Talking to HaegVaslin, in a desire to flirt with other men heads off around the large tap room. It isn't long before she attracts attention. There are a few other human women in the room - but they are, for the most part, armed and armoured and look fairly hardbitten - as most women who take the life of a warrior in a mostly male dominated profession tend to be. Vaslin on the other hand - a petite half-elf with her femininity not covered over with heavy armour, attracts a fair number of wolf whistles.
A
stranger stops Vaslin and speaks to her, though she is too far for
the others to hear what was said.
"So, what brings a pretty young thing like you here love?" asks a stranger. He glances towards the rest of Vaslin's companions. "You here to help protect the Citadel when the orcs attack? Apparently there's a big horde of them gathering up in the mountains you know..."
Valsin pause and turns to the stranger. She has a smile for the man, not over inviting but certainly polite. Her smile brighten her already pleasant looking face. "I am here with my friends, We just helped some Mercs who were being pounded on by hooked horrors, vicious beasts that they are. I hear the dwarves took this place back from the Orcs. They are to be congratulated on that for sure. My name is Vaslin and those are some of my friends," she points back to where Milo and the others are sitting.
The man seems a little surprised that she is interested in talking to him after all, and after a worried look at Lucretia, nods. "Yeah - they took it back a few years ago now, and they're still coughing up decent dough for swords that will help defend the place whilst they get on with the real business of rebuilding the place. My name is Haeg" he says, leaning across the table to shaker her and Lucretia's hands.
He glances around the taproom and at the large crowd still gathered around Yvandel. "Your friend seems to have quite a talent for entertainment!" he says with a rye smile as he takes a sip of his drink. "The dwarves here ain't much for bards generally - though they like a good tale, and occasionally break out into singing - though I tend to call it more chanting..." He glances around to make sure no dwarves are in earshot then adds. "You know, long boring songs about battles or gold" he says in a conspiratorial manner.
Vaslin chuckle softly to Haeg's remarks about Dwarven taste in entertainment.
"Yvandel is quite talented indeed and seems to be able to gauge his audience and provide appropriate entertainment. So you are currently employed here. I take it." she switches from making a statement to a asking a question from Haeg. Vaslin was trying to size up the man as they sat together. She was not sure about him as of yet, so ner manner was just polite, for now. She wasn't one to flirt without purpose or lead men on to a dead end either.
Haeg nods, a sour look on his face. "Till High Harvestide Beshiba's luck!" he grumbles.
After shaking Haeg's hand, Luc leans back and smiles at Haeg's comment on the dwarves.
"Greetings to you Haeg. I am called Lucretia. So you're in the business of defending by sword, I assume?" Luc asks. Leaning into his pack at his feet, pulls out the hook of the monster he had taken and puts it on the table.
As Lucretia pulls out his most recent trophy, Haeg looks at the gory hook, with gristle still attached and grimaces. "What the hell did that come from?" he asks.
"Dwarves must be paying you real good for the risk you guys are takin'... If we hadn't chanced on the poor fellas near the mines, you would probably be the next in line to go find their shreds" he says as he gives Haeg a wink.
"Now tell me my man, what else goes on around here?" he asks.
"What goes on here?" replies Haeg. "Not that much. The dwarfs go about their business of stone masonry and smithery, along with doing patrols around the area, whilst us humans get to do various sword related work - such as mine clearing." He glances around the room as if looking for someone. "So who's ass did you save then?" he asks.
Luc answers "eer. what was is zest, sext, Scest... something like that..."
"Yeah" Haeg nods. "I know him. Saw him and his boys come in when you lot came in." He cranes his head and looks around the tap room. Although Scest has left, some of his men are still dotted around, some with the rest of the Unknowns, and some talking with others around the room.
"How long you intending to stay in Felbarr?" he asks. "Personally, I'm thinking of getting out whilst the going's good - I heard the orcs were amassing up in the mountains - going to have another crack at retaking this place soon" he says, a certain amount of trepidation in his voice.
Luc takes a sip from his ale, "can't be that bad" putting his tankard back on the table he continues "besides you're in a fort... better than bein' outside I say."
"Where are you from originally?" Luc asks, "and what made you venture all the way out here? you must've heard something to drag yourself to this remote part of the land infested with orcs?"
"Three hundred crowns for a six month contract." answers Haeg scowling. "And I'm not sure its enough. Sometimes I wish I was broke and unemployed back in Sundarbar!" he adds.
Luc smiling wickedly asks "c'mon what's the catch, what is the real story of everyone ganging up in this ruin? and don't tell me its that pay, cause if it was you wouldn't have that tone" he takes another sip and winks at Haeg.
