Mulligan holds up a hand in a "hold on a minute" gesture but is a bit late as Rowan has already opened his mouth - Something he's been quick to realize is not always a good thing.  

     What he means to say, I am sure, is that we'll try our best but can't make any promises.

     Mulligan rushes to put the words into Obud's head and then turns to his fellows and repeats much the same over Group Chat.

     We barely know what we are getting ourselves into.  We cannot make grandiose promises of derring-do and rescues.

Greginald is focussed solely on the gem in his hand, the soft glow from it illuminating his little face as he tries to see if anything is held within, to hear any words of wishes past. He knew at the time that something took his wish, knew something was listening, collecting, but he had no idea that it might be a future version of himself caught in some fey realm listening back... 

His attention is caught as the word "promise" leaves Obud's tiny lips, but similar to Mulligan, Greg is too slow to stop the chatterbox of the group from agreeing, "Gah! ROWAN! we are in the fey realms! promises mean a lot more here and I don't think we can keep going around accepting promises that we do not know if we can keep, Languae of agreement is key here, learn these words and repeat after me 'We Will Do What We Can' yeah? thats all we can promise, ok?"  
the Gnome tucks the wish gem into a pouch hoping it might come in handy later.

Rowan stops and looks at both Mulligan and G'Reg and frowns. He idly rubs the nose of the pony while he runs what he just said back through his head, listening for boastful promises.

He shakes his head. "I think you're the only ones who have used the word promise. Well I guess I just did now but it wasn't to promise anything. I said we're planning on helping set free anyone trapped in there. My mom was good with words and I'm pretty sure planning to help with a task is a far cry from a promise to complete the task. Or does the word promise mean something different here?"

Rowan looks over at Obud and smiles "I wish I could promise success but we could all end up dead in the witch's hall. I'd hate for you to hold dying against us. Or maybe being maimed. If we couldn't walk or crawl or anything, it might be hard to free anyone. Or if we're captured ourselves. You know, there are an awful lot of potential ways to fail. Don't you think that's weird. There's one way to succeed but so many ways to fail."

He looks at the pony again for a moment.

"Mr Obud, is there any reason not to use the invitations to enter the Motherhorn? Wouldn't that be like being invited in as guest? Would Creepy Lyn have to keep us safe then? Though I guess we then couldn't go mucking about inside her tower without permission then if we were proper guests."

Barria heads over the bridge with no issue and stares, a bit in awe, at the pony with the house atop it.  What a marvel!  This needs to be in the carnival!

As her thoughts run rampant, she eventually hears what is being said and is happy that Rowan made it clear that no promise had been made.  She is very curious on what the answer would be to using the invites.  And she adds, "Do the brigganocks have any issues with dancing with the korreds?"

"that's something I wanted to talk to the group about..." Greg interjects, "during my sleep it was like my mind left my body and flew away, I abandoned you all, and sought shelter, but everything was odd, dream logic I suppose. I went to the mother horn, I saw iterations of the hag, past present and future, she saw me, chased me off... I don't think she has any plans on being hospitable, from what the korreds say she isn't exactly one to follow the rules." 

Obud extends one tiny hand toward Rowan just as the elf is about to unwittingly agree to the promise—but withdraws it when Mulligan butts in.

Very well, says Obud, a twinkle glimmering in his little eye. I won’t hold you to it. Let not they who have not known darkness go thither without a spark. But we shall have to collapse the tunnel behind you... just to be safe.

Then, leaning closer to Rowan, he adds quietly, If you find yourself in great danger, you might use the Lúthmelar you carry. He nods toward the electrum whistle gleaming in plain sight upon Rowan’s neck. Of course… you never quite know who else might answer the call.

When Rowan asks about the use of their invitations, Obud chuckles, stroking his silvery beard.

Ah yes! The Law of Hospitality. "When a friend, an enemy, or a stranger enters your home, you are bound to treat them with grace and goodwill, until they prove, by word or deed, undeserving of such kindness". If you have been invited, and you enter as a guest, you shall be accommodated so long as you remain deserving of it. Even the Hourglass Coven cannot ignore this law, though they twist it to suit their wickedness. But to enter as a thief… his eyes glint knowingly... well, that may undo the rule... unless your cunning is as nimble as Endelyn's.

To Barria, the aged brigganock turns with a softened expression.

To Dance the Three Circles is to show friendship and solidarity between two peoples. When we learned that the korreds had lent aid to Creeping Lyn, we chose not to honor that vow at the next full moon... and saw that the korreds did the same. But if we have both been misled, as you seem to claim, then we would be glad indeed... if the korreds are willing... to rekindle that friendship.

Finally, Obud looks to the whole group, rubbing his hands together with brisk determination.

Creating a tunnel from here to Motherhorn is no small task... miles of stone to bore through. I estimate perhaps eight cycles of the moon…

He pauses, watching their faces fall, and his grin widens.

