Liseth watched him uncomfortably and continued to hold Kerr's arm when Mr Foxglove once again began to pour his attention upon her.  She tensed up when he took notice of Kerr and nearly shrank away from the nobleman upon seeing what she interpreted as anger flash across his eyes.  But the girl exhales and relaxes when Mr Foxglove has another place at the table set for Kerr; hoping that the nobleman isn't just masking his true feelings with practiced etiquette.  She spoke in a quiet voice, "Thank you Mr Foxglove."

When the table was rearranged Liseth took a seat next to Kerr and as far away from Mr Foxglove as she could.  It was quite clear that she was uncomfortable with the way that the nobleman spoke and acted towards her.  She did try to listen to the conversations happening around her though; especially interested in Pisca's proposed library for Sandpoint.  It sounded like a good idea to her, and Liseth nodded along with Pisca's reasoning.  Even a small library would be a benefit to the community.

The conversation stopped when Mr Foxglove had gifts delivered to everybody.  Well, everybody except Kerr; but that was understandable since he didn't know that Kerr was coming.  Liseth just hoped that he didn't feel left out.

She looked at the gift in front of her with a mix of reluctance and mild suspicion.  Liseth really didn't expect gifts to be given out during the dinner, but she was relieved that there was one for everybody and that Mr Foxglove hadn't just singled her out.  She didn't know what she might have done if she had to open a gift for herself in front of everybody and they had nothing.  Though that didn't stop her from having nervous butterflies flitter about her stomach.

Liseth decided that she would watch everyone open their gifts first.  Fine brandy for Kellan, a fancy tool case for Pisca, a rare tome for Cato.  Five platinum coins for everyone in as well.  Expensive gifts; but Mr Foxglove handed them out as though the price was nothing.  Finally it came down to her, and she knew that she couldn't let the mysterious present remain unknown.

Carefully, Liseth peeled back the wrapping and opened the box that it concealed.  Immediately her eyes grew wide as she gasped in astonishment.  Then her face blanched and the girl began to shake before she reached into the box to extract the item for everybody to see.  In her hands was an extravagant silver necklace encrusted with brilliant emeralds.  The five platinum coins remaining in her gift box pale in comparison to what the value of that single piece of jewelry must be.

"It...it..."  Liseth stammered and her body continued to tremble as she stared at the necklace in disbelief.  "It's a necklace..."

---

---

As soon as the packages were delivered, meal service began.  It started with a buttery lobster bisque that everyone agreed was amazing.  The bisque was followed by a salad garnished with candied walnuts, blue cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes, topped by a savory dressing that was apparently a Kaijitsu family recipe.

Aldern Foxglove smiled at Kellan as the guardsman revealed the bottle of fine Taldan Fire-Brandy.  “You need say nothing, my friend, other than to assure me that you will put it to good use, as you have already done, and drink to my health while you enjoy it.”   He gave Kellan a conspiratorial look and lowered his voice.  “You might want to share some with Alergast Barett,” Aldern looked about as if the big man might be hiding under a table, “as he is the one that told me of your shared affinity for the beverage.”

The noble looked over at Pisca.  “I see that you are extremely invested in the idea of a Sandpoint library.”  He nodded.  “Your civic-mindedness does you credit.  Let me say this; if you are able to find other backers for your project, and obtain the mayor’s approval, I could be convinced to contribute to your effort.  In fact, you may even use my name as a supporter to the extent that it might open doors . . .  or purses.”  Aldern’s lips quirked up before he sat back in his chair, a serious look on his face.  “I have quite a deal of my own equity tied up in a project that should be coming to fruition very soon.  If it is successful, as I have every reason to believe it will be, I will be flush with funds and, I must say, very likely to be in a charitable frame of mind.”  He winked.

As the conversation continued, the main dish arrived:  Ameiko Kaijitsu’s famous curry-spiced salmon, garnished by fried onions and accompanied by spicy crisped potatoes, stringbeans with shaved cheese, slivered almonds, and sun-dried tomatoes, all washed down with an early winterdrop mead.

As the group ate, Aldern looked to Cato.   “I don’t want to spoil the magic, but where do you think I might go if I was looking for a rare book on short notice in Sandpoint?”  The noble raised an eyebrow and grinned.  “You would be surprised at Master Haladan’s resources, my friend,” he continued, somewhat mysteriously.  “He does not keep all of his available books on his shop’s shelves.”

“It is indeed a necklace!”  Aldern clapped his hands together with delight and smiled as Liseth removed her gift from its package.  “A beautiful necklace for the loveliest of ladies.”  Aldern rose and moved around the table, extending his hand toward the young blonde.  “May I?”  He took the jewelry and fastened it around Liseth’s neck.  It was really quite stunning; the emeralds offset the white of Liseth’s dress with what seemed like a sparkling green fire.

