Uona gel-Gahal's Story

Uona awoke to find herself against a tree, her left shoulder pressing almost painfully against the bark. Her large, weathered sword lay next to her, and she could feel droplets of water pattering against her head. She looked around, her mind fuzzy, trying to get her barings. A forest, but... how had she gotten here? She remembered walking, and then...

She reached out and took the handle of her weapon, using it to support herself as she regained her feet. Her mind still felt sluggish, like that of someone who has woken up after a very long nap. How long had she been asleep? Uona looked up towards the sky, trying to mark the time of day, but it was pointless. Long branches obstructed her view, and she could only see dark clouds beyond.

She began walking, not sure of a direction, but it was better than just standing and getting rained on. She looked around as she walked, hoping for a sign of other people or a town. She guessed she could get a better sense of how long she'd been out if she found one. She did eventually stumble upon a path, prompting her to walk along that instead, her large blade resting against one shoulder.

She began an attempt to whistle (doomed to failure, given her teeth), if only because of a vague memory that it was something people did. Besides, maybe if she could manage it, it would add a bit of cheer to the otherwise gloomy day.

After what felt like hours of walking through the pouring rain, her armor soaked and beginning to stink of wet animal, Uona caught sight of a pair of massive wooden doors set into the side of a great stone wall. She quickly ducked behind a tree near the side of the road, trying to disguise her broad frame by standing sideways, eyeing the gates with apprehension. She knew, logically, that she had nothing to feel nervous about, that the city would be open to everyone, but this was the first time she'd even seen a foreign city, and fear of the unknown had gripped her heart in a cool vice.

She turned and leaned her back against the tree, taking one, two, three breaths, concentrating on the water dripping from the branches to her head. She was Uona, she was a shaman, master of spirits, and a warrior, holder of the Hero's blade, she had nothing to be shy about. Swallowing hard, she stepped out from behind the tree and approached the gate, shoulders back, head high, sword on her shoulder-

Sword on her shoulder. What if they took it as a threat? What if they assumed they were being invaded, and she was the messenger sent to secure her surrender? What if they thought she was the vanguard of a small bandit raid?

She darted back behind a tree, leaning her head against the bark and contemplating how to accomplish her first great feat outside her home. Maybe if she left the sword behind... but no, that was no option. She was an adventurer, right? Didn't adventurers usually carry weapons? Maybe they'd understand. She hoped they'd understand.

She returned to the road, picking up her proud walk from where she'd left it. She marched towards the gates, doing her best to exude confidence, her eyes darting between the two guards nervously. When they bid her nought but a "Good day ma'am" and an "Enjoy your stay" she calmed ever so slightly, almost running as she passed through the gate.

Uona wandered through the city, marvelling at the size and the bustle of its people. Each of its dirty, narrow streets contained something or someone the likes of which she'd never seen, and she couldn't help but gawk. She spent so much time gawking, in fact, that she nearly tripped over part of a shattered stall. She looked down at the wreckage, wondering at the gems and jewelery she saw sparking within.

She carefully stepped around, moving off towards one side of the busy courtyardwhere she could marvel at the city without fear of tripping on something. This area contained many remarkable things. A stall with food she'd never seen, a man with scaley skin, a woman with red hair. All of it fascinated her. She pondered on the woman, for a moment, watching her interact with a pointy-eared girl with hair the color of gold. She didn't seem like one of the guards around town, her armor was far shinier. If she wasn't a guard, though, then that must make her an...

[HellIamUonagelGahalnextshamanofmypeopleIunderstandyouarean]

Adventurer! She struggled over whether to approach, fearing it might be rude or otherwise undesirable to do so. She bounced on her feet, fighting herself, before finally deciding to take the risk and approach.

Brainde, Merrowvale
October 21, 2014--4:23 PM

As she approached the Minstrel's Mug with Lyra in tow, Altara was treated to another bizarre sight--a huge golem of rectangular stone pushing its hand against the inn's wall. Once it was finished with...whatever it was doing...it turned back towards the street, gazing everyone who passed as though it were silently judging them.

