The High Justicar is as good as his word, if not better.  He provides neither map nor directions to the home of Feldon the mason, but instead sends Kallana to act as a guide, the very same knight who had fetched the adventurers from their tavern earlier that morning.

She leads the group through the now crowded streets, and it soon becomes clear that she is both well known around the city, and popular with its residents.  Before long there is a crowd of small children around her, calling her name.  She stops at a baker's shop, and when she emerges, a few minutes later, it is with a cloth bag of cinnamon rolls, which she proceeds to distribute to her small admirers as they walk, breaking the sweet buns into pieces so that they go further.

Colwyn laughs, "Is we gettin' any of that?"

"Only if there are any left when we reach Feldon's home.  Morning Ana!" this latter directed to an elderly flower seller, who waves cheerfully in Aarnr's direction in response.  Kallana says quietly, "Poor thing is as blind as a one eyed mole, though she will never admit it."

"It's lookin' like yer's bein' well known round 'ere." Colwyn comments as a man sitting outside a shop (which judging by the giant shoe hanging above the door, is probably a cobbler's) calls out a cheery greeting to Kallana.

Kallana nods, "I lived all my life on this side of the city, at least until I became a Justicar in my sixteenth year.  My mother died when I was born, and my father when I was about three or four, and I pretty much lived as a beggar on the streets after that.  Everybody knows me, and I know them."

"Oh, right, poor kid done good.  I's been 'earin' as 'ow that can be 'appenin'."  A sage nod from the rogue, and then, "See, I were bein' the same.  Livin' in the street all me life.  Only I were never so lucky as you ter be took in by some bunch of bleedin' 'oly knights."

It almost sounds like a challenge, or an insult, but the rogue is grinning, and Kallana just laughs, and makes an odd hand gesture.  It's probably a coincidence, but Colwyn's grin fades, and he looks away, his face turning red.

For his part, Aarnr is peering moodily at the giant shoes hanging above the doors of a number of establishments in this street, and trying to calculate how many giants have been slain in these parts.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:01, Thu 19 May 2016.

Possibly a coincidence, Eilieen figures.  But Colwyn actually looks embarrassed about something.  Perhaps the hand gesture holds meaning?  Sadly, what it could be the priestess has no idea, but shelves the idea for later querying the clever rogue.  He HAD mentioned something about 'cant'...

"Pretty flowers," she states, stopping to purchase one from the elderly woman.  If she can only buy in bulk, she pays for that and still only takes one - something best for sliding into her hair.  For a moment the priestess juggles spear and flower, then finally gives up, handing her spear off to Colwyn.  "Take this, and try not to stab yourself," she states with a small smile to take any sting from the words.

Flower-in-hair, she reclaims her walking stick/weapon.

"So...how far to this mason?"

OOC - Purchasing a flower.  Something fuschia, if possible, pink if not.  If Eilieen can only buy bunches, she pays for one but only takes a single flower from it.

Much as he does not like to admit it openly, Arkan enjoys the bustle of the streets, especially after the gloom of the crypts and the undead. Kallana is also fine company, with what is turning out to be a rather surprisingly interesting and humble past.

He notes with interest the gesture she makes and Colwyn's subsequent reaction, but does not say anything about it for now, though does file the intriguing tidbit aside in his mind.

"It must have been quite the jump, from urchin to Justicar, and many hours spent  training in the yard. Warrior orders usually do not take in anyone not talented in the arts of war." Arkan said to Kallana casually as they stopped to let Eileen make a purchase.

"That suits you rather well Eileen," he says with a smile to the priestess as she slid the flower into her hair.

"I was always getting into fights when I was younger.  Usually to keep some smaller kid from getting into one.  And when I wasn't fighting I was hanging around the Hall, hoping to run errands for the Justicars.  They saw me fighting to protect a younger kid often enough that they thought I'd make a good Justicar, I suppose." explains Kallana.

Behind her, Ozzy is scribbling notes on a sheet of parchment, doubtless composing an epic song based upon her life.

The woman stops walking.  "This is the place."

The house looks old, and the stone walls are wreathed in ivy,  There are numerous windows, mostly small, with thick, yellowish glass.  The small garden that lays before the structure is unkempt, and somewhat overgrown.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:37, Fri 27 May 2016.

Kallana, Eilieen muses, seems to 'walk the walk', as Colwyn once put it.  And has, all of her life.  They could do worse than her as an escort.  She perks up slightly when Arkan offers approbation for her flower.  "Why thank you, Sir Arkan," the priestess replies, appreciating the compliment.  "My pallor is somewhat...irksome, and I find a bit of colour often serves to brighten it up."

It also reminds her of...well, if not BETTER days, then cleaner ones.

She studies the home Kallana indicates with some distaste.  "Well.  No green thumb here...or too much of one," Zadastha's priestess notes.  "Though I do like the walls and the ivy."  She makes a face.  "Hopefully the colour of the glass isn't due to pipe smoking...."

