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-----Sarah stifles a yawn and stretches. "Okay kids, I'm really tired. I'm going to sleep now. Wake me up in the morning, eh?" Sarah waits until her room is sorted out and then goes upstairs and goes directly to sleep.
-----Tivia sends a girl up to show Sarah her room and to prepare her bed. With that Raven and Rinda follow Sol outside. They head to blacksmith's shop in order to speak to Adames. Seeing that the shop is closed, they approach the living quarters that adjoin it.
-----A knock at the door brings forth a tall dark-haired man with piercing eyes. His voice is somewhat harsh but otherwise not threatening. "I be Adames," he answers when Sol asks. Sol introduces himself, Raven and Rinda and then shows him the writ.
-----Sol then asks if Adames could relate a message to the local patrol's leader. Sol tells of the location of the creatures’ tunnels and their descriptions, followed by the method of their deaths.
-----"Sounds like ye ran into some kobolds. Those littl’ devils are tricky. Funny, I didn’t think they’d be this far north."
-----Sol then asks if anything peculiar has been going on lately.
-----"We been keepin’ an eye out fer each other ‘round here. We ain’t seen the trouble they’ve had deeper in the forest," says Adames.
-----"Kobolds, huh? They were'nt much more than annoyances, I'm just more concerned about what killed them. What sorta troubles have ye heard about exactly?" Sol asks.
-----Adames’s eyes are downcast as he replies, "Ah, well, what I been hearin’ is to the affect that the wood elves been goin’ mad and attackin’ the homes o’ the good woodlanders. Hell, most o’ the time, those elves would be in the woods and weren’ no problem as long as a body didn’ go lookin’ fer ‘em. Beats me what’s been stirrin’ ‘em to attack innocents. Ya can bet though, this be one man won’ be backin’ down from ‘em if they be sneakin’ ‘round ‘ere!" He nods his head as if to emphasize these last few words.
-----After bidding the blacksmith goodnight, the three move back toward the inn. Night has finally darkened the sky. As they approach the tavern, Sol asks Raven and Rinda, "I'm off to the tavern...wanna join me?"
-----At that moment, the door to the tavern swings open and Kazel storms out with a somewhat angry look on her face.
-----"Kaz!" Sol calls out after identifying the half-elf. He quickly lopes over to her, and with concern etched onto his face, asks, "Kazel, what's wrong? Are you alright?" His gaze alternates between Kazel and the tavern door.
-----Kazel stops short and blinks for a moment adjusting to the nightlight. She sees Sol for the first time.
-----"Um, no women. They don't particularly like elves, either. Which would've been alright, if they were man enough for a decent bar fight." The cool air seems to have an effect as she breathes deeply, exhales and relaxes. She looks up at Sol and smiles. "I'm alright, thanks."
-----Continuing on, she stops in front of the doors of the inn as if considering going in. But after a moment she veers off and instead saunters down the road off to the fields outside the village, whistling to herself.
-----"If anyone wants to find me, I'm out watching the stars," she calls out halfway down the road.
-----"Oh...ok, g'night." Sol replies lamely as Kazel disappears into the new evening. He turns and scrutinizes the tavern for a short while, then turns and flushes before speaking to Rinda, "Erm, I suppose there's no real reason to have a drink tonight. Mmm...feeling tired. Yep, I'm gonna head on up to bed. See y'all tomorrow." Sol starts towards the inn, looking about as tired as your everyday sufferer of hyperactivity.
-----Raven says to Kazel, "Hold on. You want some company? I've never much liked sleeping in the same bed that 100 drunk city goers have slept in. You're welcome to camp with Rinda and I. I need to work on teaching the wolf, which I don't think the inn keeper would like." Raven reaches down and places a hand on the wolf's side.
-----Kazel stops and turns around, looking a little surprised. "Okay," she replies simply but cheerfully.
-----Raven turns back to the blacksmith’s shop. He meets Adames as the blacksmith emerges from his home heading for the tavern. Raven asks him, "Oh, do you know where is the last place the Elves have attacked? We'd like to take a look around and see if we find any clues."
-----Kazel wanders over and peers into the blacksmith's window as she waits for Raven to catch up.
-----Adames replies, "Hmm, if’n yer headin’ to Oakwood, ye might start askin’ by the time yer reachin’ a village called Proat. ‘Night all and good luck to ye!"
-----Later that night, Raven, Kazel, and Rinda find a peaceful secluded place in the fields to make their camp. The night air is cool but not uncomfortable. The stars shine out brightly in the night sky.
-----Everything in the night seems settled and peaceful. Occasionally an owl is heard hooting in a nearby tree. The trees of the forest just to the east of their camp hardly move in the light breeze.
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