The Forgotten Wish

Nuria looks a bit concerned when everyone starts to disperse. However, she calms down a bit when Khond starts playing. It's been so long since she'd been this close to a performance, she'd almost forgotten what music was like. Finding an empty table, Nuria sits down and listens to the Centaur's Song.

Khond starts his performance, and soon has the crowd that has began gathering into the tavern under such a trance, they seem to consider the fact that it is being played by a centaur second. Even Rick's table falls slightly silent... But still answers his inquiries. 

"Who you'd ask..? Not sure- Just heard it in passing from Ron on our way here, but he clearly heard it from someone else, too."

"Go ask the guards I'd guess? If they're the ones that fixed the mess, they'd ought to be the ones to know."

Breldo has found himself a comfortable table or booth, where he can see the whole room from his seat, and is just enjoying sitting down and listening to Khond's performance while waiting for the eventual arrival of dinner.

Rick relaxes slightly,

"Rick will have dinner then solve this ambush mystery. Who is to be Rick's partner? Rick is ready to win today!"

As Khond continues playing, and Rick starts playing a few games of Bridge with Fel as his partner, dinner eventually comes out. Stew being the main course, a piece of bread complementary, a few options on the menu for those who want to lavish in luxury of a future payday. Sylvera too gets a knock on her door for the food.

(Rick, assuming you're not doing anything specific, just give me a d20 roll to see how the game goes. )

Breldo will point out the finer points of eating meals in a tavern while on a job to anyone who will listen (or those who are not).

"Always want to eat your fill when it's someone else's copper, but if you're in the middle of a job, always best to make sure that if you had to drop your fork and draw a blade, you're not too stuffed to do so. Pacing is the name of the game, put it down too fast, you can end up fuller than you think you are without knowing it! If it's a place where the bread is free and they keep refilling it, that probably means the portions are smaller, and they are hoping you fill up on the bread first, but since they go through a lot of it, the bread is usually pretty fresh and pretty good at those places. One complimentary piece of bread, you can trust it's going to be a good balance. Won't get skimped on the main dish, and the bread will still be good. Free bread places can be handy if you're out of coin, though usually they only bring the bread when you order a meal, but if you can afford an ale and little else, you can sip on that and snag left over bread off tables that are done with it, if you're quick and careful. Less dodgy than trying to finish the dregs of someone's stew, or the like."

"Friend Fel, we play to win!"

Lady luck: 5

Rick would take a break from play to deliver Pallen his food, as promised.

"Boss Pallen okay? Rick can help Boss down to listen after?"

(I didn't put it on my character sheet....How much money did we earn from the market?)

(I think the boat thing only got you two gold, + whatever you may have looted + whatever else you may have done in Mezzra at the time.)

Nuria looks between Breldo and Khond, doing her best to listen to both of them. She's a bit confused when the halfling starts talking about food, only really understanding the 'don't stuff yourself so full you can't fight part.' To someone who's been living off scraps for her whole life, food is food. Some just tastes better than others.

Breldo, Nuria, and Khond once he takes a break to enjoy his own free meal (and a few additional drinks being bought for him), chatting and enjoying the music, Sylvera likely joining them after, while Rick enjoys at least a few games of Bridge. Winning some, losing some, but together with Fel seeming to come out mostly on top. He takes a quick break to go bring Pallen's food up to his chamber, elf giving him a grateful smile as the tabaxi asks if he should come back later.

"I... Would appreciate it, yes. I don't plan to bum anyone out these last few days, so I might as well try to enjoy them, right? I'll manage, thank you," Pallen says, accepting the stew. It is immediately obvious that the man has some issues, even though he manages: his fingers seem to be partially frozen already, restricting movement, and he fails an elegant grip on the utensil. Still, by pinching tightly between two fingers, he's still managing to eat unaided.

---

Somewhere else, Oren presumably looks through his purse to find that he probably couldn't be affording the relic without taking a loan... Or maybe Pallen could be convinced to pay him in advance? Or there is of course the good old strategy of haggling of course.

But perhaps it is not meant to be. In the few moments that Oren is taking the time to count funds, does the entrance swing open again. Two burly men stepping through, clad in guards armor, and their vision seeming to entirely avoid the store at large, focusing only on its owner- Who seems almost hesitant to even address the newcomers, stepping toward the duo in a manner seeming almost hostile.

"Can I help you, gentlemen..?"

"Save it Bryon," the taller of the two says, one hand put down on his waist, close to the mace there.

"The game's up. We figured out your dirty scheme. You're coming with us," the other adds, leaving the merchant to stammer in apparent confusion as attention turns to Oren. "And who's this? Not another accomplice?"

Rick smiles and nods,

"Rick will be back in a few minutes to help Boss Pallen down to listen to friend Khond. After that Rick needs to talk to guards. Rick heard there was an ambush on the road Rick and Boss Pallen came up and somehow the guards here already captured the bandits! Enjoy the somewhat spicy soup Boss Pallen!"

