In Service I'm Stuck

"Dammit!" A rock flew from the kick and slammed into the side of a wall, the enraged halfling snarling in it's wake. She huffed then yelled at the sky, fury plainly showing on her little face, "Why the hells did you have to disappear? You DOPE!!"

Avera kicked another rock, and another, and another until she was sweating from the exertion. Finally the tiny woman stopped, sneering at the keep's wall. It had not been a good day. Not only did she have to accept the fact that the Knight-Captain of Crossroads Keep had disappeared but also that he, the person she felt akin to a sibling, was quite probably dead.

No. No she would not accept that! She'd lost so much already. Her original dimension out of grasp, her love gone having become crazed and now out of her life.

And she'd had to talk to the ruler of the land. What a day.

A small hand lifted to her forehead, "Damn. The man had to demand that too."

A slight clink of metal foretold Brenna's approach. She'd grown curious of the noise and assumed the worst, given the captain's disappearance.

"Avera?" She said as she walked up. She resisted the urge to handle the little woman like a child. She looked like one, but she was a grown woman after all. "Something the matter? You seem vexed."

She'd known there was someone coming along the path but had hoped that they would be a regular traveler and go past or that it was one of the female Greycloaks who she could set back on their way. Brenna was a different story as she'd have to talk as the halfling did respect the woman.

At least it wasn't Bishop or Casavir.

A snort sounded, "Just the normal. The Knight-Captain being gone and me being expected to take over. Did you know Lord Nasher has a thing for terrorizing halflings?"

"Does he now?" She said. "I take it he doesn't take smaller people seriously. Is there anything I can do to help? Leadership is a difficult burden for one. Especially when it's thrust upon you."

"Oh he takes me seriously. Seriously enough to try to thrust me into taking over now that the spot at the keep is empty. I told him that Kana can run the keep but I'd take over the work to find the King of Shadows and deal with him." She closed her eyes, "I'm the only one for it but ... I don't really want to go through that again."

Avera leaned against the wall, "Anything you can do? Hmph. Just be here for me."

She smiled softly. "If that'll help." She said. "Tell me, what's to happen now? Do you need to address the Lord of have some preparations that needed doing?"

"Right now?" She smirked, "I had intended on taking a fit and act like a child for a while, go have a drink, beat up a few idiots then deal with all this crud tomorrow. What would you suggest?"

"If it's a drink your after, I can act as wing-man, as some call it." She teased. "I'll make sure no one takes advantage of your drunken self. Shall we, commander?" She asked as she stepped aside to open a path.

"Have you hung out with gryphons or some such?" Avera teased as she pushed away from the wall, "I think some company would be nice but protecting my honour shouldn't be a problem. Most of the residents know of me by now." She smirked, knowing full well that she'd been considered the crazy halfling of town.

"Must be nice having a reputation." She said, chuckling. "But I guess I can't follow just what I've heard."

Avera shrugged as they walked towards the gate into the keep, "Sometimes a reputation can be helpful; however, most people don't believe that halflings can be anything but cute. Usually the ones who find out different come upon the criminal side of the halfling world."

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[left]"Don't be to prejudiced. I've seen cute halflings lift purses too." She joked. "Now, when I see a polite and soft spoken Dwarf, then I'll be surprised."

"That is exactly what I meant. People don't see halfings as more than cute until the halfling steals from them or cuts them up."

Avera stopped long enough to watch the Greycloaks at the gate for a few moments before carrying on, "I've seen polite Dwarves, believe it or not. Callum is one of the Nine and he's quite the gentleman. Then again, he isn't all that quiet though."

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[left]"Oh, I know. I meant it most as a joke. Still, it's kinda handy to be seen as cute. People tend to be nicer to cute people." Brenna paused to look up at the bar's sign. "Ah, so you think they've got any good wines in the stock today, or just the usual rot-gut?"

(I figure since you're headed into the inn, it's as good a place as any to meet up )

Lhaana pulled her cloak closer, pulling the hood down until she could barely see out from under it, as she walked past merchants and farmhands and Greycloaks through the gates into Crossroads Keep. She’d finally made it: step one of Operation Assist the Knight-Captain complete. Next step: to find out where he was, and what she’d have to do to get a chance to talk to him. The best place to find such information, logically, was the keep’s tavern. She made her way through the crowds of workers and peasants towards the Phoenix Tail Inn.

