The Forgotten Wish

Breldo glances back, lips in a thin line and gives a tiny nod of the head before following upward.

Sylvera blinks, having somewhat expected this response. Nodding at the guard and doing her best to not appear that she didn't want to talk to the captain, she forces a broader smile as the big-chinned man comes down the stairs. 

"Oh good, I was worried you were busy," she clasps her hands together. "I thank you Captain, for understanding my need to retrieve my worker." She sighs, "It seems that our need for haste has grown overnight, so my thanks to you has only increased." She purses her lips at his question, not really wanting to share any information with this man, but realizing that this whole encounter likely has his suspicions raised. Still... why the sudden inquiry about their destination?

Then she notices his apparent tiredness and takes the opportunity to change the subject, "Oh my... did you neglect your sleep just so you could see me off?" She takes a couple steps towards him, but pulls up short. "You shouldn't have! ...and to think, I almost left without even saying goodbye." She shakes her head, letting some of her actual concern seep into her voice as she waits for Breldo to be led into the room. They can't afford any delays, not with Pallen's current state. She needs to see this group to their destination as quickly as possible. 

Looking slightly flustered, she takes a couple steps back and makes a show of tending to her hair, "Forgive me Captain, but I cannot quell your curiosity as I cannot disclose my partner's reasons for his time limit. It is a... touchy subject to say the least." She crosses her arms, managing to make the closed-off stance look somewhat insecure, "I'm sure you understand. We all have thing's we'd rather keep private." She offers a wry smile, hoping that Breldo will make it up the stairs before this conversation drags out.  

Nuria cowers behind Sylvera and the others, all the while darting glances between the captain and the stairs leading down to the prison cells. All she wants it to get out of here. To leave this place and never come back. She thinks that Sylvera is doing a good job with speaking to the captain, but then again, she can't tell how much of the woman's words are just fluff to put the captain at ease.

The captain is taken by surprise on the comment on his looks, a hand raising to his face as if that would somehow verify how apparent it was, the smile briefly replaced with something far less pleasant... But forced right back onto his visage in a flash.

"Ah, you needn't worry, nothing quite that bad! And... Well, I suppose I cannot force you."

"Still, will you not at least share what direction you are going? If only so I could warn you about any potential tidings in whatever direction you're going," he says, seeming flabbergasted about what could possibly be going on... Although anyone that should know anything about elves and such a "time sensitive" matter would probably have some kind of idea. It's around that time that Breldo gets brought back up with his friends...

And the captain cannot hide his immediate, very smug grin.

"And there we have the troublemaker. I'm certain you sobered up over night, did you not? Say your graces to your master, and you'll cause no further trouble, will you?"

Sylvera lets out a 'relieved' sigh, "Oh, I see." She taps a finger on her elbow, considering her options for a moment. She doesn't particularly want to tell this man where they intend to go. For all she knows, he might decide that sending some 'bandits' their way would get rid of Breldo and whatever problems he caused... which, the fact that she has no clue as to what this fool's motives are is rather annoying to her. Considering what happened with his supposed 'bandits' when they entered the town to begin with, it wouldn't surprise her if the captain had something up his sleeve. So, how to deflect this without him catching on? She smiles, "I thank you for your concern, and if it were just up to me I would tell you, but I have to honor my partner's wishes. I think we will be safe enough, we hired body guards for a reason, though perhaps you could let me know if there is anything of concern on any of the main roads?" Her smile widens, and then her gaze turns to Breldo as he's lead up the stairs. Once she catches sight of him, her smile disappears and is replaced with a scowl. 

"Yes, let's hear it," she says, agreeing with the captain as she gives Breldo a pointed look. "And then we will be on our way. You've caused us a major delay, so I'll expect you to work twice as hard, no, three times as hard to make up for it. And apologize to the captain, he could have kept you locked up much longer but decided to let you go out of consideration for me." She lifts her chin, waiting, and hoping that Breldo catches on to the fact that this is just an attempt to avoid trouble. 

