I agree. Something is not right. The landlady knows something and I think we need to find out what it is!
Sorry for the us formatted post. In the middle of moving and I do not have good internet and am using my iPad. Should be back to normal by Monday.
The night slumbers on; insects chirp, the wind idly rustles a few leaves and
"I agree Timmins. Should she know something, she needs to divulge that to us." She slips her cloak on, ready to depart. "Do you know where she might be currently?"
Your eyes accustom to the dark and a slight breeze springs up, taking the edge off a balmy night as you decide what to do...
"I would think in her house. Maybe we should drop in and give our heart-felt thanks for the food and shelter...without our guide around to frighten her. What do you think?"
Perception:
Stealth:
Shol'a'saul nods in reply. "A good plan. Lead the way, Timmins." She tightens her cloak around her shoulders as she follows the ranger.
Hmmm...the two of you should be enough. No need to terrify the poor girl...
Morsai relaxes, and waits for their return.
So Shol'a'saul and Timmins sneak up to the house and listen before we knock or make ourselves known.
I will follow at a distance..." Jesset says, then allows the others to move out into the night , waits for a dozen heartbeats then follows.
Perception
Stealth
Timmins, Shadow and Shol'a'saul slip through the night, across the courtyard and to the door of the house.
As they hesitate at the door, Jesset stumbles in the dark and kicks over a bootscraper by the barn door.
Collectively, the group holds their breath but nobody appears to have been roused.
The front door bears no latch and, as Timmins swings it ajar, you can see that it leads directly into a kitchen area. The room is lit by the dying embers of the cooking fire and your host lies in a pile of blankets and furs before the only other door in the room. She appears to be sleeping deeply.
Morsai opens the window...I'm guessing there's more to the story?
Shol'a'saul pauses for a moment before whispering to Timmins, "I wonder where our host Atheric disappeared to. Perhaps we should have a look around before waking her?"
He continues to snooze.
The girl grins and surges up the last few feet of the rope. Clinging to the ledge, she flings her sack into the room, follows it through and gives Morsai an eager hug, "Stash this in your cart for me and make sure you leave the hamlet by the north road. I'll meet you up ahead."
She hugs her herself and grins, "Adventure and dragon-treasure, this is so awesome!"
She rushes over to the window but then hesitates with a hand on the ledge, "You will take me with you, won't you?" Her large eyes plead for Morsai's assent.
The woman blinks away heavy lidded sleep and, when she first really takes you in, pulls up the sheets around her and shrinks back into the rugs.
"Wha- Who..." she composes herself a little, "What are you doing here?"
Hmmm. Where there is dragon treasure...and 'adventure'...there is likely danger...possible death...and likely...dragons.
Morsai cocks an eyebrow and looks her over again, deciding that she's far more pleasant alive...
She grins, "That's why you need an extra pair of hands, I can totally help you out. And you can all teach me magic, right?"
"And anyway, I'm not doing anything here: just slaving away doing no kind of anything. How many floors do you scrub? I want to do something that matters."
Not everybody has the potential to learn magic...and it can take years...and then...most that do, never fight dragons. I've never fought one...and I doubt any of my companions have...most that go up against dragons become...tasty dragon snacks.
Shol'a'saul speaks up softly, "We do not wish you any harm. We do have some questions for you concerning this...dragon which is plaguing this town. We wished to see you in private so as not to alert any...spies the dragon may be employing." She pauses here waiting for Timmins to ask his questions.
Timmins looks to the elf and smiles.
"indeed we mean you no harm. When I was speaking with Atheric you seemed to want to say something, and I could tell that he was not telling us everything. Are you in any danger? Can we help you in any way?"
"But you know you can do it, right? That's why your here. So, if you can do it without me, I'll just make it a little easier. I can cook and clean and fetch things... and I'm great company!"
The woman grimaces slightly and shakes her head, "No, it's not like that. I don't know anything about dragons. You just shouldn't push Atheric right now."
"And why is that dear lady? He seems to be hiding something from us and that does not sit well with me. What is going on?
No. I don't know that we can do it.
Morsai looks her directly in the eye, and slowly shakes his head.
Leaning against a nearby house, Jesset keeps to the shadows observing both the house Timmins and Shol entered and the surrounding streets.
Perception
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Jesset can hear hushed conversation from within the building but can't make out the detail. Otherwise the streets are quiet.
The girl's giddy movements cease and a frown of concentration passes over her face. She clearly never considered any doubt might be in your minds.
Her disbelief rallies for a moment, "Aw, c'mon. Your here to get the job done. Right?"
