Gewyn returns to the bar later that night with warm fruit cake on hand. Seeing Sam still going strong, he puts a slice on a small platter and slides it in front of Sam before slipping quietly up to his room.
The next morning he comes down and serves the rest of the cake to everyone around the table, even taking a small slice for himself. "Alright, let's get Sam sobered up, grab the chest from my room, and head out. Sooner the better." He looks around awkwardly and keeps his head low.
Griff follows Elthana to the last room, and she collapses on the bed, not caring where Griff decides to sleep - maybe there are two beds? or the floor.
As she heads down and hears that Sam was up all night drinking, she heads over to him and puts her hand on his shoulder, "You alright Sam? You should have gone to bed, got some decent sleep." She sits down next to him, "A niece? With the same name as Trina? Well, isn't that nice." Unsure of how to respond, she looks surprised when he asks why she never wears dresses, "Well.." and she doesn't have to answer as Sam has already turned direction to food. As he calls for more ale, she turns towards Trina, "No, water. More water please!"
She watches, mouth slightly agape as Sam pulls more and more gold out for Trina. Finally she puts her hand on his forearm, "Sam... I think you're good. How about some more water and ooh, some coffee?"
Elthana smiles up as Gewyn gives her some cake, but then is a little taken aback at how he is keeping his head low. "Need any assistance with that chest?"
Muir expelled from his tree again unable to wake up before the expulsion comes in rubbing his rear and back "Good Morning. Are we ready to....." Before he finishes his sentence he sees Sam swaying back and forth in his chair and Elthana ordering coffee for him. "Oh I suppose we are not ready to move on yet....No sign of Vincent?"
"I'm fine... I'm fine..." Sam insists and proves it by standing up and holding his arms out wide in a 'tada!' kind of pose. There's not exactly swaying, though his eyes are narrowed and it is obvious he is concentrating on each move. Perhaps the drink hit his self control more than his motor control. Perhaps the food and coffee he's taken in worked faster than expected. He is drunk as a skunk, no doubt, but he's a functioning drunk...
"Load the chest and move on," Sam says slowly, concentrating on the words. "We'll sleep in the carriage we will..."
"Vincent? Vincent??" Sam asks, perplexed. "Who the hell is Vincent??"
Noting Elthana's concern, Gewyn blushes and quickly says, "Clearly you caught signs that I missed, and your jokes didn't clue me in. The poor sap was looking for more than a business partner. Sweet man, really, and so nervous. He made me a cake. But I couldn't. Not with him. Not now. I made as graceful an exit as possible, and some excuses that are heavily predicated on a swift and early departure. You all know how it is, right?"He looks up at Sam's triumphant if not effortful pose and says, "Yep, He looks good to go. I'll go grab the chest. I can do it alone, but it will probably faster with two."
"Okay, great,"Gewyn says, patting Sam's muscular back. "Let's get on the road, head out, arrive at Marblestead, and then go visit the Wizard for "'crazy chest and buy growth potions.'"
Vin arrives downstairs just before breakfast is served, followed as usual by his faithful hound. He sits and eats interested in what Sam got up to during the night, as he feeds Nef a couple of sausages.
Iver makes his way in through the front door as the group finishes up their meal and prepares to leave. He is wearing only a warm cloak and some comfortable clothes, instead of his usual guard armour, fresh bandages can be seen poking up over his shirt, covering his burns. Helana, Iver's sister walks in behind him, and noticeably Vin's excitement is immediately toned down, he averts his eyes as Helana catches his.
"Well it appears that this is where I leave you guys" Iver pipes up, "my sister is going to look after me and we'll head to marblestead together when her leave application is granted, likely later today or tomorrow. Maybe I'll see you at the winter solstice!" Iver's attitude is upbeat and he looks around as helana pushes past him and walks up to Vin, "Hey, I owe you a debt of gratitude, you did as I asked and brought him back in one piece..." She pulls a necklace out from within her cloak and dangles it in front of vin, the one that vin had had in the forests of Hokum when he was first searching for Iver. "Here, I can get another, it's a family ring, if you take this with you and visit our family home, it will signify that we owe you something, the family Pepper will do you a favour anytime you are in need." And with that she lays the ring on the table by Vin.
Nef looks from Vin to Helana and barks a little at Vin's hesitancy, nudging her head into his thigh to prod him to respond, "I thank you for the offer, but it's ok really, I know how much he means to you and we would have brought him back either way... I'm sorry he got injured", at this Helana leans down and gives the still seated Vin an awkward hug "hey, it's not your fault he got burned right? I'm sure you did what you could to stop him from throwing himself headlong into danger"
“Did Wha he…?” Sam asks around a mouthful of food. Swallowing he turn to Iver. “You just putting up with dis?”
