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-----Seth nods at the Dread Pirate’s suggestion and gives both Kazel and Dread a knowing look, " Well my friends, shall we approach the Barkeep and make known our desire to aid him in his endeavors by entertaining his clientele?"
-----The Dread Pirate hitches his pony to the rail outside the tavern and takes a moment to address his noble steed, "Arrrr, now ye stay here. Good Doggy!"
-----Ignoring the incongruity of naming his pony 'Doggy', Gimplefwick saunters into the tavern to find the barkeep.
-----"Ermm... I s'pose I can watch with the crowd and cheer for you two?" Having spent most of the trip humming happy dwarven mining songs to herself as the group rides along, Kazel now sends her horse off to the stables before being dragged off to the tavern by Gimplefwick and Seth. A look on her face merely says she has no idea what she might do next.
-----Sarah looks like she is about to snap the Dread Pirate’s head off. She says "Fatter? What in Destine’s name does that mean?" She looks at Chessie curiously. "Nope, he looks like the same little fluffy cutie pie he always is."
-----To Seth she says, more discreetly. "Look, Seth, I like you. I hope we'll be friends but if you guys are gonna try to rip off this place or something like that I'd just as soon not be associated with you. I mean, I don't think you guys are the types to steal candy from babies..." Her eyes stray to the Dread Pirate, showing she isn't too certain about her last statement, "...but if you guys get caught it will be easier for me to help you out if they don't know I'm with you."
-----Seth nods at Sarah. "I like you too Sarah. I like to play my harp. Dread likes to sing racey sailor songs. It makes the people drinking happy. Kazel talks to them. How can that be bad?" He shakes his head and enters the tavern.
-----Sarah’s owl scoops up a last bit of beef jerky, blinks his large eyes and softly nudges Sarah’s hand. With a quick cry of its distinctive raspy call, it takes flight heading for the trees in the darkening forest. Sarah then leads her horse to the stable behind the inn.
-----As Gimplefwick, Seth and Kazel head into the tavern, Sarah, Raven and Rinda follow Sol into the inn. Inside, they see a moderately sized room that features a fireplace and many tables and benches. A door in the back wall leads to a kitchen and a staircase leads up to the rooms. The trappings of the place seem very modest and the main room is empty other than two maidens cleaning the tables and the floor.
-----Sol is greeted by a robust woman with a plain face and small green eyes. She wears a plain dark blue dress and a white bonnet on her head. "Welcome to the Just’s Rest. I am Tivia. How may we serve ye?" Her voice is squeaky but friendly.
-----Sol replies, "Good afternoon, M’Lady. Myself and six of my friends require rooms for the night. We also have horses which will need stabling."
-----"Very well, sir," Tivia says, with twinkling eyes, "We run a modest hostel here. I can put yer women up in one of the rooms and the men two to a room. We provide a night’s stay and a simple breakfast early in the morn. Our stables are around back. Tomorrow we ask nothing more of each of ye than a small donation as ye see fit. I am sorry that we do not serve another meal but ye can find more food served over at the Journeyman’s Tavern."
-----Sol asks, "Could ye please tell me where the village headsman resides? I need to speak to him."
-----"That would be Adames. Ye did pass his blacksmith shop as ye passed this way," Tivia says with a bow. Quickly she asks, "Ye be wishin’ in staying with us, sir?"
-----"Yeah, I reckon so. Yer establishment's more than enough fer us," He grins in reply. Looking at Raven he asks, "Raven, can you take Thunder to the stables while I briefly talk to Adames? After that, I'll head over to the tavern." Sol thanks the innkeep, then turns and leaves the inn.
-----Raven says, "I'll come with you to talk with Adames. We can just tie the horses up in front of his smithy while we talk with him." Raven then says to the innkeeper, "I heard you've had problems with elves around here. Are the rumors true?"
-----"Well, sir," Tivia says answering Raven, "we’ve not had trouble here in our village ‘fore people ‘round here look out for one another. Now there has been word of trouble deeper in the woods, especially the closer one travels to Oakwood."
-----"Now don’ be getting me wrong, sir," she continues, "I and most people ‘round here don’ have nothing against the elven people, most of them. The trouble the woodland folk seem to be having is with the elves that don’ come ‘round other peoples. They’re the elves who live by themselves in the woods and don’ take kindly to other folks near ‘em."
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