Re: Running Errands
Trinia glances around then looks down at the ground. "Yeah. That was kinda stupid of me. Sorry. It's just been a rough week. Ya know?" She glances up. "I saw the Queen. The night before...well. She came by my cell. She just sorta looked at me. She said, 'Not so good lookng now. Are you?' I didn't know what to say. " She sighs. "Anyway. Thank you. I relly do appreciate it. I guess we all've been screwed lately."
Getting through the gate is remarkably easy. No one looks at you twice. Just more people passing to and fro.
The inn is easy to fond as well. The barkeep nods when you mention Vencarlo's name. He leads you into a back hallway. Tinia takes off the hat and passes it to one of you. "Thanks again." She frowns and then stands on tip toe to give each of you...at leadt those who allow it...a kiss on the cheek. "For luck. I think you guys are gonna need it."
The trip back is also fairly uneventful. As you near the shore, you look to see if there are any black boxes wshed ashore. Sadly, the current does not seem to have carried them here. There's no news at the inn either. Vencarlo is probably busy checking into the things he told you about...he's probably trustworthy enough to keep his word. Not even Kroft has sent you word. Though that may be a blessing in your current mood. You all turn in early. Whether you can sleep or not is up to you.
Regardless, one of the innkeeper's sons is knocking on your door the next morning. You have a visitor. It is a young man, wearing the acolyte robs of Abadar. He seems nervous. "Uhm...hello. Vaultkeeper Dhatri asked me to come see you. He asked...if you could...could you come by the Vault. Er...uh..things are getting a bit ugly there... "
As you step out onto the street you can feel it. Tension. It's obvious among the people. They congregate in small clusters, talking excitedly. As you walk by a man in one group coughs. Everyone else goes silent and looks at him. He glances nervously around at all of them and mutters, "I just have a cold..." The crowd suddenly fractures. Everyone moves quickly away and heads in whatever direction will take them away from the cougher as quickly as possible.
The acoyte shakes his head. "Everyone's talkin' about it. Them that died in Northpoint last night." North Point would be the section of the city closest to the river where the ship supposedly sank. "And some also fell in Sea Lick." That's a bit more odd. Sea Lick is a small ghetto on the western shore of the city. Almost the exact opposite end from North Point and Trail's End.
The Vault comes into view in a few more blocks. It rises above most of theothr buildings in town. A white, almost painfully so, square solid building that seems too pristine to be located in Korvosa. As you come down the road to the square before it, you can start to hear them. People. Shouts. Pleas. Not a large number. But enough so you her the before you're even in sight of the building.
There must be a hundred souls bunched up before the stairs to the Vault. Temple guards are stnding at the top of the stairs, regarding the crowd waryily. The crowd looks to be made up of mostly the poor. Though you spy the odd fine robe denoting some one who does well in their trade. Most disturbing are those who are laying down. A line of people...some on homemade stretchers and some just collapsed and dragged over to the area...laying on the street. They re in various stages of an illness. A couple seem to be bleeding from their noses, ears, and eyes. One woman is screaming in between coughs. Each chest wracking round of coughing sends a fine spray of blood shooting out of her mouth. The droplets form almst a mist in the ir before settling back down on her. Covering her like a veil.
The acolyte shakes his head. "There's more 'n there were an hour ago. Damn. " He points to the stair. " There's...there's no other way in. We gotta go through 'em.... "