Wisteria nods and stays at the bar a bit longer before she returns to the table if Mr Reynard has no more question to the barkeeper. 

"Sorry, it took a bit longer," Wisteria says with a low voice. "The barkeeper doesn't offer much more info than what's on the notice, but the one who put it up is here. We can meet her ourselves. She's upstairs, third door on the left. Knock four times or it won't be opened. I tried to ask for more, but she didn't say much. I did confirm that the job won't include causing mayhem or conducting illegal business. At least Clara, the barkeeper, doesn't think so."

Nephele shrugs at the dwarf's question before thanking the serving girl for their drinks and quickly finishes her water as soon as it arrives.

She looks over to Wisteria when she comes back "No need to apologize dear. Even if she didn't say much at least we know where to go specifically to ask more. Shall we head up now then?"

Quote from Krayveneer >>

Wisteria nods and stays at the bar a bit longer before she returns to the table if Mr Reynard has no more question to the barkeeper. 

"Sorry, it took a bit longer," Wisteria says with a low voice. "The barkeeper doesn't offer much more info than what's on the notice, but the one who put it up is here. We can meet her ourselves. She's upstairs, third door on the left. Knock four times or it won't be opened. I tried to ask for more, but she didn't say much. I did confirm that the job won't include causing mayhem or conducting illegal business. At least Clara, the barkeeper, doesn't think so."

'Aight,' Fastolph said after wiping his beard clean from the ale's froth. 'Let us go and see what this is all about then.' 

He stood up from the table, grabbed all his gear and began making his way upstairs.

Turelio gets up and slings his shield on his back before downing the last of his coffee and leaving a gold coin on the table. "Was no issue at all." He follows Fastolph up the stairs 

"Should we stagger our leave or... Okay, together it is," Wisteria shrugs. She holds her backpack and belongings tight to herself and follows the others upstairs. She points at the correct door and turns to the other for permission, knocking gently at the door four times only when nobody objects.

At the four knocks, the door opened a crack, a pair of bespectacled eyes peering out, looking among the party members carefully. "In...in, in, in..." a hurried voice said from within the room, as its owner opened the door further to allow them in. Eilixi Palepeak was a small, older gnome woman, her eyes made to seem much bigger than they were by the thick lenses of her glasses. The room she stood in seemed a rather standard one for an inn - a bed with a trunk at its foot, a table and a few chairs, and another smaller table with a basin and pitcher for washing. Heavy curtains were closed over the only window, an oil lamp instead providing the only light for the room. Notably, several stacks of books stood neatly in one corner of the room. "You're here about the posting," Eilixi said matter-of-factly, and seemingly quite pleased. She looked over the group, appraising them each in turn. "And none of you are from town, I do believe? None from the bookbinders or printers guild, in any case. They don't want those books getting out, but I think you'll do to see them to their destinations. Some of them, at least."

"What kind of books, if I may ask?" Wisteria asks. She takes a step backwards away from the books rather unconsciously. Her brow furrows and an inscrutable emotion crosses her face for a brief moment. "And why would the binders and printers want to ban books from being distributed? That would be the same as losing profits."

'You want us to deliver some books?' Fastolph replied matter-of-factly, more to hide his disbelieve than anything else. 'With all this hush-hush, I was expecting something... Well, not books.' He shrugged.

Eilixi gave a short, derisive laugh. "The guilds! They claimed it was unverified, unreliable, dangerous to publish," She huffed. "I have wondrous dreams you see. Dreams that reveal the most marvelous and unusual locales. The Frog's Grotto, the Pit of Gems, the Well of Whispers!  And why would I dream of them if I wasn't meant to share about them, hmm? So I've recorded them all, every one, in the pages of this book." She paused to pat the top of the closest stack fondly. "Personally, I think the guilds just want to keep the secrets to themselves. The fine if they find out I went behind their back would be steep, of course, but I will see the books sent out to my customers one way or another."

Fastolph rolled his eyes. 'You wrote things down you... dreamed about.' He said. The words served more to convince himself that he was not dreaming this peculiar conversation. 'And now you fear that some of the guilds are trying to take your dream journals into custody?' He shrugged. 'It's not my usual fare but your pay: your cargo.'

He pulled out a small notepad and a pencil. 'So how much are we transporting and who are we delivering to?' Fastolph asked while jotting down some short notes.

"Before that, Mr Fastolph," Wisteria cuts in before the matter of payment is discussed. There is a hint of worry on her face at Mrs Palepeak's words. "I would like to ask whether this dream that Mrs Palepeak had has... any kind of proof. It's just... the names are rather fantastical. I haven't heard about Frog's Grotto or Whispering Wells or anything the like. At least, I think I haven't. Is this an urgent task? Do you mind if we verify the content on the way? Perhaps visit one of these places you've dreamt?" She hesitates a bit before continuing, "I have a rather bad experience with books whose contents are misleading -- no offence meant to your writing, Mrs Palepeak. I would hate to bring the same misfortune to other people."

The gnome gave a scoff at their lack of confidence. "I suppose it doesn't matter if you believe what I've written," She told Fastolph, before turning to Wisteria. "I have confidence enough in my dreams. I know it in my very bones that what I've written is true. And I could hardly ascribe mundane names to such fantastical places, could I? But if you insist, some should be along your way. I'll even throw in a copy as part of your payment." She turned her attention back to Fastolph. "Now then, I hardly expect you to deliver every copy and send you up and down the coast. Would you rather head north or south?"

"North?" Wisteria says, unsure and hesitant when everyone remains quiet. Her eyes still looking at the pile of books in the room. "Or, whichever direction has the nearest place written in the book, I suppose? Are you sure this is not dangerous? The place you've seen?" She quickly shakes her head and takes another step back from the books before addressing Mrs Palepeak again. "You know what? I'm sorry. I apologize for being this sceptical, but I had a bad experience with a book offering fantastical knowledge. I will trust your vision solely on the fact that I have seen something just as strange, unknown, and supernatural. So, how many are we taking with us? We can't just go out there with bundles of books when, as you said, the guild is still delaying their decision to approve this book."

'South.' Fastolph grunted in response. He shrugged with an apologetic look. 'It's warmer?'

"I came from the south, but there's always something new to see," Wisteria shrugs. 

"I vote North. I've always thought the artificers were neat." Turelio says.

Fastolph harrumphed. 'North seems to enjoy the majority vote at the moment.' He addressed the gnome. 'So any other details you will give us?'

"Well, I have four bound for Minas Mide, another eight for Pearl Hall, three for Salasdrum, and fifteen for Baelfire," Eilixi counted off. "So thirty copies all in all that I need you to deliver."  She considered for a moment before she continued. "The Whispering Well can be found not too far from Minas Mide, so you can stop off there first, if you insist on it. And then, of course, there is the matter of payment. I'm willing to pay you each 10 gold up front to take on the job, and you can add on a fee of 1 gold per book on delivery. My customers have been told to expect it, naturally. If that is amenable to you all, of course?"

"That's a lot of books," Wisteria says aloud to the room. "Are we securing transport of our own or do you have a carriage or cart for us? Thirty books are not light. That's a hundred, a hundred fifty-ish pounds. Maybe more by the looks of those thick tomes. Do we have a timeline or deadline? Soon? In a week? In a month?" She then turns to the others and says, "I suppose I can accept this term. Are all of you good with it?"

"No problem for me."  says Turelio nonchalantly "I've got nothing but time."