"Yup, you're Baldric's son alright," Daviren says as he claps Teldon on the back, "You scowl just like him."
Turning to Ziomarra, Daviren's grin fades into a sad smile.
"Koya's still around, but Ol' Niska passed away 'bout three months ago now," he tells her, "still hard to believe the crazy ol' bat's gone."
He motions for a couple of young lads to help put the horses up for the night before clapping his hands and beginning to say something before "Eudomia" interrupts.
"Where would I recommend? Where else? The Rusty Dragon is right this way," he says before corralling the group towards the building that has the rusted iron dragon on its roof.
Despite what Daviren had said, it appears that the Rusty Dragon is still doing brisk business, even if it's not as packed as Teldon's father had described it. The smell of food and the rustling roar of good-natured conversations and jokes wash over everyone as they enter the Dragon, from the bar comes a cheery greeting from a short woman with slanted, almond-shaped eyes and black hair with white bangs.
"Daviren! So I take it the coach finally made it in? Who are the lovely ladies you've got with you," she asks over the din.
"They're the reason that coach made it all from what I've heard," comes the answer, and swift on its heels, "I think you may be going blind though, this one," one massive hand hauls Teldon up by the back of his shirt, "is clearly no lady."
As he sets Teldon back down, the tavern breaks into a roar of laughter that shakes the timbers above as Ameiko sticks out her tongue out at Daverin.
great, mockery... there's that famous Sandpoint hospitality... Teldon thinks with his now familiar, and apparently familial, scowl...
Arsith watches at Briana, then Teldon, with an amused look
Wonder if....She certainly seems quick to come to Teldon's defense.
She sits at the table.
So, Ziomarra, you have already been here a few years ago? If you have eaten at this inn, what kind of speciality would you recommend for our meal?
At Daviren's comment, Nalathi grins. "Aw, he's not that bad. I think he'd make a great lady."
Teldon smiles softly as his eyes meet Briana's reassuring gaze...
she really is so kind... and so compassionate... and so beautiful...
He sits quiet and still for a moment blissfully distracted from any jokes at his expense, until Nalathi joins in and his scowl quickly returns....
Owwww! Who kicked me?
Arsith rubs her leg
While Zee is ordering supper for the party, Teldon quietly asks Briana, "Could you please go and reserve rooms for everyone? I would, but I'm afraid if I give the innkeep my name it might cause a scene... but if I lie that man from the carriage service may say so..."
Joanna shakes her head as Teldon scowls.
"Cheer up, we've done well so far," she tells him.
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Zee and Brianna are able to get both supper and two rooms. What ever the discovery may have meant for Sandpoint as a whole, it's clear the Rusty Dragon is doing well.
Things go well as the evening progresses. The chatter and laughter filling the tavern wash away the memory of the goblin attack earlier that day. Shortly after night had fully set in, Teldon and the others spot Daverin Hosk looking at them, smiling mischievously at them as Ameiko makes her way to a raised area that looks like a small stage.
"I'm sure we all remember the events from five years ago," she begins.
"Too damn well. M'knee hasn't been the same since a gob put an arrow init," one of the patrons calls out from the bar.
"Aw, quit yer bellyachin'! 'Twas a splinter an' ye know it," another from across the room answers, bringing a chuckle from the others.
"You two can compare battle scars later. Now's the time to be giving a big welcome to Baldric Moore's son," Ameiko cuts off the retort that was coming, pointing to the table Teldon sits at with one hand.
Every eye turns to look at the young man. Silence falls over tavern for a moment, then another. The tension slowly builds as whispers of recognition and gasps of surprise begin to break it. Then, as if a dam had burst, a jubilant roar shakes the timbers in the ceiling. Everyone crowds around, shouting questions about how Baldric and his companions had been since their adventures had ended, and how Teldon's mother was, and what he was doing in Varisia. Tankards by threes are clapped into his hands everyone tries to buy Teldon a drink.
No problem, Briana, these things happens.
