Lokat lifts his hands.  "You're talking murder.  Are you?  I'm not so sure if I am totally understanding what you mean but I'm sure it alludes to murder."  The dwarf eyeballs Tarina.

"I think what she is talking about is protection." Leshanna states flatly, her eyes on the informant. "She wants us to deal with these fellows before they can deal with her, or at least that would be muy guess." Leshanna considers things for a moment. "Now I don't mind doing you a favor, but I don't think Zodge would understand. It is you that is in his debt, from what he has told us, and I don't believe he would want us sticking our noses out for you further on his behalf, since you have not repaid the first debt you owe." She holds the woman's eyes. "Now, I said I don't mind doing you this favor, but I think it should be for something other than Zodge's information, as I would hate to have to inform him how you upped your price, thinking the debt you owed him was not enough to pay for what we came for."

Alastar is impressed at Leshanna's boldness but also her astuteness. He'll step back and sip his tea and observe the situation, keeping an eye on movement and who else might be listening to the conversation.

"You are both not wrong.", Tarina tells Lokat and Leshanna shrugging. "Though I never promised Zodge to return the favor. Nine Fingers is quite fond of me. She wouldn't like it if something happened to me. If I were you, I would not force me into submission." Although most of you are in the city for only a short time, you all have heard the name Nine-Fingers Keene at some point. She is the current leader of "the guild", the organization conducting organized crime in the city.
"The way I see it, you can either help me with my tiny problem, or you can find another informant who knows what I know. Could take some time tho'. Zodge probably wouldn't like that."
She gives you an innocent smile.

Lokat scans around the group around him.  "Well...   the way I see it, Tarina here, a positive, functioning member of Baldur's Gate..."  *He lifts his ale, giving a sort of tilt gesture to the woman, takes a drink and sighs*  "....is being harassed by a known criminal and menace to Baldur's Gate.  Us five were appointed by Captain Zodge of Baldur's Gate to enforce the laws here for now.   It's not like what we're doing is -WRONG-, huh?"  *He shrugs, finishing his drink.  He'd then pat his pocket.  "We're the Lawwwww...."  He drones for dramatic effect with a smirk.

"Well, as my return for this little favor is not likely to cost you anything much, I don't see why we can't come to an arrangement." Leshanna says, a smirk twisting up her lips. "We'll not let Zodge know that you upped your price, and deal with these individuals you need taken care of, in return I personally want an introduction to Nine Fingers." She holds the woman's eyes. "I don't think this will likely cost you anything, and might even gain you something, as I am hoping to start up a mutually-benifitial arrangement with Nine Fingers." She shrugs. "Now I don't expect this meeting to happen any time soon, as we have other business to take care of, but, say in a month or two. And all I really ask is that you see if she is willing to meet with me, if she says no, then no harm no foul."

Tarina does not avert her eyes from Leshanna. "That's fine with me. We have a deal then." She lifts her hand to you for a shake.
I assume you will accept.
You shake hands, while she holds eye contact. She then continues: "Keep an eye out for a Captain Murosko Sessprin - if that is still their leader - and his bunch of troublemakers. They will be asking for me, so you shouldn't have any trouble spotting them. They probably won't be here before evening though. So you'll have to kill some time until then."

"Killing time is fine with me." Leshanna says with a shrug. She nods to the woman as she takes back her hand, once the shake has been completed. There is a bit of respect in Leshanna's eyes now, to go with the smirk on her lips. "The Fist doesn't pay us all that well, so I won't be able to gamble with your louts in there, but I am sure I can find a way to pass the time regardless." She glances to the others with a nod. This went as well as she could have expected, in her estimation. She has some doubts as to if the word will be kept, but some chance is better than none she figures.

Clara excuses herself from the table and meets with the others for an update. "Well, a tavern is a good place to kill time I guess. Join my table, very good lads."
She will then call the barmaid and order a round of beer for the table, her companions and her newly met friends handling and half-orc. "A round for my new friends. Let's keep sharing stories or maybe play some dices?"

Knowing that a battle might be possible, her instincts kick off and start to look around for places to hide or to get any cover.

(tab so far: 8 beers + 1 Vilhon Cider)

Tarina answers: "Great! I'll stay right over there where you found me, earning some money from the fine gentlemen over there.", she gives a nod towards the table where the four other dice players sit. "Good luck!"

After Clara leads her ensemble to the table and pays for a round, the halfling admits: "Well, this day got way more entertaining than I expected. And we still have a lot of it left. It has been too long that I last talked to a non-Baldurian. Stories and maybe some Baldurs Bones sound great!"  The barkeeper comes back with the beer. "To new friends!", the half-orc yells as he raises his glass and lets out a bellowing laugh as you clink glasses.

