Roxana smiles warmly as Gaer suggests dinner, conversation, and deciding what to do later. "It sounds wonderful. Can we just avoid the Gilded Horseshoe though? I just..." Again she looks a little nervous. "Umm... want a quiet evening. With just us."

Roxana & Gaer:

Gaer's eyes light up (as much as solid black starless-night eyes can light up, at least), at the final words, 'just us'.

"Of course!" the tiefling smiles back "I know that in Longsaddle there is also the 'Night Cloak' inn, for example... Or, even better, we could take advantage of Martha's hospitality... There is still a room reserved for me, as one of Dobbian's saviors, at the Sharnshield Mansion... we could have the cooks prepare something to eat there, then have dinner in my room, just the two of us. We could enjoy maximum privacy and tranquility. I can't imagine a better environment to get to know each other better and enjoy each other's company".

"I'd hate to impose on Lady Martha..." Roxana still seems a bit nervous. "But an evening at the Sharnshield Mansion might be nice." A small smile seems to come naturally to her face. "You think we could do that?"

Roxana & Gaer:

"Lady Martha, as I have known her, will only be happy to have us at her Mansion..." Gaer smiles, lightly caressing the features of the girl from Longsaddle with the back of his fingers "And I can't imagine anyone who deserved it more of you! Just relax and let's do it!"

Aidwyn - the Lathander's Temple:

After having disappeared for some time, Zentromya flies excitedly to reach Aidwyn and, once close to the young fighter, announces to her: "I spoke to Dobbian! You know, he has traveled around a lot... he knows the geography of these places much better than me! He told me that in Waterdeep there is a famous temple of Lathander... 'The Spires of the Morning' is its name! According to him, by traveling on the horses that the Sharnshields provided us, we should be able to cover the distance in just over 10 days. Now, even if you wanted to attend the trial of the two Zhentarim... which will be held the day after tomorrow... by leaving immediately after, we should still have time to reach the temple and return in time for the wedding by Martha and Dobbian. What do you say, Aidwyn?"

Rash immediately has a bad feeling about the 'make someone a great wizard' spell...

"So, two reasons I can think of that we don't use magic to turn people into great wizards," Rash says, stroking his beard. "First is that it would be incredibly difficult and involve basically implanting an entire lifetime worth of knowledge in their head... and do so without giving them an aneurism. The second is that if someone did invent that spell, it would make a mess really quick. Just imagine if a bunch of psychopathic rich dudes started bribing wizards to cast the spell on them and then they went into all-out wizard wars with their own empowered wizard legions... it's probably for the best that becoming a great wizard isn't an easy thing to do... though, come to think of it, it would be kind of cool to make a spell to turn people into warlocks. I mean, those fiends and eldritch monsters must do it somehow, so why couldn't powerful wizards make a spell to do it?"

Rash & Blinn in the lab:

"And who says it's not possible?" Blinn retorts "What if you simply don't know a wizard powerful enough to have warlocks of his own? After all, why wouldn't a Lich have any? And what is the Lich, if not a wizard who has made questionable life choices? But if the the fact that you can create warlocks hasn't caused all-out warlock wars with empowered warlock legions... why should the creation of wizards cause them instead? What I'm wondering, rather, is: how come a creature, no matter how powerful it is, should create a warlock? It doesn't cost him power... to give power to his warlock? So... what's in it for him? Or maybe it's not like that? Maybe the power feeds on itself? Maybe the patron plants kind of a 'seed of power' in the warlock - and then it is the warlock's job to nourish it and make it grow? And couldn't the same be said of deities and their clerics?"

Roxana shakes her head slightly, laughing lightly. "You flatter me far too much Gaer!" She leans in, giving the Tiefling a brief kiss on the cheek before moving away. "If we're done here should we be on our way then?"

Rash nods along.