"Apologies, m'Lady,", Breldo says, ducking his head in deference. "I let my ambitious mouth run away with me again, a failing of my line, I think. My father was an incompetent twit, who squandered what good name and money we had, leaving me to toil and labor in the backwaters, and sometimes I get delusions of being something more than I am, and hatch a plan to claw back some measure of dignity and purpose. The sooner I realize that I'm barely fit for the position I hold in your service, the happier I'm sure I'll be, shouldering the weight of my sire's failures onto the backs of blameless innocents betrays the flaw in my character."

He turns to the Captain, and gives a deep bow, speaking from the lowered position, "A thousand apologies, noble Captain, please forgive the failed son of a failed father for complicating your life, and for extending your grace and kindness, when you could just as easily have kept me locked up on charges as strong as those detaining the meager prisoners below."

Sylvera, wanting nothing more than to simply get out of there without further issues, plays the role of the noble quite well, and demands an apology from Breldo. And what apology Breldo gives. An heartfelt apology the halfling makes, filled with sorrow, regret... And more than just a little bit of a very thinly veiled allegory directed straight at the captain.

It almost feels like even the waking city outside suddenly grows very, very quiet, when the insinuation of what Breldo is making starts to hit. A few nearby guards, again more interested in watching the show than anything else, stare silently as they gauge his reaction. By the time Breldo finishes, the captain is staring right back. A cold, steely glare. And then.

"It is good you see the failures of your ways! Be glad I am a most merciful lord."

The captain seems to utterly miss whatever Breldo was suggesting. Either that, or cares not to indulge it any longer, as he turns back toward Sylvera.

"Ah, very well... No, there's been nothing of too significance, except the recent issue, should you be heading back North. Of course, if you're going East you will be heading into dwarven lands eventually, and we no longer hold management there, so your safety will not be assured by yours truly. I wish you good fortune, on whatever your quest may be."

Breldo closes his eyes to avoid betraying the heavy rolling that is going on. He keeps quiet until they are heading back to the inn, before filling the others in.

"Captain is corrupt, or a colossal idiot, though... perhaps both. Best I can figure, his father squandered their family fortune, leading him to end up here. The shopkeep had possession of some of their family goods from when the estate went under, and he framed the fellow and three unfortunates he'd rather be rid of, a thief, a halfwit and a drunk as accomplices in a murder ambush plot. Blaming them for the tree we saw dropped, thanks to the merchant seeking favor with the Captain. I merely raised questions about the investigation, such as it was, and he put me in there overnight. I don't know what he means to do with the four he has locked up, but I am certainly against fallen nobles taking their family drama out on the common folk."

"However... we are on a job with some measure of urgency."

The grizzled scout frowns.

Sylvera gives a firm nod at Breldo's apology, and once more thanks the captain. Once they are well away from the prison her 'pleasant' demeanor completely melts away into an expression of pure disgust. 

She snorts when Breldo begins explaining what happened, throwing in a, "Oh, he's definitely an idiot. That much was obvious from our first encounter with him." She shakes her head, "And idiots in power, especially corrupt idiots in power, are dangerous in their own right."

"But that doesn't matter. It's behind us now," she barely manages to hide a grimace, clearly not looking forward to the thought of ever passing back through that town again. "Just be glad we didn't run into any more trouble." 

Nuria listens to Breldo's words, thinking them over. Her first thought was that it wasn't their problem, a thought she then tries to beat out of her head since what the captain was doing is terrible and she should feel bad for the poor folks he's locked up for his own gain. She DOES feel sorry for them. She feel's sorry for anyone who's been locked up for anything...well unless they actually deserve to be lock up. She certainly wouldn't feel bad for the captain. All in all she'd never really troubled herself with this sort of thing. So long as it wasn't her that was being targeted anyways. Up until her current situation, the only thing she'd been concerned about was her own survival.

