Jeb disengages from the crowd of on lookers at the front of the inn. The two new comers see a lithe human male just shy of 6 feet and approximately 10 stone in weight. He has brown hair and black eyes. He is dressed in finely tailored through worn clothing, leather armor, a traveling cloak, an ashwood short bow hangs on his shoulder, and a rapier is at his side. He rests a hand comfortably upon the hilt. The man moves with a grace of a dancer or hunting cat. 

He crosses to the the large figure craning his head back to look the Goliath in the eye. As he does so, he asks calmly "Are they pursuing you two? If so, how many and how much time do we have before they are upon us?"

"The Sleeping Giant Tap House you say? Tomorrow night?", he said leaning even closer. "I'll remember that. I might even look for you there." Arikon was aroused, he couldn't deny it, but it didn't take long before some doubts began to settle in. 'She can't be serious, can she?', he thought to himself as he watched her stroll away. The young sorcerer would lie, if he told that he wasn't tempted by the blonde barmaid. (Insight 14 to see if she is sincere)

A few minutes after that he noticed the commotion brewing outside the inn. He got to his feet and joined Jeb pushing through crowd to see what was going on. The goliath's words were disturbing, if they were true. Arikon noticed that the two newcomers were in bad shape and said, "You look like you need someone to address these wounds of yours. Are they the work of those goblins you speak of?"

Maglath looks down at the two humans addressing him. He pulls two crossbow bolts from his left shoulder, bright blood dripping from the tips.

"They have a camp just off the Triboar Trail in Sindaein Wood," he growls in a deep voice.

He looks over to Lyre, coughing on his knees, reaches down and helps the kenku to his feet.

"Lyre got us away. They do not follow."

He looks the two over again from head to toe.

"Do you lead the garri-", he coughs before he can finish the question, a drop of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Jeb takes a step back from the large framed new comer as he says, "Steady there friend. You go down in the square and you're likely to stay there. There may not be enough manpower to move you  in doors. There is no garrison here, if you were looking for soldiers to assist you. But my companions and I are new in town and are a might handy with a blade when the need arises. Sorry to disapoint if you were looking for the long eared calvary to save the day." Jeb gestures to the crowd to move way so the new comers could enter the tavern. When the crowd doesn't part soon enough for his liking, Jeb motions to the imposing Goliath to encourage the onlookers. 

Elsa seems genuine in her desire to meet Arikon at the Sleeping Giant Tap House. However, Arikon senses an ulterior motive from her; an instantaneous flash of disgust in her eyes whenever she glances at the young sorcerer. However, Elsa resumes her cheerful disposition.

"That's great! I'll make sure to dress up for tomorrow. It's going to be so much fun."

The townsfolk are alarmed when Maglath rises up to his full height, and a little disturbed when Lyre reveals his gleaming, bird-like yellow eyes. However, due to Phandalin's proximity to the mountains, it's likely they've heard tales of kenkus and goliaths, but obviously have not had the chance to see them in the flesh.

When Maglath announces the hobgoblin invasion, the whispering turns into full-blown panic. The town square is in an uproar; children are crying, people are yelling or paralyzed in fear. Murmen can spot Carp on the edge of the crowd, trembling as his mother attempts to comfort him to no avail. Strangely, in the middle of all of this the elf nun at the Shrine of Norebo continues praying. 

A fit silver-haired half elf emerges from the crowd with a grim disposition. He's one of the few townsfolk not caught up in the panic. 

"Phandalin is a small town. There is no militia. Are you agents of the Crown?"

 (Sorry, didn't mean to post at the same time). 

Maglath looks at the half elf, cocking his head to the side to take him all in.

He then looks more closely around the town. Even in the dark he can now see there is no fort or castle.

"Yes. Word must be sent to the crown. Are there messengers?" he says, and then more loudly for the benefit of the onlookers. "From the looks of this village, the hobgoblins are not coming here. They build siege engines. There is nothing here to lay siege too."

The he approaches the human who said he is handy with a blade. "A short rest would be wise."

