As she watched the friendly (and brutal) banter between orc and elf, the Fleck just shook her head and looked at the woman who was being so earnest and taking such a risk as to talk to strangers - one of whom was an ogre. Or was that a Bugbear? Sasyra decided asking Adeline might be a bad idea - SHe didn't know her that well, after all. The woman though, she looked like life had done her wrong.

"What be it you're wanting to ask us, Miss? We do be guards for the caravan of Mervin but... Well, just tell us. We'll see what we can do, if we can do anything."

The woman nodded at Teagan's offer, "Thank you". She sat down quickly, "Uh its my husband, Halric. We live here in Oakfield, I work at the general store and Halric's a miner, at the old coal mine up the road to the north. He's gone missing", she looks down as she speaks as if trying to remember everything she prepared to say earlier. "He hasn't been home in two days... and since the rain flooded the ford on the road to Darkwall, there are no Stormcrows in town I can ask for help". She looked around the group, shaking her head, "He wouldn't do this, hasn't done this".

"I can understand why your husband not coming home for two days would concern you, Goodwife," Tegan replied to the woman.

"You said that he worked . . . works . . . at the mine. Has anyone else gone missing from there, as far as you know?"

"And do you know if there has been any sort of trouble there, before?"

Just about then something else that the woman had said dawned on Tegan. "You mentioned the ford on the road to Darkwall being flooded because of the rain. Is there another way to travel to Darkwall? For a caravan, I mean."

The woman looked at Teagan with a confused frown, the question derailing her train of thought, "No not for miles, its one of the reasons the inn is in Oakfield, I dunno about the caravan, but no one from Darkwall has come through for a few days". She refocuses back on her story, "As far as I know he's the only one missing. I asked the others, but no one saw anything I think. I told him not to work at that mine. The old workers said it was cursed, being so close to the old Abbey, but we needed the money. The mines around here have been drying up".

"Sounds like the caravan may be staying here in Oakfield for a bit whilst we wait for the water to go down and the ford to become passable again," Tegan replied. He doubted that Master Mervin would care to risk any of his wagons or teams in a hazardous river crossing -- especially one that could be avoided, given a little patience.

"That being the case, let us speak to our caravan-master. If we are going to be here an extra day or two, I think that we should be able to investigate your husband's . . . absence. I, for one, would be willing to do so -- although I cannot speak for my brothers- and sisters-in-arms, of course."

Turning to face his companions, he said "I think that we need to speak to Master Mervin about this and gain his permission -- well, those of us who are interested in helping this goodwife, any how -- since we are under contract to him."

Erdan quietly drank from his mug as Tegan conversed with the woman.  It seemed odd that she referred to them as bounty hunters considering only Adeline had truly worked as such.  He wondered who'd she been talking to, especially seeing how they haven't been in town for longer than a few hours.  Or maybe she just thought mercenary and bounty hunter was one-in-the-same.

When Tegan addressed everyone at the table, the wood elf sat up straight.  "You're welcome to speak with Mervin.  I'd say the other mercenary party can guard the caravan while we're out.  Not that I'm keen on going back out in this weather so soon, but..." He offered the grieving woman an assuring smile. "I'm happy to help if we can."

Adeline was listening closely. Despite her cavalier attitude, she was a professional and wouldn't overlook any details that might be important. "Old mines and cursed abbeys? In this kind of weather? No offence lady, but there's some might say he went looking for trouble. Whatever ghost stories the old timers tell, and I'm not saying I believe 'em, there's usually a grain of truth. If even half I hear about old mines is at all right, they be risky business at the best of times, let alone with rain-wash loosening up all the rocks and such. Probably just got himself stuck under a collapsed mine-prop or something." She snorted derision and supped her ale before going on.

"If there's coin involved, though, how about you tell us everything you know and we'll find out if we're stopping a while. When I say everything, I mean it; the mine, your husbands operation there, who else has been there or has seen or worked with your husband recently, anyone that might have a claim up there or any monetary arrangements with you or your husband, your own business in town and if anyone might hold a grudge. Even the abbey and why people say it's cursed. Before that though, let's start with the part about the payment..."

The woman nodded again as each of you spoke, "I understand", but looked over at Adeline with something like anger flashing across her face, "As i said I already spoke to the others working the mine. Don't you think that was the first thing I did?! No one saw him disappear, and he's worked the mines around here for years, he wouldn't have gone far from the others while down in the mine". She bit back her anger and continued, if a bit colder in tone, "We don't have much money, but what we have is yours if you find him or... find out what happened to him".

