"Oh my! Sister Garaele might be able to help you in the morning, but for tonight bring him in, we'll tend to his wounds and see what we can do." Toblen calls out and you see the bartender come join him as they come to help assist you.

Ink does what he can to aid the process of moving Sildar inside. He then checks with Crom to make sure he's satisfied with covering up everything--and everyone--stowed in the wagon. 

Calantha helps Ink bring Sildar inside. Sildar is a human man and at least twice of the size of the gnome. Grunting a bit under Sildar's unconscious weight, she glances back toward the innkeeper. She follows Toblen to a bed where they deposit the unconscious man. Calantha wipes a bit of sweat from her brow. She is exhausted.

"Well, if you don't mind taking care of Sildar I for one could really use a hot meal, some ale, and then a bed to collapse in afterward."

Crom, with Ink's aid, gets the last bit of the cart reorganized and makes his way to the second room and deposits his weapons, though he keeps his hood up. He can never be sure how people will take to his presence, but at the very least, being unarmed should make him seem less a threat should his nature be revealed. He knows he is probably being paranoid, but past experiences have made him cautious.

He then returns to the barroom to meet with his friends for some food and drink before retiring.

Toblen and the barkeep, who you gather is named Elsa, help carry Sildar up to a room. Upon seeing him they both let out a cry of surprise and say his name in unison. Elsa stays with him and begins treating his wounds as Toblen leads you downstairs calling out, "Trilena! Food and drink!" As he guides you to a nearby table.

Shortly after you sit down a wide assortment of foods are brought to you along with ale, water, and wine. Toblen and Trilena set it down and then he stays standing near you, only about as tall as Crom is sitting down. "If you don't mind, I'm curious what happened to Sildar? He seemed like a very capable knight and I am surprised to see him in such a terrible condition."

Between bites of food and sips of his ale, Ink offers a quick summary of their foray into the goblin tunnels, including the demise of Ragnarok and Mal. He concludes, "In short, we've little to no information about what transpired with Sildar. When he's recovered a bit, possibly he can explain. Including the location of Gundren."

Calantha devours the food greedily. It feels like forever since she last ate. She nods along at the appropriate times as Ink recounts their story. Every now and then she glances sidelong at Crom, who continues to wear his hood up.

"Yes, we're hoping Sildar can explain how he and Gundren were ambused and what happened to the dwarven man. This food is great by the way. Thank you."

Toblen nods as he listens, "Thank you for your story, as sad as it may be. I will let you get your rest, if you need anything at all please just ask us! We're happy to help." 

Perhaps it is the drink lowering Crom's guard and raising his hopes, but Toblen and Trilena seem like nice enough folk, and Crom hates having to hide.

"Yes, thank you for the food and drink, and all the assistance." Crom says, repeating Calantha's sentiment, the first words he'd spoken since sitting down. He finishes his last bite of food and rises from his seat. "I think I'll be headin' up to the room to get some rest. Ink, you fine bunkin' with the ungulate?" He slides an extra 2 silver onto the table as a tip, and turns to leave, casually lowering his hood and hoping it doesn't bring trouble to him and his friends.

His full stomach added to the full day has made Ink more sleepy than he can remember. After giving a nod to Crom, he slogs off to the room and collapses for the night. 

Calantha sleeps like the dead, snoring lightly. When she awakens, she feels well rested and ready to begin the work of finding out what happened to Gundren, not to mention actually completing the job by delivering the cargo. She checks to see if Crom or Ink are awake yet before head back downstairs to find the innkeeper and ask him about Sildar's condition.

Most of Crom's life has been spent outside, operating on very little sleep, always rising early to capitalize on the hours before the world wakes up.

All of that means nothing this night, as Crom sleeps well over an hour past sunrise, and even then only wakes as he hears the bustle of business downstairs. Getting dressed is his worse-for-wear leather gear, he considers pulling his hood up, but decides against it. This is what he wanted after all. To be able to walk freely with his head held high. 

He heads downstairs and looks around the room for Calantha, figuring she likely woke before him.

As Crom heads downstairs he sees Calantha speaking with Toblen, who is pointing upstairs and walks in to earshot just as he explains, "Sildar has woken up, but is still gravely wounded. He would like to speak to you in his room, when you get a chance. I'll have breakfast ready for whenever you'd like." 

"Well that's good news. Let's go see what he has to say"

Calantha smiles at Crom. She hasn't spent much time with half-orcs before, and she knows that many people are prejudiced against his kind, but he has proven to be a capable warrior and more importantly a reliable companion. She notices that he's wearing his hood down, and she's glad to see it.

"Good morning, Crom," she says. "Let's go talk to Sildar."

She has to stop herself from practically leaping up the stairs, because she has to know what happened to Gundren. That dwarf better be all right after all this trouble they went to, after losing Mal and Ragnarok...Calantha grimaces and reminds herself not to take out her frustration on Sildar.

Crom rushes up behind her.

As you make your way in to the dark room you see Sildar rise a bit when you come in, "I apologize for not giving you a proper greeting..." he coughs and falls back into the bed slightly. You hear him breathing heavily for a moment and then he carries on, "They took Gundren!" He is taking deep breathes between almost every sentence as he speaks, "He had a map, and that's what they wanted. The Black Spider..." He trails off and you see he is lost in thought, and struggling to stay conscious. 

He comes back to focus and says, "Gundren and his brothers found an entrance to the long-lost Wave Echo Cave, site of the mines of the Phandelver's Pact." He seems to have gathered enough strength to tell you all this and is holding it together as he continues, "The goblins kept talking about the Black Spider, that the Black Spider sent word that the dwarf was to be brought to him, I don't know who or what this Black Spider is, but they are clearly in charge of these goblins and bugbears. I overheard them talking about a place called Cragmaw Castle, but I have never heard of such a castle." After this he catches his breath, drinking some water and taking deep breathes as he looks between you all, "I work with the Lords' Alliance and was told to meet a man named Iarno Albrek, a wizard apparently that was sent here two months ago and hasn't been heard from since." Another break for water and then he says, "Your rooms and board are paid for here at the Stonehill Inn, I've told Toblen that I am covering it. I will also see to it that you each receive a reward for recovering me. I thank you, for I was at the very edge of death." He finally leans back into the bed and looks comfortable, propped up onto a number of pillows, as he looks at you all with earnest gratitude in his eyes.

"Gundren is captured then," says Ink, thinking aloud, "by the Black Spider. How curious."

He then responds to Sildar directly. "And we are relieved, Sildar, to see that you will be well. Thank you for your generosity."

Ink looks at Calantha and Crom, wondering if they might be thinking what he is thinking. Ink then turns back to Sildar and says, "Sildar, we understand that you need your rest, but are you able to give us any idea how, or where, we can pick up the trail of those who have taken Gundren?"

"It sounds like this thing is far from over," Crom says grimly. He stretches his arms a bit to shake the stiffness of sleep from his joints and feels a twinge of pain from the fresh scar across his back.

"It seems like finding this Castle Cragmaw is what you need to do. I have looked at the maps of the region and not seen it. Perhaps some of the locals know of it, you could ask around." Sildar looks thoughtful as he answers this, wracking his brains for any ideas, but gives a short shake after a moment.