"Yeah, they're the muscle.", Jan quips.

She looks around at their prison surroundings. "Being cooped up here seems a steep price to pay for the humiliation of being ordered about... though I suppose we all have different levels of tolerance for that. You seem to be quite the popular girl at the dance, if two powerful families AND some cultists are all vying to spin you around and show you a good time. Though you don't seem the sort of lady who is dependent on the affections of others." 

"Oh this is as good a place as any to find the best price for what I have," Korda says. "It's quiet and safe here. There are always the ones who think they can just threaten you to get what they want or beat it out of you."

She keeps walking for a bit then looks at Avaria and Jan again.

"I'm guessing you're with the dwarves." Korda says. "Too much of a coincidence that you get here the same time they do. So what are you offering? Or it all just the same bluster from Hammerdasher. You better tell me lassie what I want or you'll stay here for ever."

She looks at Avaria.

"That one's the muscle for sure," and then she looks back to Jan "but are you the one in charge, or is it one of the dwarves inside?" 

"A collective of interested equals. More or less. Since you've the means to be comfortable here..." Jan gestures at the same place on her own arm that Korda's tattoo rests, "and if the rumors are to believed, have means of communicating with the outside, I doubt an offer of your freedom will carry much weight. So. What would the woman desire who has everything she wants, in such plush accommodations in paradise such as this?"

Avaria bristles a bit at the mention of the Hargroves, she can't help it.  But she's impressed as the dwarf figures out who they are with.  As Korda calls her 'the muscle' she doesn't so much as twitch as they continue their walk.  Call a spade a spade and all that.  Her ears perk up as they wait to hear what the cold woman wants.

Korda stops and smiles at Jan. The smile seems quite genuine.

"You're the first one to ask that," Korda says. "Most just offer some gold, or freedom, or make threats. But you actually asked what I want. You are the brains, aren't you?"

She steps closer, with her back to the tower guards.

"The warden has a ledger, probably in her office. It contains all the names, crimes, and prisoner numbers of everyone ever incarcerated at Revel’s End, and more importantly lists of their next of kin and where they live. Bring me that list. It's worth more than anything that Hammerdasher's clan ever had in their vault.”

She starts heading to the doorway back inside.

"Best be quick about though. I hear we've visitors coming today."

Jan knows that Ethel outstrips her when it comes to brains by at least as much as Ava outstrips Geoffroi when it comes to muscle, but says nothing to disabuse the dwarf of the notion.

"The whole ledger going missing will result in a swift lockdown as soon as she notices it's missing. I'm assuming you don't intend to blackmail from your cell, and would expect the Hammerdashers drop their claim against you in return?"

While she's conversing with Korda, she'll reach out to K.

<Do you know where the Warden's office is? Do you think you could get in there on your own?>

Korda smiles again.

”I don’t need to keep it. Let me read it outside of my cell and that’s enough. I expect with Hammerdasher getting all his treasure back they’ll stop caring about me.”

K has no idea where the office is but I believe Avaria may have had a conversation with another guard about what was upstairs above the guard barracks.

"And just how will the Hammerdashers be getting their treasure back? We've arrived at the 'both sides know what the other wants, but who gets what when, and how do both sides ensure they don't get screwed over?' part of the conversation. Unless you've got everything from their clan under your bunk? Too much to hope for, I suppose."

Korda laughs, at first quietly then loudly as you make your way back through the hallways and to her cell door.

”That’s the best part. All they need is a key. It never left their stronghold. And that I have with me.”

The cell door opens and she steps inside. She waves good bye as the door closes.

Avaria stares at Korda, a bit dumbfounded.  The treasure never left their stronghold?  Brilliant.  They sure were dealing with quite the mastermind.  Too bad Hammerdasher hated her so much, she'd be quite an asset to the team.

She leans over to Jan as they walk away from Korda's cell, "How will we let her read the ledger?  Like, where?  That is even if we can get our hands on it?  The warden's office is above the guard's room.  I'm glad we've, I mean you, have figured out a way to get what we need without releasing her, but wow.  How are we going to attempt this?  Aren't the Hargroves coming today?  Maybe they will create a distraction?"

