"You said we were all going to rest in the same room," Douena tells Urza pointedly, "not three rooms. And Jask said it wouldn't be safe to stay at an inn."
"Well, you're welcome to all squeeze into one room if you like," Cheiton says. "It'll be really uncomfortable though."
"Amivor Glaur did warn us against staying at an inn," Jask says to Douena, "but he never promised that Cheiton would put us all up in one room, just that he could provide us accommodation." He leans in closer and says quietly to her, "As unsavoury as he might be, I suspect his place is better than here."
He looks to the rest of the group. "I think we should take Cheiton up on his offer. We can fit into three rooms: three or four people to a room should be workable."
"If we post one watch per room too, then only two or three people to a room are needed at any one time," Mahjik suggests, "not disrespecting your hospitality Cheiton, but we've got some hard competition and troubles behind us. Sleeping with one eye open is normal now."
"If we post one watch per room too, then only two or three people to a room are needed at any one time," Mahjik suggests, "not disrespecting your hospitality Cheiton, but we've got some hard competition and troubles behind us. Sleeping with one eye open is normal now."
Cheiton simply shrugs in response.
"I agree with Jask and Mahjik. I think we would be a bit safer with Cheiton then at an inn anyway. Too many people can just come and go at an inn."
Urza keeps eating through Douena's staring. He does, however, try to turn so that he doesn't have to look directly at her. "It seems that I was wrong on that point, Douena. In any case, Cheiton's does seem the better of our options. Can we reprovision before going to your home or do you already have what we need?"
Lorenz shrugs. "It's not like we haven't been sharing close quarters already. I'm not that worried about sleeping at the inn but more private accommodations will work as well. Better to talk there anyway."
"Right, we'll head over there shortly," Cheiton says. "I just need a moment to let the food settle and to have another drink."
Cheiton's "moment" turns out to be another half hour, but he does eventually put down his mug and stand up. "Right, follow me. I'm just a short distance from here."
He leads you out the front door, but then around the corner of the building away from the boardwalk. As you step outside, you notice the young girl who sold you fetishes earlier. She's still holding her pole with the charms hanging from it. She falls in beside the group as Cheiton turns round the corner. "Do you folks need a guide?" she asks. "I'm a good guide. I know every place in the city."
"They've already got one, kid," Cheiton says dismissively, waving his hand to shoo her away.
"Do you know him?" Douena asks the girl, pointing to Cheiton.
"Yeah," the girl replies. "I seen him around. He's always in there." She points back at the Shrunken Head tavern. "And he lives there." She points at a two-storey house just ahead of you, still well within sight of the tavern. "He hardly has to do anything to get from one place to the other, and that's all he ever does. He's not a good guide at all unless the only places you want to go are the tavern and his place."
"Go back to selling your charms, kid," Cheiton says. "We've got grown-up stuff to take care of."
"Guide?" Pezock says. "Since when is he our guide?" he asks, indicating Cheiton. Then he points to Shokambe. "He's our guide. We don't need two guides. We probably don't even need one. We certainly don't need three!"
"Perhaps tomorrow we will need a guide. If we do, we will look for you."
The girl frowns. "Well, okay then. I'll come back tomorrow." She gives an annoyed glance at Cheiton and then runs off.
For its size, Cheiton's house is rather sparsely furnished. He takes you first to a living room near the entrance. It has only a few chairs and a single table in it. "Hold on, I'll find some more chairs," he says. "Then we can talk business. After that, I'll show you to your rooms." He heads out of the room into the rest of the house.
"Business," Pezock grumbles. "Always business. I want fun."
Douena glowers after the dwarf when he leaves the room. "I don't like him," she announces, entirely unnecessarily.
"I believe the opportunity for fun was just then, back at the tavern," Mahjik tells Pezock. "Though I understand that you're not as excited about the featherless dancers. I mean non-Tengu dancers some of them definitely had feathers after all."
Lorenz finds himself thinking of the way Cheiton leered at Sasha but shakes his head. "Well he's giving us a place to stay. He seems decent enough, if a little rough along the edges."
"I believe the opportunity for fun was just then, back at the tavern," Mahjik tells Pezock. "Though I understand that you're not as excited about the featherless dancers. I mean non-Tengu dancers some of them definitely had feathers after all."
Pezock's eyes narrow as he peers closely at Mahjik. "As usual, I have no idea what you're talking about," he grumbles.
Lorenz finds himself thinking of the way Cheiton leered at Sasha but shakes his head. "Well he's giving us a place to stay. He seems decent enough, if a little rough along the edges."
Sasha nods and grabs one of the few chairs in the room. "He's a boor, but I've met worse boors. At the very least, he seems friendly."
"Friendly to you," Douena points out.
"Yeah, a little too friendly even," Sasha says, "but don't worry, I can handle him."
Cheiton trundles back into the room carrying two chairs, which he places down on the floor before heading back out again. A minute later, he returns with another pair of chairs. He pulls the chairs up around the table and then sits down at one of them. "Right, to business," he says. "I received a messenger bird a couple of weeks ago letting me know you'd be arriving and containing the barest details of your mission. I presume you'll be wanting to stock up on supplies?"
"I don't know," Douena answers blankly. "Have we used any? I thought the group coming behind us was carrying all the supplies. We don't have any. Do you still have the messenger bird? Can I see it?"
"It's not like you've gone out of your way to be friendly to him, little one," Mahjik tells Douena before Cheiton returns, "For a dwarf to be as free-spirited as he appears to be, and as far out in the middle of nowhere as all here - I wouldn't be half surprised if he venerates Desna."