Well...that's something you don't see every day, Altara thought to herself with a wry smile. She then turned her attention to the part of the wall where the golem's hand had been. There was a poster attached to the wall there, reading in huge capital letters, "LOOKING FOR SECURITY. PRICE NEGOTIABLE." And leaning against the wall, right next to this poster, was a young man wearing what appeared to be wizard's robes, his pointed hat tilted so that the brim concealed his face.

Behind her, Lyra had noticed a female orc coming their way, eyes locked directly on Altara's back. The elf girl started to alert Altara, but the red-haired lady was already walking towards the wizard man. "U-um...!" She quickly followed, trying to get the lady's attention.

Walking up to the wizard with quick (and probably loud) strides, Altara felt relieved that she could no longer feel the rain on her shoulders. Clearing her throat in hopes of getting his attention, she gestured towards the poster. "This poster is yours, correct?" she asked. "Then, I can help you, if you like."

"H-hey, Altara, w-wait!" Lyra's hand finally landed on her right shoulder, prompting the red-haired lady to face her.

Only then did it register in Altara's mind that she had offered to let Lyra accompany her. "A-ah, right, sorry," she laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "Forgot that you were with me...should I have asked you first? Well, if you don't want to hang around with this guy, I-I'll back off..."

"N-no! T-that's not it...i-it's just that..." Quickly, Lyra gestured at the approaching orc lady, who had almost completely covered the distance at this point. And even Altara got the impression that she meant business.

...this got awkward fast.

Uona marched determinedly toward the red haired girl, sword set on her shoulder, eyes locked on target. The blonde elf seemed to notice her, becoming visibly distressed, something Uona found odd. Why would she be nervous? Who would be afraid of someone so small and dainty as Uona?

She stopped a couple of meters away from the pair, not yet noticing the golem or wizard. She opened her mouth to greet them, only to close it again, unsure of what to say, and ended up peering down at them with her brow furrowed in thought. She failed to realize how someone from the vantage point of the two women might view this as a death glare.

She loweredher blade, the tip sinking almost a full foot into the packed earthen road, and cleared her throat. "I am U-Uona gel-Gahal," she stuttered. "I see you are an adventurer, and request a, uh... a... thing."

Her face flushed, embarassed over her lack of eloquence. This was her first encounter with another person since leaving, and she was already blowing it. She looked around, hoping to think up something better to say, when her eyes were inevitably drawn to a... thing. A great, stone thing that was bigger than she or any of her people. She gaped at her, mouth ajar.

This was not going at all how she thought it would.

Brainde, Merrowvale

---

The duo arrived at their destination soon enough, a bustling city. Not as active as Cabaea, but it was hard to ignore the number of people on the streets. Something else worth acknowledging was the diversity of the populace. Axel spotted an enormous stone Golem, it's figure sticking far above the average height of the majority. A wizard wearing an all too stereotypical pointed hat. A rather tall female ogre. But most of all, a almost normal looking red headed girl.

Axel motioned for Caleb to follow him as the assassin approached the group. Why, he wasn't quite sure, but something seemed to be pulling him. Something like a...sixth sense, that was it. The smile returned, the strange circumstantial one, as did the feeling of his throat. The strange feeling that came over him when speaking to others. For some reason, this spell of sorts didn't come over him when talking with Cato...which was strange. Probably because they were familiar with each other.

As the two grew closer to the small body of strangers, a poster caught their eyes.

"LOOKING FOR SECURITY. PRICE NEGOTIABLE." The offer seemed interesting enough, and Axel could really use that "Negotiable Price." This strange contract quest could wait, besides it could be an easy job. Naturally, he approached the one who seemed the most friendly of everyone. The red-haired girl. She seemed to be conversing, or had been conversing with the ogre, but he'd take the chance.

"Hello, you wouldn't by any chance, know something about that poster up there, do you?" The strange tone of voice again, how weird. As if on their own, his hands had fallen to his sides, he liked to keep them crossed often times, and the weapons on his person seemed to have vanished. Cato just stood behind him on hand resting on the hilt of the dagger at his hip, and the other crossed over the front of his torso and pulling on the opposite shoulder.

