think she used 'dry', cannot be certain."
"I don't know what that means," she smiles at him, albeit with swollen eyes and a red nose, and puts a slightly-jammy hand in his. "Where are we going? I don't have any money left."
"That is part of where we going: Urza will make our treasures runny," Mahjik indicates cash by rubbing fingers together. "Also I'm planning to keep my eyes open for somebody that sells potent chilli or pepper. No offense Bergi, your dish wet my appetite for something more."
After Urza, Mahjik, and Douena depart, only Ishirou, Aakif, Gelik, and Lorenz are left in the tavern. Bergi clears away the dishes. "Seems to be a bit of drama going on," she says. "Don't worry though. It's just pent-up stress from your time in the jungle. I've seen it lots of time before. It'll pass and you'll all be friends again. Either that or one of you will kill all the rest of you, in which case only one of you will be happy." She chuckles as she carries the dishes off to the kitchen.
Sasha returns to the tavern and taps Lorenz on the shoulder. "Coming?"
Lorenz eagerly gets up from the table. "I am! Where shall we go?"
The guards then eye Jask suspiciously, but slowly nod. "All right," the one who spoke before says. "But stay out of trouble. Your business may be important, but if you rush about, you make the city look bad. Walk in an orderly fashion or you'll be stopped again."
The guards move aside and let Makoa and Jask pass.
The remainder of the journey to the palace is uneventful. The guards at the gate, however, stop you and ask the same question. Jask immediately introduces himself, explains who he is, and produces the documents. "These must be taken to Baron Utilinus immediately," he says. "They are the proof of my innocence. In the meantime, while we wait for the baron to receive and read them, I submit myself to your authority."
Jask points to Makoa. "This man is a friend of mine who is simply accompanying me for moral support. He has committed no wrong and there is no warrant for his arrest. I ask that he be treated respectfully."
The guards are clearly a bit confused about the whole situation. The look back and forth amongst themselves. One of them finally says, "I think I heard about some prisoner who was supposed to be delivered, but the ship never arrived. They think it must have sunk on its way here. Are you that person?"
Jask nods, and the guards shrug. "Right, well, I guess we have to arrest you temporarily until the baron sees these papers. If they say what you say they say, I suppose we'll let you go then. Or something like that."
A couple of the guards move forward and take Jask's arms, while another guard takes the documents from him and carries them past the gates. The guards merely nod to Makoa.
"Getting off that island may have been a good thing, if this man still remembers you are a friend."
She leads him out into the street. Within moments, there's a squawk from above and Alton comes flapping down to land on Sasha's shoulders. He startles a couple of passersby in the process. Sasha reaches up and strokes the flappybite's head and neck. Then she takes off at a brisk pace down the street.
"Douena wants me to talk to you about your treatment of her," she says as they walk. "You're too nice to Gelik and not nice enough to her." She looks at Lorenz and gives him a smile. "Don't worry, I don't want to make this a discussion where all I do is criticize you. I'm not going to do that. But I do think we can talk about it to smooth things over. She just wants to be your friend, but she thinks you don't like her very much."
Mahjik, Douena, and Urza head into the city in search of a means of unloading treasure. Such a means is fairly easily found. While Eleder is not a very big city, it is clearly something of a trade hub. It's the typical landing port for ships from the north, so while not many people actually live in Eleder, lots and lots of people pass through it, providing ample opportunity to buy and sell.
In particular, the Jewel Markets, a two-block area near the docks northwest of the Sargava Club, contain a plethora of options for exchanging gems and jewellery. On the downside, the Jewel Markets are heavily patrolled and the group does get stopped by guards on more than one occasion. The guards lecture about the stiff penalties for theft and counterfeiting. They pay particular attention to Urza, heavily implying, but never directly stating, that they suspect him of thievery.
When she's not scowling at the guards' lectures, Douena is happily window-shopping, oohing and ahing over the various pieces of jewelry for sale. When Urza has succeeded in exchanging their goods for coins, she grins slyly at him and Mahjik. "I think Gelik wants to buy me a present with some of his share of the money," she confides. "It would be in his best interest to try to get on my good side, but I don't feel any need to actually ask him if it's something he would like to do, do you? I think he wants to buy me a tiara. My sister wore one when she married my brother-in-law who runs the inn."
Lorenz reaches over to timidly stroke Alton's beak as well before offering his arm to Sasha as they walk. He frowns a little when she speaks of Douena but let's it go with a deep breath.
"She wants to be my friend? I always thought she hated me. First for not taking my rope with me to Jenivere and then later when I tried to help protect her against the mossy men and 'ruined' her attempts to talk to them." He shakes his head. "She reminds me of Elsa -- my little sister. Elsa would put snakes in my bed, holes in my shoes and kick over the pail when I was milking the cows. Then when I got angry about it, she'd run crying to our parents and say I was being mean to her. And I'd get punished, not just for making her cry but for ruining my shoes or spilling the milk!"