Scampering along with the group, she sticks close to Breldo. However, she continuously looks over her shoulder, back towards the guardhouse as if she feels they are being followed. She glances down at the frowning halfling, and tries to think of a response...but she can't seem to form any words. They are on a time limit due to Mr. Pallen's illness, but would it make her a terrible person to simply dismiss the predicament the common folk of this town are facing? The thought makes her sick. And it makes her feel worse when she can't figure out if that feeling comes from the fear of helping, or the notion of doing nothing. Oh maybe she is just a terrible, selfish person. She ducks her head, hiding her face in her hair.

The group rapidly starts preparing for leaving...

(How are you leaving for Mossley, the fastest route? And perception rolls from everyone.)

Breldo, upon returning to the inn, would apologize to Pallen.

"Apologies sir, I'm not sure what the others mentioned, but my mouth ran afoul of the sensibilities of the local constabulary and they decided to keep me overnight. I'm well aware that my detention could have delayed your trip, or left you with less help getting you where you need to be if they hadn't let me out this morning." 

Pallen, for his part, seems more relieved than upset in any capacity, and quickly ensures Breldo that he's been filled in on some of the injustice that's been going on. For his own part, hearing those words, he seems almost... Conflicted. But still doesn't waste much time in as he leans forward on the cart he's already been loaded in, speaking to Breldo a bit more directly.

"...There were others, yeah? What do you think this captain is going to do with them?"

"Yes... a tiefling girl, a simple fellow and a local drunk. The Captain is of the firm opinion that they murdered a band of dwarves back where we saw that toppled tree at the behest of a local shopkeep who just so happened to have ownership of some of the Captain's family heirlooms. He said they would be investigating the 'ambush site', though I have no reason to think he won't see what he wants to see there. I don't know if he's satisfied keeping them in lockup, or will be pursuing other punishments..."

Pallen nods, a pained look upon his face, as he briefly gazes in what seems to be the vague direction of their destination.

"Murder, of multiple people, under circumstances like this? Such a thing would give most dire punishments. No matter on whether it's true or not."

There is a brief moment of silence, before he continues.

"...There has to be something we can do, right? Surely this captain isn't the leader figure here. Some kind of village leader, someone else in power- Worst case, do they not respond to Mhurgot here?"

Seems out of all the people who should be worrying about time, Pallen does so the least.

History: 11

Breldo reflects on if he heard of some sort of village leader, or who they would report to in terms of legal proceedings.

Rick remains quiet and watches the exchange, but at the end asks,

"Rick agrees that the Captain is most crooked, but if Boss Pallen and Breldo get involved what proof is there?"

Rick shakes his head sadly,

"Rick also knows newcomers are often saddled with blame if anything happens when they are around."

"That captain seems to care very strongly about his noble lineage.  Even if there is a town mayor or such, would he really respect their authority?"

Breldo thinks for a moment, and he's pretty sure he's overheard some of the logistics before. Passley is a bit of a special case perhaps, what with it mostly existing to be safe passage between Mezzra and Mhurgot, but it still obliges by the common rules of cities. There is certainly a village leader of some kind, and he might even be minor nobility. Of course, the question on whether Vanstrom would even want to listen to "lesser" nobility that Khond brings up might be apt...

In addition, he knows there are some merchant guilds here that while they don't command anything, hold some sway at least. And finally, just thinking in general, all are part of the kingdom, so any station from Mhurgot would be considered a superior to Vanstrom. But nobody like that would probably be in Passley.

And in addition, Slick points out that sticking noses in other people's business often ends up bad. Pallen can't help but sigh.

"You're right. I... I'd like to say I would do something, but I would probably just keep quiet too. I get to talk a lot when I have little to lose, now."

"Yeah, there's a village leader, but not sure if Vanstrom would feel they outrank him. Vanstrom's superiors would be out of Mhurgot, but they are far enough that he may be able to get away with flaunting protocol. Perhaps a condemning letter passed to the mayor here, and one sent on to Mhurgot could bring an investigation down on him? Not sure that'd be in time for any of those locked up..."

"I agree Richard, the voices of passers-through aren't likely to carry much weight."