Marching up to the door, the priestess makes to knock, but pauses.  Unkempt...the wood is probably filthy.  Shifting her spear around, she taps gently on the door with the butt end of the weapon.  "Hello?"

Arkan notes the overgrown garden with a frown; it gives the appearance that no-one is living in the house at present, or has been for a while.

Perhaps that is supposed to be intentional, or perhaps not and the house is indeed vacant.

They would find soon enough though, as Eileen knocks on the door with the butt end of her spear. As she does so Arkan glances about at the windows, thinking how easy it would be for someone with hostile intent to snipe at them with bows and crossbows...or worse.

---

Spot: 14

After a short wait, there is no reply to Eilieen's knock.  Apart, that is, from a rustling in the ivy on the wall above the door, which is followed by a loud cawing as a pair of jackdaws emerge from the tangled foliage and noisily explode into flight...

Aarnr gives the ill-omened fowl a glare and lambasts them as they take off.  "Black feath'r'd puttocks!" he declares, "Puny ill-breeding maggot-pies!"

And still there is no response from the interior of the house.

Colwyn nods at Bilfro, "I could be gettin' it open, easy enough."  The rogue indicates the lock, "That's bein' a cheap bit of work.  I's bein' surprised as the bloody birds 'adn't opened it."

"Go right ahead Colwyn, the longer we wait the more chance anyone inside has to prepare for us, or give us the slip." Arkan says gesturing at the door, while drawing the black glove on a hand tighter with his other one, and then clenching and unclenching the hand absently; an old habit that comes about stronger when he is either nervous, or preparing for conflict.

This assumes that their target is indeed guilty, of-course, an assumption that does hold a lot of weight. Still, if they are indeed wrong the Order of the Justicars ought to be able to smooth things over, given no one innocent gets murdered or the like.

Thinking of something Arkan glances at Kallana and asks her quickly in a low voice, "Lady Kallana, does this house have a back door? If so one of us should move there to keep watch, in case our target tries to run for it."

Kallana shakes her head, "I have no idea.  I have never seen the back of it."

Colwyn, meanwhile, needs no more encouragement.  He steps forward and kneels before the door, opening up his rolled up bundle of tools.  Peering at the lock, he suddenly curses.  "Nadgers"  Bloody nadgers!  It's bein' a insult, that's what it's bein'.  A bloody insult ter me an' ter all me mates."

Reaching out, he lays a hand on the latch, turns it, and the door creaks loudly as it swings open.

"What sort of stupid bugger's 'avin' a lock an' not bein' usin' it?  'e must be 'avin' pixies in 'is attic."

"Do you think so?"  A look of almost childish delight suffuses Bilfro's features, as he tilts his head back to gaze in the direction of the roof.  Then a thought strikes him, though not quite with the force of a crossbow quarrel.  "Or perhaps yon thieving avians broke in, just as you said they might."

Colwyn, meanwhile, is looking into the interior of the house.

"Well, I's tellin' yer now.  If it were bein' them there birds, then they's deservin' their reppertation fer bein' robbers.  There ain't bein' so much as a stick of furniture left."

Beyond the rogue, inside the house, the entry hall is entirely empty.  No furniture, no rugs, no tapestries or paintings, and not so much as a single knick-knack...

Eilieen sucks in a breath.  The interior looks dangerous.  For her.  Cobwebs, dust...ugh.  "Well.  Nothing to do but enter, then."  She pats Colwyn on the shoulder.  "Well done with the lock...but Colwyn, I am absolutely certain you would have managed had they actually used it."  There's true amusement in her voice, but no mockery.

"'Nadgers' indeed," the priestess laughs, drawing up her hood (cobwebs, dust) before padding across the threshold.  "Nothing here...that we can see.  Perhaps searching might yield some clue."  A thought crosses her mind.  "Either that, or the people hired gave an untruth regarding their home, and this place has been deserted for a long, long time."

"That was...anti climatic." Arkan murmmers, glancing into the gloom beyond the open door. It seems his earlier suspicions might be true, their target had fled the coop.
Or perhaps not been here in some time.

Cautiously he steps across the threshold, following behind Eileen, a hand resting lightly on the hilt of the massive blade across his back.

He glances around quickly, trying to gauge if there is enough space inside for him to draw and wield his blade with ease, if needed.

Eilieen is probably pleasantly surprised by the almost complete lack of dust and cobwebs in the house.

Looking about, Kallana seems more mystified.  "Three weeks ago I was here, delivering a message from the High Justicar.  The rooms were filled with furniture, and there were servants.  Hells... I could even smell dinner cooking while I was here."

"So wait... this 'ere Feldon were livin' 'ere, an' now 'e's bein' gone, in no bleedin' time?"

"That does appear to be the case.  Unless he's just moved all the furniture to a different room."

"Is yer bein' sure yer's 'avin' the right place?"