As the rest of you spoke, Teagan saw Mervin finish his conversation with the dwarf, and rubbing his chin with a frown as he made his way back to the tables, "Gods dammit. Seems the ford's washed out up ahead. No one here seems to know when the water will drop enough to let the wagons pass". He looked up with a sigh, "Guess we're here for the duration. I've spoken to the inn keeper, and he has enough room to put us all up for a few days, though some of you will have to bunk up".

Sasyra nodded along, and when Adeline started on her tirade, started to frown. The orc and she were very different. What was better than exploring? Of asking questions? Of looking in the nooks and crannies of the world to find answers?  She'd always been a curious person, always been excited to delve into the woodland where her family had camped in the glades. And now, with her boon...

"I'll take a look for him. You'll need to point me to the mine, of course, but it can't hurt to have a peek, can it?" She smirked and glanced at Adeline quickly before looking back at the poor woman. "I mean, I'm not a big tough warrior or anything, but I'm not scared of the dark." She smiled sweetly (though it could be interpreted as ginned mischievously).

"Mervin, would it be okay if we went exploring for a little? You think the caravan will be okay for a couple of hours?"

Adeline smirked at the woman's anger and brushed off Sasyra's implied taunt like water off a ducks back. "No need to get snippy Miss. I'm asking *you* so *we* don't need to go hunting all over town to track down anyone that might know something. Not that I won't do that anyway if all you got was nuthin'. If you're payin', I'm workin' and it looks like we're in town a while." she added as Mervin confirmed their immediate travel arrangements.

"In case you din't catch it, what I want to know from you most is if you or your missing man have any enemies or if anyone would profit from him going missing. Like you said, hard times means desperate people."

Tegan looked on as Adeline and the local woman engaged in a conversation. He was glad to hear some fire and spirit in the local's responses to Adeline -- the woman had seemed so timid and hand-wringingly faint-hearted earlier, when she first addressed them.

The Half-Elf turned towards Mervin as the caravan-master approached their table. He listened as Mervin explained what he had learned. Tegan saw no reason to mention that the local woman had already said that the ford was impassable, so he stayed quiet and let the caravan-master finish what he had to say.

Sasyra spoke up next, and volunteered to go and search for the missing man. Tegan nodded to her approvingly.

The paladin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and added a little to what had already been said. "Boss, this here woman has been telling us that her husband has gone missing, up in the local mine. Well . . . no, let me start over -- that's not quite right. It's more that that's where he works, and he hasn't come home in a couple of days. She says that's unusual for him -- that he hasn't done anything like this, before."

"She's hoping that we can look for him, on her behalf. By 'we', I mean those of us here at this table. At least, those of us who are so inclined."

"True enough, that'll leave you a little short-handed -- but as long as we will be here for a while any way because of the problem with the ford, maybe it won't be a hardship."

"Do we have your permission to try and aid this goodwife?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:28, Thu 19 Jan 2023.

"She means well," Erdan interjected, addressing the woman. "You wanted a bounty hunter and Miss Adeline is the best one I've ever met.  She's just being thorough."

He crossed his arms and sighed as Tegan addressed Mervin.  If his kinsman denied the request, Erdan was likely to sneak out anyway. After all, the man didn't own them and from the sound of things, there would be nothing else to do either.

Leon wandered over from where he had been singing, poorly, but enthusiastically. His face was flush with merriment and embarrassment in full measure. But his grin never left his face. He quickly went over to his cup and downed a few mouthfuls to quench his thirst and cool his throat. Which was when he overheard Tegan explaining the conversation that he had missed while signing.

"Would we be leaving now? I think these strong walls and the good sword arm of the regular caravan guards should be more than enough to ensure the safety of the goods for the few hours we are away. Right, Master Mervin? Surely there comes no harm in performing a good deed at no cost to yourself," Leon asked, all earnest and innocent.

Would we be leaving now?

The wood elf's face scrunched up at Leon's question.  "Gods, no! Can we at least get a good night's sleep somewhere warm and dry?"

Even sleeping in tents were not accomplishing that, having been soaked through and never drying before the next night.  Drip, drip... Drip, drip... He'd slept in the open rain before, but never a monsoon and he was not enjoying it.

He downed the rest of his second ale, already feeling a little buzzed and glanced at the woman among them, remembering himself.  "Sorry, miss.  No offense, but we've been out in this weather for what feels like a year and a day.  Surely you'd grant us a little reprieve before sending us out to find your wayward husband."