Brainde, Merrowvale
October 21, 2014--4:24 PM

The female orc walked straight up to Altara and Lyra, with a rather menacing expression, and lowered her huge sword to her side. Then she suddenly cleared her throat, and began talking...with stutters. "I am U-Uona gel-Gahal. I see you are an adventurer, and request a, uh... a... thing." Just as she finished saying this, she faltered and looked around, as though she were trying to remind herself of what she was supposed to say.

To be honest, Altara found this quite funny, but she stifled a laugh, and instead turned back to the wizard. "Sorry, looks like I might not be available to help you out." Just as she finished saying this, she turned back to Uona, putting on a welcoming smile despite how awkward things were. "I'm listening. What do you want me to do?" She didn't notice that Lyra's gaze was elsewhere...

Just at that moment, she heard another male voice speaking to her, asking about something. Gods, how many people do I need to talk with at once?! But Altara didn't even have the chance to turn to see who was talking before without warning, the elf girl slumped against her rain-soaked armored shoulder.

"Wha-Lyra?!" The red-haired lady quickly caught her companion before she could fall into the mud. "Is something wrong?"

Groaning, Lyra put a hand to her head under her blonde hair. "U-ugh...s-sorry, Altara...I-I feel...um...kind of w-weak..."

Oh, no. Just how long has she been standing under the rain? Picking the elf girl up under the knees and back, bridal style, she turned first to the wizard, and then to Uona. The smile was no longer on her face, now replaced by an expression of urgency. "Um...I'm sorry. I need to get her inside and dried off quickly. If it doesn't bother you, could you two maybe speak to me later about your matters? Thank you."

Just as she finished that, she quickly pushed the door open and entered the Minstrel's Mug, dashing past several people trying to move a huge cart. The thoughts about how such a huge cart managed to fit through the door failed to register in her mind as she hurried to the front desk. "Excuse me! Are there any rooms available?" she asked the clerk--who seemed to be a very tall boy with blonde hair.

Looking bewildered and a bit nervous, the boy looked around quickly for things on the desk--records, keys, something--before he remembered. "Oh. Uh...do you, er, want a private room?" he asked, clearly not comfortable in this job. "It's, uh, 3 gold for one night..."

"Yes, a private room will be fine. Only me and this elf girl will be staying there," Altara answered, letting go of Lyra with one arm and fishing around in her pocket. Finally, her hand found the three gold coins she needed, and she slid them across the table to the clerk, who fumbled around a little before giving her a key in exchange. "Thanks," the red-haired lady told him hurriedly before rushing past him and finding the room written on the key.

As she unlocked the door, Lyra finally managed to find her voice again. "Uh...y-you...sort of, um, o-overreacted to that," she commented quietly, as Altara locked the door behind them and laid her down on the straw mat in the center of the room.

"Don't call that overreacting," Altara insisted, finally returning to a normal pace as she stood up again and started to remove her armor. "We couldn't have you lying face-down in the mud while feeling like that, could we? Plus..." She suddenly let out a loud sneeze, and shivered a little. "...I think I need to dry off a bit, too..."

The elf girl couldn't help but giggle as Altara rubbed her nose, looking a little embarrassed. "Yes...we probably should get out of these wet clothes, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah. Hopefully mine will be a lot dryer when I go see Uona and that wizard again," Altara agreed, pulling her dress over her head. She hung her dress from the long pole at the far end of the room, then turned around to take Lyra's dress...and suddenly realized the elf girl was laying on the only bed in this room.

Oh...now THIS is going to be even more awkward.

Uona opened her mouth to say something to the red haired girl, but closed it when she rushed inside with the blonde elf. She turned her attention to the man with thw funny hat and the walking statue. Her eyes crossed briefly over the man in red and his party. She didn't trust him - something about his smile seemed... wrong.

"If it's true you are looking for help, perhaps I could be of assistance," she offered, her tone pleasant. Her hand remained on the hilt of her sword, ready for use if the man with the unnatural smile were to make some move of his own."I am an adventurer after all, and that is what we adventurers do, yes? This man here also seems quite capable. I am willing to split any payment, if you feel you'd be better with both our services."