“Look lady,” Sam says loudly, turning his head to Helana and pointing at her with a fork with a big heaping of breakfast poised precariously on its tines. “Don’t be laying no guilt trip on the kid for what the guy did! I don’t know the details, don’t really care, but Vin’s still a kid and over this is a grown ass man, even if he’s not acting one by telling you this his own self!”
Sam knows he’s still full on drunk and he feels that letting his temper glare a lot more than he should. He pauses a moment and wonders if he’s going to let it go full boil or if maybe he won’t… He recognizes he’s drunk and he recognizes it’s the drunkest telling him to stand up and full on get in their faces about this issue that doesn’t even concern him. But recognition isn’t actually control…
But then again, there is a tasty looking korself of meat on the end of his fork. “Aww, screw it. You’re all adults. Or near enough. Sort out your own shit,” Sam says and then bites the food off the fork and chews loudly and angrily.
Muir looks at the woman he’s never met and pieces together she’s talking about Iver. Iver confirmed that it’s his sister. Muir having nothing to do with this takes a few pieces of food from the table wraps it and puts it in his bag. As Sam gets mad and angrily eats he decides to help Gewyn carry whatever he needs help with or at least act like it to start moving to the door.
A smile cracks across Elthana's face as Gewyn admits to what happened the night before. "Maybe next time you'll listen to me,"she winks, this time with one eye, "I've been around a bit as well."
Elthana grabs Sam by the arm and forces him up out of his chair. "That's enough. We are leaving." She picks up the mug of coffee and hands it to him, "Here, drink a bit more of this and then you're sleeping in the carriage."
She doesn't apologize for Sam's behavior as she isn't a big fan of Iver's sister anyways, but nods towards Iver and steers Sam towards the door.
Helana merely glares at Sam as he is quickly extricated from the bar, and then turns back to Vin, thanking him again before leaving, followed by Iver "see you soon guys!" He waves and smiles as he leaves.
It's at this point grif makes his first sound of the morning as he chokes down a sausage and greedily gulps the coffee, "is very good, I am liking this food and drinks very much"
As the group steadily finish their morning activities and ready the carriage, it is time to set off once more, only two travelling days remaining until reaching Marblestead proper.
“Just the grow potion then straight home,” Sam grumbles as he allows himself to be helped into the carriage. “magine it,,” Sam says with grace serious to whoever is closest. “I’ll be huge! Huuuuuuuge!” Sam then giggles until the hiccups hit.
“Griff got his shiny… Gewyn got his… Gam wants a potion too…”
“HUUUUUUGE!!!”
Sam then goes quiet for a bit. Perhaps there is snoring, perhaps not. Just as everyone is sure he’s asleep he adds “Elthana will make sure I don’t pay too much….”
As the group leave, Trina hands ten of the 27gold that Sam handed over back to Elthana specifically, and with a shoulder nudge sends them all on their way.
At Sam's drunken request, the group pass by Dennis's shop on the way out and purchase a potion of Growth, for full price at 250gold, which is easy enough to take from the sleeping Sam's bag.
The day is devoid of any snowfall as the group travels the road between Trundlesten and Marblestead, the road itself is clearer than the road out to Hokum, evidence that this path is more travelled. With the rolling hills on their left, and breathing marblesteads own forest on their right, the day goes by without incident for the group. Griff and Vin fly over head, Griff still needing regular sleeping breaks upon which he simply roosts upon the roof of the carriage, Neferox guards the carriage as much as possible keeping a close eye on where Vin is at all times.
As the sun begins to descend, the group find an area to pull of the road, and the area feels familiar to some of the group.
Elthana gives Sam the 10 gold that Trina relinquished on their way out of Trundlesten and tries her best to enjoy the ride for the day. She spends a lot of it waiting or watching to see what Gewyn is going to do with the chest he got from Dennis, to see if he can open it and what might be inside.
When they stop to make camp, she gets out and stretches her legs, noting this was the spot they camped on their way out. But then she feels a prickling on the back of her neck, as though being watched. She tells the others then asks them to wait while she attempts to scout it out. If Vin insists, she agrees and asks him to go in a different direction.
Vin nods to Elthana and floats up above the tree tops to get a better view.
Griff snores a little from the top of the carriage.
As Elthana and Muir set about searching the area they both spot something and then immediately lose sight of it, taking them further into the trees in search.
Muir looks at Elthana and nods his head towards the animal. Muir casts speak with animals and begins to walk towards the animal and talk in a quiet calm voice
"Hello little one. I am Muir. I have food...nuts and berries. Perhaps you want seeds? I am a friend"
Gewyn returns to the bar later that night with warm fruit cake on hand. Seeing Sam still going strong, he puts a slice on a small platter and slides it in front of Sam before slipping quietly up to his room.
The next morning he comes down and serves the rest of the cake to everyone around the table, even taking a small slice for himself. "Alright, let's get Sam sobered up, grab the chest from my room, and head out. Sooner the better." He looks around awkwardly and keeps his head low.