She holds her forehead and shakes her head, chuckling a bit, "Sorry for the barrage of questions, but man."

The warden tracks down the group of dwarves and Ethel to let them know that Korda has returned from her outdoor time.

"This might be your only chance to talk to her before the day gets busy," the warden says to the group.

At the same time, the guards are moved on to patrol duty and begin a route around the prison, joined by two other guards they've seen and met before but haven't really talked to very much. But Geffroi and Soren put themselves between those two and Jan and Avaria. Keeping their voices down should still let Avaria and Jan talk without the two new guards hearing.

The route does take them past the mess hall where they notice the warden talking to the others.

((Jan would have been using K to run messages, would she be able to have had the means to write messages on her person to use them to alert the other group to developments?))

((Ya, knowing what has transpired between Jan and Korda will definitely guide this next interaction!))

She wouldn’t have been able to have while out in the exercise yard but she would have been away from prying eyes when they were changing duties and could have sent a note then detailing what they learned.

Marta passes a piece of paper over to Ethel, Ula and Hammerdasher and she rises to go with the Warden.

"No time like the present. My hopes aren't high but we can make an offer that Hargrove can't."

She'll follow the Warden to Korda's cell and addresses the woman,

"Korda, we are able to make you an offer. Your freedom from here, and an oath to not pursue you in the matter of the theft in any way, in exchange for the stolen valuables."

Korda looks at Marta then at the warden and back to Marta and smiles broadly. She then looks at Hammerdasher and winks. His often already ruddy coloured skin gets even redder as he tries to rein in his anger.

"Hmm. That is a tempting offer," Korda says. "But I've heard it before. And you know, it just doesn't get me where I deserve to be in life. I had that before the whole incident with Lord Hammerdasher and his clan."

She looks at Ethel and Ula for a moment then back to Marta.

"Is that all?" Korda asks. "Perhaps you should go and discuss the situation some more with your associates. All of your associates."

She puts some emphasis on 'all' of your associates, but it doesn't look like the warden noticed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the guards team continues making rounds, there is a noticeable increase in activity. More guards are coming down from the barracks and moving to both entrances.

After leaving Korda and heading back towards the barracks, Ava leans over and asks Jan in hushed tones, "Do you think we are able to sneak up there and get it?  Think your dust creature can help us?  I don't know... part of me is thinking this is way better than getting her out, but the other part of me.. if we get caught, we could be residents of this lovely prison ourselves."  she shudders at the thought.  And now with Hargrove on their way?  She feels the tension almost physically on her skin.

"It is a more than generous offer, given you find yourself where you deserve to be now after the incident. But we will discuss the situation further and see if further accommodation can be made. We will see you again soon," 

Marta angles herself so her face isn't visible to the warden (like stepping closer to the bars) and finishes her response, giving Korda a sly smile and a wink.

"But we be doing this by the book."

Turning away from Korda she scowls, looks to Ethel and Ula for commentary before looking to the warden,

"We need to discuss the situation again."

And as they are walking away, and well out of ear shot of Korda says to the warden,

"And we need to see what the Hargroves are bringing to the table. Thank you for your time warden, I know you are busy."

Once they are away from the warden in the cafeteria again she will say to the others in the group,

"I will try and observe the Hargroves as they come in, they'll recognize the rest of you."

As the group walks away with the warden, a guard comes up quickly and speaks quietly to the warden. She says something back, equally quietly and then turns to the group.

"They've arrived, both by ice and overland." The warden says. "They've a substantial force of black clad soldiers who have arrived overland at the stable gate. We can not deny entry to Lord Hargrove and his immediate retinue but we'll do our best to keep the rest outside."

She then heads off towards the elevator entry gate.

Marta gives a nod in return.

"We'll be around if you have any need of us."

She will then wave her retinue up to their rooms and ask,

"So, after reading that note for Jan, what do we think?"