Move 193: The Talk of the Tavern
The Baron of Mutton--Night, 11 Eleint 1374 DRRenn departed in the afternoon to take Gerrd back to his family, leaving word that he should be back by the following afternoon. Everyone else took care of various errands around town or, lacking anything better to do, watched the general bustle caused in preparation for the hanging of the orcs at dawn. Eventually, everyone ended up back at the inn to get rooms for the night. Garyld came in late in the afternoon and took his usual seat, nursing a drink and talking quietly to Barthlew.
On the doors of the Baron, next to the notice announcing the marriage and upcoming wedding feast of Lytern Parlfray, another posting had been made, this one asking for volunteers for patrol duty. By the time hunger or just sheer boredom finally brought the members of the group together again in the common room, that notice was the subject of most of the evening's conversations. The talk quickly moved from who would go, who wouldn't go, and who wanted to go but his wife wouldn't let him to the endless topic of what this could mean.
Someone thought it had to do with the Zhents. Someone else had heard there was trouble at the mines. Another person thought it was about the kidnappings. Maybe there'd be trouble with the orcs in the Great Rock Dale. No, it was the river trolls. Or the gnolls. Or the goblins. It probably had something to do with the Gleaming Glade. This last bit, as usual, was brought up by Dirkaster, Andren and Barthlew's ancient grandfather, who, also as usual, talked the loudest and the longest, falling silent only when someone put a drink in front of him.
Blacky ignored most of the talk in the tavern as he drank his tankards. He told Barthlew that he would pay for any rooms, food and drink that the group required for the night. "Echo do you want to try estimating a value on the items that we don't know about yet?" He asked "Did you come up with any interesting lore on those weapons?" He said to Azrun
"Give me the stuff I haven't looked at before. I'll look at it tonight," Echo agreed.
Azrun shook his head, "The only thing I could shake out was that spear. I'm pretty sure that it's very old and someone from the underdark crafted it. I don't think its drow, though. Not long after olding it though, my hands started to smell of fish. Does anyone know of an aquatic underdark race? Perhaps they are the creaters of this item."
Jana arrived back at the inn looking a bit haggard. She sat down and asked the server for a drink, "somethin' strong," then said, "waitaminute, nevermind, I'll have watered wine." She studiously ignored all conversation related to the recent marriage. She picked at her dinner, not looking the least bit interested in eating. Eventually, she said, glancing over at Echo, "I met a guy earlier today. He'd somehow lost his memory." She played with her cup for a moment, then glanced back over at Echo again before returning her attention to her cup. "He had a dog, a large, white dog. Said his name's Ghost. The dog, I mean. Guy's name is Sam."
Daelen had just settled down to eat, having ordered two plates of whatever they had available, but at Jana's statement his eyes went as wide as saucers and he stood up.
"Did you say a large white dog? Did it look like Snow? Where can I find this Sam?"
Jana shrugged. "It was a big white dog. Lotsa big white dogs in the world. Ghost seemed awful attached to Sam, from what I saw." She drank a bit more watered-down wine. "It's late. I take you to where I saw him in the morning, if you want."
Daelen frowned and shook his head. "I won't be able to sleep if I don't know, just tell me where you saw him and I'll find them myself."
Jana shook her head. "I don't think it's even your dog. I'll tell you
tomorrow, if you just want to be sure. Not tonight."Echo watched Jana with concern on her face. "I saw the guy, not the dog," she added. "He looked familiar
but I can't place where I've seen him before."Aloysius had sat quietly, once again eating as if there were no tomorrow. "Eric, I had planned on
obtaining a private room, but have reconsidered." He looked around the room suspiciously before leaning
forward and continuing in a low voice. "It may be imprudent for me to be alone tonight," he added.
"Perhaps you wouldn't mind sharing a room? I need a bath, too."He chewed a bite of food momentarily before adding, "But I'd rather not share that with thee." The mage
let out a guffaw and slapped the tabletop a number of times with his hand. "Get it!?!" he asked excitedly.