She smiles at Briana and turns to Teldon as the crowd roars its approval
At least you're popular, Teldon, or your father was, and some of his fame rubs on you, even if we don't know why precisely. Do you have a clue yourself?
Teldon forces a smile, clearly overwhelmed by all the attention he is receiving (though relieved to no longer be the butt of jokes). He answers Arsith, "Yes. About 5 years ago he helped save the new temple from a goblin attack at the swallowtail festival, and participated in all the events that followed..."
He carefully paces his drinking to be certain to keep his wits about him, and applies those wits to being as diplomatic as possible: praising the people of Sandpoint for their ongoing work to keep the goblin menace at bay, and insisting he supply drinks to others as well (which allows him to give away many of the mugs handed to him without ever drinking them).
Inspired by Briana's unflappable grace, Teldon does his best to answer every question that reaches him...
"She's well... The weather in Absalom agrees with her... No, she loves it..."
"Me? Taking advantage of an opportunity to see some of the sights from his stories! Magnimar and now Sandpoint... I think I might go as far as the Storval Stair..."
The mood dampens some, however, when the questions turn to Baldric...
"Actually, he passed to the outer planes nearly two years ago... yes, she had several clerics up to the house but they agreed it had been natural causes and that resurrection simply wasn't an option... well, he was in his 50s already when all that happened... It would, of course, have been nice to have him with us longer but 61 years is longer than many people get..."
* * *
At the Goblin Squash Stables...
Zee seems taken aback by Hosk's Wait... Teldon's father is Baldric Moore?!
Once Zee has put two and two together, she claps Teldon on the shoulder. "Teldon! I had no idea that you were Baldric Moore's son! Your father is a folk hero! My people have been telling stories of the Sandpoint Heroes as far away as Kaer Maga and Riddleport. My family's carravan had never crossed paths with him, but we were in Sandpoint just a few months after your father and his friends carried the day when the army of giants and the dragon attacked."
* * *
now...
Zee raises her glass to toast Teldon with the rest of the patrons. Despite the pressing of the crowd against her friend, she manages to lean in and whisper, "I'm surprised you had such a negative attitude about this place. The people seem to love you!"
Clanking her tankard against Brianna's she jerks he head toward Teldon. With a genuine smile, she remarks, "I think you found a good one."
"I'm just as surprised as you are..." Teldon whispers back to Zee "My father told me the people here were unwelcoming... I knew that they came around after the giants and dragon were dealt with, but I did not anticipate anything like this..."
In one of the rare moments when both of them are unoccupied for a split second, he leans in close enough to Briana to barely feel the skin of her cheek graze his own and whispers, "thank you."
The mood sobers for a moment at the news that one of the Heroes of Sandpoint is dead, but soon picks right back up as stories are swapped and toasts are made. About an hour into the festivities, a voluptuous, fire-haired beauty saunters up to Teldon and begins speaking in a sultry contra-alto.
"My, it seems like only yesterday that Baldric was here," She bats her eyelashes at Teldon, her eyes inviting him to take a look at her every curve and freckle and just drink it in, "I never got a chance to properly thank him for bringing my sister's murderer to justice. Perhaps we could discuss how I can make up for this error in private? Hmm?"
Several of the people packing the tavern begin shaking their heads or covering their faces with their hands at the woman's approach. The most obvious reaction is Ameiko's, who has a tough-looking elf restraining her from coming over and making a scene.
The woman is Shayliss Vender, the only surviving daughter of Vin Vender. She's infamous for her overly-flirtatious nature, her way of going through men like a goblin through pickles, and a vicious streak a mile-wide.
be diplomatic... if she feels scorned she may take it out on Briana...
"Miss Vender..." Teldon replies, looking at her eyes instead of the other parts she offers, "just knowing that you remain so grateful after all these years is more than enough thanks. Please, sit down and have a drink with everyone..." He gestures towards an empty chair next to Arsith and offers the woman one of the stronger drinks from the table.
uh oh...
"Miss Vender, this is my associate Arsith," Teldon adds motioning towards his companion as the woman sits, "she's not yet heard the story of what happened here with my father and the skinsaw men... If it's not too difficult for you, would you be so kind as to share it with her?"