“Incredible.”  Aldern breathed as he stepped back, brushing Liseth’s shoulder with what might or might not have been inadvertence.  “It is better than I had hoped.  Truly, it was worth every penny, and you are clearly the woman meant to wear it.”  Aldern smiled broadly as he returned to his seat, then looked around the table.  “How is everyone enjoying their meal?”

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This message was last edited by the player at 19:38, Wed 25 Sept 2013.

Kellan looked on approvingly as Pisca and Cato received fine gifts as well. He was about to set the bottle he received off of the table when Liseth opened her's. Kellan's expression changed from concern to an awkward pensive one as she pulled forth the extravagant gift. It was obvious in his mind that from Foxglove's behavior up to this point, now cemented by the decadent jewelry that he seemed to have intentions towards Liseth. The age difference and Foxglove's rumored marriage history put an unsavory undertone to the gift that seemed to ruin the mood for the young Guardsman.

He straightened a little and looked between Liseth and Foxglove sparing a knowing glance towards Cato and Pisca as well. "That's ah..." He paused as if framing his words carefully "That necklace is a remarkably generous gift Mr. Foxglove" looking to the the nobleman now. Kellan was acutely aware that despite his recent celebrity status, he was from about as common a birth as one could manage and he was addressing one of the eminent personages in the region, one that had just given him a very generous gift and hosted a dinner in their honor.

He paused mid spoonful "It is delicious, I don't believe I have ever had such a fine meal, if I may" he resumed "where ever did you find such a fine piece in Sandpoint? It seems far beyond anything I have seen the local merchants offer" he asked, partially out of a suspicion growing in his mind, but also to break the ensuing awkward silence.

Boooookkkk ...

Pisca the Zombie Book Monster turned her head slowly, almost sluggishly.  The light caught by the white riffling pages, captured the otherwise dull senses of the Zombie Book Monster.  Zombie Book Monsters were said to have responded to the soft thump of a closing book cover from as far away as half a mile.

Boooookkkk ...

The unlucky books that had run afoul of the Zombie Book Monster were often stalked by the Zombie Book Monster's walking fingers.  The fingers shambled and lurched across the tops of tables, slowly but inexorably drawing nearer and nearer to the books, who, frozen in panic could do nothing but ...

Pisca?  You're at dinner with guests.

The gnome smiled, ensuring the others at the table that all was well, and that she was enjoying both their company as well as the marvelous dinner.  She leaned in upon the two fingers she had pressed against the table as though this had been nothing but an idiosyncratic pose - simply resting on an elbow, but in a different form.  No matter that they had been slowly working their way across to Cato's new book.

"That's a very pretty necklace you have there, Lysa," said the gnome in casual tones.  "Pretty.  Very tasteful, Aldern," she said.

Cato had to give it to Aldern.  He certainly knew how to reward and entertain.  The nobility always did that well.  And yet, as he ate the tastiest meal he had had in...months, maybe years, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was some sort of entertainment for Foxglove.  Shower the rabble with presents and food, to encourage their cooperation.

Cato sighed.  If he was going to be saving lives anyway, it was certainly nice be richly rewarded for it.  He kept up his facade and tried to enjoy the email and ignore the doubts at the back of his mind.  He thought Aldern might have a few suspicions about what Cato was thinking, but the noble was so intent on fawning over Liseth that he seemed to brush off anything else.  Which was another matter that made it harder for Cato to enjoy the meal.  He had met more than a few nobles in his past who had a wanton disregard for the personal rights of the less fortunate in Korvosa, and could do some truly horrific things without really thinking about it.  Still, Liseth seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and Cato trusted the young woman's instincts.  She could stand up to rampaging goblins; how much trouble could a noble be?

Cato cleared his throat and looked to their host.  "This is truly an amazing meal, Aldern.  I can't believe it, but I think Ameiko was holding back when she prepared food for the festival yesterday.  What did you have to offer for her to outdo herself yet again?"

Cato glanced over at Pisca's hand, which was a good deal closer to his book than it had been before he had lost himself in his own thoughts.  "I agree with Aldern, Pisca.  Your idea of a library for Sandpoint is quite a good one.  Who's to say that only those in big cities should benefit from education?  I could help you come up with a good selection of books for those interested in history, and I'm sure I can convince Brodert to part with a few spare copies of books he had to start your collection."

The gnome took no apparent notice of the human girl's discomfort and dilemma.  Quite without warning, though, she slipped delicately over the side of her chair and stepped down onto the tiered box that their noble host had so kindly provided her.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," she said to those gathered at the table, "someone has to use the little gnome's room."

"Um ... Lysa?  Would you mind accompanying me, please?"  She smiled at Liseth and she smiled at young Kerr Mollin.  "You don't mind me stealing your girlfriend for a little while, do you?"  She lifted the hem of her skirt and gingerly descended the stairs, her feet clad in soft embroidered slippers.  "If you don't mind," she said, and reached up to Liseth to take her hand as she reached the human girl's side.