Mervin frowned as Teagan and the rest of you spoke, glancing over at the woman and then at one of the tavern windows where the rain was still drumming on the glass. After weighing the situation, he gave a tired shrug, "Fine. Far be it from me to deny anyone a chance at a good deed, or profitable work. But...", the older elf held up a hand, "The barkeep says the ford could clear as fast as the day after tomorrow, so that's when were pulling up stakes and moving on, and if you're not there then you don't get paid". Nodding once to seemingly settle the matter in his mind Mervin walked over to his table and grabbed a tankard as he sat down, "Hope I don't regret this...".

Back at your table the woman breathed an audible sigh of relief, "Thank the gods", the tension she felt towards Adeline easing a bit.
Obviously trying to remember all your questions she turned to Sasyra, and then looked around at you all, "The mine's up north, 'bout ten miutes from town. Shuster Mine it's named, after the guy who discovered the coal there, I think. He's never had any enemies. I mean sometimes he'd get into a fight or two, gods know he's no angel, but not anything like that". She wiped her nose on her sleeve, "Like you said, times are hard 'round here and he had to find work where he could, though there wasn't much to get down there". She brightened a bit as Leon spoke of setting out right away, but then nodded as Erdan spoke, "Yeah, it would probably be better if you wait 'til morning. You might miss him in the dark".

Tegan listened as the caravan master talked through his reasoning and made his decision about allowing some of his guards aid the local woman in her search. "Understood,"he said.

"The caravan will be pulling out the day after tomorrow, and you won't wait if we haven't returned by then," he repeated, just to make certain that everyone understood. The Half-Elf found himself wondering if it might keep raining for that entire period of time -- or at least part of it -- and whether the weather might have something to do with whether or not the ford would be passable on the expected timetable.

After Master Mervin wandered off to his own table, Tegan turned back to the ongoing conversation that swirled around the local woman. It sounded as it had been decided that the group would not be heading out until tomorrow morning -- which sounded reasonable to Tegan, and would allow everyone to get a good (and dry) night's rest before commencing the search.

"We'll move out in the morning, then," he said to the woman. "Is there someone in charge over at the mine? Some one whom we should talk to, to let them know what we will be doing, and  that we are acting on your behalf?"

"Also, I'm afraid that I never caught your name. I am Tegan -- Tegan Adalondor, from Darkwall."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:17, Thu 19 Jan 2023.

Tegan was so formal and respected ownership & lordship.  It could be tedious and disruptive when a job needed to get done.  If time was of the essence, he figured the half-blood would hem and haw down to the deadline.  Maybe that's why Erdan got along with Adeline more than the other men.

She shared his priorities and the wood elf would've sooner just head down the mines without so much a thought of who'd care besides the miner's wife.

He didn't blame Mervin for his threat either.  The kinsman understood deadlines, although he likely thought the search for a missing miner was frivolous at best... And maybe it was, but the talk of curses and a potentially abandoned abbey made Erdan question what kind of arcane secrets could be involved here.  That was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

With a gesture to the halfling making her rounds, a third mug of ale found his hand.  Gods be good, it'd be nice to get good and drunk and then fall asleep in front of a fire.  He took a gulp of his drink and set his muddy boots on the table, scooting aside the empty plates that had been in front of him.

His slender free hand laid across his belly as he kept his attention on the woman when Tegan asked for her name, taking a less dramatic sip from his mug.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:46, Thu 19 Jan 2023.

"Very well. Well-rested eyes spot more than bleary ones..." Leon conceded, and with just a hint of disappointment.

With a lady in distress, the boy was likely to charge straight into the teeth of a Dracolich if asked. Most likely with a prayer on his lips, and a smile on his face. But he was not so foolish that his romantic visions completely clouded his judgement.

"However, might I offer to escort you back to your home, my lady? 'Tis most foul weather, and it is not wise to walk alone in the night. And forgive me, perhaps I missed the start of this conversation, but might I have the pleasure of your name?" he asked, holding out a hand to take hers in meeting.

"Oh. I'm sorry, My name's Gwen. Gwen Klom, from... here I suppose", she answered with a half hearted smile.

After a while the woman excuses herself and leaves the table, heading home. As she goes she gives each of you a final look and nod, "Thank you. I didn't know what to do. I know that he might be... but I'd like to at least know".

As time passes the food stops coming, as does the drink eventually. The rest of the night passes without much incident, with the rest of the caravan slowly filtering up to their rooms. As you decide to turn in as well, you discover that while rooms Mervin has rented are not the height of luxury, they are warm and dry, with each room sporting two beds, large enough for two people. Each room is also equipped with lanterns chained to the wall, a small table with a couple of chairs to match and a wash basin on a metal stand.