"Actually... I have heard that some liches can create warlocks," Rash says. "No idea how... but there is a difference between, as you just said 'planting a seed' that the recipient nurtures and instantly transforming a novice into a 'great wizard.' Anyway, I think I'm finally ready to start using this here 'unseen servant' spell. Here's your book back. Thanks again... so, what kind of help did you want with teaching this spell how to stab people?"

Ever since her audience with Lady Harpell concluded Spira has been contentedly playing the big sister chaperone-in-the-know, not because there is any real need so much as that she suspects she might not have too many more occasions to savor the role if things continue to go as well between Gaer and Roxana as they have been.  She has been quietly present to make things as comfortable for the lovers as possible while keeping her own presence discreetly in the background unless asked.  Now she steps up to Roxana and whispers, "You might consider those foxes for later, dear.  He can be surprisingly sweet and eloquent when he starts talking about the secret lives of the creatures around us and how they care for each other far more than most know, and I'd imagine when you add that to the eloquence your presence would inspire ... "  She winks and slips a small flask into her hand.  "And this plum brandy is an excellent way to keep warm, although it generally only has its full effect when added to a shared blanket or wrap."  Next moment she has gone 'to check with Thia how Lady Martha's doing.'

Roxana & Gaer:

"Sure thing!" Gaer approves "Let's go!"

Indeed, you are both welcome at Sharnshield Mansion. Thia, meeting you, asks you for information regarding certain rumors according to which you had returned to visit the secret prison from which you had freed Zentromya - and when you confirm it, she forces you to tell her everything in detail - but in exchange she has the cooks prepare any dish for you you want, in the quantity you want, and she herself will take care of bringing everything to the room, until now unused, reserved for Gaer. She finally lights a candle in the center of the table, then greets you cheerfully with her hand, winks at you and leaves you alone.

"I admit that I ordered it without believing that they could actually get this..." the tiefling is admired "A generous and spicy portion of anchovy sauce, with a crushed chickpea! When I can find it, it's my favorite dish! Ah, yes, of course they have brought all the rest too... this is the salad mixed with carrots while here there are apples, berries... And finally a good sweet flat bread made from wheat flour with the addition of berries and covered with honey. And this time instead of beer I preferred Hippocras".

"And what did you have prepared for you?" Gaer peeks curiously.

Rash & Blinn in the lab:

Blinn explains to Rash all the magical experiments he would like to try, then the two divide them (not equally - Blinn keeps most of the workload for himself anyway, given he can also count on many apprentices he has). In practice, the half-orc wizard hero will find himself forced to sacrifice about ten days of his time between experiments, exchanges of ideas and arcane research. Considering that he will be able to come to Blinn's laboratory (and exploit the texts to which Blinn has access) he will incur no expenses (no materials, no fees for libraries...) - but during that time he will not be free to do much else.

(Well, hopefully Anita won't mind too much. If the experiments are actually a success, will Rash be able to add the resulting spell to his book?)

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

(Well, hopefully Anita won't mind too much. If the experiments are actually a success, will Rash be able to add the resulting spell to his book?)

Rash will have time to eat, sleep and to stay a bit with Anita, of course. Just think about them as 10 days at a job, not 10 days of 24-hours-slavery. Yes, if Blinn can create 'Blinn's Unseen Warrior', Rash will be able to add it to his spellbook.

Roxana is a little uncertain what to think about Spira's comments about the foxes. "Oh, you heard that? Well, I had offered to maybe go with him," she responds. As she slips the small flask to her she just says, "Thank you?"  'Why is she pushing all this?' she wonders. 'I can just imagine Samira urging me to be far more cautious! And Olivia... well, actually she'd probably just swear me to telling her everything.' A grin comes to her face, thinking of just how much the two would pester her. 'And my goodness! If Quinn got wind of any of this he'd be so upset!' 

She shakes her head, as it seems Spira has suddenly disappeared as quickly as she'd appeared. 'My goodness, it's just this sort of thing that made me want to avoid the farmhouse!' 

