"Don't even think about trying to sit next to me," Aerendir snaps in high elven. "Keep your distance, and keep your hands where I can see them."

"This, from the thief who actually did the stealing," Falnis snipes back, also in high-elven, but nevertheless complies, seating himself next to Nod.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:00, Wed 16 Jan 2019.

Marabir, fluent in High Elven, pretends he is oblivious to the exchange between Aerendir and Falnis, focusing on Lyria, his brow creasing sympathetically.

"Oh?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:10, Thu 30 Dec 2021.

Lyria pauses, glancing between Falnis and Aerendir. She may not speak High Elven, or even normal Elven for that matter, but she doesn't need to in order to sense the open hostility between the pair. At length, as Falnis seats himself beside Nod, she begins.

"As I said, I am Lady Lyria Veldorn. I own a modest estate to the north. My father, Lord Ardanus Veldorn passed away several months ago. As his oldest daughter he left his estate to me. It was his will, and I have the documents to prove it. However my uncle, Galnor Veldorn, desires my father's lands, and will stop at nothing to steal them. He has sent thugs to terrorise me and my tenants, burning fields and looting houses. Three times he has come to me in person, demanding that I relinquish my claim to the estate, instead naming him as guardian until my younger brother comes of age. Each time I refused. Then, four days ago, my brother was kidnapped. My uncle came to see me the following day, stating that unless I relinquish my the estate to him, I will never see my brother again. I have travelled for the past few days, seeking assistance from mercenaries. That vulgar brute you chased off had agreed to help track down and rescue my brother, but decided he wanted more than gold," she shudders, giving the door to the tavern a look of distaste. She then turns back to Marabir, giving him a pleading look.

"You are clearly a man of honour and courage, Sir Varonil. Will you please aid me and save my brother?"

Marabir, who has been listening intently to Lyria as she speaks, frowns grimly.

"You have my sympathies, Lady Veldorn. Might I inquire how far from here your estate is? I would be more than willing to assist you, but I am on a quest of my own and must be-" he catches himself, glancing darkly at Falnis, "I have somewhere I must be in three days time."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:26, Wed 16 Jan 2019.

"Not far," Lyria replies hastily, "My estate is less than a day's ride from here, and if we left at dawn we would reach it by tomorrow afternoon. As for my uncle, he has taken up residence in 'The Grey Stallion' inn in Calarn, twenty miles from my estate."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 05:27, Wed 16 Jan 2019.

Marabir nods thoughtfully, before turning to Aerendir.

"That seems... doable."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:12, Thu 30 Dec 2021.

Aerendir sends Marabir a long-suffering look.

"I hesitate to be tactless, but have you any reason to think your brother is still alive?" is Falnis' helpful contribution. "If I wanted to steal an estate, the first thing I would do would be to eliminate the rightful heirs."

"I'm sure that's what you would do," Aerendir agrees.

Falnis sighs.

Lyria swallows, giving Falnis a determined look.

"I have to believe he is still alive."

"Quite so," Marabir says bracingly, shooting Falnis a reproving glare, "Perhaps in Mereldinor that is the way things are done, but in Thane the death of a noble's son results in unwanted questions and attention. Besides, Galnor is clearly using the boy as a bargaining chip. He won't harm the boy until he has what he wants from Lady Veldorn, or else is convinced his ploy has failed."

"Where burning down fields and looting houses, naturally, only results in people talking about how bad the weather has become recently," Falnis says dryly, ignoring the reproving glare.

Marabir opens his mouth to respond, then realises that all the answers he can think of may result in giving those listening the impression that the Thanian authorities value the well being of the nobility somewhat more than the common peasants. He decides to ignore Falnis' comment, instead turning back to Lyria.

"We would be honoured to assist you in locating your brother," he asserts with a gracious nod.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:17, Thu 30 Dec 2021.

"Where was your brother when he was captured?" Aerendir asks, more practically.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:18, Thu 30 Dec 2021.

"He was in the garden at the rear of the estate," Lyria informs him, "It was around noon and he had gone out to play before lunch. The garden has a stone wall around it, but it is not high, maybe six or seven feet. The kidnapper must have scaled this wall. None of my guards or servants reported hearing or seeing anyone, but we could not find him anywhere. It was not long afterwards, just as we were preparing to mount a search, that my uncle arrived and made his ultimatum."

"Fair enough. It shouldn't be too hard to track him to wherever they took him, if they kidnapped him from that obvious a spot," Aerendir says, with the air of someone making the best of a bad business.

"Indeed," says Marabir optimistically, "Now, have you eaten, my lady? I don't know about you two," he directs at Aerendir and Nod, "But I am quite famished. Order me something, would you, Aerendir? And acquire us some rooms for the night. I shall go and ensure that the horses are adequately stabled for the night."

A loud rumbled from the vicinity of Nod's stomach does the talking for the minstrel.

"Apologies, my lady," he says, reddening slightly as he attempts to stifle a second rumble.

"May I have a private word, Sir Varonil?" Falnis asks, as Aerendir rises and stalks over to the bar in pursuit of food (a job the high elf seems to find much more palatable than the prospect of a rescue mission.)

"Oh?" Marabir says suspiciously, glancing back as he exits the tavern, "What is it?"

"I'll tell you when we get to the stables," the dark elf smiles, rising to join Marabir and walking beside him. "After all, I need to check on my horse too, and I'm sure neither of us want Nod or your damsel in distress to hear what you can probably guess I want to talk about."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:51, Thu 17 Jan 2019.

Marabir's eyes narrow as his hand instinctively strays to the jewelled hilt of his longsword.

"Indeed."

Nod watches them leave, before shrugging at turning to Lyria brightly.

"So, Lady Veldorn, who is your favourite historical Carendilian king?"

OOC: End of Chapter I...