"While we're gone, you boys can talk about all those rough things that boys like to talk about," said the gnome over her shoulder.  "We'll be back in a bit.  Ta-ta," Pisca tossed over her shoulder.

Liseth's discomfort only grew when Aldern Foxglove rose from his seat to move around the table and insisted upon fastening the ostentatious jewelry around her neck.  She shivered, despite herself, when his hand brushed her shoulder.  It felt to her that she was a rabbit who had wandered into a cleverly constructed trap; and the hunter was eying her hungrily.  Her voice was hollow, nearly sounding frightened, "Thank you Mr Fox...um...Aldern.  It is a very pretty necklace..."

When the nobleman left to return to his seat Liseth kept her eyes on him but reached a hand under the table to grab one of Kerr's.  She squeezed his hand tightly, as though attempting to absorb from him all of the comfort that he could give.  An unpleasant thought suddenly occurred to the girl; if she was the rabbit that had wandered into a trap, then Kerr must be the other rabbit who she had unwittingly convinced to walk in with her.  She never intended to place Kerr in trouble, and certainly hoped that Mr Foxglove wouldn't hold a grudge against him.

She tried to distract herself by enjoying the fantastic meal but wound up focusing her attention on the food to such a point that she missed the conversations going on around the table.  Nervous as she was, Liseth could eat only little of the food; her anxiety dulling the otherwise delectable spread.  Then she heard Pisca speak her name; in the way that only the little gnome had ever used.

Liseth looked up from her plate to see Pisca descend from her chair and walk towards her, extending a hand upwards and asking her to accompany her away from the table.  "Yes, of course I'll go with you," she spoke perhaps too eagerly as the teenage girl stood from her seat and took Pisca's offered hand.  Any excuse to leave the table for even a moment was a highly attractive proposition.

---

---

Kerr Mollin had not been incredibly enthused by Liseth’s idea that he accompany her to Aldern Foxglove’s dinner in honor of her and her three fellow veterans of what Kerr now thought of to himself as the Battle of the White Deer.  Kerr knew Aldern was an important and influential man on a first-name basis with Father Zantus; he had no desire to get on the noble’s bad side by crashing his private party uninvited.  Yet the young acolyte had not shared these reservations with Liseth, mostly because the dinner was an opportunity to spend time with her and in Kerr’s mind such opportunities were to be seized upon and cherished whenever they occurred.

Unfortunately, now that Kerr was actually AT the dinner things were much worse than he had originally feared.  The way Aldern had greeted Kerr gave him the feeling that he was distinctly unwelcome, despite the man’s polite acquiescence to his attendance.  As the dinner progressed, he felt more and more that his presence next to Liseth was something the noble perceived as an annoyance.  It was uncomfortable, but Kerr bravely soldiered on, if only to be there for Liseth in her hour of need; she was clearly discomfited by the man’s actions.

Kerr was dumbfounded when Liseth opened her package to reveal an emerald necklace that seemed fit for a queen.  He was not sure how to react when Aldern walked over and fastened the chain around Liseth’s neck; while the man was doing nothing objectionable it still seemed very wrong to Kerr.  He gritted his teeth and held on tightly to Liseth’s hand.  He was glad that she seemed not to be taken by the man's well-groomed good looks, sophisticated air, sparkling personality, and obvious wealth.

Now that Kerr thought about it, he could not really say why she was NOT swooning over the man.  Kerr was enough of a realist to know that he couldn’t compete with the noble in any of those areas.  But fortunately those areas seemed to be of less importance to Liseth than Kerr would have thought, and he was very glad for it.

Kerr felt a surge of gratitude towards Pisca the gnomish woman when she stood and invited Liseth to join her on a trip to the facilities.  Kerr wished that he could somehow escape Foxglove’s table and that he and Liseth could go spend time together far from the gaze of any nobility.  As it was, Kerr had to sit there and pretend to enjoy the dinner and the conversation.  Well, he didn’t have to do much pretending with the dinner . . . it really WAS quite good.

Kerr sat and tried to enjoy the amazing meal while he waited for Liseth and Pisca to return.  He wondered what they were talking about.

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This message was last edited by the player at 06:16, Fri 27 Sept 2013.

"Why don't we sit here?" suggested the gnome.  She had indicated a pile of crates stacked outside the back door of the Rusty Dragon.  "I suppose you've guessed by now, Lysa.  I don't really need to use the little gnome's room.  But you looked like you needed some air.  Or maybe some water.  Or ... wait ... "  Pisca disappeared back inside the inn where she collared a server and engaged in a short whispered conversation.

"Well, anyway, you looked unto-sorts in there," she said after she returned.  "Which is something that I just made up.  It means being out of sorts because of something untoward, and I've been trying to figure out just what that something is.  I've come up with several ideas.  It could be that your underclothes are damp.  Or something in the food has given you a rash.  Or you owe more taxes on your farm than you can afford to pay now.  But I'm pretty sure that last one is not it."

