IC Toes in the Water

[CoffeeIncluded]

Valen

Another broad smile crossing his face, " You are an inquisitive thing little one, I go where my feet take me, and some times I enjoy when they walk into trouble."

Guiding her out the door with his large sting hands, "Tell me a story little one, and I'll escort you back to your friend."

Natalia thanks the barbarian mage, then bows her head in thought. "A story in my village...Lisk, the girl in the wheat, but...It's long...Need to remember it all...

She lets him escort her partway, at which point Natalia says her farewell to Valen and goes the other way out of the city; they're headed in slightly different directions (at which point the previous post happens?).

[Athedia]

Mithril examined the crossbows carefully, moving away from the older ones and then pointed to her selection. "Some of these are interesting. I'll take that clean light one for myself, with 30 bolts and one of those odd small ones for my friend. Add 20 bolts for it too. How much will it cost." She braced herself for the inevitable price that everything would cost, but it would be worth it to stay alive.

Spoiler

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The light crossbow for Mithril is MW. The hand crossbow that she will be giving away a little later is not.

[Zman]

Red
A fine choice, they will serve you well. Be that you are heading into danger?. Though the total may not have been what Mithril wanted to hear, it was fair. The finished th transaction shortly before Natalia arrived.

[Admiral]

Spoiler

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If each of you check you will all be missing something minor, as this is the prologue there will be no rolling. Remember You still start with everything you purchased, as that happens after these events.

When the others notice their possessions missing, Shiny checks his pockets and shrugs. "Nope, nothing gone." He gives a sly wink to the nearby urchin whom he notices pocketing one of his platinum pieces.

Shiny has traveled a long way with his companions, but while his boots show a little wear, his face and eyes are overflowing with energy. At 3'7", he's very tall for gnome, and despite his young age his hair and beard are an unnatural white. Still, his charm and endless enthusiasm give him a certain attractiveness.

When Nuts and Mithril leave, Shiny gives a couple of eager hops and then spins around to face Kurt. "Time to spend some of this gold weighing us down!" He bounds his way off to find a store willing to trade with a gnome and a dwarf.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Mithril!" Natalia calls to her friend when she sees her making her purchase. Running over to the half-elven merchant, Natalia begins inspecting his wares, eventually settling on a beat-up though reliable crossbow. "Price?" she asks, inspecting it thoroughly and finding nothing seriously wrong with it.

[Athedia]

Mithril quickly put her purchases in her pack. She wanted to surprise Natalia with the present. "Valen gone then? After this we had better go look for the boys, Miriam is probably still trying to reform those orphans."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia agrees with Mithril's sentiment. "Always slept through sermons. Too long, too still. I prefer doing." She relates the short talk they had after Mithril left, finishing with, "Need to remember Lisk's Tale, for later. Not just Valen, but for you, all of us."

Natalia doesn't know that Mithril got a crossbow for her. She's going to be very surprised (and pleased) to find out.

[Cavelcade]

Kurt just smiles at him, following after the mad gnome quite happily. He's yet to get them in serious trouble, after all. "Yes, I'd like to change my armour, I think. This is starting to be...a little worse for wear," he says, looking at the chips and chinks in the mail, along with a rather large hole in one side.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Find the others?" Natalia asks Mithril as she fiddles with the crossbow, tightening some parts while loosening others.

[Athedia]

"Or we could go find an inn to stay in, until we can find someone who with a job for us." Although we are not likely to find a human around here to offer one, Mithril thought as she scanned the marketplace looking for a person she recognized.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"For Shiny and Kurt too? Maybe somewhere else..." Another reason Natalia doesn't want to stay too long is that she plain doesn't like this place much.

[Zman]

The afternoon is dragging on, the sun begins to set. Though it is unseasonably warm, the days are not yet as long as they all be at the height of summer. The Bedded Mare is only a moderate walk away.

Spoiler

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The Bedded Mare is the in that Mirium said you should be meeting at, it's the most reputable looking establishment of its type outside of the city.

Fr Kurt and Shiny. You will find someone to sell you what you are looking for, may be even black market, bits it's available. Feel free to RP it out as you like, even the NpC dialog. I'll be available to add anything you need.