She kept her facial features amiable, her body loose. She would prefer to relieve the tension that seemed to have fallen over the alley peacefully, but that man... Perhaps it was simply the nerves of being somewhere new, but she would be ready in any case.

"Oh! I almost forgot to ask your names," she said, taking a few steps closer to the others, the tip of her blade tracing a line in the dirt. "It is only natural we know each others' names if we mit be working together, yes? I am Uona. And you are?"

Hope Froloss

Hope grinned as he entered through the gates, taking note of the signs which declared the place to be called Briande. He had been walking long enough for his clothes and hair to dry off, and even though he was quite alright being by himself, Hope was starting to get tired of replaying the same songs in his head. On the bright side, Hope had found out he could sing; albeit not professionally. On the downside, whenever he stopped making noise, the silence came back louder than ever, so in the end Hope had given up and just wandered along in silence, humming in his head while thinking.

Hope wasn't thinking about his past, though. He didn't want to think of that at all. What if it contained something horrible, like dead parents or something? What if there was a reason he was supposed to forget, a reason that he shouldn't search it out? If it was something horrible enough to erase all memory of it, Hope didn't want to remember at all. If it was important, well, he'd remember eventually, like he had remembered his name and identity. Until then, Hope was going to travel and make new friends and live a good life. He'd deal with the past when it came back to him.

Instead, Hope was thinking about his name. He was still thinking about it, actually. As Hope wandered to a market place, hands clutching his bag strap, he was wondering whether what he should respond to. Hope, or Froloss? Or a different name altogether? He liked the sound of Hope, but it seemed a bit... Girly. Froloss was more manly, but it seemed a bit too unique and he wasn't sure whether he wanted that as a name, either. And he couldn't figure out a suitable nickname, ei - whoa, what was that?!

Hope stopped and stared at the statue, his face showing curiosity and awe. For a moment, everything went out of his mind as he stared at it, admiring the structure. It almost looked like - wait, it did move. Whoa. Cool! How did it work? Was it sentient?! How did it - Than Hope came back to reality and realized that he had stopped right beside a man wearing a hat, a Orc lady who seemed to have said something, and a man wearing a red scarf and his companion. Ignoring them for now, Hope looked at the sign board the man with the hat was leaning against, and took note of the notice saying "looking for security. Price negotiable."

For a moment, Hope was confused. Then he realized that the man wearing the hat was probably the writer, and that he was the one who probably owned the golem and was looking for security, although Hope couldn't really figure out why. The golem was really large and it was enough to make people think twice about attacking him, so why was the man looking for more protection? Well, whatever. This was interesting, and if Hope was going to travel the world, it'd be more fun with other people, right?

With that in mind, Hope turned to the man and smiled cheerily, extending his hand for a handshake. "Hi," he said, his tone light and friendly, "I'm just wondering, did you put up that notice? If so, can I take you up on your offer?"

Richard

The first one to approach him directly was a red haired knight clad in silver armor accompanied by some blonde elven woman. Oh good, looks like someones interested. She looks fairly well equipped though. I hope she doesn't ask for too much. If I have to pay more than ten gold weekly I'll be broke before I reach the next town. He already started running his mind through how he was going to approach his offer to her.

"This poster is yours, correct?" she asked in a bold, powerful voice. "Then, I can help you, if you like." Before he could even respond to her earlier query she continued on. Validus looked over to see what the other two spotted, an ogre dragging along some sort of large sword. 'There is another one approaching you sir' His helpful golem informed him, interrupting his train of thought.

Before he could finish what he was about to say the ogre dug her sword into the ground to her side before speaking to them. "I am U-Uona gel-Gahal." She appeared to possess a stutter. Either that or her name possessed two quick pauses, he wasn't quite too knowledgeable about ogre culture. "I see you are an adventurer, and request a, uh... a... thing."


"Um, yes I am requesting security for negotiable prices. If you all wish to hear about the pay before accepting my employment I'd be happy to-" He was about to finish but the red haired knight spoke up again.

"Sorry, looks like I might not be available to help you out."