"Stargazer jested!" Quite pleased with himself, he sat back and took a long pull on his glass of mead."Oh, that reminds me," he said with a sudden realization. After looking around for the barmaid, he
stood up and waved at her in an overly dramatic manner. "Could I have a mug of hot water please?" he
called. "Preferably still in the mug?" Flopping back in his chair, he snickered until tears rolled down his
cheeks. He gave Blacky a hard (for Aloysius anyhow) slap on the back.Blacky smiled at Aloysius. "You seem to be in fine humor tonight Al ...oysius." He paused just long enough to see if the mage would twitch. "Couldn't be that you're looking forward to seeing a certain someone in Thurmaster, could it?" Blacky said with a wink.
"Those of you taking the boat to Thumaster, we'll be leaving directly after the execution at dawn. I could use a hand or two with the chests if anyone doesn't have other plans." Blacky announced. He then went over to Echo "I beleive this was made for you." He said and handed her a dagger.
Echo gave Blacky a puzzled look, "Made for me?" She took it and looked at it.
"Yeah, by the smith in town. It's silvered. Semeren said 'It's for the skinny short girl', I'm assuming that's you." Blacky said as he dug out the items that weren't appraised yet. "I don't know what you've looked at and what you haven't. This is the stuff that we don't have a value on." He said and handed them to her.
Aloysius didn't twitch, at least not noticeably.
"Tauster?" asked Aloysius with a hint of confusion in his voice. "Methinks I am simply pleased to have sky
o'er my head, Eric." He glanced up at the ceiling. "Or nearly o'er my head," he added.He leaned his chair back against the wall behind him and began to put his feet on the table before thinking
better of it."I shall be ready on the 'morrow for the trip to Thurmaster, although I know not how much assistance I
shall be in the loading of chests. Now that the river beasts have been eradicated, the trip should provide a
most pleasant contrast to our environs as of late. In sooth, our trip shall prove to be somewhat melancholy,
as I must locate the family of the boatman who died whilst transporting us along the river afore. I feel
that we must compensate them somewhat for our loss, as he perished whilst in our employ."He sighed whimsically. "Wonder do I if I'll have time 'enow to visit Gloris? Not that it likely matters.”
Pushing his whimsy aside, he asked, "Who besides Eric, Arachne, and Stargazer shall be traveling to
Thurmaster by boat? Janathell and Echo seem intent 'pon an overland journey.""If I were you, I'd definitely make time to visit Gloris." Blacky replied "I know a certain barmaid that I'm looking forward to seeing."
Aloysius twiddled his thumbs pensively. "Hmm....perhaps on our trip tomorrow, Stargazer could consult with thee, Eric. Would that I understood certain matters better."
Aloysius stood up from his chair and walked over to where Echo was seated. He leaned over, his face very
close to hers as he spoke. "I had the opportunity to review most of the other spell book," he explained.
"There were not any particularly interesting incantations, but I have marked it so you and
Darkwalker can review it."Echo moved her face away from Aloysius when he leaned in, "I won't have time to look at it until me and Jana get back. You should be finished reading it by then, right? Let Azrun have it first anyway."
He attempted to rest his head on her shoulder.
"'Tis apparent that thou hast obtained some colored sand for the spell of shimmering hues," he continued.
"Might Stargazer borrow a pinch or two for his journey to Thurmaster?"He sniffled and nearly squelched the tiny burp that bubbled up from his throat.
Echo moved further away from Aloysius to keep him from touching her. "Yeah, sure," she said, getting up from the table. "I'll give it to you in the morning. I think I'm going to bed." She walked over to the bar
and ordered a couple of strong drinks. She drank them as quickly as she could then went to her room."I'll advise as best I can Aloysius." Blacky said taking another pull from his mug.
