As the group walks into the kitchen, it looks like a battle had happened there.  Eggs, sausage, porridge, greens, and even some fish are everywhere.  It almost looks as though he tried to make things separately and when that didn't work, he mashed together the burnt stuff and more raw stuff into one large lump, with sections of the food all over the kitchen.  And if you thought the smell out in the common room was bad...  the smoke filled the air along with the stench.

The teen slumps along the wall, unsure of what to do or what to say, his long ears drooping to the side.  As Mother Anachain looks around for anything salvageable and finds a few eggs and some ham.

Togar follows Mother Anachain into the kitchen, his curiosity and olfactory senses getting the best of him.  His eyes grow wide when he takes in the scene, he starts sniffing even more.  Finally he reaches over and gathers some of the fish, jamming it into his mouth, clacking his beak and hammering down another piece.  Then he comes to his senses and says “Oh, I’m sorry.  Good chap, it is fine, happens to the best of them.  I have no idea how to cook really.  I’m more on the receiving end and not the preparing end.  You’ve made yourself quite .. a .. soufflé!  Here, yes.  Quite.”  He assists bringing the food as it were into the next room, continuing the sample odds and ends.  

     Eggs and Ham can at least make do for breakfast, even if nothing else is salvageable.  Anachain will show the boy how and instruct any others who are loitering around the kitchen to either get out or get helping, and start instructing them to do dishes or clean up the mess or whatever else needs doing.  But her main focus is on showing the kid how to do the simple things...  And, you know, getting a halfway acceptable breakfast.

Apart from raw eggs, Kulloda is fine with eating whatever mess was already there while Anachain prepares more food. He just frowns at the idea of cleaning and takes a plate of his special breakfast hash out to the dinning room.

     "No more food for him!" Anachain announces when she sees Kulloda shirk being part of the team.

Kulloda just grunts back at Anachain.

"We pay for place sleep and food to eat," Kulloda says. "We not pay to clean too."

“Tsk tsk…” Togar says in response to Kulloda, “Leave the cleaning up to me… I’ve got an easier way.”  Togar serially casts prestidigitation to clean up the mess, helping to do his part.  

Kulloda points at Togar and nods happily.

”There. Magic better.”

As he eats, Kulloda does begin to wonder why this inexperienced kid was doing the cooking.

”Where are innkeeper?” he calls to the kid in the kitchen.

The kid looks in wonderment as at first the group eats some of the complete mess he made, but then the owl creature cleans up most of it with magic.  He stands there with his mouth open for a moment.  It isn't like he hasn't seen this magic before, it's just that it has never been used to help him before and he is stunned.  

Finally finding his voice again, he turns to the half-orc, "She said she wanted to sleep in... but I figured she'd be up by now?  I don't know."

     "Do we have need of the innkeep?" Anachain asks.  "I was thinking more that we would check with the mayor and see if they had work for us on our way..."

Kulloda points back at the kitchen.

”No, don’t need innkeeper. But that smell and noise wake for sure. They probably dead then.”

The boy's eyes go wide as the half-orc's implication sinks in.  He runs off without another word, clomping up the stairs, no concern for any that might have tried to sleep through the sounds and scents.

A few moments later, he runs back down, "She's... she's fine.  Just a heavy sleeper.  Don't scare me like that!"  He ushers any that remain in the kitchen out to the common room and stays back in the kitchen trying to put things back together and ignoring you all if he can help it.

     Anachain allows herself to be hurried out of the kitchen, although she is annoyed by the teens lack of appreciation for their help.  She does press back just before the teen walks away from them though...  "Before you go," She snaps, as if it is a command.  "Riverwatch Keep.  We'll be needing directions."

     Assuming they are provided Anachain will gather the rest of the crew and relay the directions.  "It was said we should find Mayor Windrider doing her rounds there just after breakfast... Supposedly she may have work for us on our way to Calimport... Or would you all rather ignore the chance to make coin and just press on as quickly as possible?"

Kulloda chews on the last of his breakfast while he watches the teen come back and confirm the innkeeper is still alive.

"He could have killed them," Kulloda muses.

Then he listens to Anachain.

"Coin always good."

The teen, glad to see you all heading out happily gives Anachain directions to the Riverwatch Keep.  He happily waves you off and finishes cleaning up the place muttering under his breath.

The Keep is located at the North end of town and on your trek there, you see the market mostly set up and people already bustling about bartering and selling all different kinds of wares.  The comparison between this town and Eldershore is stark and you wonder how there could even be an issue?  But you continue to the Keep and as you arrive, the double wooden doors of the entrance are wide open and a lone elf in what seems like a guards uniform stands there, constantly adjusting his uniform and looking bored.

     Anachain signals the others to slow up a little bit and hang back as she approaches the guard alone.  "Hello there!  Hi.  Hello..." She says merrily as she approaches, trying to be charming.  "Yes, hello... Perhaps you can help me?  My... friends and I are heading really just passing through here but we've been told to check in with Mayor Windrider... About possible work, yes?  Is this where we would do that or....?"  

Kulloda does stop and watches the bored guard as Anachain talks to him.

"No wonder have trouble if that all guards they have," Kulloda says to the others. "That one not protect anyone."

Togar turns his head to Kulloda in agreement, saying “Isn’t that the truth.  Gate wide open and one bored guard.  Guess they don’t have much…or care.”  Togar waits to hear the response as Mother Anachain takes the lead.  

Before the guard gets a chance to answer Mother Anachain, a hurried looking middle-aged human woman comes out of the tower and turns to the sleepy guard.  "Percival!  Look sharp!  And where is Arthur?  He better not be late again!"  The apparent Percival shrinks a bit under her words and look, "No no ma'am, Arthur is just out back um, taking a leak."  the man blushes a bit as he tells her.

The woman sighs, then it is like she just notices you all and turns towards you, runs her hand through her hair and seems to muster a calmer demeanor as she asks, "Good morning, may I help you?"

     Anachain gives the woman a bit of a glare.  It would have been helpful if she didn't just interrupt the conversation she was having with the guard...  "No, ma'am" Anachain says, putting a bit of a sneer into the title.  "Percival and I were just having a discussion before you interrupted.  I do appreciate your offer though."

     "So, where were we?" Anachain says turning her back to the woman and once more giving her full attention to the guard.