Pettilaen was no doubt confused at Mara's desire to lead the group, and decided it was best if he took point. Hastening his steps until he was in the lead, he lead the group through the maze of burned down buildings and rubble, reaching the strange building Mara wanted to so desperately see. He looked around for a moment, shaking his head. "Not here. Still too close." he muttered, continuing on the path the group took until they reached the entrance to the city.

They needed cover, somewhere they could perform the interrogation in piece. A bit of him felt sad for the poor thing. He was going into a rough ride. But as he looked around at the rubble and ruin, his heart hardened. This kobold and his allies caused all of this death and destruction. He grimaced, guiding the group into the burned down ruins of a building that would offer some cover and protection.

Pulling the unconscious kobold off of Mara's shoulders by the foot, he dragged it into the center of what was once a family's living room. Burned tables, portraits, and rugs were strewn about the rubble. He held up one of the burned portraits, a little girl's face just barely visible, the figure whose hand she was holding burned away. Anger welled up within him as he threw the portrait to the ground, reaching for his rope and tying the kobold up tightly [Sleight of Hand of 14]. His eyes were misty as he slapped the kobold until it awoke. Holding his shortsword to the kobold's throat, he whispered to it in a cold voice, "If you scream, I will cut your tongue out before I disembowel you alive. We want answers, so start talking." He looked to Mara, figuring she would gain the most satisfaction from asking the questions.

Portia just shook her head as Mara carried the kobold and she led their horses glad they did not go closer. Maybe the little pipsqueak would tell them something. She stood outside the house keeping watch on the horses and the area she could see.

"Yip, yip, yark!" The kobold exclaims. "Ru yik zim beh!"

Zina, who had been working on her draconic while at Candlekeep, stepped forward at the kobold's words. "Don't worry," she scoffed, pulling her own dagger out of her bag. "I got this."

The illusionist pressed her dagger gently into the kobold's sternum before launching into a monologue of guttural noises. The kobold responded with a few syllables before she continued to speak menacingly at him. The interrogation seemed to be going well, until Zina began to speak in her characteristic "slow and stupid" tone. Even in another language, he gnome was proficient at condescension. Much to her frustration, the kobold replied in the same slowed speech.

"Useless little braegfol," she grumbled, rising to her feet. "His name is Pinky and he's a sell sword. He says the lady in the skull armor was going to give him money to find the fancy scrolls."

"Like the scrolls you have?" Kanon asks. He remembered that Zina had copied the scrolls that Malark had given him. If they're after those, they could probably get rid of the threat for good!  Once they had the scrolls, they were sure to leave, right? And they'd have no reason to go to Baldur's Gate!

Kanon looks at Mara in horror, "What... why?? He was bound... he wasn't even fighting! He was..." Kanon gags for a moment as he looks at the kobold's neck-stump, "cooperating." Right as he lets the word out his rations come spewing out of his mouth, covering what's left of the kobold. He turns away from the building and goes outside, continuing to hack up a second helping. 

"What is wrong with you!" Kanon wipes his mouth and looks at her. "You act just like they would, killing someone they have bound just because you're 'done with them'! How is that right, Mara? How?? You can find the scrolls your damn self..." He turns away from her and walks over to the horses. If his yelling hadn't alerted anyone nearby, he'd be surprised. 

Zina followed Mara and Kanon, watching their bard storm off. "You're part of an exclusive club now," Zina said softly, attempting humor. "We should get pins that say The Made Kanon Puke Club." She chuckled a little at her own joke. "You did the right thing, Mar Mar. He'll see that eventually."

"No," Zina shook her head. "I have a copy of some scrolls, although we have no way of knowing if they're the ones they are looking for. Kanon was tasked with bringing these scrolls to Neiklot, that's how we found them. Ciphers interest me, so I did a lot of research on them and created my own copies so I could continue to study them after Neiklot took them. But I don't have the originals."

"Technically... he... took... the... scrolls... away... from... Beregost..." Zina corrected. "You know how it, he was following orders."

"You're looking for someone to blame, I get it." Kanon responds. He could only think that Zina told her about the scrolls. The thought that he may have played a part in the attack on Beregost haunted him too. "But the more we act like them," he points to the dead kobold, "The less our actions mean anything. We need to go back to Candlekeep... warn Baldur's Gate, and try to get your parents safely into the city. Focus on protection... not destruction." 

He hops on his horse and waits for Petti to mount. They needed to get out of the city.

"Is this an I'm angry at Z and want to make her life hell ride with me, or a thank you for helping me not kill Kanon ride?" Zina asked, grabbing Mara's hand and getting in the back of her horse. Either way, a ride was a ride.