The woman sighs out her frustration, "Don't push him because he's a good man who is tired and worried but he's still got his pride and that's worth something to him."
She shakes her head, "You're not the first dragonslayers we've seen. The first lot talked big, showed off, ate well and got all kinds of fancy gear on tick. Then they disappeared."
The woman sits up and runs her fingers through her hair, in the light of the dying fire you can appreciate that she was once strikingly attractive, "The council put up a tax to pay for proper dragonslayers. Atheris has dipped into his pockets too. Atheris is old money, from a noble family, it comes up again when people get resentful... I refused to take any money from Atheris: he can't afford to pay for you all the time, but I can afford one night."
That's what we're being asked to do...now...I'm not afraid of orcs or goblins...I could take down an ogre on my own with no concern...and we're definitely more powerful as a group...knowing what we're going into definitely helps...but we've never tackled a dragon before.
Navarro is woken by the talk.
"See, you know you've got what it takes."
Then she sees Navarro stirring, "You'll take me with you, won't you. He's trying to be all noble and leave me trapped here!"
Navarro jolts awake and he clutches at his sword while looking around wildly for the disturbance.
"Hunh? What now?"
"You'll take me with you, won't you. He's trying to be all noble and leave me trapped here!"
He sets his sword aside and rolls out of his bunk, rubbing his eyes.
"OK, slow down now." He looks closer at the girl and her bags."Take you with us? Miss, you know we are... mercenaries let us say, and we are tasked with venturing into extremely dangerous situations; which in this case seems to feature a couple of dragons. There is no normal situation that I would allow you to come with us."
He looks at her steadily.
"Now, what could you possibly be fleeing that would be MORE dangerous than that?"
The girl moves close to Navarro and kneels next to his cot, "I just want to live a real life and learn magic like you! I'm a slave here: I don't live, I just plod along."
Shol'a'saul pauses for a moment, digesting her words. She was inclined to believe her story, yet there were parts of it which bothered her for some reason...
"I care little for money, you may keep my share of the reward money if it would be of help to you. I cannot speak for my companions, unfortunately." She responded quietly, a note of sympathy in her voice. "This does beg the question what did happen to the other parties before us? Do you believe they had any actual interest in searching for the dragon, or were they taking advantage of your hospitality?"
Reluctantly, Navarro said; "Hey, I read that story too. But that is all that that was, a nifty story. They leave out a lot of what really goes on in a fight. Speaking of, can you? Fight that is."
Story?
Morsai looks a bit confused...
Navarro looks at Morsai.
"'I don't live, I just plod along'? That's a quote from 'Cauldron d'Noir', wherein a heroic Andoran pig farmer rises to become... uh..."
He looks vaguely embarrassed.
"Anyway, I've read it too. As has this young lady here."
He looks back at the girl.
"Ah, don't take this the wrong way, but what is your name?"
Ah...lovely.
Morsai mutters, but keeps his thoughts to himself.
The woman shakes her head, "I'm not so proud that I'd turn down coin but it isn't yours to give yet. When you've killed the dragons: then you you can pay me. As for those others: I'm pretty sure it was just a scam, start to finish. And now poor, dim Bessie Halprin's with child and no father to be seen..." The final sentences doesn't seem addressed to anyone in particular but it hangs in the air as an indictment of the con-artists.
"You've read it! Isn't it great: that bit where he climbs over the sleeping ogre, isn't it amazing?"
The girl grins again, "I'm Brena. I know, it's such a boring name, but 'Brena who helped the dragonslayers' would suit me better. Right?"
It might make a lovely epitath. Let's try and avoid that.
Morsai, more and more, is finding himself in a...rough mood.
Shol'a'saul nods in understanding. "Very well. Should you need any assistance from me please let me know." She touches Timmins arm, "We should return to the others. We can finish our conversation here later."
"Oh yeah, that was hairy! And remember that time when he picked up that fallen Knights sword to face the Man in Black..." He cuts off as he sees Morsai's face.
"...Uh, I digress."
He shakes his head.
"Anyway, Brena, I think you would at the very least you would need some way to be able to fight. Some kind of strength training, weapons, armor, that kind of thing. We couldn't possibly take you with us if you were armed with a steak knife and a trash can lid."
Timmins nods and quietly leaves the women's home.
"Well! What do you think about that? I cannot believe a group would take from these people in need! There should be something we can do...maybe leave some money in the barn to help pay for our night?"
It has clearly been a long day and the woman is almost asleep before you've got through the door.
As your fellows step outside, you catch the scent of fading embers and see your host pulling her blanket over her shoulders.