At that moment the server appeared with a small-ish cup.  "Thank you."  Pisca accepted the cup from the server and presented it to Liseth.  "Here.  Drink this.  Well, don't drink it.  Sip it.  It's ... well, lets just call it strong, shall we?  I call it a Green Gnomish, and they just happened to have all the different fruits, vegetables and alcohols here at the Rusty Dragon to mix one.  Sip it slowly.  It will give you courage.  It will give you the strength to face adversity.  It will also make your tongue feel furry, and it will clear your head.  Well, no.  It won't do that last thing."

"Now, tell me what's bothering you."

---

---

As the men watched Pisca and Liseth depart, they noticed a group of attractive young women seated at a table down in the bar area.  These women seemed to be staring at Kellan, but quickly looked away whenever they drew his attention, bursting into fits of giggles before leaning their heads together and whispering.

After observing this behavior for a minute or two, Aldern Foxglove gave Kellan a smile and a wink.  "Unless I miss my guess, it looks as if Sandpoint's most eligible guardsman has a fan club."  He looked at Kerr and Cato and lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret.  "Do you think we should invite them over so that they can meet their hero in person?"

---

---

Kellan smiled a little as he watched Pisca descend her custom made staircase, helping himself to another forkful of what could easily be the most delicious meal he had ever consumed. It seemed the girls had the situation well in hand, and Kerr looked like he was weathering the dinner like a champ.

He paused mid forkful as he followed Aldern's gaze back towards the bar.  He grinned despite himself upon seeing the pretty girls, turning just a faint shade of red under his farmers tan and redirected his gaze towards his plate. Laughing a little nervously he sipped his drink as their host promoted him to invite the cadre over.

"I...uh" he looked very much the farm boy just then, rubbing the back of his head sub-consciously. He was obviously unused to the attention. "Hero is a strong word" he tried with a bit of humor "Something tells me that they may have heard about a certain dashing nobleman in a blue coat handing out necklaces..." He glanced back over to the girls with a smile as if expecting to find Amele Barett above them holding marionette strings.

He looked to Cato as if to gauge his opinion, and also as his only other comrade in arms at the dinner table.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:58, Thu 26 Sept 2013.

Liseth gratefully took a seat on a crate when directed by Pisca, happy for the chance at fresh air and a reprieve from the dinner.  She placed her hands into her lap and concentrated on simply breathing and trying to follow the gnome's train of thought; watching curiously when she popped back inside the inn for a moment before returning.  Liseth started to speak after Pisca finished listing off the various things that she thought might be troubling her, but stopped when a server arrived to give a cup to the gnome.

Politely accepting the cup from Pisca, Liseth looked down at the liquid when she heard the gnomish girl's description of the beverage.  A faint frown formed at the edges of her mouth, "I don't...handle alcohol very well."  But at Pisca's insistence the girl took a small sip from the cup; after which she coughed.  Liseth immediately lowered the cup and brought a hand to cover her mouth; eyes widening as even that small amount of liquid seemed to flow to every part of her body.

Then Pisca brought up the real reason why she wanted Liseth to follow her outside.  Liseth's gaze cast all about as though she was making sure that Foxglove wasn't nearby to hear her.  The girl set the cup on the crate next to her and rubbed her hands uneasily while looking at Pisca.  "He...scares me.  Mr Foxglove.  The things that he says, how he acts towards me.  The look in his eyes."  Liseth shuddered slightly and frowned before reaching a hand up to touch the necklace that she had been given, "And this...this isn't the sort of thing that should be given to someone who you only met yesterday."  She frowned again, "This necklace is more valuable than everything else that I have put together.  Why would he give it to me unless..."  A third frown crossed her face.

She searched for some kind of understanding in Pisca's face.  Maybe the gnome had experienced something like this before?  "Ms Freemish, I don't know what to do.  I don't want to make Mr Foxglove angry with me, but..."  Liseth let the sentence trail off, unfinished.

It was one of those moments of clarity that never really comes out so clear for the blinding light of inspiration.  You know that you've come upon something new and terribly epiphanish, but it's partially obscured by all that horribly glowy insight.  This was, for Pisca Neep Freemish, one of those moments.  This was when Pisca realized that humans simply did not experience youth in the same way that gnomes experienced youth.  Humans were babies.  They were not just young.  They were inexperienced.  They simply hadn't had the years.

"Lysa ... Liseth," the gnome began, "sometimes you have to face your fears.  This is especially true if you're not really sure whether they're real and actual fears yet or not.  Sometimes they're not, really.  They're more the fears of fears.  You're afraid that these things will be fearful when you don't really know for sure whether they actually will be or not."

"We have Bloat Mages in Kaer Maga, and even to this day it's said that Bloat Mages will catch and eat young gnomes to increase their magic powers.  Well, as a baby gnome, I was terrified of this.  We all were.  We'd be playing in the streets and alleys and someone would shout, 'Bloat Mage!' and we'd all scatter screaming in terror."