She ordered a red wine from a passing barmaid, found a suitably-shadowed corner table to sit at, pulled a book out of her pack to give the appearance of being busy, and settled in to watch the comings and goings of the inn’s patrons. It was only a matter of time until someone that looked important came in.

Avera nodded as they got to the tavern door, "Oh yes," She opened the door and walked in, looking about to see who was around and where she wanted to sit. Someone was already in her favorite corner and for once it wasn't "the ranger." She looked about for another spot and motioned towards the corner across from her favorite then walked over there, "Being cute can be quite an advantage. As for wine ... well I think Unca ... Duncan has some nice stuff not meant for the regular crowd but he gets some for me."

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[left]"Sounds good to me." She said as she joined Avera at her table. She clinked a little as her bronzen armor, still bearing the marks of her old order, shifted from the motion. "Hmm...maybe I should have left my armor back in the barracks." She said with a laugh. "Ah well."

Lhaana knew she’d found who she was looking for the moment they stepped through the door. The halfling looked as one used to leading, and the human woman wore bronzed armor decorated with what was clearly the symbol of a knight’s order, though the tiefling was unsure what order it was. Neither of them looked like the Greycloaks or their Lieutenants, nor did they look like mercenaries just passing through. If they didn't know where to find the Knight-Captain, they would at least know who to ask.

She watched as the two women sat down at a table in the opposite corner of the room, discussing something—though what, she couldn’t tell from that far away. Screwing up her courage, she put her book away and walked over to their table. She pulled back her cloak’s hood enough that they could see her face (it’s only polite, after all) and gave them what she hoped was a friendly and polite smile. “I’m very sorry to bother you both, but I was hoping you could help me. I need to speak to the Knight-Captain. Do you know where I might find him?”

As soon as Avera was in the seat she became a bit more relaxed especially because of already having taken her frustration out on the poor, innocent stones outside of the keep. She dropped her pack on the ground between herself and Brenna along with her bow and arrows but kept her flame mace hooked to her belt. She sat up on her knees and put her elbows on the table as she pointed at Brenna's armor.

"Nah the armor looks good and Keza's not ..." She stopped for a moment, noticeably shaken from her words then shook her head, "The armor is just fine. Besides, you tend to need it by the end of the night anyway."

As she smirked at the other woman she heard steps coming towards their location and tilted her head to look in that direction, "Cai?" She shook her head regretfully, -Just my luck. I guess I should get used to this.-

"Come, have a seat. The Knight-Captain is not about but I'm Avera. I am in charge in lieu of the Knight-Captain's absence."

[center]

[left]Brenna didn't interrupt. She just watched quietly. She would speak when addressed. After all, she had no authority here or any reason to butt in unless threats were issued. She instead flagged down a bar maid, ordering a round for her and the two.

Lhaana fought not to look too relieved when Avera introduced herself, pleased that she'd chosen the right table. She took a seat across from the two women and bowed her head in greeting. "I am Lhaana, of the Cloaktower Mages. I've come to offer my... assistance, such as it is." She grinned. "I can provide references, if need be."

"Welcome Lhaana. This is Brenna. The Cloaktower? Mages are in short supply here at the keep. Were you sent by someone specific or have you come on your own?"

"I came on my own. This King of Shadows and the darkness that follows him, it..." she hesitated, unsure how much to tell her. "I feel its echo, like the way the air feels before a storm. Most of the other Mages think I'm crazy, that the threat is not as bad as I say it is, that we will weather it as we did the Plague, but - pardon my presumption - but I don't think you can do it alone. I guess you could say I... ran away from the Tower. They gave me no other choice." She took a long drink from her wine, trying not to wince at the taste of it in fear of insulting the barkeep. "Maybe, Tymora willing, I'll get lucky and some of them will follow me when they discover I'm missing, and will see for themselves that I was right."

"An echo of a storm." Avera chuckled as she sipped the wine then pushed the glass away, giving it a disgruntled look, "Ale!" She rolled her eyes at the drink then turned her attention back to their new table mate, "That could be put to song." For a moment she seemed to drift off then she shook her head, "Sorry. I know what some believe about this situation and I also know how some react, thinking they are above or beyond the touch of the danger that is growing. So you will be looking for asylum as well I take it?"

Brenna took a sip from her drink. "I think your skills may help well. We've no short in soldiers, but a mage is hard to come by. But these echoes as you called them...How is it you can feel them? Are you a diviner of some sort?"