Before he could address what the girl just said some villager of little note from the town started talking to the red haired knight. While this rude figure was busy interrupting him the elven companion to the red haired girl collapsed into her arms. "Wha-Lyra?!" The red-haired lady quickly caught her companion before she could fall into the mud. "Is something wrong?" Richard was quite speechless really. What was he to even say.

"U-ugh...s-sorry, Altara...I-I feel...um...kind of w-weak..." The blonde elf stammered from some ailment. The red haired knight who's name he now knew as Altara picked her up before addressing him with mild urgency. "Um...I'm sorry. I need to get her inside and dried off quickly. If it doesn't bother you, could you two maybe speak to me later about your matters? Thank you."

And like that she was now in the inn. His index finger raised to perhaps indicate he might of wanted to get a word in but both his arms just drooped to his sides after she disappeared from view.

"If it's true you are looking for help, perhaps I could be of assistance. I am an adventurer after all, and that is what we adventurers do, yes? This man here also seems quite capable. I am willing to split any payment, if you feel you'd be better with both our services." U-Uona Gel-Gahal stepped closer, her expression still one of some concern though a little more relaxed now. "It is only natural we know each others' names if we might be working together, yes? I am Uona. And you are?" She asked him his name. He nodded for a moment as he realized her name was just Uona Gel-Gahal.

"Yes, that is true. I am-" Just as he was about to introduce himself yet another person interrupted him. "Hi." The friendly looking fellow with a crossbow extended a hand to shake. Richard shook his hand while he continued to talk. "I'm just wondering, did you put up that notice? If so, can I take you up on your offer?"


Well this was quite unusual to begin with. This wasn't a particularly bustling city to begin with so he wasn't expecting much to begin with. Rarely even larger towns would yield more than one or two enterprising blokes over the course of a night. He had already gathered at least two unique looking people who were quite interested in under half an hour. Was it luck or was something really strange going down that he wasn't aware of? He couldn't tell which. All he could tell right then was he was getting sick of being interrupted and needed to move off the street as he had gathered more of a crowd than he really needed.

"Right, I'm glad and all you both are interested in my offer but we should speak inside. Come, I'll get a room set up then we can discuss this in some peace and quiet." He didn't mean to sound as exasperated as he had but between his slow and methodical manner of speaking leaving itself wide open for interruptions and the fact he was uncomfortable in crowds he couldn't help but be a tad frustrated. Quietly shuffling along he slipped into the inn, meekly weaving his way past the large cart that looked rather out of place along with the odd and somewhat intimidating patrons set about the room or moving around.

"H-how much for a room please?" He stammered, his voice getting quieter by the end. With all these people around there could be someone amongst them all spying on him and he'd never be able to tell. He kept looking over his shoulder while hoping to spend less time amongst these shady fellows than he had already spent outside. [b]"Three gold sir."[b] The rather tall fellow behind the counter repeated what he had told Altara. His long slender hand reached into his pouch to fetch the money that was asked for by the clerk.

"One gold... Two gold... Three..." He meticulously counted each gold as he set them on the counter one by one. Once the price was met without even looking up twice at the man he grabbed the key which he heard jingle as it was placed on the desk and slinked up the stairs.


Once he was at the second floor he realized he didn't stay to hear which room the key was for. Rather than go down and chat more with the bored attendant he decided to try the key on each door until he found one that the key fit. Shuffle after shuffle, click after click, he tried each door until he found the right one. It was close by to the end of the hall. Once the door yielded to his key he entered and proceeded to lock it behind him.

That settled he started to rearrange the room, moving the table into the middle and arranging chairs around it for others to sit. He set a bed sheet across the table for a cover and placed a candle right in the middle for proper lighting and general ambiance. Once the room was ready for the negotiations he unlocked the door before opening the window. An image of where he was entered Validus's mind.

Outside the inn Validus started to move, each step slow and mindful of the people below it. Even despite it's attempt at delicacy the ground shook with each large step it took. In little time it managed to make it's way around the building until it was in view of the second floor window where it needed to be. There it stood, watching for any signs of danger to Richard through the open window while he spent a little more time arranging details until he was comfortable with the setup.