He shakes his head. "Gelik is kind to me and he says things that make sense. I know what will happen when I talk to him; with Douena, I never know if she'll yell at me or try to get me killed. I don't want to upset her. I just can't seem to avoid it."
He looks glumly at the shop windows as they pass them. "I'd try buying her a gift to make up for things but she'd probably hate what I bought and accuse me of trying to blind her with something ugly."
He looks hopefully back to Sasha. "What do you think I should do? I hope it doesn't involve me being mean to Gelik."
Mahjik grins at the little gnome, "As if a tiara would get Gelik into your good books. Though I'm curious what the Pathfinders are like - I've only ever met them on the field so to speak - are they all like Gelik? Somehow I doubt it, they seem to attract all sorts."
He gets a bit broody, not in a way to raise concern, but something is on his mind. Eventually he expands, "The way Gelik has been spreading the word at the Pathfinders... and then also over at Bergi's... word is on the street by now, I'm sure. Don't you think that some less friendly people will also try to run us off our city?"
Over the next couple of hours, several guards come in and out of the room as there shifts change. Most of them just look at Makoa and then try to avoid looking any more at him, but a couple invite him to join in a dice or card game.
Finally, a guard comes in with Jask, who smiles broadly at the sight of Makoa. "It's all over, my friend," he says. "The baron has granted me my freedom, and even my old job back if I want it. I need to think about that a bit, but I will probably turn it down. I hope the wait didn't bore you too much."
"It's too bad I don't know the land around here, or the laws for it, or I'd go catch the main course tomorrow. Without my teeth of course."
She pauses to gaze at the goods on a merchant's stall. "Maybe you should buy her a gift," she says. "I'm sure that will go over well." She picks up a crude and ugly child's toy from the stall and grimaces at it. "Not this thing though. Yuck, that's ugly." She puts the toy back and gives the somewhat offended merchant a shrug.
She grabs Lorenz's arm and pulls him along. "Look, I'm not asking you to stop liking Gelik. You admire him and I...respect that. Just listen to Douena's side once in a while as well. It won't kill you and it'll keep her happy. And she's actually quite a lot of fun when she's happy. Do it for me?" She pulls him closer to her. He can feel her breath on his face. "I'd really appreciate it," she says.
a loud voice interrupts. A guardsman is making his way over to the two of them. "None of that in public! Be off with you, you pair of hooligans!"
Douena turns sulky again when Mahjik brings up the Pathfinders. "Who cares?" she shrugs. "It's not our city anymore; it's the Pathfinders' city. Let them deal with it. It would serve them right if someone else got there first."
Lorenz realizes quite swiftly that being extra nice to Douena wouldn't hurt at all and is quite eager to agree when the guardsman interrupts.
He flushes scarlet. "Er, um, yes sir." He looks quickly to Sasha, feeling tremendous regret at the loss of the moment. "Perhaps I can agree a bit later in private?"
He takes her arm again and leads her away to search for another stall with an appropriate gift for Douena.
"Douena, it is past time for you to let it go. Gelik was wrong for inviting the pathfinders without talking to us about it, but he never needed our permission. He wasn't there to fight the snake woman or the big flappy or whatever, but he was doing his part to help us get off that island. He also helped us to decipher the clues to the lost city. We would have needed a group like the Pathfinders to help us anyway. So get over it." He then leans in conspiratorially, "Instead of complaining about the situation, figure out how to make it work for us. We want to get the best deal we can. Like we can insist on being credited with the discovery."
"It's not either past time," she retorts. "It just happened a half an hour ago. Why don't you tell him it's past time to get over me teasing him about being tidy on the boat? That was over a month ago. I even apologized, and he still hasn't said a pleasant word to me since."
Once safely away from the intrusion of the guard, Lorenz turns his attention a little more fully to getting Douena a gift. "I'm trying to think of what she likes. Isn't she always talking about a Mr. Duck? And she has that ship from the captain's cabin, she likes that too. And tiny bears. I could probably find her a tiny bear-like creature but it won't be real and that might be a bad idea."
He stops dead for a second. "Do you think she'd like a pet ant? Or an ant farm? I wonder if they sell those here. Ooh, I bet we could get her a spider!" He looks at Sasha. "Not one that'd bite or is poisonous. Obviously."
"Actually," Mahjik intercepts, "we can only be credited with finding the clues to the place, hardly something that will be remembered in song and odes - the ones that will end up in the songs of the bards and in the history books, are those that actually find and put foot into the city. If this is going to become a race, I'll want to be on one of the first horses that takes off."
"It will only be a race if someone else finds out about it. Right now, we're the only ones that know and who's going to tell?"