After all the activity, she looks over at Gaer. "Is Quispira always like this? She's your...  older sister?  She's certainly very willing to... promote you." 

Roxana seems very surprised at the selection of food from Gaer. "All of that? That sounds like an amazing meal just in itself! I had asked only for a couple of slices of roast pork with some vegetables.  Well, and apple tarts."  She laughs softly. "I like apple tarts." 

Roxana & Gaer:

Gaer blushes, a little embarrassed by the 'promotion' the Longsaddle girl is referring to: "Yes, Roxana, Quspira is the older sister... she's always been a little protective of me - perhaps not without reason. In her youth I must have given her much more worry than she deserved. I was actually taking an inappropriate path. It is because of me that she left a place in the City Watch that suited her and which she had not acquired easily. She had even recently been promoted to Sergeant, you know? But she agreed to start from scratch. For me".

"Perhaps that's why" the tiefling sighed "she now seems so interested in 'promoting' me, as you say... to the point of doing so in such a shameless way... She must have realized that you are a person who awakens the best part of me - the part that Quspira hopes I will continue to express".

"And it must always be a legacy of the harsh and masculine environment of the City Watch" Gaer half smiles "if my sister, although believe me, is deeply romantic at heart, sometimes expresses herself in a very direct way and makes very thinly veiled allusions. Perhaps, now that she has moved on to the life of an adventuress, which forces her to have relationships with a much greater variety of people, she will acquire, over time, more feminine discretion. However, time will tell; for now let's go on and take care of ourselves!"

"Oh, not that I wanted to take too much advantage of Lady Martha's cooking..." Gaer begins; but then winks "Or maybe actually yes? You know, throughout the adventurer's life, luxurious and lavish meals are not something one can always enjoy... When you're traveling in the wilds - or worse yet underground, through some dungeon forgotten by gods and men, you often have only meager dry rations with you".

"Now that, thanks to the experiences shared with you and our other fellow adventurers," he goes on "my bond with nature has deepened, feeding will be less problematic... I have learned to awaken the latent nutritional power of nature, to the point that a single berry, enchanted in the right way, can nourish as much as" he gestures with a broad gesture of his hand at his order "this meal. But it's one thing to feed yourself... it's another thing to eat good! You will agree with me, I hope, that there is a big difference, in tasting a berry... or in enjoying a complete lunch - regardless of the nutritional power that natural magic can awaken!"

"Apple tarts is still a great choice too!" the tiefling agrees "Even more so in winter, when getting apples isn't too difficult".

He begins to eat slowly, both savoring, faithful to what he has declared, the tasty food, and evidently also taking advantage of it to 'savour' the sight of Roxana, made even more mysteriously fascinating by the discreet light of the candle - and to chat with her: "And so, earlier I revealed to you that in my youth I was a less pleasant individual than I'm trying to be today... What can you tell me about yourself, Roxana? Have you always been determined, smart and conscientious as you are now?"

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

Aidwyn - the Lathander's Temple:

After having disappeared for some time, Zentromya flies excitedly to reach Aidwyn and, once close to the young fighter, announces to her: "I spoke to Dobbian! You know, he has traveled around a lot... he knows the geography of these places much better than me! He told me that in Waterdeep there is a famous temple of Lathander... 'The Spires of the Morning' is its name! According to him, by traveling on the horses that the Sharnshields provided us, we should be able to cover the distance in just over 10 days. Now, even if you wanted to attend the trial of the two Zhentarim... which will be held the day after tomorrow... by leaving immediately after, we should still have time to reach the temple and return in time for the wedding by Martha and Dobbian. What do you say, Aidwyn?"

 Adiwyn can barely hide her excitement. 

"That that would be perfect! Just give me some minutes to be ready and to tell Solitude and the others..." 

Aidwyn then speaks with Solitude and bring her up to speed. After a few words to confirm what they would need, Solitude goes to the kitchen of the manor to ask for some food for their journey while Aidwyn goes to the stables and gets the horse ready. She also packs food for the horse, at least two days of it, in case they road is too much covered by snow and the animal won't get enough food. 