Uona watched the man with the pointy hat walk into the inn, hanging back and resting her sword on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, Mr. Red Scarf," Uona said, putting one hand out. "Wait a moment, please. I would like a moment to speak first."

Someting about him made her uncomfortable, and she wished to assuage her suspicions in the case that thry would end up working together.

The red haired girl he had tried talking to quickly ran inside of the "Minstral's Mug," which seemed to be some sort of pub after giving a half hearted acknowledgement. "Probably claustrophobic or something. Some people couldn't deal with having a lot of others around them. Caleb gave a chuckle at Axel's rejection.

Suddenly out of the blue, a voice cut through the town's bustle. "Excuse me, Mr. Red Scarf, wait a moment, please. I would like a moment to speak first." Axel turned to see the ogress not far from himself extending a hand. She seemed rather friendly, quite the opposite of her race's stereotype, especially those set by humans. "Scarf? It's a cape..." He'd let it slide despite Caleb's muffled laughter.

Smile, change in tone, friendly posture. He was getting used to it now. "Hello, I'm Axel. Pleased to meet you, what is it you'd like to discuss?" Axel took her hand, shaking it firmly.

The man named Axel took her hand and shook it, which was a new experience. Was this something many people did? Hm. He sounded pleasant enough, at least. Maybe her suspicions were unfounded.

"I only thought that if we are to work together, I should know a bit more about your skills beforehand," She said, releasing his hand. "I am Unoa, by the way."

Her eyes flicked over to the door momentarily. It seemed they would be trying to get a cart through the door soon, which may make entrance into the tavern difficult.. She wondered how they had gotten it in there to begin with.

"Ah, perhaps we should continue this discussion inside," she suggested. "I am eager to know more about you, however." She stepped towards the door, checking to see if he'd follow.

Axel followed the ogress into the tavern, finding a table and sitting himself down. Cato followed suite before leaning in close to Axel. "You know we can't afford another meal." In return, Axel waved away the warning and looked up at Uona.

"Uona..." he repeated. "Beautiful name." The assassin leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Well, what is it you'd like to know? I'm better at shorter bursts of combat, usually take on one target at a time." He'd beat around the bush if need be, Uona might not be too fond on working with an assassin.

"Is it? I'd never given it much thought," Uona remarked, sitting in the chair across from the human. She set her sword against the table, holding the handle to keep it from falling. She pondered his comments on his fighting skill for a moment, studying his face as she did.

"Like a scout? Or..." She racked her brain, trying to recall what she new of the common fighting styles of adventurers. "You are not a... bard? You do not seem to have any musical instruments..."

Bah. The ones she had spoken with never had gone into specifics, and the need to label themselves based on their abilities had always seemed strange to her. They were all adventurers, why differentiate? Was there some kind of system in place for earning such titles? Regardless, his abilities seemed useful, if... situational.

"Don't bandits and the like normally travel in groups? Would that not be a problem for you?" she asked gently, trying to phrase it in a manner which would not offend him. "Or I suppose that would be where I come in." She laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her head with her free hand.

"Sorry, I'm not very..." "Experienced with your kind" was how she intended to finish, refering to both humans and adventurers, but she thought better of it. "...sure of what to expect from this job."

Axel's smile widened a bit. "No, no. It's fine really, I completely understand where you're coming from. Naturally, I'd prioritize who is the biggest threat. Like you said yourself, their will be others to help with the cause, and Cato here" He exchanged glances with the other male sitting closely. "Has got my back, just in case anything happens out of the ordinary. He's a bit better with multiple enemies."

Cato gave a bit of a bow in his sitting position at the mention of his strengths. "Hey, I'm Cato." he finally spoke. "Nice meeting you." Cato awkwardly extended his own hand. He wasn't much for this "people interactions" stuff, he left that to Axel. But he sure came in handy when it came to combat.

"I see," Uona said, slightly surprised. to be honest, she hadn't noticed Cato's existence. Man must be made of air. She awkwardly took his hand, mimicking the gesture from earlier. "Nice to meet you too."

Her suspicions not exactly allayed, but feeling a bit more confident now that she new a bit about Axel's skills, Uona made to stand. "We should get a move on, then, before the employment opportunity moves on, yes?"

