Korgan nods. "I trust you on this captain. I don't know how much buzz is usually here, but there's certainly quiet here...much like before a storm. The other should be back soon with enough information for us to be able to get out of here hopefully."

Da sooner da better.

Vaargurr, who has been silently watching the conversation, finally decides to speak up.

Brin blinks at the merchants reply, and sighs in resignation.  Best to get this part done with then...

"Hmmmm...well sir, if you are dealing with Zhents, I clearly cannot compete if they are willing to pay those prices.  I will pay your price for twenty steel ingots and tweny normal iron ingots - that is 200 gold, correct?"

For those of his party nearby Geth whispered _{"I see the three men watching us, the two beggars and the crewman from the other sloop. At the end of the dock looking around a stack of crates at the Spirit."}

He then moved into a position that would give him a better bead on their observers, both to see and to fire upon should trouble break out. He did so slowly and innocuously so as to not draw undue attention upon himself.

Merka chuckled.  "Perhaps one of them would volunteer to travel with us to our next port.  We could send him home when we got there, of course.  I am sure one of those beggars would provide some wonderful converation between stops."

Ashes sets Thug down on the ground and then leans against the rail to watch the men surreptitiously.

The ranger looked at Merka and a wicked little smile came across his face.

"That is something I would be happy to arrange. It is a good hunt for certain and one I would relish. What do the rest of you think"

There was a gleam in Geth's eye that the others hadn't seen before. Eagerness!

"I don't know." Korgan says. "I think we should wait until the others come back. If they don't have informations it might be a good idea, but if they do I think it's probably not wise to bring along a person we have no idea who and what is.

At the Iron Merchant

The old Dwarf looks at you and then with a strong belly laugh, "Ho, Ho, Ho." He and the other dwarfs laugh and grin at each other.

Wiping tears from his eyes, "Best damn answer I ever got. It is certain ye are not iron traders.  Five gold for Cast Iron!  They be one gold each, but I will surely sell ye Cast Iron ingots for five if ye want it that bad."

"Now what do you really want?"

Brin gives a sigh of mild embarassment, and a bluish-green tinge creeps up his lightly scaled cheeks.  He decides that honesty, though perhaps not total honesty, is now the best policy.

"Ahh, Master Trader, you have seen through our attempt at playing merchants.  While it is true we are looking for trade opportunities along the north coast, our primary mission is that we have been asked by certain... friends... to uncover information regarding missing dwarves.  I must admit I had an idea to impress you with my trading skills, then ask you about our true purpose.  Though I am sure I have not impressed you, I still hope to speak with you on any knowledge you may possess regarding the missing folk."

"Missing folk?  Folk go missing all the time.  If they be Dwarves, then it is not any of your affair.  We Dwarves take care of our own and don't need any do-gooders like the Harpers sticking their noses into our affairs."

The Dwarf stands up to leave and looks at both of you "Go and leave us alone.  The next time come here and buy your ingots for trade. I have no time to waste on guessing games."

And with that said, he and his guards are gone.  The Dwarf that met you at the door remains and shows you the way to the door you came in.  "Today was not a good day for questions about missing Dwarfs, two more of our clan disappeared last night.'  Then the door is closed and locked behind you.

"How did they know the Harpers were the ones we were talking about?" Rystro asks as the door is closed behind them. "And you'd think they'd at least let us buy what we wanted."

Brin shakes his head, and replies quietly to his partner,

"I don't know how they knew about the Harpers Rystro.  Maybe they have been asking questions here already, or maybe I am just foolishly obvious.  We did gain a little information, however.  Two more dwarves missing last night."

As he returns to the cart, Brin adds, "So much for our merchant careers here in Malvaunt. I suppose we had better return to the ship."

"Agreed. You would think the Dwarves would want some help. Oh well, what can you do." Rystro shakes his head, "Guess this would be a mission failure then?"

As Brin and Rystro return to the sloop, they dismiss their driver and cart.  Just before they get to the Moonsea Gate, they see a band of about a dozen rough looking and armed men standing down the street past the Moonsea Gate.  As you get closer and just before going out the gate, you see a beggar speaking to them.  He has his back to you and does not see you.  Something is brewing.

Once past the gate, there is no one between you and the Spirit.

On the ship, Korgan was getting impatient and often stared in the direction his friends would be coming. When he finally saw them, he wave at them and yelled "Hey!"

The ranger looked to where Korgan was yelling and saw what he did, his companions heading back but the beggar and a group of armed men nearby. It didn't take a genius to figure out why Korgan was shouting.

Geth nocked an arrow to his bow but kept it out of sight underneath the railing of the sloop. If something did start he would take the beggar out first. The rest would be in the hands of fate.

Rystro hesitates, "Perhaps we should wait before heading back." He says, nodding towards the group gathering around the familiar beggar. "In case trouble brews, y'know, we can surprise them."

Ashes puts Thug in the pocket of his cloak and then moves over next to Korgan to greet the returning friends.

"Maybe now we can get this show on the road.", he says.

Brin looks at the suspicious group while waving somewhat reluctantly to Korgan.

"Yes....I think so, Rystro..."

He slaps his hand thrice against his leg in an odd pattern, and Krais streaks swiftly from his following distance to Brin's side.  The big otter is alert, with teeth slightly bared.

Merka had been pacing nervously.  He stood up and audibly sighed in relief when the away team reappeared on the wharf.  The harbor master had been clear that they needed to get out of this place quickly, and he hoped they would do exactly that.

"Captain Dale?  I think we should begin preparations to cast off immediately.  Half of us can load the iron ingots while the other half helps you, perhaps?"

Merka paused and did a silent double take.  "That's odd.  They don't have any ingots.  Maybe they didn't find the dwarf merchant."

OOC: The band of men are inside the city wall and are not visible to any outside on the docks.

Brin and Rystro are able to make it to the Spirit without any problems.

At this point, no has come out through the Moonsea Gate.  However the beggar and the crewman from the sloop that just docked come out from behind the pile of crates at the end of the dock.  They come up the dock toward the sloop, speaking to each other.

Spot roll for any that want to :)

Geth blinked his eyes once or twice as he realised he wasn't looking at who he thought he was. His hand relaxed on his bow string so as to release the tension.

'Too much time in this bloody sun' he berated himself mentally as he saw he was looking to drill some poor stall seller instead of the beggar he thought he was looking at.

Then the damn man appeared again at the end of the dock. He rubbed his eyes with one hand to confirm it was really him and not a delusion from sun stroke. Then he tried to pickup what they were speaking about. An old but effective trick reading lips, old but effective. As he did so the sun seemed to shine directly in his eyes and obscured their mouths as they moved closer.

'Damn it... just not my day!'

AS Korgan stands to wave at the newcomers, he seems to notice something behind them. Was there somebody there, or was it the sun?

18:30, Today: Korgan Nkopno rolled 13 using 1d20. Spot. 

"Friends, I am happy to see you returned safely to us.  Did you find the dwarves?  I see no ingots..."