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Kikinnin flashes Maxim a knowing look, before wordlessly heading out into the night's air, clunking in his armor, and newly aware of JJ's beginning stalking into the jungle. He stands as quiet as he can, waiting for JJ to call them forward.
"Bror, I'm starting to worry. We set off to sniff out, and we may run into bigger numbers. Scar and his boy is like you and JJ. If they meet up with another couple, we'll be outnumbered quicker than slow beetles in a bats' cave."
Still, Kikinnin looks after JJ, and is glad for purpose in action.
As you start heading into the courtyard, you observe the night is close. A part from the light pouring from the windows the only light outside is those of the stars.
JJ stealthily heads towards the jungle.
As you reach the border of the jungle you observe the light of a torch among the trees.
Without risking to go too close you observe at least 6 shadows that seem to be talking to each other.
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Maxim shoots Kikinnin a wry look;
"When did odds ever worry a Rouradont? Still pays to be ready for the unexpected... Or unwanted eh?"
As they stand waiting, the gun-mage calls forth magicks to protect himself;
"Bewapening Uzelf"
Armour Thyself
JJ slips quietly into the darkening jungle.
The familiar strength of his magic protecting him reinforces Maxim as he finishes his spell.
"Here is the first payment as arranged" he draws a pouch and gives it to one of the other figures "My master does not want his name to be involved, so be cautious"
"Your master can be calm about it. We are the best ones" says one of the figures getting the pouch "How current is the map you gave us?"
"The mansion has changed only slightly in the last years. Mainly furniture here and there. You can count on it being current" answers the first figure "What is your plan?"
The tallest figure rejects with the head "The least you know the better for all us. You can count on him not seeing the next weekend"
"You might be right. Ok" the first figure moves out of the light and you hear then the sound of a horse or the like "We have not seen each other. This meeting has never happened. And good luck"
Can JJ tell who is speaking, or which figures are which in the light?
The figure leaving you have no idea. The other one talking is a half-orc voice and you can spot a scar in his face at some point.
JJ will remain hidden and hope that the ones who came from the inn take the same path back, and he will be able to see their faces from the torchlight.
Juraan watches JJ and Kikinnin run out and sighs.
"I'm not at all good at stealth and tracking."
"I would only draw attention to those two if I followed."
"Should some of us find a way to check unattended luggage while JJ and Kikinnin are swanning about?"
"Or should we all follow and hope for the best?"
"W-wait!" Marigold hisses as JJ rushes out the door, followed closely by Maxim and Kikinnin moments later. "Y-you forgot...t-to m-make m-me s-small..." her voice trails off. They're gone.
She looks at Juraan and Ryan, absolutely flummoxed. "I c-can't p-pick locks! A-and th-those p-people p-probably all have their d-doors locked, especially after wh-what happened with th-those Alleybashers!" Her eyes flick between the door to the outside and the stairs leading up to the other levels of the inn. "Unless w-we want to t-try the d-doors or s-see if we c-can get in through a w-window, I th-think we'd d-do b-better b-being outside in c-case JJ needs us..."
"Agreed."
"We might as well just wait out here and keep our eyes open."
As the first figure leaves the light a horse is heard in the night galloping towards the road.
In the jungle the torchlight starts to move towards the inn and you.
As they pass by you, you can clearly see their faces. The figure with the scar in his face, the little one companion, and next to him the other three well dressed figures from Sasserine Marigold was talking before.
"Too easy..." says one of the well-dressed men in armor.
"Well, that pig will not even expect this, so... why they would do it difficult..." answers the little figure.
"You better not talk with the halfling anymore" says the one with the scar.
"I find her funny" replies the woman "You can not keep avoiding everybody around"
"I do not like her group. Too many. Too long in the inn. Too much questioning and up and downs" says the one with the scar.
That way they walk away and closer to the courtyard were you left Maxim and Kikinnin.
Back at the inn Ryan stands up "I have also gotten a desire for a night walk. It will feel refreshing", the cleric walks to the door and joins JJ, Maxim and Kikinnin outside.
JJ gives the group a good chance to go ahead down the path. And then he waits another minute or two to be sure. Eventually he slowly and carefully works his way back along the trail towards the inn - his eyes alert for anyone lingering back.
Once up with Maxium, Klikkin and the others he will relate what he overheard, and the presence of the sixth person who galloped away.
The black-beard claps the boy on the back briskly. "Well done, JJ. That might be just enough for us to press them further. Trouble is, we lost one of them to the road." Kikinnin looks on Maxim and Ryan.
"Do we try and secure our horses, and give chase tonight for the single rider? JJ, which way did they go? Back towards Cauldron?" Kikinnin pictures Scar and Associates, more interested in 'talking' with them, possibly one at a time, to see what's occurred this night, from their perspective.
JJ shrugs his shoulders.
"Sorry Kikinnin. You were closer to the road than me. I was hoping you would be able to tell which way they went."
He tries to figure it out.