She also speaks with Balfy, and let her choose, stay in Longsaddle patroling the outskirts of the town hunting game or humanoids, and making sure the zhentarim does not escape in case they break out of the jail, or she can go with them, but preventing that she would have a hard time in the city she would have to stay at their room in the inn they would rent during the day, so probably would be better if she stays in the woods near the city. 

She then runs to Roxana, knowing that Rash would be too busy, and explains to her the situation. 

"It wouldn't take too long, and I really want to go to the Temple. I'll let you all know how it goes when we are back in time for the ceremony, ok?" 

And with that, and with Solitude sitting in front of her in the great stallion, so they can share the cloak, they leave the manor just twenty minutes later after the litte celestial creature told her about the The Spires of the Morning. 

Roxana slowly samples the food as well, seeming more focused on Gaer than the meal. "I do understand the difference between feeding yourself and eating good!  With the farm, my family had a couple times when the whims of nature left us with little. Scraping together the nutrients to survive can take quite a lot of work.  But as a cook myself, when circumstance allows it's wonderful to simply enjoy a finely made meal."

She sits back a bit, sipping at the Hippocras as she considers Gaer's question. "Hmm, so you want all my deep dark secrets? I guess I've always been determined. My older sister Samira would not say I was conscientious, but that's just because she's a grumpy old spoil-sport!" She laughs softly, the insults for her sibling seeming to come quite naturally. "It was really that she was more interested in her books.  I actually liked most the work around the farm.  I loved the animals, driving the carts, being outdoors.  And she loved bossing me around.  So we didn't always see eye to eye.  I got stuff done, but Samira complained I played around too much. I mean, I did, once things were done."  

She pauses, sipping her Hippocras some more. "I never had a ton of friends. Just a few, like Solaina, the girl I uh... ran into earlier today.  We'd get in trouble now and then for... well... being places we weren't supposed to.  Maybe took a bit more than we should have from the cellar.  But as we got older Solaina... well, did some things she shouldn't have. In my opinion - we've had spirited discussions over the years about it.  There were times I'd get in trouble anyhow - guilt by association."  She stops, looking up at Gaer. "I promise, I never did any of the stuff she and the others did." 

Aidwyn - the Lathander's Temple

"In fact, it will be even quicker than I thought, now that I think about it, Aidwyn..." Zentromya informs, relying on the shoulder of the young heroine "only the outward journey will cost us time; the return trip, will be made in a moment! You know, I have the power of teleportation... but I have to know the destination quite well, to be sure to avoid complications. For this reason I cannot use it in the outward journey... but on the way back yes! As soon as the temple will have consecrated you to Lathander, we will be able to get back here in a moment!"

(OOC: I wait a little to give all the possible interested way to join Aidwyn, Zentromya and Solita ... otherwise they will leave alone, it seems)

Roxana & Gaer:

Gaer is so attentive and interested, while the girl from Longsaddle begins to reveal her 'Dark Secrets', that he remains with the glass of Hippocras suspended in his hand, without finishing taking it to the mouth.

"I had no idea that you too had had a 'turbulent' past" those solid-black starless-night eyes look at her with understanding and empathy, while his hand has now posed the glass - and searched for that of hers, to take it in his one, stroking his fingers slightly with hers. "Only, you didn't have a Quspira to pull you out of trouble... but a sister more interested in the wonders of culture, than in the wonderful sister she had".

"And yet, you got away with it. On your own. And better than me!" his gaze is really impressed and admired now "You have had the common sense not to let yourself be completely involved. So, at least your loved ones have not had to abandon their former lives to save yours! You don't need to promise me anything, Roxana... I believe you did not do anything wrong. You risked life in a dungeon populated by Zhentarim, traps, spells, devils and demons... all to help Lady Martha. This is not the typical behavior of someone that does wrong things".