OOC:
How you decide to bunk up is entirely up to you, any 'free' beds would be taken up by another caravan hand.

Also, if you had more questions for Gwen, please feel free to ask them in OOC and I'll answer them asap.

"Good evening to you, then, Mistress Gwen," Tegan replied to the local woman.

"Hopefully we will have some news for you on the morrow." He refrained from saying 'good news', for he did not like to encourage unrealistic expectations. And his time spent in the Stormcrows had taught him that with Gwen's husband having been missing for two days, now -- he supposed that tomorrow would be the third day -- well . . . the chances of finding a missing person alive decreased as each day went by.

As the evening wound down, Tegan decided to make an early night of it instead of staying down in the common room, drinking and gaming. He needed to clean his armor and other gear before turning in, and he well knew that would be quite the chore. Plus, he wanted to get sufficient rest that an early start tomorrow morning would not be a substantial hardship.

And so it was that the Half-Elf headed upstairs soon after Gwen had left the inn. He found a room that did not contain anyone's gear as of yet, and claimed one of the beds for himself. He got along well enough with all of the small group of traveling companions, so he figured that he would be perfectly happy with whoever came in to claim the second bed -- or, for that matter, if no one did, and he had the room to himself.

Tegan left the door to the room open, to show that a bed was unclaimed. He set his shield, backpack, and sword over by the wall near to his bed, and changed  from his armor into his common clothes. Then, taking a rag and a bit of oil from his backpack, he set to work cleaning his chain mail, humming an old Watch marching tune as he did so . . .
This message was last edited by the player at 02:00, Sat 21 Jan 2023.

Excited at the events of the evening, Sasyra perhaps imbibed too many alcoholic libations, perhaps sang too loudly of her people's songs, but nothing too extreme. She did, for instance, make it to her bunk (well, a bunk...) unaided, and settled into sleep before the inn was quite quiet. She tucked her dagger under her pillow; her people told many legends of abduction in taverns such as this of her folk - probably to keep them from staying far from the caravans and clan...

She slept well.

Later, sometime in the night
Sasyra tossed and turned in her bunk, murmuring softly, hand holding the hilt of the plain (but very sharp) dagger she carried with her. Her dreams were filled with images.

She ran across an endless grassland, the stalks of the green sea lashing her as she fled. She couldn't tell what was hunting her but could hear the thunder of their feet. A scream nearby made her spin around, but she saw nothing save an endless swaying emerald funeral shroud. Then heavy breathing from to her right. She turned and ran instinctively before a sudden stabbing pain in her chest send her into a convulsion of agony.

She saw herself, looking down on her body as though hovering above it, her torso a map of ruin, blood seeping into the earth... Into the earth...

Her consciousness followed aa droplet of her blood as it seeped into the loamy soil, and down, under the grass roots, into the earth below... and down, and down, and then into a void - a cave or mine beneath.

Drip.  The droplet traversed the void and hit the ground below. Her consciousness followed it. The sound of the droplet's landing echoed around the black chamber.

And something moved closer...

Sasyra awoke, drenched in her own sweat, clutching the dagger to herself like some talisman to ward off evil. Her earlier enthusiasm for going into the mine waned somewhat

Erdan got himself very inebriated, never holding an empty mug longer than a few second.  The reminders of home had left a bad seed in his heart and thoughts of abandoning his quest had plagued him for days before arriving.  He needed to numb it away and deny it ever existed.

Such reckless abandoned was nothing the old Erdan would've done.  He knew he was changing from what was happening to him, but was it bad?  He felt a lust for life, a curiosity for the unknown and, most of all, powerful.  No, that Erdan was gone and this one had a new home to long for which required him to keep going forward.

The alcohol had claimed him quickly and he was dancing and singing with Sasyra & Leon with little encouragement.  He used magic to fill the air with music played by invisible musicians that accompanied their songs and drowned out the local minstrel who didn't know the melodies sometimes.

Near the end he found himself slumped in a chair, muttering the word "Tomberry" and speaking gibberish.  Eventually someone had to escort him upstairs where he was deposited in the free bed with Tegan.

The elf tossed and turned, wriggling out of his leather vest and then his clothes until there was nothing left.  Once undressed, he settled on his stomach and began snoring softly.  Sweat glistened on his olive skin, permeating the room with the faint smell of a drunk.