With the redhead distracted, at least momentarily, he grasps Briana's hand under the table as subtly as he can and turns his attention back to the questions and comments of the crowds.
The paladin, it seems, sees nothing too out of the ordinary.
Joanna's eyes widen as she remembers the panic that the Skinsaw cult had caused five years ago.
"You're father was involved in that mess," Joanna asks, a look of awe on her face.
"It seems the young lad can fill her in, if she's interested," Shayliss says, "I'm more interested in learning more about you."
She moves in closer to Teldon, apparently unaware that she was wedging herself, gently between him and Briana.
Ok, she's completely aware and seems to be enjoying it a little more than is healthy.
Arsith sees the innkeeper having to be restrained so she won't make a scene in her own inn, and the other customers shaking their heads in disbelief.
The white haired woman is genuinely surprised when Teldon invites this "miss Vender" at their own table, and tries to use her as a distraction.
Yes, please, tell me all about the skinsaw men...I have traveled far and wide just to hear this story, and this seems to be just the right kind of story to lighten my mood...
Her tone is icy, and her eyes throw daggers to Teldon, so she wasn't even paying attention to the redhead.
Noticing that Shayliss is deliberately trying to cause a scene, and that Brianna is trying very, very hard to hold it together, Zee walks around to the the interloper.
"Oh, you're Shayliss Vinder! I am so, so sorry for your loss. It must have been heartbreaking to learn of the death of someone so close to you, and in such a terrible way!" She places he hand on Shayliss' shoulder in a very forward show of compassion... and an attempt to bring the conversation to a place where Shayliss might become uncomfortable and decide to leave.
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"Wow, Teldon," Nalathi says, noticing how much the redheaded woman seems to enjoy getting close to the man but unaware of all the eye-rolling from around the room. "You sure are getting a lot of--" She then notices that several of her allies are patently uncomfortable with this new development. Unsure why, but hoping to do her part, she chimes in on Zee's comment completely oblivious to what the fortune-teller is trying to accomplish. "Was it your father? No, wait, let me guess... Your mother. It's okay, I lost an aunt once. She had this habit of tasting things, you see. Insisted that someday the food would run out, and then--" she wags one finger, "we'd be well and grateful for what she knew. Well, she did help us find out how poisonous those orange berries were..."
Unbeknownst to her, Nalathi's magic weaves itself into her words, pulling on the redheaded woman's attention, wanting her to hear nothing else.
"I-it was my sister. Ex-escuse me," Shayliss says before running off.
The rest of night passes in a roar of revelry and it is only a few hours before dawn when the last of the patrons leaves or turns in for the night. Ameiko escorts you to your rooms, promising to show Teldon and his friends the sights. There are only three rooms, though, the rest currently occupied or reserved.
Barely an hour after going to sleep, a quiet knock on the door rouses the son of Baldric Moore from his slumber. Opening the door reveals Shayliss in a long cloak, and what appear to be bare feet.
"I know it's late, but I had hoped to have a chance to speak with you alone. Can you come with me, please," she asks, her green eyes wide and glinting like emeralds in the gloom.
When Ameiko points out that the adventurers will have to pair up Teldon's face flushes very obviously, but he remains sheepishly quiet...
This is a nice inn, Ameiko. A warm and cosy bed will be wonderful after the lenghty trip, and tonights festivities...
She gently pushes Briana towards Teldon with a knowing smile on her lips
So who wants to share a room with a slightly tipsy white haired woman?
Joanna looks from Arsith, to Briana's blushing face, to Teldon. She looks confused for a second, then slowly, a sly smile appears on her face.
Oh, ho! It seems that Briana likes Teldon, and if I had to guess, he likes her as well.
"That depends, do you hog the covers," she asks, turning back to the priestess of Pharasma.
This time, it's the pale faced priest who blushes
I suppose there are two beds per room, Ameiko?
"'Fraid not," Ameiko says with a grin, "there's seven rooms that I rent out to guests, and they aren't big enough for two beds, though the beds are big enough for two."