"If they went to Cauldron, then they will either be a local or one of the assassins. But were we not told two assassins and three locals? "
He rubs his temples. "This sixth person complicates matters a bit. I hope they are not a lone assassin sent ahead. But if he was handing over a map, I suspect he is a local. Sounds like he was in the employee of whoever was arranging the hit."
"I g-guess that m-makes s-sense," Marigold sighs quietly. "M-might l-look odd if we all t-take off outside...k-kinda like th-those t-two groups did. Huh."
All of a sudden the tall with the scar and the short one appear in the courtyard. The tall one makes an angry gesture but continue to the doors of the inn. Once they are in front of you he orders you "Go!" making the gesture of coming into the inn anyway.
When he talks, you notice his oversized jaws, the kind of ones half-orcs have.
"Alright, arlight! We were just enjoying a bit of night air."
Juraan puts a hand on Marigold's shoulder and guides her back into the inn. Once inside, he says to her.
« U bistiali cu lu Scar, pensa … virdi sutta la trucco. »
« Ddi du 'taliari cchiù lesion ora! »
"Those two look more suspiscious now!"
Kikinnin bristles as Scar barks at them. "Who are you to tell me to 'go'? The hells you doing outside at night, wandering about? Like Juraan said, the night air is safe enough within earshot of the inn. You two coming back from the jungle at night? Well, that just seems odd."
He punctuates the word 'odd' with a finger jab into Scar's chest. "I don't like the looks of you. Might as well say it to your face, since you already don't like the looks of my group."
:
Maxim follows the lead of his companions, but save the bristling attitude of Scar, fails to grasp the inference suggested by Kikinnin.
Rouradont's got his back up on this one... Best follow his lead.. might get messy...
The gun-mage's hand slips to his dagger, but he does not draw... yet.
Without even looking at Kikinnin's eyes the half-orc says "Not your business dwarf" and attempts to push him to the side.
But the sure-footed Kikinnin stands in the way without moving a milimeter.
The half-orc then looks at him growling "Grrr" then opens his cape letting a fine flachion to be seen "You better move now if you do not want to have the problem"
:
Unimpressed by the scarred brute's attempt to barge and bluster his fellow dwarf, Maxim shifts his hand to show his own sidearm;
"See that fancy blade o' yours scarface? Well I'll see you and raise it... Blackpowder pistol... Blow that wreck o' a face o' yours clean off. Your call... boy"
:
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Kikinnin looks the falchion over, nodding. "You push, you growl, and you threaten... just like an orc." Looking to Maxim, still nodding, he turns back to Scar. "Looks like we have a problem, yeh." He draws his axe, and waves it menacingly at Scar, hoping to support Maxim's much-better-worded threat.
As the minutes tick by and no one reenters the inn - not the pair of men, not the trio, and not any of their own friends, Marigold grows increasingly worried though she tries not to show it.
"No unu di ritornu, ancu...ne pensate chì no ùn andà appressu à elli?" she whispers to Juraan.
"No one's come back yet...do you think we should go looking for them?"
The one with the scar steps back as Maxim shows his pistol and Kikinnin holds decided his position.
The half-orc is up to draw his falchion when the little one intervenes stopping him "Remember our mission Perico. It is not worthed" and points to the eastern corner of the building "Let's take the side entrance, there is no reason to bother these people here taking air"
After some hesitation it seems to convince his companion and the couple starts to walk away towards the corner disappearing.
Watching the exchange between the dwarves and the scarred man.
'Tis a shame to have to hide ones true self, why not be true to yourself? Must be a troubled life for one, even so much more so when you must enter by the side door....Where'd you get the scar?"
Juraan frowns slightly and replies to Marigold:
« Iu nun lu sacciu s'è li si pò truvari ora. »
« JJ hè bona à duma. »
« Ùn avete micca scherzi à truvà? »
"JJ is good at tracking."
"Do you have any tricks to find someone?"
The half-orc stops and seems almost to swing his sword over Ryan, but under the pressure of his companion he moves on and disappears through the corner.
Checking them allows you to see them entering the inn from the side entrance.
It is difficult to say. The scar is made from something able to cut by sure. Something small, but it could be a claw or a dagger.
You observe the fancy trio coming back from the side door and going upstairs.
Some minutes later the one with the scar and his little companion also enter the inn from the side door and go upstairs.
JJ, having waited for the coast to be clear comes out of the jungle to relate what he heard.
"A nasty group for sure. The real question is what do we do about them? Can you remember which are their rooms, lets make sure we can't be overheard from them.."
Juraan will carefully watch everyone coming in through the side door.
Ryan will remind them where the room belonging to scar face is...
"They can't complete their job if they do not reach Cauldron, yet to kill them in cold blood would leave us all within the local jail with an appointment with the gallowsman. We need more proof!"
Marigold's eyes narrow as both groups slip into the inn through the side entrance and head up the stairs, some minutes apart from each other.