"Well, one day, for some reason that I don't remember very clearly now, I'd had enough of this.  From many safe places of hiding, I'd seen adult gnomes pass by Bloat Mages without drawing the least amount of attention.  I'd even seen gnomes in conversation with them.  So, I decided that this eating of gnomes was nonsense and I was determined to confront my fear.  I found a Bloat Mage shopping in Down Market, and as casually as I could muster, I walked by him.  He didn't pounce upon me.  He didn't grab at me.  He didn't even seem to notice me.  It was a rather astounding feeling, I'll tell you.  My version of what was real and what was not was right.  I walked by again.  And again and again and again.  Finally the Bloat Mage did reach out and stop me.  He demanded to know what I was doing, and when I told him what I was doing and why I was doing it, he burst out laughing."

"Later, of course, I found out that some Bloat Mages do, in fact, eat gnomes under the mistaken impression that it will increase their magic.  But that's neither here nor there.  The fact is that I asserted my vision of what is real and what is not real.  I insisted upon it and it became so.  Aldern Foxglove has given us these gifts as heroes of Sandpoint.  He gave them to us for saving his life.  He said so.  Believe that and it will be so.  Believe that and your fear of his anger will cease to bother you.  Or, at the very least, it will go and hide in a corner.  Believe that in your heart and enjoy the dinner.  Talk to him as though he were a favorite, though somewhat inappropriate, uncle."

"Be strong, Lysa.  In the end, it may be your version of reality verses his.  Believe.  And make sure it's yours.  Remember we're behind you.  Me, and Kellan and Cato, and your sweet human boyfriend too.  We believe what you believe."

"Drink your gnomish, dear.  It has spinach in it.  It's good for you."

Cato smiled as Pisca and Liseth left the room.  He hoped Pisca could calm down Liseth somewhat, though it would probably be healthy if the girl was a little suspicious of Aldern.  Kerr seemed to be a much better match for the young acolyte than the nobleman.  And the young man seemed to be doing surprisingly well, considering the awkward position he was in.

Cato looked up as Aldern starting talking again.  What was the man going on about now?  Cato followed Aldern's eyes, and saw the blushing young women, who actually matched Kellan's expression and face very well right now.  Cato smiled a little.  "Why is it I can bend reality to my whim, but poking a few goblins with a pointed stick attracts all the women?"

Cato's smile waned as he thought more about Aldern.  Was there an ulterior motive behind what the noble was proposing?  Cato mentally kicked himself.  Not everything every noble did was part of some nefarious plot.  They had saved the man's life, after all.  He was obviously attracted to a pretty young woman.  There wasn't anything wrong with that, as long as the noble could take no for an answer.

Cato finally shook his head in response to Aldern's original question.  "I'm rather enjoy this nice meal, and learning more about you, Aldern.  This project you have coming to fruition soon...it sounds fairly mysterious when you talk about it like that.  Is it connected to your family estates in Sandpoint?"

---

---

Aldern looked at Cato with confusion.  "My family estates . . ."  Then he laughed.  "Ah, yes.  No, my family estate is not in Sandpoint proper.  It's about six miles southwest of here, down the Lost Coast as the crow flies, although it of course takes much longer to actually travel there.  Take a right at the Foxglove River."  Aldern grinned.

Then the noble sighed.  "But no, my family estate is about as far from an income source as something can possibly be.  Renovating it has been an absolute nightmare.  It was abandoned after my parents died."  He leaned over towards Cato and Kellan, as if sharing a secret.  "Did you know that I lived in a Magnimar orphanage for a time?  It's true.  So I'm not entirely the hateful blue-blood you take me to be."  He gave Cato an inscrutable look.  "Oh come now, Mister Caelin, I did not get where I am in business without developing the ability to read people.  I know you probably think that I am either a fop or a soulless seeker of power.  Trust me, I am neither.  I am not your . . .," he searched for the proper word, ". . . traditional noble."  Aldern gave them a merry smile.

"But think what you will; most people do."  He looked at the door through which Pisca and Liseth had departed.  "I wonder what is taking the ladies?  I hope that they are . . ."

---

---

---

---

Aldern Foxglove was interrupted by a young, well-built redhead who had just entered the Rusty Dragon.  The woman had given the inn's main room a serious, searching look; when she saw Kellan, her face lit up.

"Kellan!"  The woman waved as she walked across the taproom towards the group's table.  "I am so glad that I found you!"  She sighed and dipped her head.  "Can you help me with a problem?  My father has been far too concerned with Katrine's sordid private life to pay attention to pest control at the store."  She rolled her eyes as if to indicate she thought her older sister's alleged escapades were not worth worrying about.  "There is this huge rat in the General Store's basement.  Maybe two, but definitely one.  I told my father, but he was too distracted by whatever Katrine might be up to at the lumber mill to pay me much attention."  She looked extremely affronted.