Jana glared at Aloysius and Blacky. "I certainly hope," she said in a low, even voice, "you two have made plans to take care of anyone you might leave behind once your playtime's over." She set down her mostly empty cup.
"For your information, I'm considering settling down and establishing a proper brewery after we kill Ranchefus and these illithid thingies. So, yes assuming I don't get killed, I'll be around. Unlike you, I don't desire to roam around killing things for profit for the rest of my life." Blacky retorted.
"My parents were mercenaries," Jana said. "And they managed to raise me, even while 'roaming around killing things for profit.' Being a mercenary is no less honorable than brewing beer."
"Didn't say that it was, it's just not my style. I'm old enough to know how to handle responsibility, I've already been there. So, don't presume to lecture me." Blacky said.
"I hope you'll impress upon your student that his actions have consequences," Jana replied, then stalked off to the baths.
"Most excellent, Eric!" exclaimed Aloysius. "Thou art poviding tutelage to someone? Perhaps he can come
with us on the 'morrow."Blacky rolled his eyes and says "You amaze me Aloysius. You can learn the intracisies of incantations that would make my head spin and can tell me the habits of many a forest creature, but have yet to master the
subtleties of simple conversation."Azrun stared into his cup of water for a while as Balcky and Aloysius talked of the barmaids in Milborne. After a while, he stood, "I'm going to walk about the town a bit. Hopefully the night air will clear my head. If you'll have me, I'll make the journey to MIlborne with you tomorrow." With that he turned and wandered outside.
"Olaf, since you're staying here could you go to Rastifer's and procure our provisions for our return to the caverns? We still have about a tenday's worth of rations left, but we'll probably use some of those while we're traveling around. If he can get another twenty days, that should be enough, I hope. Try to get the least exotic stuff he has. Oh and get anything else you think we need. Give him this bracelet as a down payment, it's strange so he'll probably like it. It's worth about 100 gold. If he needs more tell him I'll give it to him when I get back from Thurmaster." Blacky said and handed him the gaudy gold bracelet and silver arrowheads. " Oh, and give these to Renn when he returns.You need anything before we leave?"
Aloysius watched as Jana and Echo left the common room, a mild expression of confusion on his face. Turning to Blacky, he asked, "Eric, thou didst seem to comprehend Janathell's comment earlier, though admittedly Stargazer did not. Are we to engage in some type of recreational activities whilst in Thurmaster? I had viewed our journey there as one of great seriousness and not insubstantial grief."
Moving back to his chair, he peered into his empty glass. "And Echo seemed somewhat distracted," he added. "Hopes have I that she is well."
"Jana's worried about us leaving any uncared for children behind as the product of our 'recreation' with a certain couple of barmaids." Blacky said shaking his head "She has got to be THE most uptight woman I have ever met. 'Tis a shame for one as young as her. She certainly knows her way around that sword of hers, I'll give her that. I'd bet she'll be running a merc company of her own before long. Ah well, we'd best be getting to bed we've an early start t'morrow." He said finishing his mug
"Oh," replied Aloysius quietly. "OH! You mean we are to, er, engage in, er . . . oh dear. Oh dear, indeed. I, uh, . . ." The mage folded his arms in front of him in confounded silence.
Arachne had been characteristically pensive all afternoon. She'd drifted into the common room with the others, attracted by the smell of dinner, and knelt at her place on the bench, her face nonetheless just barely above her plate. When Jana mentioned the white dog, the exchange between the warrior and Daelen did attract Arachne's attention. The gnome stared at Jana, but didn't say anything.
"Anyone know what Gruumsh looks like?" she asked idly, at one point. "Or is supposed to look like? Or priests of Gruumsh?" She considered a moment. "Do you think Gruumsh has serving imps?"
"I seem to recall Rennirolas say something afore about him," replied Aloysius. "Would that he were here to answer thine inquiry. Alas, Stargazer knows naught of that subject. Why do you ask?"
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