She hefted her giant sword onto her shoulder with one hand, then turned toward the stairwell. She stopped when she saw the red haired girl had returned to the ground floor. She walked over to the staircase, then stood to one side so Axel and his companions could mount the stairs before her. She waved awkwardly to the woman, unsure of how to properly get her attention.

(Attempting to write this on an iPad. LET'S DO THIS.)

Brainde, Merrowvale
October 21, 2014--5:10 PM

Moving up to the counter, Altara ordered some Millet Bread and Soft Cheese with a Mug of Cider for Lyra. Alright, time to wait and let them finish preparing it... Pushing one coin over the counter, she turned away to sit at a table and wait...

Wait a minute, someone was waving her over. Oh, it was that Orc woman...wait, what was her name again? Oh yeah, Uona! At first, Altara was about to run over to see what the matter was, but she suddenly realized--the man with the red scarf was with her. Oh, crap...what to do...

She looked around in a little bit of panic, before remembering what was hanging from her belt. Reaching for the pocket on her left hip, Altara took out another card and the charcoal, and started writing quickly.

I'm sorry, but I already accepted a quest from that wizard who put the poster on the wall outside. But if you're still going to request something of me, please meet me at the entrance of this building, alone. I'll be with you in about 10 minutes.

Walking up with quick strides to Uona, she folded the card and held it out, saying nothing more than "Please take this" before turning and running straight back to the counter, hoping the food was prepared by now.

Uona barely had time to get two words out before Altara bolted back to the counter. She didn't even realize she was holding a slip of paper until she was already unfolding it. Her eyes strained to read what was written, the penmanship not at all like the neat, scholarly handwriting which adorned the few tomes possessed by her master, so worn from repeated readings by she and her predecessors that the bindings had been retied with strips of leather and half the pages no longer contained words. This writing was messy, hastily written, and she could barely make out what it said.

I m somy, bu alre d ac e te qu st fr th t wiz rd wh p the post r on the wal outsi . B if yo 're sti l going to re est s m th ng o me, ple meet me at the ent an e of t is b ild ng, al ne. I l e wi h you in abo t 1 min te .

She assumed the wizard was involved, as she recognized enough symbols to make out that word, as well as "meet", "building", and "alone". She decided she would ask the wizard about it after they had discussed employment, then she quickly stuffed the note under one arm bracer for safety.

(Apologies for the hiatus.)

Tharin stroked his beard as the halfling merchant lay out his plan. Tilting the cart would afford the most space for it to pass through the door, something which was sorely needed if they were to have any chance of extracting the vehicle from the inn. Glancing at Esclava, he took stock of the man. Of an average height with many other humans, he was lean, sporting little hair on his body except for the shockingly red spiky hair on his head. Ears ending in slight points marked him as one of Elvish decent. A half-elf then. Sinewy in build, Tharin saw a deep inner strength, thinness belying that fact.

Taking stock of the cart, he lifted one arm experimentally. Resistance met his arm, the vehicle refusing to move. Placing his other hand under, he lifted slightly, managing to bring the wheels a small distance off the ground. Lowering the cart, he noticed an Orc enter the building, clad in armor and carrying a giant sword. Many of his kin carried hatred for the Orcish race but Tharin was not one of them. Orcs were one of his best customers and he was not wont to discourage an inflow of cash if his memories served him correctly. He hoped they did. Following her movements, he saw the red-haired woman from earlier, who was seated at the bar hastily scrawl something for the Uona on a small slip of paper, apparently in a panic handing it to her, before returning to her seat. A strange interaction to say the least. A lot of activity for such a small, unimportant village.

Nodding to Zeebral in recognition of his words, he gruffly muttered, "My pleasure, Mister Zeebarl." Turning to Esclava, he stated, "I think it would be best if we tilted the cart so that it rested upon my back. That way it would be stabilized on three points as you push from the inside and Mister Zeebarl here pulls. Do not worry for me, my back has taken worse." I think, he thought to himself in slight worry. Missing memory was certainly a problem.

Moving to the center of the cart, he took a deep breath before motioning to Zeebarl and Esclava to lift the cart.