At that he'll head back down to play a few more hands of bridge before returning to gather Pallen and take him down to watch and listen. Rick would get Pallen a nice spot, indicating for Khond to clear the Boss a spot if needed.

Sylvera is surprised that Khond's performance is actually... well worth listening to. Then she notices that everyone else was getting their food. Hadn't she asked for her meal to be brought to her? Humph, what poor customer service. Whatever servant is sent to bring her meal should be honored to do so, and yet no one was bringing her food. She crosses her arms, eyeing the room through her barely opened door. Then she huffs, and strides over to collect her meal, face cold as she does so. 

She very nearly makes an angry comment about how she's been expecting her meal to be brought to her, but then notices that Pallen is not with them. Her eyes drift over to the room the other elf is staying in, and a look of half pity--half disgust crosses her face. The expression is quickly covered up after she dips her chin for a moment. Clearly multiple thoughts ran through her head, and whatever they were proved enough to distract her from her previous annoyance.

Finding herself at a loss for words, for one reason or another, she finds herself a relatively empty corner and hopes that the innkeeper will actually remember to bring her her meal if she is within view. For the first time since joining the company, her haughty/regal/typical noble behavior falters, and she looks rather tired and perhaps a little sad. This of course is immediately wiped away if anyone so much as glances in her direction.   

Breldo notes Sylvera's return, but doesn't make eye contact, his only acknowledgement a quiet comment to Nuria, "And if you want food to be brought to your room, always make sure to overpay in advance, keeps the staff eager to help, and works a lot better than demands. Not that I'd expect your or I to waste good coin on the privilege of eating alone. If I want a meal solo, I'll get it to go and find a nice tree to sit in!"

One of the inn helpers did in fact bring Sylvera's food up to her room, but she's forgiven because it happened so fast that it could probably be described as a throwaway one-liner. Which was as easily missed as the knock on the door, which within the actual world itself, perhaps it's best to say that the helper mistakenly thought she was sleeping, and now are all but glad to either bring the food to her table, or straight to her room, depending on her preference. 

"Accomplice?   To what exactly?"   He looks down at the weapon he is holding, he eyes squinting a bit, wondering if he was about to get cheated somehow.  "I am a possible customer, looking at the goods."   

He then looks into the shopkeepers eyes, "Was what you were telling me about this weapon true?  You can tell me the truth and we can figure out how to get this all taken care of without any bad things happening."

Persuasion:  10

(He is not saying this in a threatening manner, more in a let's get this fixed manner, trust me!)

(I will be out of town for a funeral, my postings will be sporadic for the next week or maybe a bit longer.)

Quote from Spiderwrangler >>

Breldo notes Sylvera's return, but doesn't make eye contact, his only acknowledgement a quiet comment to Nuria, "And if you want food to be brought to your room, always make sure to overpay in advance, keeps the staff eager to help, and works a lot better than demands. Not that I'd expect your or I to waste good coin on the privilege of eating alone. If I want a meal solo, I'll get it to go and find a nice tree to sit in!"

 Nuria eyes flick between the elf and the table in front of her several times before focusing on Breldo as he speaks. She nods to his words, then looks around the room. "U-um, I-i'm not sure if we should be worried, b-but have you seen Oren? He's been g-gone for an awfully long time." She stutters.

Bryon, apparently the name of the salesperson (how often do you need to introduce yourself when just making a sale, anyway?) seems honestly more confused than anything. Both by what the guards are apparently accusing him off, and Oren's sudden questions about the item in question.

"Of course everything I said is true! I have to admit I can't prove my theory, but," he starts, then turns to the guards who demand more immediate attention.  "Gentlemen, I'm not sure what's going on, but it has to be- Ow, hey, careful!"

The man's plea is interrupted as one of them grabs a hold of the man, shoves him around a bit, and eventually slips some manacles on him. The vendor starts sputtering about how this can't be right, sounding and appearing distressed, the one guard already beginning to carry him away as the other fusses over Oren. Who gives him another glance over, and eventually...

"Seems you were just wrong place at the wrong time judging by that confused look... Don't worry about that crook. Were you looking to buy that?"

---

At the inn, everything is proceeding peacefully. Eventually food gets settled, and most people seem ready to enjoy several more hours of drink and song, gossip and games, before stumbling off to their own abodes.

"Hmmm? Oh, I'm sure he's fine... but not good form to skip out on a traveling companion's performance. Wouldn't want Khond taking it the wrong way. He say where he was going?"

Nuria shakes her head, "N-no, but I thought he was just going out to survey around the building." She fiddles with her hair. The dwarf was probably fine, and honestly she's more worried about him ditching the group than something bad happening to him. Aside from Breldo, Oren had been a lot nicer to her then her other companions. Well, except Khond. The centaur hadn't exactly been mean or rude and he didn't act weird like Rick, but he never acknowledged her either.