"Dò, chì hè bellu lesion...ma s'ellu si sona tutte e susu a so cunferenza tandu ùn ci hè micca bona strata pi tràsiri ddà pi viriri si quarcuna ca nénna fosse articuli o qualcosa...." she whispers back to Juraan. "E ju nun hannu nuddu bona scherzi per esse coppia...ghjustu u mo magia, nebbia, ma nun criu ca d' esse assai corsets cucania," she adds.
"Canzona di vede s'ellu l ' àutri hannu na megghiu idea di ciò chì a fari?"
"O-Okay, that's d-definitely s-sus-p-picious...b-but if they're all upstairs in their r-rooms then there's no g-good way to g-get in there t-to see if they have any p-papers or anything...."
"And I d-don't have any g-good tricks for b-being s-sneaky...just m-my fog m-magic b-but I don't think that'd b-be very helpful indoors."
"Let's s-see if the others have a b-better idea of what to do?"
As it grows darker outside, JJ slips into the inn, .
Sliding over to the table he keeps his voice low as he provides an update on what he heard outside. "There is another person involved. He slipped them a map by the sounds of it..."
Relieved to see JJ and the rest of the group return, Marigold's eyes widen as JJ explains what he saw and heard outside. "Th-that's it then!" she whispers excitedly, finally happy to have some sort of a lead. "All of them c-came b-back in and went upstairs, J-Juraan and I s-sat here and w-watched them!"
She looks at the others. "Wh-what next? We c-can't go sneaking into their r-rooms right n-now, b-but at least we c-can start p-planning."
As the night progress more and more people in the inn start going to sleep at their chambers.
Kikinnin waves his hand to catch JJ's attention. "Which one received the map? Seems like that's the bit of evidence we're after. If we can mark the ones at the meeting, the individual with the newly-given map, and our orders, that should be enough to confront them. No sneaking about. We should tell the owner that things might get hairy, so there's no one to get hurt in the confrontation. No waiting, either. We do this tonight, before anyone leaves on horseback or otherwise. We lost one of them, we don't need to lose any others." The dwarf looks first to Maxim, then the others, waiting to hear other thoughts.
JJ could tell the tallest figure got the map and saved it inside his clothing. That is the one with the scar, as the half-orc seems the tallest of the five.
"Scarface has the map. I;'m not sure if that would count as legal proof. But lord V... he didn't seem to think this was a matter that would go to court."
The young man stops and thinks for a bit.
"We could just go in, and tell them that the game is up. The'll not bother heading to Cauldron if they know their mission is blown. That would be an effective way to deal with the situation without needing to cut anyone."
"C-couldn't we j-just w-watch for th-them to leave and then c-catch them on the road?" Marigold asks, looking a bit alarmed at the thought of a direct confrontation inside the inn. "It s-still m-might get dangerous if we g-go after them r-right now..."
JJ thinks for a bit.
"It'd surely get more dangerous out on the road. Here there are witnesses. If we tell them what we know, they'll know the game is up and nothing to be gained from fighting us. If we try it on the road, they might think they can kill us and still complete their job."
"O-okay then...if you and K-Kikinnin and everyone th-think that's b-best..." Marigold responds, still looking a bit skeptical. "B-but w-word w-will g-get out about this and wh-whoever arranged this will p-probably b-be able to track us d-down eventually," she points out. "We're n-not exactly easy to m-miss or f-forget. N-not that I th-think that sh-should stop us, b-but it's s-something to k-keep in mind," she adds hastily.
Kikinnin nods as the boy speaks reasonably. "I'm slow, and don't work well with the horse. I'd much rather deal with them on even footing. Enlist the help of Orin. Maybe he has suggestions about how to leave the Monkey in one piece." Kikinnin looks to Ryan and Juraan, curious as to their thoughts.
"Hopefully there won't be any fighting. Once they know the game is up they'll scarper. And the folk in Cauldron will realise they can't rely on this group of assassins. Won't stop them trying again, but nothing will."
He looks around to see who is working behind the bar at the moment.
Them just walking away is highly doubtful. As the Scarlet Brotherhood would likely kill them for their failure to try; it would look bad on their organization.
However we should enlist orin's aid, he was none too happy with the Alleybashers here. Shysen may help as well. JJ what did your lady friend say she was doing?"
"Celeste? She's not exactly my ladyfriend. She was heading off to visit Cauldron, but she is staying the night here tonight."
He shakes his head as he realises what Ryan is saying.
"I don't think we should involve her though."
"It doesn't help that most of the guests are suspect in one way on another."
"L-let Orin kn-know what's h-happening b-but l-let's try not t-to get t-too m-many others involved," Marigold urges. "The S-Scarlet B-brotherhood c-could f-find out and c-come after th-them, t-too."
Maxim nods at JJ's words;
"Some of you lot hold authority... Church, Noble... what-not. Surabar has the crux of it - confront them and see what happens... We steal the map they'll only come looking for it..."
The gun-mage strokes his beard;
"Reckon its best we seize the initiative and we seize not just the map but we also maybe loosen a tongue or two on the whole affair?"