"I have to do inventory in the basement TONIGHT, but I can't do it with that rat around!  I asked Tal Harden to help but he said he wasn't allowed to leave his patrol for a rat problem, especially now considering the recent attack.  He said he'd seen you heading towards the Rusty Dragon.  So I was wondering if . . . oh."

The woman suddenly realized that Kellan was actually at a dinner rather than just drinking with friends.  She flushed crimson.  "Um.  I'm sorry."  She looked around the table.  "Hi Kerr!"  She nodded at the acolyte.  She looked at Aldern and Cato.  "I'm Shayliss Vinder."  The girl gave a curtsey.  "I apologize for my rudeness, and I hate to interrupt your dinner, but would you mind if I borrowed Kellan for a bit?  I promise to return him!"

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This message was last edited by the player at 19:47, Tue 24 June 2014.

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Aldern Foxglove stood and bowed to Shayliss Vinder.  "Greetings, Miss Vinder.  I am Aldern Foxglove."  The girl paled as she realized exactly whom she had interrupted.  The noble waved his hand dismissively.  "No, please don't apologize.  It sounds like you are at your wit's end, and I can personally vouch for the wisdom of your choice in rescuer; Mister Storval is a genuine hero."  He turned to Kellan, giving the young guardsman a wink and a smile.  "Please don't let us keep you from helping the damsel in distress with her rodent problem."

A thought struck him.  "But before you go, I hereby invite you four to go boar hunting with me tomorrow morning.  At a civilized hour.  Shall we say ten?  I will meet you at the Goblin Squash Stables.  And do not worry if you do not have a mount; I shall purchase one for every attendee who needs it.  Will I see you there?"

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This message was last edited by the player at 07:20, Fri 27 Sept 2013.

Kellan raised his head and looked around as he heard his name called, predictably first to the group at the bar with a hint of hope on his face, then to Shayliss with a somewhat surprised look. "Evening Shayliss, everything alright?"

He wiped at the his mouth with a napkin as she explained her plight before nodding with an easy smile "Sure, of course, it's not a problem." He assured her as he scooted back his chair and turned once again to Foxglove, having significantly softened towards the man as the night had proceeded.

"Thank you for understanding Mr. Foxglove, you really have been too kind and I would be honored to join you for that hunt tomorrow morning. Your gift, this fine dining" he gestured to the table "I can safely say I never thought I would be enjoying such privileges in the company of nobility. So again, thank you" he smiled and moved to shake the mans hand. "I won't forget it"

With his host thanked he turned to Cato "Your more than welcome to come help if you feel inclined" he suggested with a grin "although the girls may be a little surprised to come back to find us gone...I should probably find them before I go"

Then to Shayliss "I'll go upstairs and suit up then walk you back over to the store?" He suggested as he began for the stairs.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:36, Fri 27 Sept 2013.

Liseth sat quietly and listened to when Pisca began speaking, holding her hands up to her chest.  There was a small fit of curious blinking when Liseth wondered exactly what a Bloat Mage was during Pisca's anecdote, and why they might eat gnomes; but not once did the girl speak or try to interrupt until the gnome had finished.

With a look down at the drink set next to her, Liseth took her hands down and placed them back in her lap.  At Pisca's insistence she reached for the strange drink and took a sip from it before grimacing.  But she trusted that the gnome wouldn't have her drink it if the beverage was going to harm her.  After taking another sip she seemed much more calm.

"Its just, nobody has ever acted that way to me before."  She took another sip, "So...overbearing.  I know that he said the gifts were because we saved him yesterday, but when we did he almost didn't even notice the rest of you when he took my hand and then stared right into my eyes."  Another sip, "And then when I arrived at the dinner he stopped talking to Mr Crispin mid-sentence so that he could greet me and talk about how...well...you heard what he said."  Liseth blushed slightly and took yet another sip from the drink in her hand.

"Thank you though.  For saying that you'll support me.  It really means a lot to me."  Maybe it was Pisca's Green Gnomish getting to her, but Liseth set the drink on the crate again and reached her arms down to give the gnome a hug.

The girl straightened back up after a thought occurred to her.  "Um, Ms Freemish, you called Kerr my boyfriend again.  I've never had a boyfriend before."  Liseth picked up the cup again and took another sip from it.  "I do like Kerr a lot; he's fun and silly and so nice."  Uncertainty suddenly appeared on her face, "Did I do wrong when I asked him to come to Mr Foxglove's dinner with me?  I think that I might have gotten him into trouble with Mr Foxglove..."

Bringing the cup up to her lips again Liseth stopped and peered inside of it, "Oh.  It's all gone.  Did I drink all of that?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:41, Fri 27 Sept 2013.

Cato tried to keep a straight face as Aldern recounted his troubled youth, but his mouth betrayed his thoughts in a quick frown.  Had he misjudged the nobleman so much?

