It was Thia's turn to chuckle, "Milo and Tarian went looking for Mr. Brandt, the guy we left with the Cannith. They were discussing so before I left." Keeping her voice low, "Milo's looking to hire him for a job related to the information I mentioned earlier..." She'd close her eyes and pat her nose for a moment. Then she'd snap her fingers, as if pulling a thought out of the air, "Some Garronian Marshal. Gimme? Grimme? with his group..." She'd open her eyes again, and look around quickly before continuing "If the reports are to be believed... he is fighting both sides of the some civil war in an attempt to reach Duskrock, possibly through the Northern route?" Thia continued on with what she remembered before she'd lose it. "They say he's is a bully who relies on strength and iron discipline to push his men. He's causing some issues in the North... escalating things and causing new conflicts. Something about him becoming a liability and a priority." She'd shift to sit upright, "And that was only maybe a third of what he shared with us..." Thia started to chew her lip a little.

Tarian straightened herself out after having run back to catch up with Arc. “Mister Cannith—“ Tarian paused, having noticed Arc’s companion. Mister Cannith seems to be giving this fellow preferential treatment. They do look somewhat similar. An older relative perhaps? “—And Mister… Cannith, may I presume?” Tarian bowed slightly to the older gentleman before returning to Arc. “I apologize… Young… Master Cannith.” Tarian was certain that the words sounded as awkward as they felt. “I won’t keep you long.”

Tarian gestured to Milo, her halfling companion a few paces behind her. “This is Mister Milo Spudsder, an associate of one Mister Sparks. Currently he seeks one Mister Brandt who is under the direct employ of Mister Sparks, and whom I have been told you have met with earlier. Do you have a way to contact Mister Brandt? A time or place where you have been told to meet again? I would have asked Mister Sparks for this information directly but I haven’t been able to speak with him.” Tarian leaned in a bit, and spoke lower. “I did bring up asking Mister Sparks to Mister Spudsder, but he didn’t offer Sparks’s location. This may be some test of my ability.”

Tarian spoke normally again. “Of course I am prepared to return the favor of this information. As long as it doesn’t interfere with my current work, you can request something of me now, or you can designate a specific time for my return. Previously you said you might have work for me.”

Milo does his best to look pompously as possible.  Standing with correct posture with chin in the air.  Barely recognizing Arc’s presence.  

He’s not the only one that can hide behind his workers.

"Oh? It's no real trouble. Mister Brandt, last he told me, is staying at the Velvet Glove. I'm unaware if he is there currently, but that should help, no?" Arc finishes helping his Uncle into the carriage, "I did indeed have work, but it's mostly finished now. Though, I don't suppose you know where the warforged Corti is do you?"

"Huh. Fighting both sides... I hope Leo and Carlo aren't mixed up with him." Corti grimaces a little, "He sounds like bad news." She crosses her arms over her knees, leaning forward a little, "And going to such lengths to reach Duskrock! I wonder if he's racing someone..."

"Hmm. Now if I had some information that might benefit you, would I at least be able to get a discount for those goods?"

 Tarian stifled a burst of laughter. “If she is the same Corti I mentioned to you before, then yes, I believe I know where she is. Where she is right now, in fact.” Tarian turned to Milo. “So Mister Spudsder, do we have time to escort Mister Cannith to the Golden Gear? Even though we now know where Mister Brandt is staying, he may or may not be there at the moment. But I believe we can meet with him whenever we wish, as long as we’re willing to wait.”

Once “announced” Milo makes his way over to shake Arc’s hand “Mr. Cannith, pleased to meet you.  Call me Milo, it seems we share a lot of connections.  Looking over at Tarian “I suppose we can head back and check in Corti, never did get to play that song.  I’m in need of another performance, it’s been a couple days since that speech I made to stop the workers riots.  If she is awake we still have our business with her too.  Care for company Mr....?” He says Arc as he quickly puts his pipe away.