"No, don't tell me that you did it for the money" Gaer gets closer, leaning towards Roxana, looking at her eyes in the eye. "I would not believe it. You are a cook. And a girl used to working hard. Even if as an adventurer you will live with much greater financial resources, you could very well continue to live even with your cooking work. No, you did not come down in that dungeon for money. Maybe you did it because it was yet another place where you were not supposed to go - one of those places where I ended regularly too - and in fact," he cannot hold a smile halfway between the ironic and the fun "to think about it, you found me there! Maybe you did it because, unconsciously, this kind of life calls you. But in my opinion, you did it above all because Lady Martha needed you" the other hand moves slowly and begins to caress her hair. "Or am I wrong?"

"I'd hardly say 'turbulent'," Roxana objects mildly.  Though she seems to say nothing about Gaer getting closer.  "And Samira tried to keep me out of trouble. I complained about her and hated that she stopped me from having fun sometimes.  But she did look out for me in her way.  I guess you're right though that I knew all along not to get into any serious wrong-doing though." She takes another sip of her Hippocras.

"You are right that I did not accept the job of helping Martha and Dobbian for the money," Roxana admits. "I've kind of wondered for a while about what to do with myself. Whether to just stay here as a cook at one of the taverns in Longsaddle. Or to..."  She takes a deep breath. "Well, I don't know what I thought I'd do."  Her eyes look over into Gaer's deep dark pools. "Yea, I wanted to help Martha too. And maybe this kind of life calls to me."  There's a very long pause as she sits and gazes at Gaer, looking more nervous by the moment. She finally glances around at all the nice food, the well-appointed quarters, and the cozy atmosphere. "I mean, all this luxury is hard to dislike!"  She laughs a bit, tipping her head to lean a bit into his caresses. 

With a sigh she adds, "I just don't know how I leave my family behind. Olivia and Quinn need me, their nice big sister, to help them. And they always need a hand on the farm now and then. I just... well, don't know." 

Walking out of the door on her way to see Thia, Spira sighs.  It was so hard to remember sometimes that Gaer was a grown man now who was perfectly capable of taking care of his own ... she blushed slightly, remembering the look Roxana had given her when she mentioned the brandy.  Come to think, she'd never known anyone quite like Roxana either.  The young woman was so direct and competent in so many ways it was hard to remember sometimes that she also had a deep sense of modesty and propriety that her direct and competent watchmates in Berdusk did not.  She would willingly bet her crescent amulet Gaer was telling her about that right now, and probably tiefslpaining away Spira's proactive attitude towards his welfare as resulting from her anxieties over the rogue he'd become.  But it was not the brash and handsome devil Gaer who'd called from those years and stirred her broody instincts back to full life; it was watching the happy Roxana and Gaer today and seeing through them the fragile little tiefling boy who was crushed into that rogue because he was too innocent to understand why all the girls were running from him until the day that horrid ***** and former best friend Adresti told him in brutal detail when she tired of his innocently inept attempts at lovemaking.  Spira had never suspected her "friend" was using her brother as a toy and only pretending to like him; and though she'd beaten Adresti up to an inch of her life and then never spoken to her again Spira had always somehow blamed herself too -- for not being the big brother fate had robbed Gaer of and teaching him how to get to first base with the girls in spite of (or in some cases because of knowing how to play up) that bad tiefling reputation

 Rapidly sinking into a maudlin morass of memories, Spira is pulled up dripping to the sunny bank of the present as Aidwyn rushes by on her way to tell Roxana of her planned journey.  'Oh, that sounds wonderful, Aidwyn!  Everyone I've spoken to says the same thing Dobbian did about that temple ... in fact, some describe it as one of the wonders of the world.  I wouldn't know for sure."  She sighs again, and her eyes grow wistful.  "You know, with all the wandering around Toril we've done, somehow Gaer and I never managed to make it all the way to Waterdeep ... something kept coming up.  Would you ... would you mind if I tagged along?"