Like Tegan, Adeline was conscious of the need to tend to her gear and wake early. Despite this and having no desire to join the company in their revelry, she nonetheless sat by the fire to dry, clean and oil her armour, sword and leathers, all the while drinking prodigious quantities of the local ale and devouring whatever was left of the food that was brought. ~Waste not, want not~ she mused to herself as she worked, ate and drank, stubbornly ignoring or harshly rebuffing any unwanted merriment that came her way. Dancing and singing were far from her idea of fun or relaxation. Instead she turned her mind to the activities of the morrow and their plan of action; it would do well to prepare before rushing off to explore some old mine that had likely claimed at least one victim in the wake of the recent weather.

When Erdan was finally inebriated to the point of unintelligibility she resigned herself to helping her friend, if she could stretch their relationship to call him that, upstairs and dumped him unceremoniously into the bed on the other side of Tegan's room, handling the Elf's lithe weight with ease. "Make sure he's up before you join me downstairs tomorrow. There's plans to lay and things to discuss before we set out. I wake at dawn." she said bluntly to the darkness on Tegan's side of the room, slurring only slightly from her own tipsiness, whether the former sergeant was awake or not. Her piece said and her good deed done for the day, she only returned back to the common room to retrieve her own gear before making her way up to the room Sasyra had claimed and without ceremony or permission, dumped her gear by the other bed. Adeline watched Sasyra dreaming as she undressed and wondered what terrors haunted her unwaking world. She might not have liked the Fleck girl much, but they were the only women in the caravans guard contingent; the least she could do was give the other the peace of mind that her rest wouldn't be disturbed by any unwanted male presence or attention.

The bounty hunter slept lightly, as she ever did, and drifted off still with one eye on the little rooms only door, her intention to be up with the dawn. Her roommates sudden awakening disturbed Adeline's sleep, her eyes snapping open and across the darkness at Sasyra, irritation writ plain across her features were the other woman able to discern them in the warm dark of the inn's night. "Sleep, girl. We start early and your nightmares help no-one. Especially me." she said, not unkindly before shutting her eyes and following her own advice.

Leon was surprised that his offer of escort was refused, but of course respected her decision. Perhaps it was a case of perceived propriety? Not that Leon had any intention of causing a scandal. He was a romantic at heart, and devoted to his ideals. He would no more be the cause of adultery than he would randomly strike down a peasant child.

So, instead the young nobleman went back to his revelry, only switching to water now that he knew he would have a serious task in the morning. It would not do to set out on a rescue mission bleary-eyed and head pounding like a blacksmith's anvil. Still, he enjoyed a few more songs, and a hand or two at cards, before retiring at a respectable hour, in order to get a comfortable night of sleep. Having already taken care of the maintenance of his armor and out garments earlier, he had nothing to do besides run his blade over a whetstone a few times to make sure it was at peak sharpness for any unpleasantness that may befall them the next day.

Retiring to his room, he knelt besides his bed, drew his sword, kissed the pommel and the imagery of Reina's silver chalice, and began his nightly prayers under his breath.

"I give my body, heart and soul, to Reina, whom I serve. No plea for help shall find me wanting. No obstacle will stand before me. No evil will taint the lands bequeathed unto me. When the clarion call is sounded, I will ride out and fight in the name of the Baron and divine Reina. That which is sacrament, I shall preserve. That which is sublime, I will protect. That which threatens, I will destroy, for my holy wrath will know no bounds. Honor is all. Chivalry is all. Rejoice, for we, the Knights of Selincourt, will be your shield..."

And then he slipped into bed, making sure his sword was within arm's reach in this unfamiliar place, then promptly drifted of into the easy and untroubled sleep of the innocent and the contented.

The night passes quickly, and as morning arrives you make your way down into the tavern hall. Some of the caravan hands are already there, though a few of them look like they never really left, and greet you groggily. Outside you can see the rain is still coming down, though not nearly as hard as it has done the last few days. Though the cloudy, grey sky casts everything in a slightly dreary light, the solid evening meal and full nights rest in a decent, and more imortantly dry, bed has you feeling more upbeat than you have in days.

Looking around you see the same halfling serving girl behind the bar, polishing glasses, gesture towards the tables you'd sat at the night before.
On them you see a couple of large dark pots on thin metal stands, each one filled with steaming oatmeal. Underneath them you can see small oil lamps heating the bottom of the cast iron pots, seemingly keeping the contents warm. Bowls and spoons are set next to them, along with pitchers of water, milk, and what looks like some kind of fruit juice.