Teldon's mind races through various scenarios as the warm nervous feeling spreads throughout his body... does she want to share... is she too embarrassed to say that's too much... is she expecting more than I'm prepared for...
At Ameiko's revelation his dumbfounded face quickly goes from blushing red to stark white...
Nalathi giggles at Teldon and Briana, but says nothing. "Guess it's you and me, then," she says to Ziomarra brightly. "Don't worry, I don't take up much space."
Seeing Arsith blush, Joanna is puzzled, one eyebrow arching in a unspoken question. It's not until the Pharasmin asks about the number of beds that Joanna realizes what she just implied, her face turns beet-red and a series of half-words come squeaking out before the paladin buries her head in her hands.
"Oh gods," she mumbles through her hands.
"Fine with me, Nalathi. I'm told I don't snore."
Fine. Fine.
Arsith looks at Joanna, then smiles-feebly, but valiantly.
We'll manage.
Opening the door of the bedroom, she holds it to let Joanna come in first, bowing to the holy warrioress.
Milady Joanna.It will be a pleasure to share a bed with you.
Her smile widens.
As Arsith and Jo head one way and Nalathi and Zee the other, Teldon nods at Briana's words, swallows hard, straightens himself, and forces a reassuring smile. Picking up both of their gear he replies, "after you."
Inside the cramped room he surveys the layout while helping to put their things away... there's not even enough floor space for a bedroll... I suppose I could still offer... if we lifted this dresser over the bed and set it by the other there might be enough room in front of the door...
When they run out of things to put away he takes a deep breath and says, "I... uh... I'm sorry... that they... I mean, that we..." he sighs at the stammering mess he's making and closes his eyes for a moment. He seems more resolute when he opens them and begins speaking again, "Truthfully, the idea of falling asleep with you in my arms seems like a far greater treasure than any we could find in all the ruins of Thassilon... but I meant it when I said that you deserve so much better than having moments like these stolen from you..." Looking deeply into Briana's eyes and placing his hands softly on her hips he continues, "if you aren't certain that you want to fall asleep in my arms tonight then we'll rearrange this furniture and I'll layout my bedroll on the floor."
Poor Joanna turns crimson as she wonders if it's possible to die from embarrassment.
"I-I can just sleep on the floor," she says as after the door's closed.
Ameiko chuckles and yawns before showing everyone into their rooms, to both Teldon and Arsith, she whispers something as they pass.
"Should I wait an hour or two before waking you," she asks with a wink and an impish smile.
Teldon begins blushing again when Briana brings up their mutual lack of experience, but smiles broadly when she expresses desire to share a bed. "This will certainly be the first time I've shared a bed with a beautiful woman, if that's what you mean... Honestly, I've never felt this way about someone before and I really have no idea what to say or do most of the time..."
He removes his chainshirt and sets it on top of the dresser then, suddenly feeling very self conscious, removes his merchants outfit and climbs into the bed in his under-garments.
I should tell her how much I want to kiss her again, and how much I hope she'll one day want to kiss me too... no, the last thing I want right now is to risk making her uncomfortable...
When Briana joins him, he draws up behind her on his side with his chest pressed against her back and his arm wrapped around her waist and asks "is this ok?"
On the floor? Why would you sleep on the floor? The bed is big enough for both of us. On the battlefield, we can't be too choosy about where, when and with who we sleep, and there are way worse choices than you.
She sighs
I'm tired, and you probably are too, so I'll say this quick: I've never shared a bed with a woman since my beloved Lenore passed away, so I'm not more confortable with this situation than you. I just want to sleep, if you are afraid of.. something else. You're an attractive young woman, Joanna, but the woman I loved, cared for and cherished above aything else is sleeping in her grave, alone. I won't dishonor her. I can do without the warmth of lust or the comfort of love. My heart is just cold ashes since she died. You have nothing to fear.
Starting to remove her armor
Listen, I can understand that you don't want to share a bed with a woman like me. I will sleep on the floor. I have a bedroll in my backpack.