Thia would remain quiet with a frown. She’d take a moment to think back to her work with the Veiled Valour and the conditions people are dealing with all because of a civil war. She’s starting to realize the gravity of the situation and how much it may actually be related to this political jargon Milo was spewing. She’d let out a little sigh, “I think these are pieces to a much larger puzzle... I feel like we’re just connecting the boarder and I’m missing the big picture.”

Arc raises an eyebrow, but shakes Milo's hand, "...I don't mind the company. Sure. If our destination is more or less the same, I see no reason why we can't be amicable." Steps into the carriage and motions for the two of them to follow, "Please don't dally."

Krathgar looks at Brandt with a puzzled expression, intrigued by his offer: "Well, I cannae guarantee much, the stores're pretty empty. Depends on the quality of information, but if it helps me, I mite be able to reduce the price of components..." Brandt senses that Krathgar's interest is awakened, but as a somewhat shrewd businessman, he isn't willing to agree to a deal for something so immaterial as information.

Corti shakes her head, “You’re right. There’s more wrapped up in this. We definitely need to tell the others, I think they’ll know more.” 

Milo scoffs at the remark to not dally.  “You know you’re not the only one with important business in this town.”  As they make their way

Tarian assisted Milo into the carriage. It wasn’t designed with people of his stature in mind, so, while she trusted Milo could make it into the carriage on his own, as one currently in his employ, it wouldn’t do to make him get into the carriage unassisted. Tarian looked at the trio—Spudsder, and Canniths older and younger—well dressed and riding a carriage through Northward, and felt as though the carriage’s interior was the size of her coin purse. No, she certainly wouldn’t fit in there.

“I’ll ride up front with the driver,” she started, making no move to enter. “We shouldn’t be long to the Golden Gear in the Forge district.”

She shut the door and swung herself up to the driver’s bench, then breathed a sigh of relief. “Forge district, if you would, please. We’re heading to a place called the Golden Gear, if you know it. Otherwise I can give you directions when we get a bit closer.”

The driver nodded and flicked the reins, and the carriage lurched to a start.

The carriage with Cannith's older and younger, Milo Spudser, and Tarian in front made for the Forge district. About five minutes after the beginning of their journey, the clouds above the city opened up in a torrential rainstorm. While Tarian was cursing her luck outside and turning her collar up against the rain and the gales, Tiberius used the sudden shift in weather to strike up conversation with Milo. "Mr Spudser, you said you represented a Mr Sparks, is this a Mr Derbert Sparks ?"

“Why yes, Sparks reaches out to me as a representative for his project.  Sitting in on council meetings, gaining the support of the steel workers, they’ve both been huge successes so far.  Have you had any dealings with him as well?”

"He is somewhat of an old acquintance, you could say. Bright man, but a hopeless idealist. Didn't want to turn his mind to use for Breland. Some shamed him a coward, but he stood his ground all those years... that must take conviction and courage.... But I digress. Derbert and I both experimented in metallurgy, him to develop new alloys for use in construction, me with the aim of constructing golems, the end result of which would be the warforged a decade or so later. 

What is he planning now?" Tiberius seemed to gleam, reminiscing about old times.

Thia would nod in agreement with Corti, “It’s worth waiting for Tarian and Milo.”

In the moment of silence, Thia would look down to her sleeve, tracing the symbol. We answer to no one. We serve the people. She was thinking back to all the victims and displaced people from Cyr that she treated with Alexis and Wilfred. Many of those people are suffering from the civil war and this Marshal Grimme could have a hand in it... Leo? Carlo? She’d frown. 

Milo replies “I don’t pretend to know all the inner workings of the design.  But it’s some sort of rail system.  Connecting the major cities.  Expediting and simplifying travel and trade.  If these are old memories for you, what is it your family focus on these days?”

Corti nods, and then watches Thia quietly before picking up her lute. She plucks a few chords, then absentmindedly switches to a light melody, and stares at the ceiling as she plays, thinking about everything they’ve learned so far.