Nik returned to the party's site, from the Lodge, this time holding the handles of two mugs in each hand. The dwarfs face was somewhat twisted, his eyes almost forcibly being held shut as if to block out all remnants of day light, though he still managed to walk fairly well. 

He put two of the four mugs down next to Nack, before kicking his brother in the side to wake him up. Nack rolled over and almost by habit began flopping his hand around until it found one of the mugs, chugging the contents before blinking the sleep from his eyes. "Nack, pack up tha kit." Nik instructed as he left Nack on the ground, who just grumbled in response.

Nik then walked over to Uthal, as he began drinking from one of the mugs. "Ay biggin. When you're done talkin to god, I need some help." He stood there looking at the goliath through squinted eyes.

Uthal makes a show of stopping as he reads and going back to the first page. "Well, now I'm afraid I must start over, I've lost my place. A problem when you only learn to read later in life, it's more about memorization than actual reading. Best to not distract me." He then starts over.

Current slowly awakens with the noise from Nik and Nack. She doesn't say anything, but seeing everyone go about their morning routine, she sits up and starts sending a silent message to her mother recounting her adventures thus far. She wasn't sure that her mother cared, or could even hear, what she was saying, but Current tried to send the message anyway.

"K. I'll just leave it for ya, then. Best get back to findin' your place." Nik responds, walking away, dropping an empty mug near Uthal's feet, and tracking back towards Nack. Nik gives any other party members a struggled smile, and the greeting "Mernin'" that he passes. Though the entire time still unwanted to open his eyes completely.

When he reached Nack, the two stuff their gear into their packs, without much concern for it truly fitting, and both carry the bundles in the direction of the horses and their wagon.

Austin is up and ready, when the boys started off towards the horses, their gear haphazardly stuffed into packs. She shook her head at the two dwarfs, but hefted her own pack as well. "Time to get on the road again?" She asked, glancing to her companions.

Uthal finishes his prayers, finally, and then picks up the tankard. He looks it over as he stretches. "Bad form to litter, even I know that and I was raised in in place that did even have barns."

Anearis packs his gear and heads to the horses. As he climbs up, he gives a final look at the lodge, more specifically at whatever remains of the burning pile of night creatures.

When Anearis reached the horses, Nik and Nack were sitting in their wagon, leaning against each other. Nack appeared to have already fallen back asleep, sitting in an upright position. Nik, still squinting, followed members of the party as they came over. The contents of their wagon had since increased, as two wooden casks now sat almost pushing the dwarfs forward and out of the cart altogether.

Nik pointed towards four more, stacked up outside the front of the Lodge. "If we're going to the Thieves Guild in Wutai, you all need a gift. You're welcome. Up to you how ya get it there though."

"Well, as you have the only wagon, you may have to figure out a different gift." Austin says with a glance to the barrels. "Those won't fit up with us on the horses after all." She goes on as she glances back to the dwarfs.

Nik half scoffs half laughs at Austin's choice of words. "We're not figurin' nothin. We're not the ones who need introducin'. We fit what we could. You want the help in Wutai, you need that wine. Simple as that." The tone Nik had seemed annoyed to a slight extent, but that could have had other factors. The main point however seemed to be that he was actually offended. 

"Austin, they're actually trying to help in their own way," Ura says, eying the dwarves with a bit of a squint.  "Thanks for getting the ale, boys.  You know this wouldn't be possible for us without you two leading us so competently.  I have to admit, I'm impressed. You guys are more than meets the eye.  Especially you, Nak.  So clever it almost hurts.  You should ask for a promotion in ranks when you get back.  Or maybe you don't even need to?  Greatness is self-evident, right?"

Ura takes a moment to catch her breath and keep her breakfast in, ignoring what she surely feels to be Uthal's wilting disapproval at the flattery.  Then she continues on.  "Nik, you said you two don't need any introducing.  So you're familiar with the guild in Wutai?  Tell us who we're trying to impress, then.  The more we know, the easier it'll be to not piss 'em off, right?"  She stops talking as she eyes her horse, hiding a wince.  Still, she mounts, ready to continue the journey.

Uthal simply returns the tankard to the bar and then mounts his draft horse, looking expectantly at the others.

A snort comes almost as a reply to Ura, from the snoring Nack, "It would gone over his head even if he were awake," Nik adds.

"We'll get you to the guild in Wutai, but the old man sittin as guild master won't see ya, less you got something he wants. That's where the talenth wine comes in. Inside the city, price is very high due ta taxes comin in. But if some of you wanna be ungrateful bout it, I'll just return it and get tha gold back." As he spoke the dwarf seemed to strain making efforts to open his eyes and come to terms with the daylight around them.

 Austin glances to Anearis, this was their deal, working with the thieve's guilds. She then glances back to the dwarfs. "I am not ungrateful." She informs them, but then simply walks to her mount, someone else, she glances again to Anearis, will have to figure out the barrel situation, as she doesn't have any way to get those from here to their destination.

"Can we trust you to man the cart with this wine while we're in the city, and take a sample bottle in to open negotiations?  Or will you be sticking with us for the entire thing?" Ura asks.  "That wouldn't be unwelcome, if you ask me, but I hate to assume anything around these parts, especially since you're just here for the Jenova job."  A gleam enters her eyes.  "What can you tell us about that job, anyway?"

"Oh, this wine is spoken for." Nik said pointing to the two barrels loaded in their tiny cart. "B'sides, that wouldn't be enough ta get the old man's interest." He then nodded back towards the other four still sitting on the ground. "We get ya in the city. The barrels get you where you need once inside the walls." He then began to smile proudly. "I happen to know how we get the wine straight to him though...far as the job is concerned, no. Just don't get caught saying the word once we get close to the city."

Uthal just sits and waits as the discussion happens. "So, what will catch his attention then? Somehow all this trickery and subterfuge aren't in my realm of experience. People seem to not want to bring a 9 foot tall goliath in heavy armor with them for these sort of things."

Current watches curiously as the others discuss a gift. "Also, is a gift the only way to catch this man's attention? Surely there must be something we could do for him if we didn't have an expensive item with us." She asks the dwarf.

"Sure there's somethin you can do for him. You can get him a gift." While Nik's face hadn't exactly managed to function enough to form a smile, the tone of his voice at least indicated that his response to Current was meant to be a light-hearted joke. "You're strangers without reputation in Wutai showing what ya done, so he won't trust what ya can do. The only connections you have in Wutai is us, and he already knows us. Only thing you can do is bring him something he wants, so aside from the wine, if you have the prophecy pearl...or a obsidian blade...or Sir Richard Bichen's *****in' belt...or any other item from lore that might not exist, that you're willin to part with, we're gonna hafta carry these." Nik slapped the top of the barrel behind him, now after speaking looking much more awake at this point.

Anearis looks through his pack and pulls out a rope. He tugs on one end to test its solidity.

"What if we tie the casks to our horses? We can share mounts between Austin, Ura, Current and I, and use the other two to carry two casks each. We would switch it up every day to let them rest. What say you?"