Ostler rolls his eyes at Elmo's entrance but keeps quiet.

"That seounds like a lot, Elmo. How do we know you are worth it?" Ailishi quickly replies. He seems like a fool... but he has been doing foolish things so why not at least consider him?

"My brother's an adventurer!" Elmo exclaims "He's showed me a thing or two. He gave me this knife too."

Elmo shows off his knife which looks to be of exquisite manufacturing. "I've been helpin me dad the last few years in the militia too, so I got me some experience."

There is the smell of alcohol on Elmo's breath.

Ostler shakes his head at Elmo's comments. He dourly says "His brother gave em that knife six months ago, no one's seen em since. Boys to eager to find his own grave if ye ask me"

Elmo smiles a big dumb grin "He's fine!" he declares in protest to Ostler

"He was going to the pomarj last we heard. I'm sure he's getting rich pounding orcs and hobgoblins!"

He then turns to you "Well before I get a share you can take the cost of the armor and axe out of me first half share, until they are paid of course."

Furnok seems to look over young Elmo putting in "He looks plenty strong, if nothing else he could help us carry the treasure."

Larmiun has his own thoughts about men whose primary purpose for money is to spend it in alcohol.
"Maybe next time. We don't know what we can expect there."

Elmo looks a bit dejected but heads over to a table and orders himself an ale, apparently he still has enough for one cup.

Ailishi looks at Larmiun, silently chastising him for being so blunt. He follows Elmo to his table and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Hey... nice dagger. Can I see it?"

"Sure" Elmo says producing the dagger and laying it on the table "My brother Otis gave it to me."

The dagger looks to be made of steel, the pommel has ivory wrapped with some leather. All in all it looks well made.

"Very good, Elmo. Did your brother buy it here or did her find it somewhere?"

"He found it" Elmo says with a big grin. "He was out looking around out at the Meadows, said he found it there. He gave it to me to hold onto til he got back."

"At the meadows! What a coincidence!" Ailishi looks at the others. "Did your brother tell you where he was going after that?"

"No he didn't just that he was going west for while, that he'd be in touch soon" Elmo says.

The rest of the party arrives back (I posted the other day they could post here, but hoopefully this spurs some movement)

"So you got yourself in the nearest tavern while I was outside working my butt out!" Seralessa shouted as she hold the door open, her eyes staring to Larmiun and Ailishi but her words directed to anyone of the group in the tavern.
"Why did I expect otherwise?"

"She never stops talking, does she?" the young man asked, his pickets jingling with fresh coins.

"It would seem she never runs out of energy."

"Yes, hatchlings are always energetic, but this one more than most." the old man says, his hawkish face permanently etched in discontent, though currently of a less intense variety. Turning to the others he says, "So what trouble did you folks run into? You lot find some dead bodies too?"

When the others joined them, Velox spoke up echoing much of what he'd told those who'd arrived before him. "We met Lord Rufus and Burne the wizard. They extended an offer to any of the arcane spellcasters in our group to assist us with a few scrolls. They are in support of our mission."

He paused and then added, "We should make all speed to leave. A local druid, a man named Jaroo, has a young apprentice who has been lost investigating some ruins. The ruins are a moathouse that once belonged to the Temple of Elemental Evil. It was a lookout for the Temple. With the Battle of Emridy Meadows the moathouse was bypassed. They later struck it on the way out but much of it remains. It would make a formidable base for bandits if that is where they are located, or so the druid seemed to think. It is located along the low road towards Nulb. About half a days walk in a marshy section of land. There are giant frogs there that can swallow a man. Anyway, the road forks at that point and if you take the right fork it will lead you to the ruins. That section of road though is not well maintained these days, only the left fork is."

He looked to the others and hoped they would have a more immediate reaction than those he'd told this tale too first.

"How long ago was the apprentice lost? And how sure are they the apprentice made it to that particular ruin in the first place? Could have fallen pray to bandits or other dangerous of the forrest. Still they may need our help. Come to think of it we found a body did we not?"

"Hey! We made our investigations!" Larmiun stands up to her. "And I dare to say that we know now a little more of our enemies! Not to say free dinner."

Seralessa immediately turns to her previous companions. "No... the problem is that you have too little energy."

But when she hears Larmiun's words her face immediately brights up in a very condescending way. "Oh my goodness! Free dinner! I wonder what you did to the keeper of this tavern to achieve such a great reward!"

She looked at Velox for a short while, allowing him to continue. Druids are not known to manage money.

Ailishi hits the back of Larmiun's head.

"We didn't do anything to the owner of this tavern except paying the drinks he gave us. Larmiun and me were invited to dinner with other people. And given that they are not people of power or money, we can't impose more guests to them."
He bows his head, hoping everyone will understand.

"Oh! And who are these people who invited you despite being such humble persons? And why?"

Seralessa takes a seat on their table, with a curious smile on her face, putting her elbows on the table and holding her face on her hands.

"Tell me."