"I'm sorry Aldern.  Obviously, I'm judging you like every other traditional noble I've met."

Cato watched Kellan stand up.  "I don't think the Hero of Sandpoint needs help with a little rat problem, but I'm more than willing to help if you think you need it.  Otherwise, I'll wait here and keep Aldern and Kerr entertained until the girls come back."

There's a technique to hugging humans.  You can't put your chin on their shoulders as you would with a Right-Sized person.  You must basically resign yourself to becoming a pet woodchuck or some other such small affectionate burrowing mammal.  And so it was that Pisca nestled herself in Liseth's bosom returning her hug.

"There now," the gnome said once she was released.  "Feel better?  Hmmm.  Yes, I believe you do."  Pisca looked over the lip of the cup along with Liseth and burst into a soft tinkling laughter.  "I'm thinking that you must be feeling much better."

"Why don't we go back in and rejoin the boys?"  The gnome scooted her bottom off the edge of the crate and hopped down to the ground.  "Just remember, that sometimes you have to insist on your own way.  Mister Foxglove may have been the first person to act this way toward you, but he won't likely be the last.  You have to be strong and have confidence that your way is the right way."

"And, you know, Lys, when you think about things, it's probably better for everyone all around?  Aldern as well as you.  He has his own world, after all.  He'll likely need to marry a woman with wealth and power someday.  That's the way of wealth and power."

"As for your young man, if Aldern Foxglove is the sort of person to cause the kind of trouble that you're imagining, don't you think that trouble would eventually find Kerr Mollin anyway?  Think about it.  But now, because you invited Kerr today, you have the chance to see Aldern's reaction to Kerr in person.  If anything's going to happen, you have a much better chance to anticipate it and to do something about it."

"Well, ready to rejoin the others?"  Pisca Neep Freemish straightened her skirt at the doorway, providing the human girl with the time to compose herself.  "Alright.  Good."

"Sorry to keep you waiting."  Pisca swept back into the room with a smile.  Though the gnome was the smallest person in the room, her presence made her the equal of any of the humans present.  "We didn't miss anything scandalous while we were gone, did we?"

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Aldern Foxglove nodded happily as Kellan accepted his invitation.  “I look forward to our hunt!” He smiled as the guardsman made his way upstairs to change.  He then turned his attention back to the meal.  While Miss Vinder had been speaking, the Rusty Dragon staff had served the pièce de rèsistance . . . a crème brulee with some sort of maple flavoring that was absolutely to die for.  Silence reigned all around as those at the table sampled the irresistible offering.

When they had finished consuming the delectable dessert, Aldern Foxglove put a companionable hand on Cato’s shoulder.  “There is no need to apologize, my friend.  I know how nobles can be, and I know how many of them richly deserve their bad reputation.”  He lowered his voice.  “I must say that I find you to be more, how can I put this, socially-experienced than your friends.  You come from a well-to-do background, do you not?”  The man raised an eyebrow.  “No need to answer; clearly you would not be toiling in Sandpoint if you were on good terms with your family.  And whatever secret you might have is safe with me.”

A shadow fell over his eyes as he gave Cato a serious, searching look.  “But if you would not mind some unsolicited advice; here is mine:  try and mend fences.  You never know when your family might be taken from you, and trust me when I say that you will miss them every day that they’re gone.”  With that, the smile returned to Aldern’s face as Kellan came down the stairs, bid them farewell, and left with his distressed damsel.

The noble looked around as Pisca and Liseth returned to the common room.  “Nothing scandalous, more’s the pity,” he replied to Pisca’s query.  “Although the younger Miss Vinder came in and purloined our guardsman for rat-clearing duty.  I am certain that it is nothing a well-trained armsman like our Mister Storval can’t handle, although we will certainly miss his company.”  Aldern put a hand over his chest.  “You have also missed my invitation to a boar hunt!  I am inviting all of you to join me on a hunting trip to the Tickwood Forest on the morrow before business calls me back to Magnimar the following day.  I will be purchasing steeds for you, should you require them.”  He smiled.  “Mister Storval has promised to go, and I am hoping that the rest of you will as well.  At the hour of ten tomorrow morning, down at the Goblin Squash Stables?”  Aldern gave them all a hopeful look.

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Cato listened to Aldern's advice.  It was certainly easy advice to give, and Cato wished he could mend the damage with his family and return...well, not precisely to his old life.  It certainly wasn't as meaningful or interesting as what he had found in Sandpoint.  He didn't think he had cared for anyone in Korvosa half as much as he cared for people in Sandpoint.  But it would be nice to be able to speak to his brothers and sister again, as well as his mother.  His father never seemed to have much use for him, but maybe that could be changed as well.  But Aldern didn't know what he was asking.  The Hellknights would imprison, possibly kill, and definitely torture Cato for his desertion.

