The Geenest Council Chamber has been prepared for the govenor's Meeting. A simple lunch of bread cheese fruit and water has been laid out on a side table. The govenor is speaking with the Chamberlain as you arrive. Others in attendance include 10 council members, the captains of the Gaurd and Militia and a group of scribes.

The room has a large rectangular table in the center with 12 chairs around it. Most chairs are occupied by council members. There are another 16 chairs arrayed with 8 on each side of the table with room for others who have been invited to sit.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:39, Sun 30 Jan 2022.

Bross set his pack down in an anteroom, and took a seat against a wall, with a view of the door. (He politely declines the food, for now.)

Alleycat had a long-standing habit of eating whenever food was offered -- perhaps it was a holdover from his earlier days as a street urchin, when he did not know where his next meal was coming from, or when it would be available.

And so it was that he took a serving of the bread and cheese to a seat that left an empty chair between himself and Bross. Another habit that was most likely a holdover from his earlier days was that he did not like to be within arm's reach of anyone who might be able to reach out and grab him. If they couldn't reach you, they couldn't catch you.

Mekkar munched on the food and tried his best to keep his expression placid. Truth be told, he was not used to being so close to so many powerful people -- people who could quite easily have him thrown into a windowless donjon room if they had a whim to do so. He generally made it a habit to stay away from the amount of power that was concentrated in this room.

He had made a concerted effort to locate Melody the Tiefling, walking all over the inner grounds of the Keep and poking his head into buildings that did not have their doors locked (in most cases he would have been able to pick the locks easily enough, but that was something that he generally avoided doing in broad daylight). But his efforts were of no avail -- he was unable to find the entertainer.

~~Stay calm, Mekkar,~~ he told himself. ~~Enjoy the free victuals and bide your time. This is the governor's show, and presumably he will call the meeting to order and take center stage, so to speak, once everyone has arrived.~~
This message was last edited by the player at 23:12, Sun 30 Jan 2022.

"So." Bross started, to Alleycat, while they were waiting. "I know you came up with the caravans, y'said, but I never did catch what line of work you're in? Before all the nastiness, of course. Now, I 'spose, we all do this."

In reply to Bross Tallcut (msg # 4):

Bross's question caught Alleycat with a morsel of food partway to his mouth. The Waterdhavian paused for a heartbeat, then began eating. It gave him a moment to think.

He turned his head to regard the big farmer, who had remarked that he had never heard what line of work Alleycat was in.

Mekkar smiled a thin smile. "No," he replied. "I don't suppose that you did."

Alleycat paused for another couple of heartbeats, then added "That would be because I never said."

"And as to our doing whate'er *this* is, I'll have to wait and hear the proposal before I know whether or not I'm in."

"Time will tell."

Bross looks Alleycat up and down, and, in a low (but helpful) voice says "It's fair,  if you don't feel like talking about it. Many's come to festivals to do that sort of thing, I hear, while the crowd's are about. And times're hard, and there's money in it. You just don't want a reputation for that kind of thing. I understand."

With absolutely no indication what he's concluded Alleycat was doing at the fair, he nods in a 'your secret's safe with me' way and faces forward.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:14, Sun 30 Jan 2022.

In reply to Bross Tallcut (msg # 6):

Alleycat stared at Bross, his expression neutral, as the big farmer spoke again, making certain assumptions. After Bross had finished, Mekkar let the silence linger for a moment.

Then he turned his attention back to his food, and continued eating.

In an earnest whisper, Bross quickly added "...but- and this is but what I hear- it's just not fair to have to give up so much of what you've turned up, and for what? 'Protection'? 'So you don't get beaten?' It's not right.

...It's just not."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:13, Mon 31 Jan 2022.

Alleycat sighed heavily. ~~Tymora's right tit, some people just don't know when to leave well enough alone.~~

He turned his head and regarded Bross evenly. "Master Tallcut. I do hope that you are not too much out-of-pocket for whate'er it is that you were told."

The Waterdhavian shook his head. ~~I wonder if he talks this much to his mule when he is plowing. Or whate'er it is that farmers do.~~

Bross is actually looking worried. "Don't call me 'Master'. No matter what you've been threatened with- No man deserves that, you hear me?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:03, Mon 31 Jan 2022.

In reply to Bross Tallcut (msg # 10):

Alleycat pursed his lips thoughtfully and put the uneaten portion of his food down on his plate.

After a moment he leaned back in his chair and guffawed. "Oh, well-played, Tallcut. You're making all this up as you go along, aren't you?"

"I'll admit, you had me hooked and reeled in for a moment, there. It's all about that honest face of yours. No one will look at you and suspect that you're pulling the wool over their eyes."

Actually, Mekkar reasoned that no one would look at a big hayseed like Tallcut and think that he had the wit to work a con -- even a small one. But he saw no reason to insult the big man to his face, not when the odds were fairly good that they might find themselves working together on whatever scheme Nighthill had cooked up.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:17, Mon 31 Jan 2022.

Sora entered and took a plate with a few pieces of fruit, cheese and bread and sat it down, taking a seat not fat from Alleycat and Bross. She sighed, pinching her nose as she waited. She looked up at Bross and nodded. "Saw your work out on the field....impressive with that axe of yours."

She then turned to alleycat. "Have you seen Antru or Taria? Their insight on magic may help a bit here."

In reply to Sora (msg # 12):

Shaking his head in response to Sora's question, Alleycat replied "Nay, I've not seen either one of them since we all went in different directions after leaving the front gate."

"And for what it's worth, neither have I been able to find Melody -- you know, the red-skinned Tiefling entertainer. It's as if the earth has swallowed her up."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:08, Mon 31 Jan 2022.

Bross was just about to reply to Alleycat, when Sora came in.

He hadn't spoken to Sora since he walked her in the gates the night of the fight, crossbow bolt jutting from her shoulder, blood all over her dress. She'd borne the pain well, and he told her so. She was, he supposed, in shock- she fretted more about the dress. So, as the healers tended to her, he spent early hours of the day, to no avail, trying to find a replacement- or at least someone amongst the refugees who could mend it. Still- they had fought alongside eachother, and that had to mean something.

And then, this morning- he was torn between rushing out to defend GreySky or wait for Sora's signal. It had worked out that he didn't really have to decide (as, before she got to fight, as the bards might say, Catrina went down on her ass like a poleaxed steer), but it was a tense moment for him. He hadn't spoken to her since. He wondered if there was now a Problem, which would be a shame, since she was so brave. And could do magic.

 He started to rise to greet her.



"Er....yes. I mean, thank you. I'm glad you're well." he answered, put slightly on the back foot. He quickly looked back at Alleycat (who was, he supposed, brave, too, for different reasons), to see if Bross had missed something. The momemt had passed. He sat back down.

He DID have something though. "Taria... I spoke to her, not long ago. Right outside. Just before I came in to see the Governor. She and I were discussing her family. She said she'd be here, in council"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:30, Mon 31 Jan 2022.

The half elf smiled as Bross spoke. "Thank you...and thank you for your concern when i was injured." Her dress was clean thanks to the magic of antru, but still bore the hole in the shoulder. "...thanks to the healing of the governor, i am well now. My dress, though it pains me, will never see a formal function again. But, given what has happened here, that's the least of our worries."

She looked at Alleycat and nodded. "Perhaps she fled or was taken - who knows. But, for now, lets work with what we have." When Bross mentioned Taria, she nodded. "it would be good to have someone else with some arcane knowledge here."

She took a bite of a piece e of pear, then looked at Bross. "Where are my manners....I am Sora.."