Griff follows Elthana to the last room, and she collapses on the bed, not caring where Griff decides to sleep - maybe there are two beds? or the floor.
As she heads down and hears that Sam was up all night drinking, she heads over to him and puts her hand on his shoulder, "You alright Sam? You should have gone to bed, got some decent sleep." She sits down next to him, "A niece? With the same name as Trina? Well, isn't that nice." Unsure of how to respond, she looks surprised when he asks why she never wears dresses, "Well.." and she doesn't have to answer as Sam has already turned direction to food. As he calls for more ale, she turns towards Trina, "No, water. More water please!"
She watches, mouth slightly agape as Sam pulls more and more gold out for Trina. Finally she puts her hand on his forearm, "Sam... I think you're good. How about some more water and ooh, some coffee?"
Elthana smiles up as Gewyn gives her some cake, but then is a little taken aback at how he is keeping his head low. "Need any assistance with that chest?"
Muir expelled from his tree again unable to wake up before the expulsion comes in rubbing his rear and back "Good Morning. Are we ready to....." Before he finishes his sentence he sees Sam swaying back and forth in his chair and Elthana ordering coffee for him. "Oh I suppose we are not ready to move on yet....No sign of Vincent?"
"I'm fine... I'm fine..." Sam insists and proves it by standing up and holding his arms out wide in a 'tada!' kind of pose. There's not exactly swaying, though his eyes are narrowed and it is obvious he is concentrating on each move. Perhaps the drink hit his self control more than his motor control. Perhaps the food and coffee he's taken in worked faster than expected. He is drunk as a skunk, no doubt, but he's a functioning drunk...
"Load the chest and move on," Sam says slowly, concentrating on the words. "We'll sleep in the carriage we will..."
"Vincent? Vincent??" Sam asks, perplexed. "Who the hell is Vincent??"
"More portantly, where's the kid? Where's Vin?"
Noting Elthana's concern, Gewyn blushes and quickly says, "Clearly you caught signs that I missed, and your jokes didn't clue me in. The poor sap was looking for more than a business partner. Sweet man, really, and so nervous. He made me a cake. But I couldn't. Not with him. Not now. I made as graceful an exit as possible, and some excuses that are heavily predicated on a swift and early departure. You all know how it is, right?" He looks up at Sam's triumphant if not effortful pose and says, "Yep, He looks good to go. I'll go grab the chest. I can do it alone, but it will probably faster with two."
"Reminds me," Sam says with a bit of a blur to his words. "Should stop by Wizards. Crazy chest and buy growth potions..."
"Okay, great," Gewyn says, patting Sam's muscular back. "Let's get on the road, head out, arrive at Marblestead, and then go visit the Wizard for "'crazy chest and buy growth potions.'"
Vin arrives downstairs just before breakfast is served, followed as usual by his faithful hound. He sits and eats interested in what Sam got up to during the night, as he feeds Nef a couple of sausages.
Iver makes his way in through the front door as the group finishes up their meal and prepares to leave. He is wearing only a warm cloak and some comfortable clothes, instead of his usual guard armour, fresh bandages can be seen poking up over his shirt, covering his burns. Helana, Iver's sister walks in behind him, and noticeably Vin's excitement is immediately toned down, he averts his eyes as Helana catches his.
"Well it appears that this is where I leave you guys" Iver pipes up, "my sister is going to look after me and we'll head to marblestead together when her leave application is granted, likely later today or tomorrow. Maybe I'll see you at the winter solstice!" Iver's attitude is upbeat and he looks around as helana pushes past him and walks up to Vin, "Hey, I owe you a debt of gratitude, you did as I asked and brought him back in one piece..." She pulls a necklace out from within her cloak and dangles it in front of vin, the one that vin had had in the forests of Hokum when he was first searching for Iver. "Here, I can get another, it's a family ring, if you take this with you and visit our family home, it will signify that we owe you something, the family Pepper will do you a favour anytime you are in need." And with that she lays the ring on the table by Vin.
Nef looks from Vin to Helana and barks a little at Vin's hesitancy, nudging her head into his thigh to prod him to respond, "I thank you for the offer, but it's ok really, I know how much he means to you and we would have brought him back either way... I'm sorry he got injured", at this Helana leans down and gives the still seated Vin an awkward hug "hey, it's not your fault he got burned right? I'm sure you did what you could to stop him from throwing himself headlong into danger"
“Did Wha he…?” Sam asks around a mouthful of food. Swallowing he turn to Iver. “You just putting up with dis?”
“Look lady,” Sam says loudly, turning his head to Helana and pointing at her with a fork with a big heaping of breakfast poised precariously on its tines. “Don’t be laying no guilt trip on the kid for what the guy did! I don’t know the details, don’t really care, but Vin’s still a kid and over this is a grown ass man, even if he’s not acting one by telling you this his own self!”