…for an army of dwarves, that is. Fortunately for you, brigganocks work much faster. Make yourselves comfortable and rest here in my cave. By the time you awaken, the tunnel will be ready.

Rowan smiles at Obud when he sees him retract his hand.

"Well, if you ever want to shake as friends," Rowan says, showing his empty hand, "I'm happy to do that."

But then he gets distracted by Obud's comment about the electrum whistle he carries. "Luthmelar? Is that a kind of whistle that no one can hear? I've had it forever. I think it was my first toy. The other kids always looked at me like I was crazy for keeping a whistle that made no sound around. Though they looked at me like I was crazy for a lot of reasons. For some reason, flowers blooming when I pass made them uncomfortable too. I think that's why I never told them about the visitor I see sometimes when I'm in a trance."

He turns the whistle over in his hands a few times before letting it drop back down to his chest. "Luthmelar. Luthmelar. And great danger? Hmm."

Rowan listens to G'Reg's account of his dream.

"She didn't follow you did she?" Rowan asks, looking around, expecting to see Creepy Lyn. "I wonder what counts as a thief here? If you retrieve something someone stole from you, I don't think anyone can say you're stealing. Same as if you free someone who was kidnapped. You're not stealing. But I suppose I really don't understand the rules yet."

He settles down in the cave, watching the pony for awhile.

"I suppose if we run into the witch, we could just tell her why we're there. She can't hold anything against us then."

     A promise can be made without ever uttering the word.  If I say I will make dinner but you go to bed hungry because I never do you will be angry and hungry whether I actually said promise or not.  And I think many here take words even more seriously than we do.  So I think we just need be careful, is all.  Couch your statements with words like try consider.  Speak about things you intend to do rather than saying you will do them.  Does this make sense?

     Mulligan projects this into the head of Rowan once there is a bit of a moment to do so.  He wants the Elf to understand the point but he also doesn't want to make it seem like they did anything wrong either...

     Tunnel?  Would this be a tunnel to the Motherhorn or into the Motherhorn?

     This is to Obud to seek clarification. 

     Mulligan thinks the group should take a few moments and decide on next steps.  Primary among them is whether they are going to Motherhorn as guests and visitors or as intruders trying to sneak about the place and steal back (and free) what/who has been stolen.

     (To Rowan:  We believe our things were stolen but she may believe they are hers fairly as payment for some wrong she believes we committed.  Different perspectives see things differently.  When a leaf falls from the tree who owns it?  It was stolen from the tree by gravity so is it still the tree's?  Perhaps but the ground may claim that it lies upon them now, that surely it is their leaf by right.  But can it really be the ground's when even a light breeze can make it dance back and forth, perhaps even fly about?  But is it the wind's leaf if gravity is, eventually, going to assert it's claim upon it and drag it back down to the ground eventually?)

     Beyond how they intend to enter Motherhorn is of course why...  Is the goal just to reclaim their items?  Or are we now dedicated to freeing other items held?  Or people?  Are we trying to topple the evil witch or just trying to survive a little petty thievery?  Mulligan feels they should have a real agreement and clarity on what their goals are.

"I don't think she followed me, or at least if she did, she hasn't yet... It was unclear which version of her bore witness to me..." Greg answers.

Giving a short bow of thanks to Obud for the offer of a tunnel, Greg listens as the conversation turns to how the group should best enter the Motherhorn. "I have a good idea of the layout from what I saw. We also have the knowledge of what she wants, if I remember the information that we received on the sisters correctly... Which of course, I do. Then Endelyns greatest desire is to steal hopes from those who seek her for their destiny, we could possibly use this as a ploy to tempt her. But I also think that we should keep it in mind that any clues to Queen Zybilna's whereabouts or situation. Though my first priority here is going to be my hoe."

Rowan nods at the voice in his head.

"Words definitely have meaning but you'd be surprised how many people don't like you asking for clarification to pinpoint precisely what they mean. It's as if they'd rather you guess all the time. Or expect you to read their minds." Rowan says. Then he pauses and starts laughing. "Though I suppose in a way you are reading my mind sometimes."

Then he listens to Mulligan's thoughts on leaves and trees and smiles while shaking his head. "The tree let go of the leaf, of course. Gravity only made it fall to the ground. The wind could have easily taken it miles away. But you know that gravity and the wind aren't people, right? They're forces of nature, or" he pauses and looks over at Barria before continuing, "I guess to some people, forces of a deity. I don't think concepts of nature can exert ownership over a leaf."

Rowan has likely missed Mulligan's point about the differing perspectives of ownership.

Barria listens to the rest and tries to relax around these new creatures.  She's happy to hear that they might have helped bring them and the korreds back together.  Turning to her friends, "Were we supposed to tell the korreds or were they just going to show up at the appropriate time and hope we got the message through?  I can't remember."