Haeg snorts. "Well from what I've picked up, these mountains have particularly rich deposits - and the dwarves just want to start exploiting them again! As for me? I'm just worried that the orcs are going to come back in force and wipe this place off the hill. That's why I'd rather not have to finish my contract!"
Vaslin heard Luc's question and just listens to Haeg responce. While she waited for the answer she look around the room playing one of her favorite games--whose was what. Using just visual and auditory clues to try to tell who the person was, where they were from and what they did--by their clothes, manners, demeanor, facial expression, hand gestures and speech patterns. It helped her remain acutely award of who was around her and perhaps what their intentions were.
Luc lifts hit eyebrows as he says, "whoa, I would not want to be here when the orcs attack in numbers"
He shakes his head slowly as he says, "I guess we better do the passing through bit very quickly"
Valsin let Lucretia carry the conversation for now. She keep up her game of who is who as she gazes about the room. That was until her stomach rumbled noticeably.
"Excuse me," Vaslin chuckled lightly. "My stomach is greeting my backbone right now. Time to order dinner and quiet down it murmuring."
Vaslin lifts her hand to summons a server. "Stew please and another Ale all around the table," Vaslin orders
Vaslin orders some food and continues to look around the large taproom. There are more people in the room now and the long stone trestle tables set in rows are starting to fill up. Cleo and Merrell (OOC: I'll assume he goes with her) stand and make their way over to join Vaslin, Lucretia and the stranger they've been speak to at another table a couple of rows over.
Vaslin can see that there there are probably close to 40 humans in the room, with three times that number of dwarves. Almost all of them are armed and armoured, but there is the occasional one here and there that is in more normal clothes - usually a dwarf, and with the occasional clue about their profession - the plethora of small burn marks on the forearms of a smithy, the stone dust still in the hair of a mason.
The stranger shrugs non-committally as Cleo asks if she and Merrell can join the table.
In the meantime, Larz has been pulled aside by several warrior dwarves, who are talking to him in dwarvish
Merrell and Cleo join Vaslin and Lucretia, talking to a human stranger on a table a little way away from the main group.
"Well you don't look like a sword swinging type either!" chortles Haeg to Merrell as the mage sat down, glancing at Vaslin to show who he was comparing him with. "Unlike these two!" he nods at Lucretia and Cleo. "So what brings you to Citadel Felbar?" he asks. "I mean, unless you really like dwarves, or are hard up and could do with the cash, coming here isn't exactly a sight-seeing spot!"
Merrell pushed his glasses up on his nose, and took a long look at the man that had spoken to him. "I am a scholar friend, not a fighter." the mage replied with a slight smirk. "When one travels with friends such as these," Merrell said nodding toward Luc and Cleo "there isn't much need to worry about being more physically adept."
Merrell took another mouthful of food, chewed it and swallowed before he continued, "Still the same, I'd say I have pulled their arses out of more than one fire, as they have me." the skinny mage said raising his mug in toast.
"To those we had to leave behind on the trail, may they find peace in their rest." Merrell looked toward Luc, "And to those without whom, life would be much more boring." Merrell smirked,and added "And most certainly much less dangerous."
Merrell took a long drink, and turned his attention back to the outsider at the table "No friend, we are not sight seers, nor do we seek money for our services." Merrell smiled, "well most of us anyway." "We're just passing through, and our dwarven companions felt a bit homesick for their kin, and more than a bit homesick for some strong dwarven spirits I would suspect."
Haeg grins. "Yeah, they do like their drink don't they! Of course, when they hear you're just passing through, they may not be quite as hospitable towards your group. They really do want more swords here at the moment!"
Vaslin watches as Dorn stood but she seem relaxed enough hooking his thumbs n his belt and replying to the other Dwarf in moderates tones that were low enough that she did not hear his words. She keep a wary eye out anyway but relaxed when they finally sat down together and lifted their mugs to drink.
"Well Dorn found someone to drink with," comments Vaslin in a side
remark to the on going conversation. "Not that that is hard to do in a
common room full of dwarves."
She laughs and tips her mug up to take another drink. One mug could last her the night if she let it.
Cleo orders two more bowl of stew and gives one to Merrell, "You need some meat of you bones," she said pushing the bowl his way. "Can't have you so light that a goblin could knock you over."
She looks to Haeg, "So what been the problem here? Seem's we missed out on part of the conversation."
Luc Laughs at Cleo's comment on Merrel's "meat"... and says "what's the point... you're going to wear out that "meat" off the poor guy anyway. It's not goblins he should be worried about!!!" and continues to laugh...
Cleo winks at Luc and gives him a wicked little smile. "Mages need high energy to perform their best."
Cleo hails a serving wench, "How about a pie for desert. What do you have."