As you spend time talking about what lead you all to Baldur's Gate, the sun wanders the sky and evening approaches and with it dark rain clouds engulfing the city in cool autumn rain.  More Baldurians enter the tavern. First, a few then more and more flee the weather into the tavern and the place get's lively. Soon the noise level rises, with talking, the clinking of dice being rolled and laughter.
Suddenly, a song resounds from seemingly everywhere and nowhere, mixing itself into the ambient noises. As soon as people notice they all become quiet and listen. The voice singing appears to be of an elven woman, though you can not make out any singer. The elvish song (which everyone except Lokat will understand), echoes melodic through the tavern and changes tone from proud to foreboding and defiant in the end. It goes:

O sing a song of Elturel

Of water, woods, and hill

The sun dawns on her ruddy cliffs

And fields green and still.

This land of long-abiding joy

Home of the strong and brave

Renowned by all, across the realms,

And never once a slave.

 

O sing a song of Elturel

When foes are at her door

Her fields torn by cloven feet

From some infernal shore.

Arise the mighty Hellriders

Take up your swift, keen swords

Then charge into the hellish fray

And scatter devil hordes.

 

O sing a song of Elturel

And when the night does fall

Sleep safe beneath Companion’s light

Until the dawn does call.

We’re bound by mortal covenant

That only ends with death

And so we’ll sing of Elturel

Until our final breath.

Then it abruptly ends. For a moment everything is silent. The taverngoers all seem confused, though some more than others. Whispering and muttering grows loud as people are talking of what they just heard.
The gregarious woman at your table you started drinking with, that you got to know as Rahima the astrologer, breaks the silence: "Huh. That one is new. I only heard her ever sing one song. Though I think I like the old one better. This one has some weird undertones. Gives me the creeps." She takes a deep sip of beer as if to wash an unpleasant taste away.

Lokat exhales through his nostrils, "Good to know it was a new one... Lost on me."  He takes another drink.  Throughout the day Lokat has befriended a few of the bar patrons, namely the half-elf bartender.

Briar looks nervously from the singer to Rahima.  "Someone was talking about helpless refugees earlier, and now someone is singing a strange song about Elturel. Has something happened there? "

Clara notices that Lokat seemed to not understand the song and translates the lyrics for him, before continuing chatting with Briar and others at the table.
"Well from what I recall, Captain Zodge was saying from Elturel remains nothing but a hole in the ground and now this cryptic song is talking about war. This is a bit scary."

Lokat covers his mouth with a hand to hold from any ale spraying.  "I've never heard of an elf not knowing how to read the room before!"  He says, chuckling.  "Why would she sing that during a time like this?"

Just a quick note: 

Quote from Stivali >>

Lokat exhales through his nostrils, "Good to know it was a new one... Lost on me."  He takes another drink.  Throughout the day Lokat has befriended a few of the bar patrons, namely the half-orc bartender.

 The bartender is a half-elf. The half-orc is one of the 3 patrons that were the only other guests when you arrived. You got something mixed up there.

Quote from Loosestrife >>

Briar looks nervously from the singer to Rahima.  "Someone was talking about helpless refugees earlier, and now this woman sings a strange song about Elturel. Has something happened there? "

 You can not identify anyone who would have been the source of the singing.

After translating to Lokat, Clara asks to Rahima "Where is this song coming from? Is this magic or is there a singer somewhere hiding ? She has a marvellous voice"

"Remember, Zodge told us that something happened to Elturel, of which nothing remains but a hole in the ground." Leshanna rminds the others. "He also said that one of the lords of this city was there when the disaster happened." She considers the fact this strange song was sung here, after whatever happened to the nearby city. "Zodge also said they were arresting Hellriders on sight, so that is likely also something to keep in mind."

Rahima looks at Clara, slightly amused: "Have you not wondered why this is called the Elfsong Tavern when you entered? That's why. This place is "haunted" by an elven woman. I'm no expert in that matter, but she seems to do a terrible job with the haunting. I thought ghosts were supposed to be creepy, but this one just sings from time to time. Always the same song, but always at a different time. Some folks hang out here just to get a chance to hear her sing. And we are super lucky, I guess. That must have been her first new composition in, well, basically ever." She shrugs. "Well, thanks for translating for the dwarf and the other guys here, who don't speak elvish. But I am not sure, if I wouldn't sleep better if I didn't hear all that talk about cloven feet and hell and death... Don't get me wrong, you just translated it. Nothing wrong with that." She gives you an awkward crooked smile.

Quote from Ascolom >>

Rahima looks at Clara, slightly amused: "Have you not wondered why this is called the Elfsong Tavern when you entered? That's why. This place is "haunted" by an elven woman. I'm no expert in that matter, but she seems to do a terrible job with the haunting. I thought ghosts were supposed to be creepy, but this one just sings from time to time. Always the same song, but always at a different time. Some folks hang out here just to get a chance to hear her sing. And we are super lucky, I guess. That must have been her first new composition in, well, basically ever." She shrugs. "Well, thanks for translating for the dwarf and the other guys here, who don't speak elvish. But I am not sure, if I wouldn't sleep better if I didn't hear all that talk about cloven feet and hell and death... Don't get me wrong, you just translated it. Nothing wrong with that." She gives you an awkward crooked smile.

 Alastar is visibly unsettled by this revelation, and after paying for his tea walks out to look outside.