Neris gives Terin a long, hard stare - gritting her teeth slightly. Standing just three feet tall, she has to look upwards - and, feeling particular small, she shifts and straightens her posture.

And then she eases slightly.

"Look, I appreciate what you did for me back there. I don't know how, but you saw through those references - I saw that spark in your eyes. So I guess I owe you something..."

Nonetheless, she hesitates before continuing.

"I need this job. Let's just say I have a debt to pay... a big debt... and leave it at that, eh?" She taps her proud little nose with her forefinger. "As long as you do what I tell you to, we're going to be just fine, elf! Lucky me, that Mr Caldwell saw fit to give me an assistant!" Neris jovially exclaims, grinning broadly at the suggestion that Terin is to be her assistant, and reaches up to pat Terin familiarly on the back.

She gives Terin no chance to respond before diving into business. "So where do we start? I must admit, I do not know this town so well, and my contacts are... shall we say... a bit on the flaky side..." She looks at Terin expectantly.

Uncle scowls while watching, his disgust of the Imperials plainly displayed. "For now we watch." He produces some old cards and a few copper coins and deals out a simple two-person game on top of his potato cart. 

Watch it is then

Parker settles near Uncle looking like he is half asleep, but trying to make mental notes of entrances, exits and the comings and goings of individuals on the barge

"Oh, you misunderstand my altruism, that is unfortunate. I overlooked your forgeries because of how well they were made. Whom did you contract to create them?" Terin continues to stand stiff backed as he speaks, his arms clasped in front of him, his appearance as if they were having a friendly conversation.

Parker, you don't notice anything particular about these guards, in fact most look fairly disinterested in being here, as if they don't quite understand the reason behind the order. The barge meanwhile seems to belong to a patriar. It was decorated with a family crest of sorts, three interwoven rings. After a while you make out the harbourmaster, being questioned about something by some of the guards. Unfortunately, you're too far away to hear what they are saying.

"Contract? Now it is you who misunderstand, elf - that's all Neris, right there!" Her pride almost leads her to forget herself - they are standing in public, after all. She leans in closer to Terin and whispers animatedly. "I can near on whip up any kind of official document you might be needing. For the right price, of course. Maybe we should have a chat before your next job interview, eh? You've done me a solid today, I won't forget that, so I could give you a sizeable discount  - you know?" She gently elbows Terin in a familiar manner, grinning up at him, finding herself becoming intrigued with this elf.

Given the new information and the great likelihood that both Sparks and Doc had been captured or were otherwise under heavy susicion and could not help the resistance, Uncle called a meeting to strategise, and to see how to continue from here on out. The usual cover of the card game should suffice, and you all meet in the cellar of a pastry shop in East Ways. You're all even more careful than usual getting here, and you can sense that the tension is running high.

Once everyone is here, Uncle shuffles and deals out the cards.

"Nice place.  Never been here before.  What are we playing?"

Parker reels off rapidly

Eyeing the unfamiliar face, not sure how much I should say, “I suppose it is a nice place, more of a place for us to stay out of sight.” Holding out my hand “I’m Dartina, and you are?”

"Oh im Parker. Tis a pleasure to meet you"

“Of that we shall see.” Unsure of what to make of this new comer or the new female halfling. I walk over to her and extend my hand “As I’m sure you just heard, name’s Dartina, and you are?”

Uncle deals out the cards and places a few copper coins on the table. He takes his hand and scowls. "I don't like meeting here. Makes me hungry."

He looks around at the new and old faces an tries to reign in his grumpy demeanor. "It's fine though - I'm just nervous, is all. You can call me 'Uncle' - doesn't matter why. You lot are here because we are a little short of players for very high-stakes game. We are playing against the House, and the odds ain't good. However, all of us have weighed what we could loose, and it's much worse."

Uncle leans in and places his cards face-up on the table - showing nothing but a pair of two's. His voice gets low, barely above a whisper. "Well time to show my hand - we are working against the empire - and we need help. Now, you can ante up and help - and we want that to be yer choice - but you can't refuse to play and walk away alive. I am sorry about that, but it's the way it's gotta be." 

Is there profit involved? Parker asks lowly

“Potentially, depending on what we can discover” “What are the two of you good at” I also add a couple of reds to the table and look expectantly at the new comers. 

forging, making legal documents and im working on understanding magic stuff

Neris fiddles with the knot of her bandana uneasily as she surveys the room and this motley group. She steals a glance at Terin, trying to gauge his reaction to Uncle's words. 

At Dartina's question, Neris' pride kicks in. "I make highly legitimate documentation - as Terin here can attest." She flashes a smile at the half elf. "Forgeries of artwork, too - anything that requires a steady hand and an eye for detail. I'm interested in any job you can send my way - need the dough, you see. Though I didn't expect to find it in a pastry shop..." She chuckles at her own joke.

"Name's Neris Swifthand." She does the rounds, starting with Dartina, making sure to shake everyone's hand in turn. A surprisingly firm grip for someone so lithe and, well, small. 

"And what's your gig then?" Nodding at Uncle. "I'm going to place my bets on resistance, given that I haven't heard about any sort of sticky-bun cartel in these parts... and Terin here doesn't seem like the baking kind. I can work with the resistance, I admire your goals, but I'll not do it for free." Neris crosses her arms purposefully. She does not engage in the card game.

A quick grin appears at the dough joke and then vanished as quickly as it appeared. 

Hearing Neris’s last name “What a coincidence, seems we have both swift feet and fast hands.” Attempting to make his own joke, surveying the group to see if any catch it. 

“Our gig is fighting back against the empire as uncle said. Sometimes that’s well paying, sometimes not. Often though you need to find your own paying work that gives you opportunity to weaken the empire see.” looking to Uncle for validation and the to Harper confused by his silence so far. I also pause to judge how much we want to share with these two. We only just met after all. 

Uncle frowns at the quick back-and forth. He smooths any errant wisps of grey hair that cover his balding pate and gestures towards to cards. "Humor a tired man - at least pretend to play. Low-stakes gambling gives a reason to meet in secret - something we bribe away as opposed to raising suspicions and risking the ol' rope-dance."

He deals out cards to everyone and looks at his cards. "My 'gig' is doing what it takes to live in a free land - one where people are free to make their own way. I keep us connected to other like-minded folks, and I know how to get things in and out the city without too many wandering eyes."

Uncle trades two of his cards in for new ones. "We just lost two, and need to replace 'em. Hopefully, we will be trading up with you two."

His voice gets quiet as he stares over his cards at nothing. "Bottom line is, we need help. And, sure, there's money to be made, but that's not the goal. The goal is live in a world where you get to keep what you earn. I lost my wife, son, and business to the empire, and I'll be damned if I'm just gonna roll over and watch it happen to others around me."

"Well i technically work for the empire being in the notary office, but that could prove to be an advantage given the documents that i deal with, and seals i have access to

Neris sees the sense in the deception and takes her seat at the table, lifting ever so slightly the playing cards dealt to her. She smiles.

"You lost your family and business... and now it seems you've lost two accomplices. I'm not used to losing..." Neris tosses one gold into the centre of the table and stares intensely at Uncle - still smiling. "...so why should I place my bets on you?"