She frowns to where the conversation is going about the Motherhorn.  "I mean we do have invitations, I'm not sure why we aren't going to use them?  And like you say, we would be under the protection of 'guest', why would we shun this?" 

She smiles as she listens to Rowan's comparison of Mully's thoughts to a leaf, she wonders if they are connecting on the same level, but then puts her thoughts back to the situation at hand, "I mean, if we want to, I could go to the front door and help create a diversion?  I don't think my grandma would be very proud of me sneaking around a castle, even if it is overtaken by a hag." she shrugs, "but if you're all insistent and don't think that's a good idea..." she trails off still struggling with the thought of sneaking in, especially a place that seems to be so hell bent on rules.

Rowan nods as Barria speaks.

"Are you suggesting going to the front door, knocking and letting whoever answers know that we're there to rescue all the captives in the Motherhorn and retrieve any of the items the three of you are missing, and by the way, here's our invitation?" Rowan asks, clearly seeking clarification without judgement. He pauses for a moment and smiles. "I don't think anyone could claim we were breaking any hospitality rules in that case. If they still invited us in, they would probably even have to help us find everything we're looking for."

Then he pauses and frowns.

"But if you mean going, using the invitation, not saying why we're there, going inside, then sneaking around to do any rescuing and artifact retrieval, well, I think that's where we run into problems. You're only a guest up until the point you do what you were invited in to do." Rowan says.

He then pulls out his invitation and looks more closely at it, rereading what it says.

"What if these invitations are really invitations to stay in the Mortherhorn for as long as Creepy Lyn wants?"

     My recollection is we told the Korreds that we would deliver the invitation.  I do not believe we promised a reply as we were on a journey elsewhere - to the castle, to be precise.  Besides, it sounded to me like Obud was going to be sending someone to them to arrange things so that should be all the answer they need?

     Mulligan answers Barria over the Group Chat.

    Mulligan begins framing in his mind how best to explain the concept of a metaphor Rowan but then shakes his head at the effort it would take and decides it is not worth it.

     I think our best course of action may be to use the invitation to get inside the door, yes.  The invitation was extended to us and so I do not believe we need explain what our purpose is.  We did not request entry and need offer no reason for it, rather it was offered and we merely graciously accept it.

     Telling them all our aims and goals before entry is an intriguing and amusing thought...  But I would be shocked if it put any onus upon our host to assist us.  A duty to be polite and cordial is one thing but even an invitation to dinner is never seen as an invitation to eat everything in the home.  I do not see how an invitation inside would make them duty bound to assist us in freeing what they believe they rightfully possess.

     Still, once inside I imagine we would have the opportunity to try to find out and accomplish more.  Perhaps by words and wit, perhaps by stealth and deceit.  Using the invitation at least gets us inside and keeps every choice viable.  Breaking or sneaking in cuts off talking our way into or out of things almost entirely...

     And with that, Mulligan pauses.  He's been "saying" a lot as of late and is unused to it...  

"I just don't like it" Greg grumbles, his arms folded tight to his chest and his white wispy brows furrowed, "walking in the front door traps us by observation and this abnormal social fey convention, that and it takes away any element of surprise we may have. Though I doubt our presence would go unnoticed regardless, she managed to perceive me even when I wasn't there physically. I don't know, I just think that using those invitations puts us in a situation where she maintains the majority of control... I don't think we should split up though, as clever as I am, smarts aren't a great shield against brawn. So I'll follow the lead of the majority here.

As the gnome settles down to rest he pulls out his spell books and begins the arduous task of preparing a new spell. Copying symbols and language spiralling out in a circular pattern across his page from his other book of notes "I never thought if have need of this spell, but needs must hm... Anyway Mulligan you never answered my question, when you fell asleep did you go on a hauntingly incorporeal journey to somewhere or were you just merrily dreaming away? What happened to you?"

When he is done with his scribing Greg performs a short ritual to regain a familiar this one taking the form of a raven who pierced upon the gnomes hat and screeches in annoyance upon being summoned.

Just to complicate matters...

Glister is keen to come along and help rescue his sister. He cares little for fey rules, and would prefer the tunnel option, because he does not have an invitation, and is certain the hag would not welcome him in through the front door. 

Amidor on the other hand wants to support Glister, and has vowed to do so, as well as given his oath to help the party. However sneaking into someone's home, hag or no, goes against his sense of honour. He also has no invitation, but would prefer the front door approach. 

The leprechauns... Well they've been unusually quiet, and after a while you realise... They aren't actually there. They've been standing quietly to one side, but it turns out those are just their illusory duplicates. They've pulled the same trick as they did on the road, and sneaked away invisibly while leaving their duplicates behind. It must have happened sometime after they woke up.