He moves slowly towards the tavern entrance, not making an attempt to move around the crowd if they do not move out of the way. He just growls at them.

"Come Lyre. Food. Water. Rest. Then we return to the mission."

He looks at the horse once more.

"And we will honor the horse with a proper burial."

Murmen stumps forwards.

"How far away, lad?  Even if they no be coming here, any village near a hobby raiding party is in danger."

Lyre nods in thanks to Maglath as he helps him stand up. Turning his head to the ruckus, he takes in much of the words said, and begins to construe a sentence together. Looking at the Half-Elf, he replies; "Agents of the Crown." Cocking his head at the brown-haired man, he replies; "Looking for soldiers. Handy with a blade?" Before packing the items he had spilled in his fall and trailing behind Maglath

Maglath eyes the dwarf, sizing him and the others up. With no militia or queen's garrison, these three may have to do.

"We rode hard," he says and gestures to the horse. "Too hard. Cut through the woods. Lyre lead them in circles. Days of hard travel. Lost them. But maybe a day, day and a half of a straight route back. If they are still there."

Maglath looks over to the half-elf again and asks "Do you have messengers? Word must be sent."

The half-elf stands forward. 

"We usually get messengers once a week from Doveheart, but for the past month nobody's came. Does anyone want to volunteer to travel to Doveheart to inform them of the attack?" he says to the crowd. However, amidst the panic and fear no one steps forth. The half-elf shrugs. 

"If you say you are Agents of the Crown, then I trust you no matter what form you take. I'm Daran; I tend a orchard, but if the need arises, my blade will help defend this town."

As Maglath and Lyre begins to enter the tavern, the elf nun that was at the Shrine of Norebo moves to intercept them. She speaks in a soft tone, "Thank you, agents, for informing us about this threat. If I am called, I will also assist this town." She moves her hands over Maglath's and Lyre's wounds as they are bathed in a white light, their wounds healing together for 10 hp.

"Someone should move that horse," she says before returning back to the shrine. 

Inside the tavern, the once jovial attitude has transformed into silence. Only the bartender seems composed enough to speak. With a weary sigh, he asks, "You want rooms? 5 silver each."

'Well, that's strange.', he thought to himself as he realised that behind Elsa's facade was a hint of something else. He couldn't put the finger on what it was, but something suddenly felt very strange.

The uneasy taking hold of the townfolk was palpable after they had heard the goliath's story. Arikon addressed Jeb and Murmen, "Well, I don't know about you, but I think we could help them. For the right financial compensation of course. These goblins or hobgoblins or whatever could very well work with those who kidnapped Gundren."

Jeb looks at Arikon as he replies, "You may be on to something there Arikon. Goblins, Orcs, and now Hobgoblins... Something has the local humanoid population all riled up. That's for sure."

"Yes, and food," Maglath replies to the bartender. "Lots of food."

He puts a few coins on the bar and then he turns towards the two talking about the goblinoids, pausing mid turn when he notices two more crossbow bolts stuck in his leg. He pulls them out, barely wincing, and tosses them on the floor.

"You know something about the goblinoids?" he asks. "I would hear more."

Maglath gestures to the bartender and points at a table he intends to claim. "Ale," he says curtly, and with a gesture indicates that enough should  be brought for Lyre and the others as well. 

The bartender seems put off by Maglath's curt responses.

"You don't tell me how I run my inn. That'll be two gold. And get those crossbow bolts off my floor."

Elsa makes another round, bringing ale and leftovers. She's very quiet, her face contorted with worry. However, when she passes Arikon, she nudges him and smiles before disappearing in a back room. 

Most of the other occupant's of the inn have left for home upon the news. Other than the old toothless farmer playing a lute near fireplace, you are alone- free to continue your discussion.

Murmen's eyes narrow, wondering why the barmaid's so much more nervous than everyone else.  His eyes narrow even further when he sees her nudge Arikon, and he stares after her suspiciously.

Insight: 18

Maglath looks at the bartender, curiosity more than any other emotion flickering across his face.

