Seb'riel smiles as they reach the shore. Almost amused at Moltaris and Hurosk. "Eventually we will likely have to take one or both. Our journey crosses the water once more with no way around. For now though, we should seek knowledge here and keep the solid earth beneath our feet."

Kyne leads the group off into the city in search of the War Boar.

With their indications and asking a couple of times for directiones they soon arrive at the War Boar Inn and Tavern. 

The building seems new, maybe four or five years old, and they see a group of sailors going out laughing and more or less drunk. 

War boar music

They go upstairs the four steps that raise the entrance from the ground and enter directly a main square hall without ceiling so the upper storie is open to the ground level with wooden railing. They can see a couple of stairs to their left and right that goes to that floor and to the tables there. 

Just in front of them, above a great fireplace that is unlit at the moment there is a huge boar skull. Hurosk thinks that he could lay on it with the his head between the eye sockets and his feet resting on the top of the sprout. 

On the main hall there are three large tablets where there are group of people sitting and eating, and some indivudal tables. In one corner there are a group of gnomish bards playing a cheerful musci and like ten or twelve halfings tend the tables and move among them with plates and pints. 

"Haha!" Kyne cries out exuberantly as he takes in the raucous venue, dragging Shallan along with him as he leads the way inside. The elf searches for a table for their group and, once he has secured one, grabs the attention of one of the halfling servers.

"Good evening! Some wine please. What's the going rate for rooms for the night?"

The wide, welcoming smile that the blonde halfling barrtender gives to Kyne make them all fell welcome. 

"Welcome welcome, Alandra d'Ghallanda at your service. Please take a seat. Either here or I can arrange a more private table upstairs if so you prefer. Wine of course! You struck me as a good conneiseur, I got just the thing for you don't you worry. Red wine from the Eastern Slopes... - she thinks for a second - 876  would make the delights of your charming friend - she says with a wink to Sallan - And for the night, standard, indivual rooms are avaible for five gold pieces, incluiding dinner, breakfast and a hot bath if you want... " 

Kyne decants fifty gold pieces into a pouch and hands them to the halfling.

"That sounds wonderful," he tells her with a congenial smile. "Tell me, my sister is a wizard and likes to read. Is there a library or some kind of academy in the city?"

"But of course" she says taking the money and puting it on a pouch on her belt with a natural movement and don't even looking at it. " You can go to the Librarian's Hall of Enlightement and Apprentinceship or to the Academy , the Wizard's Acadey I mean, but we all call it simply the Academy around here. Tip there " she points towards a young halfling that is cleaning one table " would be happy to guide you tomorrow for a small... tip " she chuckles with her own bad pun. " Now my dear friends, I will be back with your wine in just a minute!" 

She dissapears, tending two other tables in her way back to the kitchen. Not three minutes had passed when she returns with a bottle of wine and glass cups for everyone to taste the wine, along with any other drink they could desire. She hands them the keys to their rooms too. Seb notice that she only hand one to Kyne and Shallan and that their room is three numbers away from the rest of the party, while the others are correlatives. A fine detail to give the couple some privacy. 

Seb's mouth gives a half flicker of something as she notices the key exchange. "I could wait for tomorrow to see the library. I have waited this long." Refusing the wine she takes the water from the table pouring a glass and sipping from it. Her eyes seem to flick in and out of the present as she falls silent.

Moltaris gives Mathilda a fierce hug. "I will pray to Bright Mother for your protection," she whispers before watching in silence as the girl fades into the distance. 

As they settle into the War Boar, Moltaris' golden eyes fall on the proprietor with skepticism. "She certainly seems chipper," she murmurs to Hurosk with a scowl. "I despise chipper." Then she looks across the table to Kyne and Seb'riel. "What's really going on with you two?"

Lyreis happily picks up a glass of wine, swirling the liquid in the glass and taking in the smell, smiling approvingly. "This is what I've been missing." The elf drinks and sits in silence for a few seconds before slowly turning his gaze over the rest of the group "It will be good to just be for an evening. Without the weight of expectation. I can be a blade blademaster again tomorrow, tonight I am merely Lyreis."

"Merely Lyreis is quite a lot," the kalashtar replies, gazing at the elf with a nod and a raised glass. 

The elf smiles, and graciously bows his head. "Praise indeed from one such as yourself Moltaris, I thank you for your words, now drink with me and let us tell stories of days almost forgotten, and the wonders of the world that we have seen. I would love to hear the tales we each carry of our journeys."

Quote from Aramalian >>

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As they settle into the War Boar, Moltaris' golden eyes fall on the proprietor with skepticism. "She certainly seems chipper," she murmurs to Hurosk with a scowl. "I despise chipper." 

     Hurosk requests ale in place of the wine. When Alandra returns with the drinks, he sizes up their diminutive servant then chuckles at Moltaris' assessment. "Would you like it better if she stepped on your toes and then insult you?" He grabs his drink and raises it with the others. "I just hope there won't be any vampires and uptight 'do-gooders' show up to put an end to our relaxation."

Moltaris replies to Hurosk with a rude gesture before dissolving in laughter. "Fair enough, although I'd probably trust her more that way. I guess that says more about me than her, though?"

Kyne gives Moltaris a look filled with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"Molly, whatever do you mean?"

Quote from stormchaser6 >>

Kyne gives Moltaris a look filled with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"Molly, whatever do you mean?"

"Don't work your charming wiles on me, Kyne. You know what I mean -- you two are noble types and yet you're out here in the mud and the muck with folk like us. What's the story?"

The party finds themselves quite comfortable at a private table on the second stage of the inn. The food is quite remarkable and the drinks keep coming as they take time to talk among them for the first time. 

Sallan seems to relax for the first time since they left her home and looks around trying to catch all the details.  

"Noble type?" Seb'riel snaps out of her trance, her breathing is a little heavy and fast. "I do not understand, I was born in a small village." Her high pitched voice is slow and mournful, bringing her breath back under control with it. "No nobles for miles around, just a colony living on the land. My mother sent me to school because of my gifts, and Kyne's family took me in. I'm here because he is." She rocks slightly back in her chair, then forwards again, pulling her knees up onto her chair.

Kyne chuckles to himself at Moltaris's reproachful tone.

"I've been many things, Molly. A ranger, a soldier and, yes, a noble. I've been called a rebel, an outlaw and a hero. An assassin and a kingslayer. Most recently I am exile. I don't have great wealth and lands to return to, even if I wanted to. What matters is that tonight I am amongst friends..."

Kyne looks around at his companions, raising his glass.

"...and family." He adds, with a wink to Seb'riel.

Sallan hits Kyne on the shoulder.

"wait a minute you scoundrel... no great weatlh? how come? Don't you dare to make my father right on this you hear me? " she rasies her chin in a comic altive gesture " I deserve nothing but the best..." 

They all laugh and toast and the color on the young woman cheeks tells that maybe she had drink too fast of the excellent wine the halfling brought to the table. 

" Now... Where are we going from here then? Still looking for those rare gems you are looking for? " she asks to the others.