Merrell smiled when Cleo insisted he eat more. To her comment about goblins he replied, "My love, if one is smart enough, the goblins won't get close enough to knock them down."
The skinny mage shoveled in the food that was brought. He didn't know how long it was going to be before he had another "home cooked" meal. Trail rations didn't appeal to him all that much, the dried meats were allot like eating his own shoes, and hard bread was far too much work to eat.
Merrell almost swallowed a mouthful of food down the wrong pipe when Luc made his jab about Cleo working off his meat. "You have a one-track mind Trollcleaver!" Merrell said chuckling, "Though truth be known, I must admit, much of my time nowdays is spent thinking on this beautiful barbarian lass." Merrell leaned over and kissed Cleo on the cheek, "And truly, who could blame me?"
Merrell chuckled again, "When I'm not trying to save your arse, that is." he said raising his mug in toast again.
"My arse!" Luc exclaims, astonished "you almost fried my arse last time!"
Then Luc raises and inquisitive eyebrow and shares his revelation with the group... "y'know Merrel you should seriously think about giving up being a mage and become a bard... what a wonderful piece of poetry that was:
thinking of this beautiful barbarian lass...
when I'm not trying to save your arse!"
Luc raises and sips from his tankard only to choke on the ale as he tries to laugh at the same time...
Cleo reaches over to pat Luc's back and he splutters, "Luc, I would rather bathe in hot water."
"So, Haeg, what sort of trouble are you having? Though we are only passing through, maybe we could spread the word, if you need fighters and others, and the pay is worth it for them to come. There is a lot to be said for having clerics and magic users with you.
Haeg snorts. "Ain't that much to tell. Just the fact that the mountains are full of orcs that are all about to sweep down and attack this place" he grumbles, looking morosely into his empty flagon.
Merrell shuddered at Haeg's statement about the orcs. "Orcs you say? Filthy lot. We've sent more than our share to meet their maker already." The skinny mage said looking towards his friends.
"Why would the orcs be massing here? It seems this dwarven stronghold would be fairly easy to defend, and would prove too costly to the orcs if they attempted a frontal assult. Even the orcs aren't that stupid." Merrell said wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
"Is there something here the orcs want? I mean other than their general dislike for dwarves, and their passion for causing chaos?"
As the skinny mage spoke he noticed Vaslin was being rather quiet. "Is everything okay Vas? You seem to be much quieter than normal?"
Haeg shrugs. "The orcs used to call this place the Citadel of the Thousand Arrows - when they had the place... remember they were only driven out of this place four years ago - so they probably want to get it back for revenge if nothing else!"
"That does not sound very Orcish. They like to get blooded in battle, and they are lousy archers at best, the only thing they have going for them as bowmen, is the number of them, which means it takes more arrows to take down one enemy."
"Who actually build this place?"
Cleo polishes off her second bowl of stew with a hunk of bread, and then eats it.
She leans back a bit and sips her ale.
"Well the dwarves did of course! Long time ago... dunno when exactly" Haeg looks curiously at Cleo. "Your bespectacled friend here called you his barbarian lass... and you have the hair and eyes of the Uthgarth - what was your tribe? Are you on route to meet with them now?" he asks.
Vaslin turns form her people watching back to Merrel when she hears her name. Her smile lights up her face and her brown eyes regard Merrel's "Sorry about that I was just people watching. Did I miss anything important, other that some verbal foreplay." she says with a grim and a twinkle in her eye. "...and finding out what is going on it this place currently courtesy of Haeg," she adds.
"Cleo, if you don't take any better care of Merrill so that he is wondering about what I am doing, well, I might just contest you for him." The twinkle was still in her eyes as she said that. Vaslin liked the genial Barbarian woman. A good friend to have at you back and even better in front of you.
"However. we would have to come up with a fair contest, certainly not one of brawn." she laughs. "You would have to much of an advantage even if one arm and one leg were tied up." Vaslin did not mention a contest of wits or beauty because Cleo was quite a handsome young woman, and not short in the wits department either. Even though Vaslin did think she had the edge in those two categories politeness and friendship made it so she would nto mention that.
"Forgive me but I have not seen much Dwarven work, and the way you spoke of it, it sounded as if the Orcs had first built and named the place" says Cleo.
Cleo names her tribe. "We are on a personal quest, it has drawn us this way, we anly stopped by the castle because the mercs were rescued were in need of help to return, and two of our number are Dwarves and wanted to drink with their fellows."
Haeg is lifting his tankard to drain the last dregs when he suddenly freezes, staring at Vaslin's hands. A frown crosses his face for a moment, and then deepens as he looks to Lucretia's as well...