”If you want more coin for ale and food just say so. Do not confuse things by talking about buildings running. That is not possible.”

He places two gold pieces on the bar and turns to go, but then stops and looks at Lyre.

”Is this where they need to hear please and thank you?”

He then bends down, picks up the crossbow bolts and looks at them carefully.

He offers them to the three they have just met. 

“Neither Lyre nor I use a crossbow. But these are still good. Do you want them?”

He sits down at the table, the chair creaking, dangerously close to breaking.

”You three are not from here. Yet you know about orcs and goblins in the area. Are you hunting them for the bounty?”

Jeb takes the Goliath's frankness in stride. He says, "The name's Jeb, Arikon, and Murmen. There are three others in our band of adventurers. They are setting up our base camp while we three got more info on the dealings in Phandalin. We ran into some goblin trouble on the way into town and have accepted a bounty by the mayor to deal with some orcs on Wyvern's Tor. There is an agent of the crown in town as well. We rescued him from the goblins. He's asked us to deal with some local bandit trouble within town as well. A group calling themselves the Redbrands. A cowardly band of thieves and thugs preying on the weak. I'm sure the crown would want them dealt with as well. Two extra blades would aid us in our venture. I don't  want to take you from your own mission; but you would be assisting the village and thus the crown."

Maglath ponders what Jeb has said and eyes him carefully. He looks over at Lyre. The small Kenku is more insightful and perceptive than Maglath is and he has come to rely on Lyre's ability to sift out what is real and what is a lie. But in this case, Maglath cannot see any gain Jeb would receive from making up what he has told them.

"I am Maglath, the Lonebearer of the Malukathai," he says and then pauses, thinking about what he has just said. No goliath ever wishes to be the Lonebearer.

He then nods at Lyre and continues, "the two of us had been riding down the Triboar Trail. There was another agent we were to meet. Is the agent in town named Reidoth? He is who we seek?"

Maglath drains his mug of ale and inhales the plate of food in front of him. Then he glances over at Lyre again.

"If it is Reidoth, we must find him. But once we have talked to him, this town needs to be cleaned of predators. Do you agree?"

"I would even dare to say that we need to rid ourselves of these bandits before addressing the threats surrounding the town. Else, they might undermine any measure we take to strengthen Phandalin and its defences.", Arikon added after Jeb had explained the situation. "I somehow got the feeling that those Redbrands have a more comprehensive hold on this setlement than we think.", he had said the words before he grasped the underlying suspicion himself. 'Was the girl a part of this?', he asked himself suddenly thinking of the disdain he had seen in her eyes. An uneasy feeling started to settle in and Arikon began to look around the inn suspiciously for a foe that wasn't palpable.

"

Lyre seems to simply observe the conversation, peering around with unnerving eyes. He holds his tongue as the rest are speaking, soaking in all the information he has received. Investigating the mug of ale that was set before him, it becomes evident that Lyre has difficulty drinking from a mug and therefore has little experience with ale and alcohol - after trying to momentarily slosh a few drops of ale into his beak and tilt his head backwards, he splutters and spills some of it onto his lap, unaccustomed to the harsh bite of alcoholic beverages. 

It also becomes evident that he is much more accustomed to slinking in the shadows - being in the center of a lit room among other companions is unnatural and uncomfortable to most Kenku, and with slight, jerky movements, he often looks around for exits and at other patrons if the need to escape arises. 

Mimicing various words, he slowly pieces together a thought, accentuating it with head bobs and gestures. "Town needs to be cleaned from predators. Riding down Triboar. Reidoth, we must find him." Pausing to think about the situation of the characters he had recently met, he continues. If the Crown was offering money to help defeat the so-called Redbrands, it could be worth looking into. If their target - Reidoth - is in need of aid or is in danger from the hobgoblin horde, companions will help - and why not earn companionship and aid, metaphorically kill two birds with one stone? He always hated that phrase. Pointing to his companion, he continues. "Maglath. Deal with some local bandit trouble - Redbrands? Two of us, Agents of the Crown. Extra blades. Aid in your adventure."