We can move role play along at any rate you guys like.

[Athedia]

"Miriam did say to meet at the Bedded Mare. They might already be there." Noticing Natalia's unease she tried to reassure her "We won't be staying long, this place is unpleasant for all of us."

Mithril turned back to the crossbow seller "Where might I find the Bedded Mare?"

[Zman]

Red

The unshaven half elf with a rust colored hair points a couple hundred yards off to the east, "Best bet would be try the inn over yonder with that name." he says with a smirk on his face.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia sighs in relief. "Thank you," she says.

At the merchant's statement she quickly claps her hand over her mouth.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Grand trek to the inn?" Natalia laughs behind her hand.

[Athedia]

"Alright, I couldn't see the sign. Just don't mention it to Shiny, please." Mithril was a bit peeved to have been so unobservant, and she started walking in the direction of the inn.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"I won't," Natalia promises as they head inside. "But you have two sets of eyes," she teases to her friend.

[Athedia]

Mithril sat down in the back of the inn, keeping an eye out for their friends. Lifting Whiskers off her shoulders, she set him down on the table so he could stretch.

[Zman]

Walking int the Bedded Mare in th two young women encounter the pleasant smells of warm cooking, the bar may have been a little greasy, the floors dirty, but it had a solid roof, and looked respectable enough to reasonably assure a safe nights sleep. There were maybe a half dozen patron scattered around the dimly lit room, a couple of extra tables, and a screwd looking woman behind the bar. She had greywing hair and a hard look, which softened a bit as she saw the two young women enter alone.

"Afternoon, welcome to the Bedded Mare...can I get ya anything.

The bar earned its name as the Bedded Mare due to originally being a small horse barn giving it a lofted ceiling. The rooms had been built in an addition as well as a partial loft enclosed and above half of the common room.

[Athedia]

"A cider for me and some bread, we are waiting for some friends. If you could bring a small bowl or plate, I would appreciate it." Mithril didn't want to eat to much, she could wait until everyone else arrived. She stroked Whiskers back as he stretched, thinking of all that had happened during the day.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Though the inside of the inn was as warm as the outside, here..."Mmm. Smells good."

Natalia sits down, boots scraping against the stone, and, asking permission from Mithril first, scratches Whiskers at the base of his skull. When her friend orders, Natalia looks up and says, "Cider too, please."

[Zman]

The aging woman was more than happy to oblige as a few coppers hit the table, hurrying around the busy kitchen, occasionally barking at the young woman she had as a wench. A few minutes later some bread and cider appeared, the woman looking disapprovingly at the weasel,

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia takes a longer-than-necessary look at the serving woman before swallowing and muttering a thanks. She immediately turns to the food and begins downing it with a lot more interest than just a few minutes before.

"Irf goodf," she says to Mithril around a mouthful of hot bread.

[Athedia]

"Don't choke. And don't worry about scratching Whiskers. Mithril carefully divided her bread giving a little to Whiskers, and poured a little of the cider onto the plate for him. Starting to eat it herself she found herself quickly wishing she could eat it forever. "This tastes much better than the rations."

[Zman]

Belinda

*Cough*
As the young serving girl glared at Whiskers.

[Athedia]

Mithril glared back at the girl. "This weasel is more intelligent than half the people in this inn, what is more he is my most faithful of friends and I would appreciate it if you let him be. Unless you not welcome any magic-users to your fine establishment."

[Zman]

Belinda the serving wench

"He may rightly be smarter, but he ain't got coin ands goin to drive away those that do."

"At least keep him off of the table..." she concedes to Mithril's glare.

[Athedia]

Mithril felt a smirk cross her face as an idea came to her. She fished around in her purse and gave some coppers to Whiskers. Sitting up he took one in his mouth and looked at the serving girl. "He has coins now. But I will concede." Mithril fluffed her pack up, setting it next to her. If Whiskers sat on it, he would just reach the table.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Wisely deciding not to get into the argument, Natalia hold out her arm, laughing as Whiskers skitters up and down her arms, his tiny claws tickling her skin.

"...And you're prettier than her..." she whispers to Mithril once the server leaves.

Once Mithril implements her idea Natalia nearly bursts out laughing.