Lorenz nods thoughtfully, trying to decide just how much trouble a blending lizard might cause. With a mental shrug, he smiles broadly. "Excellent idea! That shouldn't be all that hard to find. We can enjoy the city as we walk and look for the kind of place that might have lizards for sale. We need to be sure it's not poisonous though. That'd be bad."
He doesn't say that he isn't really worried about Douena. Knowing her, she'd probably find a way to get the lizard to bite Gelik.
After spending much of the day in separate groups, you all eventually end up back at the Sargava Club. Pezock is sulking at a table by himself in the tavern. Aakif and Ishirou are at the same table the group was at in the morning and you're not sure if they ever actually left it between then and now.
Lorenz wasn't shopping all that earnestly so all he bought was the lizard, a simple little box to carry it in, some bugs to feed it and a nice local lunch for Sasha.
As they walk into the tavern and see Pezock sulking, Lorenz pauses.
"Maybe we should have gotten Pezock something too," he whispers to Sasha.
Lorenz leads Sasha to another table and carefully places a square box, pierced with several small holes along its side and top on the table. He looks about the room with an excited grin, waiting for the others to return.
Douena returns with Urza and Mahjik in no better mood than she set out. As a matter of fact, her mood seems to dampen the closer they get to the inn. She peers cautiously around the edge of the doorway, afraid Gelik might already be in there. Not seeing him doesn't cheer her up any, though, although it does keep her from retreating upstairs to her room right away; he's sure to show up sooner or later. She makes a beeline for Pezock's table, shooting Sasha a questioning look as she crosses the room. "What's wrong, Pezock?" she asks him. "Are you not having any fun either?"
"It's time for a bit of celebration!" Makoa calls out as he sees the group, waiting until he's closer to explain. He pats Jask on the back. "Now we travel with a man whose name is cleared!"
Pezock looks up at Douena. "Fun? This city is not fun," he grumbles. "There were no tengu ships in port, but worse, one person had the nerve to claim that the Crow's Tooth was not a tengu ship and that Captain Zoventai was not a tengu! He claimed he knew her. Ha! Eraka had bright red plumage and was amongst the fairest tengu ever to live. If he had known her, he would know that. How dare he sully her memory like that! I would have beat some sense into him, but some of those annoying guards wouldn't let me." He lowers his head again and fumes.
"It's time for a bit of celebration!" Makoa calls out as he sees the group, waiting until he's closer to explain. He pats Jask on the back. "Now we travel with a man whose name is cleared!"
Jask looks a touch embarrassed by Makoa's introduction. "It's true," he says with a smile. "The baron has granted me my freedom, and I owe this to all of you. I think a celebration is definitely called for."
Pezock looks up at Douena. "Fun? This city is not fun," he grumbles. "There were no tengu ships in port, but worse, one person had the nerve to claim that the Crow's Tooth was not a tengu ship and that Captain Zoventai was not a tengu! He claimed he knew her. Ha! Eraka had bright red plumage and was amongst the fairest tengu ever to live. If he had known her, he would know that. How dare he sully her memory like that! I would have beat some sense into him, but some of those annoying guards wouldn't let me." He lowers his head again and fumes.
Douena gasps in sympathetic indignation and pats his feathery hand. "Was he a Pathfinder? I'll bet he was a Pathfinder, wasn't he? Probably one of Gelik's friends. You should have come with us. You'd have let me buy a tiara."
"Somebody wouldn't let you buy a tiara?" Pezock says. "Why would somebody stop you buying a tiara? Bah! The people of this city are ridiculous! Let's go somewhere else where we can buy a hundred tiaras!"
Lorenz looks at Sasha and mouths, A tiara? Then he hesitantly raises his hand.
"Um Douena? I, er, we...well it's not a tiara but I did find something I think you'll like."
He puts his hand on the box which trembles slightly beneath his palm.
Douena laughs, liking Pezock's solution to all their problems. "Where should we go? Where are you from?" She looks up with interest as Lorenz interrupts. "Ooooh," she replies, running over to the other table with alacrity. "It's a box. Of something."
Lorenz pushes the box toward Douena and finds himself holding his breath as she opens it and peers inside. At first it looks empty and he could see the displeasure growing on the gnome's face. Then there's a movement and a light thump against one corner of the box.
A pair of blue-green eyes open against the brown side of the box and as Douena watches she can see the outline of a long, slender body with four legs as the lizard steps away from the side and looks up at her. It appears to be the exact brown shade of the box but when its mouth opens, she can see pale pink as a forked tongue flicks out to taste the air.
"It's a chameleon lizard," Lorenz explains. "The man who sold it to me said that it'll change color to blend in with whatever its next to. It's not a bear, but it's the right size and I think it'll look pretty next to your clothes."
"" Douena calls excitedly. " And it's almost as good at hiding as I am." She looks over her shoulder as Jask and Makoa come in and shuffles closer to the table to hide the box from them. "Will Makoa let me keep it?" she whispers nervously.