Noticing Haeg looking at the sigils, Merrell pulled back his sleeves to allow him to see them on his forearms as well. "You recognize these? Or at least some of these markings?" He asked showing the man the marks as covertly as possible. "Do they mean anything to you?"
Haeg looks at Merrell's arms, a certain amount of alarm on his face. Putting his tankard down, he grips the edge of the table, leaning back slightly, his eyes captivated by the slowly squirming red sigils. "Errr, no, never seen their like" he says eventually answering Merrell's question. "What the hell are they!" He looks around at the four of them, even glancing across at the other group sitting on the other table. "Who are you people?" he asks.
"Be easy, Haeg. We are just adventures that have been around for a while, Things happen. after doing this business for a while. Some good some bad, some known some unknown. By Tymora, one must take the good with the bad." Vaslin says calmly and quietly.
After Haeg's sudden attention to the sigils, Cleo turns to him. "Seems to me you have more knowledge that you wish to let on. As I said before we are passing through on personal business."
"Just relax friend, and keep your voice down. We would rather not draw attention to ourselves if we don't have to" says Merrell.
Haeg looks uncomfortable, but doesn't make any more fuss.
"I saw you looking at Vas and Luc's hands and...hesitating, well freezing is more the word I was searching for. Though I may have jumped to the wrong conclusions." Merrell continued. "But then again, as Cleo stated, your reaction seems to indicate that you may know more than you are telling. I suggest for your own 'peace-of-mind', you might want to be more forthcoming about it if there is any additional information you can share."
Merrell lowered his voice a bit more speaking only loud enough for those in the immediate vacinity to hear. "You have already heard how we came to be in this citidel. The hook horrors were childs play for my companions and I. Truth be known, we took it easy on the beasties because we didn't want the added attention." Merrell looked into Haeg's eyes, "I suggest you answer the lady's question my friend. What more do you know that you're not telling?"
"I'm tellin' you the truth! Honest!" he says, looking somewhat alarmed at Merrell's subtle threats. "I was only lookin' because they caught my eye, and they looked so..." he shudders, "...horrible!"
Merrell smiled and spoke again softly, "Be at ease, we're not going to harm you Haeg. I believe you are telling the truth."
Merrell looked around the common room briefly to see if they had caught anyone elses attention before continuing. "It's just these things draw allot of unwanted attention, and one can't be too careful. We had to be sure you weren't working for the 'other side' as it were."
The skinny mage flagged down a passing serving wench, "Hello there lass, another round for my friends and I please." Returning his attention back to Haeg he added, "We aren't sure ourselves where these damn things came from. Though we do have knowledge of whom each of these symbols belong. I was sort of hoping you did know more, but I understand your reaction."
When she returned with the drinks Merrell smiled, again addressing Haeg. "There, see no harm done lad. What shall we drink to?"
Vaslin reaches out a hand and places it calmly on Haeg arm to reinforce Merrell words to Haeg. "Haeg We do, mean you no harm. We're just interested in finding any information" Vaslin states in a calming voice and adding one of her glorious smiles to reinforce her words.
Vaslin motions to a serving girl and when she arrives. "Get him another of what he is having," she says and tosses her a coin that should cover the cost. "The rest is your girl."
Haeg shakes his head. "No, thank you anyway" he says, placing a hand on Vaslin's arm before she tosses the coin. "I'm done for the night I think." Realising just where he was putting his hand, he flinches it away, looks embarrassed for a moment and stands. "Nice chatting with you. Good luck with your, um, thing" he shudders again, and turns to leave.
"Well that went well..." Merrell said with a sarcastic tone. "Sorry, I jumped too far too fast I guess."
"It is not as if you were flaunting the sigils," said Cleo, leaning against Merrell gently.
She looks about and keeps half an eye on Haeg so see if her goes to talk to someone else and their reaction.
"Girl," she calls to the servingmaid before she leaves, "another bowl of stew and some more bread, please."
She flashes a quick smile to Merrell, "Got to keep up my girlish figure," before returning an eye for Haeg.
Haeg nods a greeting to a few people on his way towards the dormitories, and pauses to exchange a few words with someone just before he reaches one of the the passageways to the bedrooms. He glances back briefly in the group's direction, as does the person he was talking to, before they part, Haeg disappearing towards the bedrooms, the other turning back to the group he had been chatting with before spotting Haeg passing.
"Well that was interesting." Merrell stated flatly. "What do you suppose our new friend had to say to that other gentlman?"
"What do you think Luc?" the skinny mage said trying to goad the warrior into action. "Do you think someone ought to go ask him?"
"Or should we turn Vaslin loose on him? She has a way of making men uncomfortable enough that he might just spill the beans." Merrell turned to look at Vaslin and grinned. "Just stating fact, Vas. You know it's true."