Cato gave a slight, almost unconscious nod at each of Aldern's correct guesses.  He was on the brink of saying something, but the return of Pisca and Liseth stopped any attempt at that.  He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to tell them, yet.

Instead, Cato took a deep sip from the after-dinner digestif.  Ameiko's port certainly went well with the dessert.  And helped him settle his thoughts.

He eagerly nodded in response to Aldern's offer.  "Ah, yes.  A boar hunt.  I've only, um, read about those.  It would certainly be interesting to see one in person.  I feel almost silly asking this, but is it dangerous?  I've read about a number of incidents, but I'm never sure what's been exaggerated for dramatic effect."

There was a fuzziness, a tingling in Liseth's mind that felt like clarity.  A small part of her said that it was something else entirely, but what was important was that she no longer felt nervous, or anxious, or scared concerning Mr Foxglove.  Pisca's advice must have really sunk in.  Or something else that Pisca did really sunk in.  Either way, Liseth couldn't remember the last time she had felt so confident.

"Hello Kerr.  Mr Crispin.  Mr Foxglove.  Kerr."  Her head bobbed between each person as she said their name, "Sorry that we kept you all waiting so long."  She took her seat next to Kerr and looked at her plate, "This isn't what I was eating when I left.  Is it?  I don't think that it is."  Liseth plunged her fork into the crème brulee and took a small bite before she started to giggle, "That's okay though.  This tastes a lot better."

"Mr Storval left already?  He has to fight rats?  I hope he's okay.  Rats can be sneaky.  And mean.  And some are really tricky too."  Then Liseth leaned forward to whisper as though sharing a secret, "But actually, I had a little pet rat once that was so cute with his little rat nose and his rat whiskers and his funny rat tail.  He must have been the nicest rat ever; I can't remember what happened to him."  She turned to Kerr, "Kerr, do you have any pets like that?"

Liseth blinked when she realized that Cato and Mr Foxglove were talking about boars, "Boars?  Boars aren't good pets.  Boars are so boorish."  She giggled again at her joke, then looked closer at each of them, "Oh!  A boar hunt!  My father and brother go on boar hunts sometimes too.  They never took me though.  Nivlak said that it was too dangerous; and I think he's right.  One time he came back with a big gouge taken out of his mail armor.  He said that the boar ran all the way up his special boar spear; it even ignored the crossbar on it that was supposed to make sure that it couldn't do that!  But he was okay."  She smiled, "I always got to help cook when they brought a boar home though.  Have you ever tasted my boar roast?"  Liseth stopped and thought for a moment, "No, you probably haven't."

She grabbed Kerr's hand excitedly, "What do you think Kerr?  We could go and watch the boar hunt.  It would be my first time!  And we could even take snacks and food with us and have a picnic too!  We could both ride Heily, I'm sure that she wouldn't mind."  With a pause she looked Kerr in the face before giggling once more, "You might want to hold on tighter this time though."

A thought suddenly wedged itself into Liseth's slightly addled mind as she pursed her lips in concern, "Father Zantus might miss us if we took the whole day off like that though.  I think that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in the Cathedral.  Maybe we should ask him if it's okay before we agree to go along."

Then she realized that her lips were already pursed so she leaned forward and kissed Kerr on his cheek, "Thank you for coming to dinner with me Kerr.  You're so sweet."  Liseth smiled slyly at him, "You know, Ms Freemish keeps telling me that you're my boyfriend.  Is she right?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:54, Sat 28 Sept 2013.

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Kerr was a little stunned.  What had Pisca and Liseth been DOING outside?  Liseth had come back a lot less timid and a lot more, well, forward, it seemed.  "The creme brulee really is something, isn't it?"  Kerr ventured as Liseth proceeded to drop a spoonful on her tasteful white dress.

He was reaching for a napkin to help her clean up as the conversation suddenly turned to pets.  "Animals?  Well, my parents have a farm, so I was around a lot of animals when I was young.  And I had a dog named Wellsers, because we found him as a puppy when he fell into our well somehow . . ."

But Liseth had already moved on to the subject of boors . . . or boars.  "I think a boar hunt would be fun, if Mister Foxglove doesn't mind me coming along?"  He looked over at the noble, who surprised Kerr by nodding agreeably.  The man seemed to be laughing at Liseth's condition, which Kerr found to somehow be both rude and totally appropriate.

Kerr sighed when he thought of Heily.  "I'm not sure Heily would want me riding her, Liseth, even with you.  She's your horse, after all . . .and I'm sure Father Zantus would be okay with it, he's friends with Mister Foxglove."

Kerr put a hand to his cheek in wonder as Liseth kissed it.  "Um." He said purposefully.  "Uh."  His mind seemed to have taken a brief vacation.  "Urm?"  He questioned as Liseth brought up the subject of him as her "boyfriend."

"Um, Miss Pisca seems to be a very wise gnome."  He nodded down the table at Pisca and gave her a weak smile.  "Who am I to gainsay her?"

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