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-----With that, the young man leads Kazel and Marast down a hallway on the same floor past the stairway. "They requested a room here on the first floor and paid us to keep watch for those with your descriptions," the man adds as they stroll past at least ten doors before pausing in front of one.
-----The man knocks on the door and announces, "Sir, I believe your companions have arrived!"
-----A few seconds later, Runik frowns as he opens the door and peers at the visitors. His expression changes to a broad smile as he ushers Kazel and Marast in.
-----After tipping the young man with a gold coin, he says to Kazel, "Bout time ye be arrivin', lass. I s'pose Marast had ye lost in them woods."
-----The wood elf simply frowns as he looks around the suite. The lodgings look the finest that Kazel has ever seen. A few couches and tables of exquisite design grace this main room while paintings and wall coverings of rich detail decorate the walls. Doors lead off to at least two bedchambers.
-----Suddenly the little girl runs out of one of the bedrooms and toward Kazel; face beaming and arms open.
-----"Where be Seth n' the Cap'n?" Runik asks.
-----Kazel smiles and pats the girl on the head when she approaches. Turning to the dwarf she replies, "They're off to the Quarry's Inn. What's the name of this one again?"
-----"Quarry Inn?" Runik grumbles in surprise, "This be th' Forest Strollin' Inn or some such."
-----She begins to drop her stuff on a table, and then asks, "Tell me what happened when you entered this village. Did you meet anyone or just stumbled on this inn?"
-----The dwarf raises his eyebrows and stares with concern toward one of the closed bedroom doors. "Narr," Runik says, "we just rode in n' some men steered us in this direct'on. We gots Brandel up 'ere as soons as we coulds n' Krord be watchin' th' wagon. Brandel's be a'sleepin' fer quite a while now."
-----"Yea? What kind of men?" Kazel asks as she heads for a room to change into dry clothes. "We met someone strange tonight and I'm going to find out more about it. Marast, can you go tell Dread and Seth where we are? And no, I think I'll be staying in this place tonight."
-----Marast makes for the door as Runik answers, "Jest looked like some townsmen doin' th' watch."
-----A bit later, Kazel is out the door and, within a few steps down the hall, she turns invisible. All of the doors on this floor are closed and not a sound is heard. The white walls of the hallway are well lit with small lamps position between the rooms. Kazel walks on the wood floor without a sound.
-----Up ahead, she sees the front room and as she enters it, she sees the two young men waiting patiently behind the desk. Just up to her left, the half-elven girl sees the stairs and she quickly ascends it.
-----The stairs climb to an upper hallway with rooms extending to Kazel's left and right. This hallway is also vacant, but Kazel believes she hears talking coming from some of the rooms.
-----Kazel softly stalks down the hall to her right. Somewhere down this way, she picks up the voices of people conversing. Just as she passes the third door on her right, she comes to a halt.
-----Distinctively, she hears a somewhat familiar voice say, "Yes, MiLady, it shall be done." Sounding much like the warrior she and the other rogues encountered earlier with the person in the sedan chair, Kazel quietly presses her ear to the door.
-----"And what of our enemies?" the butcher hears the female voice from the sedan chair say in a stern tone, "Will they follow us to this small village?"
-----"It is my fear they shall, MiLady," the warrior answers.
-----After a pause in the conversation, the female voice says, "Perhaps you should post guard in the main room of the inn tonight. Take two of the footmen with you. If you spot trouble, use one as fodder and the other to warn me."
-----"It shall be done, MiLady," the warrior replies and suddenly Kazel hears his footsteps make for the door she stands on the opposite side of.
-----With the hallway begin fully illuminated, Kazel ducks around a corner and turns to watch. The warrior exits and steps up to the door across the hall. A few moments after rapping on the door, the portal opens.
-----Kazel hears the warrior simply say, "Follow me," and then Kazel sees the warrior start to walk toward the stairs. From the room, two young men follow him and it is evident that they are two of the servants who hoisted the sedan chair.
-----Kazel waits until they start down the stairs before moving. The butcher creeps to the landing of the stairs and looks down just in time to see the two footmen walk out the front door of the inn. Going down the stairs, she can peer through the front windows and see the warrior with the two footmen standing out on the large porch of the inn keeping watch on the village buildings and roads.
-----Seeing the guards aren't going anywhere, Kazel returns to the hallway and raps on the guards' room door. She then quickly ducks around the corner again. After hearing no movement from within and seeing no one answer the door, Kazel moves quickly to the portal and opens it. Within comes the light from a few oil lamps. Inside she finds a simple room with two beds and a small chest that contains nothing more than two sets of servant clothing.
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