As Caitlin relaxed, Loorn did the same and waved at the woman to return to their table once more.

Darla shakes off her surprise, and leans under the table and takes a look at the new Schnickle, Well, haven't you changed! Did you think we wouldn't allow you to stay here just because you don't look like us? Come on out and finish that muffin! she chides.

Darla comes over to Loorn and Caitlin at their summons, "yes dears? would you like some wine, or coffee, or something?"

Schnickle nodded to Darla and began to nibble on his muffin; small bites, chewed fast, like a rodent would. He even risked a sip of wine, as a show of bravery, and immediately felt a bit light-headed. Was it poison after all, or just the alcohol?

Nervous, anxious, he pondered. Now what? He glanced warily around at the others, trying to follow their conversation.

"I'd like some coffee, and perhaps a bottle of wine that we can take upstairs." Caitlin said and send a warm smile to Loorn, she knew he loved it when they got cozy. Or perhaps he just loved to have her anywhere as long as they were together.

Intently she watched the strange gnome, unlike most of the gnomes she had met - which wasn't really many - this one acted like a frightened animal. "How odd." she thought to herself and wondered about him.

Quinlan looked a little disappointed as the couple chose to ignore him.
We'll finish the bottle ourselves then Schnickle. He shrugs.
Shall we go to the festivities together in the morning? He asks the gnome.

Loorn winked back to Caitlin at the mention of wine. The order held promises about private pleasantness later on which he imagined both of them actually needed. Laying in a bed always beat laying outdoors on the ground.

He didn't care much for the strange gnome really, it clearly wasn't any threat to any of them so instead he paid his attention to his meal.

So the drowling was intent on being his ally, and the svirfneblin knew that there was safety in numbers, especially if one of those numbers was a drow. "Okay." he answered both questions, still close-mouthed and shy, and took another sip of wine. He was confident in his abilities to run and hide if anything went awry.

He looked forwards to seeing the animal show though. He could talk to some of them after all.

Darla brings coffee for everyone and an extra bottle of wine for Caitlin and Loorn to take up to their room, she mentions there are glasses there already. As it gets long into the evening, Darla announces she is closing the kitchen and you take it as a gentle hint she wishes to finally retire as well.

"Breakfast begins at sun up my friends."

It will be an uneventful night, and in the morning, after breakfast, those of you heading to Muffin's Honor will be hitting th road.

OOC: I'll wait until tuesday the 27th to allow for the holiday here in the US, but feel free to post any last "get to know each others" before the adventure starts.

At the tail-end of the evening, and emboldened by the wine, Schnickle put on a conspiratorial air and leaned closer to Quinlan. He whispered "Know what I am, do you, good drow?"

You look like a gnome, but none that i have seen before.

He didn't know? The drow-blooded one did not know? Schnickle eyed Quinlan suspiciously, but figured that he'd spoken the truth. Hmm. Perhaps he had never set foot down in the 'dark. Lucky was he.

"Just a gnome I am, and nothing more?" he queried at last, then nodded. "Good that is. Keep it that way, we shall. Else have to kill you I will." The so-called gnome winked and grinned, but that uncomfortable feeling remained that it hadn't entirely been in jest.

"And drow you are?" Schnickle was concerned that this apparent drow hadn't tried to kill anyone at all yet, and seemed friendly.

OOC: i'm going to zip ahead here in time and get this started. y'all can finish up your get to know each others, but it is now the next morning.

The sun streams into your rooms through the windows as the sun rises, it had been a fine night of sleep, the beds were super comfortable and the fires stoked warmly. The smell of breakfast comes wafting up the stairs. Baths are available for those who wish to partake, the water is hot.

When the sun rose over the horizon Loorn was still sound asleep. This was one thing he had learnt after he had met Caitlin to actually be able to relax when being indoors and in a proper bed. In the past he had always awoke just before sunrise now days that was more of an exception of the rules.

Schnickle surprised himself by still being present at the inn come morning. The proper svirfneblin thing to do would have been to creep off, silently and without a trace nor farewell. That way foes could not follow his tracks. But he was still here. He decided that he liked the warmth, the comfortable bed that was so big around a small gnome, and the good food. It was very welcome after his long travels, experiences and ordeals, both in the Underdark and on the surface. It was perhaps the first time he'd truly rested since leaving Neblheim.

He still awoke nice and early, and creeped downstairs, almost fearfully, to fetch himself a big warm bowl of porridge.

Darla is already bustling around the kitchen when Schnickle gets downstairs. She looks up and says "Why, hello there little one, would you like something to eat? There is fresh fruit on the tray over there, we have eggs, and ham, and, ooh, plenty of porridge." She smiles brightly, you can tell she has been up since before the sun rose.

Quinlan awakes refreshed from the rest and heads down to the common room for breakfast. Good morning dear! He greets Darla, grabbing an apple on the go before settling in next to Schnickle.
Good morning master gnome! Did you sleep well? Feeling up to visiting the fair?

"Thanks to you." Schnickle answered Darla, and began helping himself, by a lot. He got the feeling that due to his small size and frantic behaviour of the night before, she treated him as she would a human child. Some of the others did too. That was good, he decided, for it meant that the big folk underestimated him.

To Quinlan he replied "Indeed I did, yes. Better than a flat rock or squishy mushroom the bed was, by far." He slurped up a spoonful of porridge flavoured with honey, and added "Love to visit the fair I would." A whole night and the drow had not flipped up and killed everybody; Schnickle decided he could trust him. To an extent, anyway.

Since Caitlin still was sound asleep Loorn decided to let her sleep for now and dressed, took his battle axe which he hung in his belt and went down to the ground floor to get something to eat. If she hadn't awoken in a while he would return to awake her, in his own way... he was sure that she wouldn't mind.

As he walked down the stairs he found himself a place to sit and then ordered his breakfast.

Darla busies herself around the kitchen and dining area, helping everyone with what they need.

"Let me know when y'all will be ready to go, I'll pack a lunch for you all. You are leaving together, right? It's about a 5 hour walk from here, quite pleasant too!"

That is most kind of you, I guess we won't be long leaving.
Quinlan replied, taking a look at the battle-ready barbarian.

Caitlin dreamt of things only she would remember...

ooc: Just showing I'm still around. Just terribly busy.

"Thanks to you." Schnickle said to Darla, then added "The Deep Brother smile on and keep safe your inn, I pray."

To Quinlan he asked "Human-folk travel with us, will they?" The drow was seeming to Schnickle to be the most familiar thing here, both for their known menace and his lost friend Illianka.

I would think so, we're all going to the same place and it will be several hours walking before we arrive.
Quinlan collects his belongings and appears ready to head out. He pulls up the hood on his cloak as the small group exits the inn.

"Thank you." Loorn said giving Quinlan a second glance. He still didn't trust him regarding what Caitlin said. She had been wrong in the past and this could be one of those times, but her words stopped him from cutting him down where he stood. It was that thing that he walked down in daylight too, which to Loorn's knowledge Drows didn't do.

"It seems so," His voice held suspision. "We never discussed that yesterday so lets see what the Princess says as she wakes up." He said to Darla.

Darla smiles, "There is rarely trouble between here and Muffin's Honor, I would think you would spend the time walking together, it's a single path from here, and it would just be awkward ignoring one another for that long. Don't you think? You kids will be just fine."