To her credit, Alayna hung her head. "Forgive me. I... I didn't think. I truly do not like Orcs, and I let that mess with me. I'm sorry."

At that moment, she clearly looked like the teenager she was, and was truly sorry she had spoken.

I believe you were, and are, thinking. Hey, we're in this together, and we'll plan better—I hope—with all thoughts out on the table. And what is said here stays here.

Nwofia smiled and even went so far as to hug Alayna.  "Don't worry, Nwa kyakkyawa, of course you are forgiven.  When we are angry, it is better to express our anger and let it float away for the crocodiles to feed upon it.  There is no need to hold an uncomfortable silence when there is nobody here but us conspirators."

Alayna nodded at Tahra's comment, then was clearly surprised by Nwofia's hug. She hugged her back, not at all shy.

"Thank you. I... I'll do whatever is needed. With all the skills I have."

"So it seems we have three ideas," Lindon summarized, ticking them off on one hand.

"Discredit Gnupspit.  Kill him.  Invite him to be part of the show.

"Any other ideas?"

I suspect Pugnant has thought of killing him. Trouble is, one dead Gnashrip probably means two to a dozen new Gnashrips.

Nwofia scratched her scalp as she considered, eventually shrugging her shoulders and suggesting, "Well just for the sake of completeness, we could run away?"

"All right, then," Lindon summarized their options.  "If we don't want to kill him, that leaves discredit, run away, or invite him to be part of the show.

"Anyone like any of these?" he asked, looking around for some small consensus.

"I'm still liking the discredit."

Invite him to help script it. I'm guessing attempts to discredit...unless he does it to himself...will do us harm and his ideas good.

Nwofia smiles. "I like that idea.  Ask him to help with the script... or better yet, tell us what he wants us to put in the script.  Plays are not scripts after all, are they?" Her smile grows wider and more pantheresque.

Alayna looked at the two. "You think he'll want to have anything to do with that? I mean, he's a typical Orc, and typical Orcs don't spend much time working on things like scripts. If you ask for what he wants, he's liable to say what he wants is us gone or dead."

"That is a problem," Lindon agreed with Alayna.  "Gupsnot probably doesn't want to have anything to do with us, but he did seem to like the show.

"How would we approach him to contribute to a script?"

Tahra comes up with some ideas. Have him fight monsters, wild animals...not real ones...ones made up from cloth and sticks...figure out what we can use for blood spurting. Maybe have him dong it saving people. Then have him get help when he needs it somehow....maybe when he's caught in a magic spell. Have him somewhere along the line be served with food and drink. And maybe have him do a kind of dance with one or more others.

"Here's what we'll do," Lindon said, standing up to take charge.  "I'm going to find Gnutstup and ask his advice on what he'd think his folks would like to see if they came to a performance.

"I'll encourage him to participate and become invested in the show and how the audience enjoys it.

"After that, we'll see where we're at.  If we're lucky, he realizes it's fun working alongside humans.  If we're unlucky, he'll recognize Alayna and things will go off the rails."

Nwofia shrugs... she's very good at shrugging is Nwofia.  In fact, a shrug from her obsidian shoulders is like the dancing of the lithest snake that was ever hatched.

Alone, or should we go with you?

"I don't think this needs to be a big deal," Lindon replied to Tahra.  "I'll just go and ask."

The part breed girl shook her head. "He won't recognize me from nobody. He only heard me, and it wasn't my usual voice. And I'll stay quiet around him. As part Elf, he'll be ignoring me, I bet, so that unlucky part won't happen.

"Do what you gotta. I'll be ready to help when needed."

The discussion was making her antsy. She played with her hair, wanting to go practice tumbling and get something to eat. Maybe at the restaurant she liked.

Tahra nods and goes to her palm-reading tent. She "opens" for business.

Lindon nodded to the others and headed out to find Gupsnot.

Nwofia takes to practicing on ropes, climbing them, tying them while off the ground, tightening and walking, nay dancing the tightrope.

For now, Alayna got up to go spend quality time with Angel. Over the last couple days, it was clear that Angel was Alayna's family and dearest friend. It was why she slept with the horse at night.

Once she has exercised her horse, she will stretch, work a few tricks, then go into town to visit the restaurant, letting others know she is going, of course. Rash the teenager might be, but she does understand that she must behave.

After a very quiet meal, Alayna wandered a bit, looking for something to keep her occupied. She knew that Lindon would handle things, but she was still nosy. And a nosy teenager was a dangerous thing, especially in a town full of Orcs.

Since there was no "late show" today it's not as late as it was after the show yesterday evening.  More shops are open, more people are about, and there is more to see here.

Cambete has the good fortune to be at an important river crossing site... and the bad fortune of being at an important river crossing site.  It's seen more than its share of war in the last century.  Waves of people left, seeking safer places, and waves of people came.  It's a town without history now, no families here for generations.  Just people cluttered into buildings that never housed their ancestors.  Life here has a lack of rhythm.  It feels like people are making things up as they go along.

They are.

To begin with, there's no set "closing time" for the shops.  Shopkeepers close the shutters and latch the doors when they feel like it, which is usually when traffic slows down.  But Alayna sees that even at a closed shop, banging on the door and calling for the shopkeeper will usually bring someone around to open up again.  Of course, someone doing this had better be looking to actually buy something.

Yesterday, a lot of shops were closed when the show was over because people were watching instead of shopping and the audience included the shopkeepers.  Now, business as normal has returned.  In addition to the few taverns open, like the Red Court, Agenner Alehouse and All Night Grill,  Big Barrel Tavern and Guest House, and of course  Dog and Bunny.

But there is lots more activity.  The smithy is open now. It's a big mess of a place close to the wall near the bridge, where it's hard to tell where one actual shop ends and the next begins- the smiths seem to share equipment and even apprentices, and cooperate as much as they compete.  The "industrial" side also includes a shop where wagon wheels are made.

The smithy actually has a few Orcs.  Making weapons and armor is one of the rare trades that Orcs don't see as beneath them.

There is a herbalist's shop advertising rare and potent things "Made By Elves", tailors and dressmakers, and a furrier.  The smoked meat shop is closed, and so are the shoe makers, but the leather shop is open.

Alayna has seen more artistic work elsewhere.  Many of these people work in the more practical traditions of the Germanics, without the heritage and training of the Roman artisans.  They tend to make simple, tough things people need.  Especially people around here, and travelers.

Nwofia explores the town as dusk approaches.  Most people would explore a town at ground level but Nwofia has done that already.  This evening instead, she explores at roof level, looking for places she can sling a rope across alleyways and walk or failing that, places she can jump or tumble.  If there are thieves working the night, she will watch and try to follow them home but without confronting them or interfering.