Sam knows he’s still full on drunk and he feels that letting his temper glare a lot more than he should. He pauses a moment and wonders if he’s going to let it go full boil or if maybe he won’t… He recognizes he’s drunk and he recognizes it’s the drunkest telling him to stand up and full on get in their faces about this issue that doesn’t even concern him. But recognition isn’t actually control…
But then again, there is a tasty looking korself of meat on the end of his fork. “Aww, screw it. You’re all adults. Or near enough. Sort out your own shit,” Sam says and then bites the food off the fork and chews loudly and angrily.
Muir looks at the woman he’s never met and pieces together she’s talking about Iver. Iver confirmed that it’s his sister. Muir having nothing to do with this takes a few pieces of food from the table wraps it and puts it in his bag. As Sam gets mad and angrily eats he decides to help Gewyn carry whatever he needs help with or at least act like it to start moving to the door.
A smile cracks across Elthana's face as Gewyn admits to what happened the night before. "Maybe next time you'll listen to me," she winks, this time with one eye, "I've been around a bit as well."
Elthana grabs Sam by the arm and forces him up out of his chair. "That's enough. We are leaving." She picks up the mug of coffee and hands it to him, "Here, drink a bit more of this and then you're sleeping in the carriage."
She doesn't apologize for Sam's behavior as she isn't a big fan of Iver's sister anyways, but nods towards Iver and steers Sam towards the door.
Helana merely glares at Sam as he is quickly extricated from the bar, and then turns back to Vin, thanking him again before leaving, followed by Iver "see you soon guys!" He waves and smiles as he leaves.
It's at this point grif makes his first sound of the morning as he chokes down a sausage and greedily gulps the coffee, "is very good, I am liking this food and drinks very much"
As the group steadily finish their morning activities and ready the carriage, it is time to set off once more, only two travelling days remaining until reaching Marblestead proper.
“Just the grow potion then straight home,” Sam grumbles as he allows himself to be helped into the carriage.
“magine it,,” Sam says with grace serious to whoever is closest. “I’ll be huge! Huuuuuuuge!” Sam then giggles until the hiccups hit.
“Griff got his shiny… Gewyn got his… Gam wants a potion too…”
“HUUUUUUGE!!!”
Sam then goes quiet for a bit. Perhaps there is snoring, perhaps not. Just as everyone is sure he’s asleep he adds “Elthana will make sure I don’t pay too much….”
As the group leave, Trina hands ten of the 27gold that Sam handed over back to Elthana specifically, and with a shoulder nudge sends them all on their way.
At Sam's drunken request, the group pass by Dennis's shop on the way out and purchase a potion of Growth, for full price at 250gold, which is easy enough to take from the sleeping Sam's bag.
The day is devoid of any snowfall as the group travels the road between Trundlesten and Marblestead, the road itself is clearer than the road out to Hokum, evidence that this path is more travelled. With the rolling hills on their left, and breathing marblesteads own forest on their right, the day goes by without incident for the group. Griff and Vin fly over head, Griff still needing regular sleeping breaks upon which he simply roosts upon the roof of the carriage, Neferox guards the carriage as much as possible keeping a close eye on where Vin is at all times.
As the sun begins to descend, the group find an area to pull of the road, and the area feels familiar to some of the group.
Elthana gives Sam the 10 gold that Trina relinquished on their way out of Trundlesten and tries her best to enjoy the ride for the day. She spends a lot of it waiting or watching to see what Gewyn is going to do with the chest he got from Dennis, to see if he can open it and what might be inside.
When they stop to make camp, she gets out and stretches her legs, noting this was the spot they camped on their way out. But then she feels a prickling on the back of her neck, as though being watched. She tells the others then asks them to wait while she attempts to scout it out. If Vin insists, she agrees and asks him to go in a different direction.
Vin nods to Elthana and floats up above the tree tops to get a better view.
Griff snores a little from the top of the carriage.
As Elthana and Muir set about searching the area they both spot something and then immediately lose sight of it, taking them further into the trees in search.
Muir looks at Elthana and nods his head towards the animal. Muir casts speak with animals and begins to walk towards the animal and talk in a quiet calm voice
"Hello little one. I am Muir. I have food...nuts and berries. Perhaps you want seeds? I am a friend"
A squeak rings out louder than any normal forest critter in response,
"I have enough food thank you elephant man, I can show you where you can rest and eat though if you'd like?"
Muir continues
“Oh you have a safe haven? What is your name? I am Muir”
He turns to Elthana and tells her what the squirrel said
"Muir? Muuuuuir... Why do mortals have such boring names, anyway come quickly or I'll lock the door behind me! Haha!"
The squeaking continues, now catching the attention of vin who lowers into the canopy causing Neferox to sprint up alongside Muir and Elthana