After Cheiton returns and gets down to business: "Pretty much, yea," Mahjik nods. "Though other than supplies, we need news of things to come, and if there have been others that are trying to overtake us."
"It's not like you've gone out of your way to be friendly to him, little one," Mahjik tells Douena before Cheiton returns, "For a dwarf to be as free-spirited as he appears to be, and as far out in the middle of nowhere as all here - I wouldn't be half surprised if he venerates Desna."
"Ha! Calistria, more like," Douena scoffs. "A follower of Desna would go more places than just to the tavern and back to his house day after day."
"I don't know," Douena answers blankly. "Have we used any? I thought the group coming behind us was carrying all the supplies. We don't have any. Do you still have the messenger bird? Can I see it?"
Cheiton shrugs and shakes his head. "It was one of those magical feather things that turn into a bird, but only last for one message. It delivered its message and turned back into a non-magical feather." He scratches his beard for a moment. "I might still have the feather somewhere though." Then he shrugs.
"As for supplies, I was referring more to things like rations and things you need for yourselves on your journey." He turns to Mahjik. "As for news, I don't know of anyone trying to overtake you, but the message did warn me of other factions trying to stop you. Thing is, the message wasn't very specific. I don't even know what factions they're talking about. The Aspis Consortium is probably one, I suppose. It usually is. Do you lot have any idea? If you do, I can probably give you an idea if there are any of their agents in town. There are certainly Aspis agents in town."
"I think the Sargavan leadership in Eleder were interested in our trip. And we just heard something about a sailing lady or something like that." Lorenz puts in.
"As for supplies, I could use some more arrows. I've been going through them pretty steadily. We've been doing well with providing food through hunting but I don't know if the journey ahead will offer such bounty of fresh meat or not."
"Arrows I can definitely help with," Cheiton says. "Sargavan leadership, you say..." He ponders for a moment. "That would mean just about any of the aristocracy in town could have received a message and hired people to watch out for you. There are lots of mercenary types in this town willing to do a bit of spying or thuggery in return for a bit of coin. As for a sailing lady, that doesn't help much. Oh well, maybe the main group behind you will have more information when they arrive. In the meantime, I'd suggest you all keep a low profile. Get some good rest tonight, and set out on your way first thing tomorrow. I'll gather what supplies you need and have them ready for your departure. So, arrows and I'll get you some rations, too, just to be on the safe side, although the hunting should be pretty good where you're going. Anything else you need?"
"I've been thinking about getting a bigger axe. The one's I've got right now seem to be better when I throw them anyway."
Cheiton nods approvingly. "Axes are easy to come by. I know a guy who has some good quality ones too. How much bigger you want?"
"One of those big two-handers. Saw a hunter use one when I was just a cub. Seemed like it would have helped if he had been able to hit anything with it. If things keep getting bigger the closer we get to our destination, it shouldn't be hard to hit them."
"Is there a monk in town?"
Cheiton looks momentarily surprised. "A monk? There's a couple of temples in town but I doubt they're willing to sell their staff!" He laughs loudly at his little joke, then continues, "Seriously, are you looking for a particular monk, or just someone you can make confessions to or ask advice from? Honestly, I think you guys would be best keeping a low profile, but I can look into it for you."
"Thank you Cheiton. If a monk here finds the name Mahjik-san meaningful, then I would be interested in speaking with him."
"I'm sure that whatever supplies you gather will be adequate. Now all I need is a comfortable place to rest." Urza settles in a bit. "At least until the sudden but inevitable ambush."
"You just had to say that, didn't you?" Sasha says.
Ishirou merely raises an eyebrow.
"Don't worry, they'll have difficulty ambushing you here," Cheiton says. "As long as you don't go wandering around town, you'll be fine. Hopefully, they don't even know you're here yet. Anyway, I'll show you to your rooms and then be off to get your supplies."
Lorenz takes a look in his pack and looks back up. "I think the arrows and food are about all I need. We've been fortunate so far on our journey. Do we have anything we wanted to sell?"
Cheiton leads you upstairs and shows you where you can sleep. There are three guest rooms, as he said: one slightly large room in the northwest corner of the floor, and two other ones on the southwest. Cheiton says that you can decide amongst yourselves how you want to use the three room. He also points out his room at the southeast, but warns that he'll probably be out most of the night getting things ready for you.
Each room has only a single bed, although two people could probably squeeze into each bed. The northwest room also has a wardrobe for storing things in, while the other two rooms only have a chest at the foot of the bed. Each room also has a was basin.
"Well, if you're going to be out all night, we can use your room to rest too, right?" Douena states rather than asks. "No point in a bed staying empty when there's not enough to go around in the first place."
Cheiton chuckles and holds out his hand as if he's about to ruffle Douena's hair, but then he stops, obviously thinking twice about it. "I said most of the night, not all night. When I get back, I'll be wanting some sleep too. Still, I suppose a couple of you could sleep on the floor in my room if you wanted."
"Do you have a roof?" is Douena's next question.
"Do you have a roof?" is Douena's next question.
"Of course I have a roof," Cheiton answers. "It's right above your head. If you mean, do I have easy access to the roof, no, not really. There are no trap doors to the roof or anything like that. Prevents thieves breaking in that way. Well, I'd better be off. I'll see you all in the morning."
He nods to Sasha, then heads to the stairs, down, and out into the town.
"Unless we find a ladder, I'm not sure we should try getting on the roof, Douena. Would a window work?"
"Desna doesn't like it when there's a roof between us," Douena grumbles. "It interferes with our connection." She walks over to the nearest window, opens it, and dangles precariously out of it, looking up at the wall to see if there's ivy or enough uneven brick or stonework to make the climb to the roof navigable.