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The Hanged Man picked up a tall candlestick from one of the tables and lit it in the fire Ver produced. He then continued his inspection, walked through the eerily empty common room to reach the kitchens and winecellar, holding the candle out in front of him. Its flickery light made the shadows seem all the deeper and more eerie, but he continued his self-assigned task quietly. Now it was up to the rooms upstairs, and should they prove empty as well, he would return to the common room. Something seemed to be missing--Brolin had already said he was off, but where was the lion? The Hanged Man noticed a little primate of some kind cradled against Carabia's hip ... was that him? He chuckled at the absurdity of magic and looked down at his gloves, now spattered with vomit and black ooze and wax from the candle.

Why with Brolin quite literally speaking up, there is certainly no way that she could have missed him. Both eyebrows lift in gentle confusion, still convinced that he has simply stepped away for the moment! If he has indeed abandoned them entirely, such realisation has yet to strike the young Devil. Her head turns in time to spot not only dear Phoenix, but also Ver gaze towards Demmy with such curious eyes. It draws a soft laugh past smiling lips. "Mister Dembala chose two forms all by himself, this being the second, of course. I dare say he enjoys being carried about. Lazy little thing.." All is spoken within an affectionate tone, free hand moving to prod a single finger against the animal's rounded tummy.

Like some proud Mother with her cherished child, she actually proceeds to swing gently as he sits upon her hip, clearly out of habit alone than conscious decision. Both gloved hands lace behind his back. "Miss Aya..?" Carabia calls towards her, hoping to gather her attention before she disappears from view. "May I join you? If anyone leaves the inn itself, it may be safer to go in pairs." She would have offered the same to Brolin, had he not scurried away that quickly! It's Hangy's chuckle that turns her head, going so far as to lift one of Demmy's hands, waving the tiny, fuzzy lil' hand towards the fellow with a laugh. "I take it the coast is clear upstairs, too?"

Assuming none came looking for him, Brolin made his way deeper in to the town. Every few doors he would find a shoppe he liked, bracing doors and windows open with peculiar skill.

Every pit-stop he made proved fruitful, the dirty fugitive now prowling the darkening streets with two filled sheets of stolen property jangling over his shoulder.

There appeared method to his madness, saving the best the for last as he made it to the steps of the Authority Barracks.

With some finessing, he'd gain entry and tightly lock the door behind him. This was his last stop- and for good reason. Explosives and weaponry.

Unloading his haul of assorted and swiped pots, pans, clay jars and fabric- Brolin would begin to prepare himself for the journey.. or an assault. He chose to keep that to himself as he began his work... or what he called his own brand of magick .

"Yes, you're welcome to help!" Aya called back to Carabia in response to her question. She was already looking around the kitchen. She found a small amount of wood stacked next to the fireplace as if to be ready to start the morning embers into a nice hungry flame but nothing else. It must primarily be outside, then. She went to the back door. Outside was a well and a stable for keeping guests' mounts, and to the side of the door against the outer kitchen wall, next to a door going underground into a cellar of sorts, was a well-stocked stack of firewood.

"Found it all out here, Cara!" She called. "Do you want to tare any of this stack, or what is in there by the kitchen hearth?" Aybilla thought of the princess carrying a load of wood in her nice gown. Surly that wouldn't be pleasant for the dress, if nothing else. But she volunteered herself so Aya wasn't going to fret over it, she decided as she began to full her own arms a few cuts at a time.

She looked around as she did so. Empty back here too. Just like everywhere else. They probably would have heard something if Brolin had found anything of interest. He wasn't back there anymore than the innkeeper was as far as she could tell. The cellar looked unopened, the stables appeared entirely vacant. She assumed he cleared the area then went back around to join them all inside. Or she hoped, anyway.

A bright, if not rather relieved smile is quick to greet her face once more. "Yes, of course!" She calls in return, beyond grateful to join her. Even as she feels convinced that no danger lurks around any corner, setting off in pairs feels far safer. She first lifts Dembala from her left hip and over her head, allowing him to cling inbetween either wing instead. This way, her arms remain free to help. "Such a shame to see the Stables bare.." The young Devil appears to think aloud as she draws outside, approaching the large stack of firewood with that same graceful air. "Yes, I certainly can. Hopefully we can keep the flames lively!" Clearly, the gown is no priority in her mind, the layered skirts flaring outwards as she lowers. Carabia takes her time in collecting plenty, stacking the firewood gently before turning to head back inside. She notes that Brolin has taken off, choosing to wait a little longer before bringing such detail to everyone else's attention.

Ver's grin grew a bit and he chuckled at Carabia. "I sympathize. If it was an option for me to be carried about all day..."
He swung his bag from his shoulder and set it in front of the fire place, watching the ladies go. He was sure they'd call if they needed his help, but the both of them could probably manage.
Instead, he emptied his bag of food, quickly counting three muffins, roughly ten stuffed grape leaves, and a half-empty container of some kind of grain salad. He frowned and packed it away again. Hopefully the others had rations of their own to add, as this wouldn't last the lot of them long. And he had no meat to provide for Dembala. (... Or, perhaps, gorillas aren't carnivores?) Keeping a muffin with him, he stood and looked in the direction Aybilla and Carabia had gone.

Phoenixheart quietly stood by and watched everyone go off to do their own things. She wanted to find some way to help, but couldn't seem to find anything that she could help with. She decided to see how Ver was doing with fire and see if she could help if he needed any. The warmth of the fire would also be welcome to her as it was a bit cold in the inn and being a phoenix, the cold didn't necessarily help her. Her wings fluttered a bit as her red and green eyes watched the fire that Ver had burning in the fireplace.

The Hanged Man left Ver, Sol, and Phoenix in the common room, opting to go assist Carabia and Aya bring in a few armfuls of firewood. He was mostly quiet, perhaps lost in thought. Overhead, the crows were gathering again--they, too, were quiet, bedding down for the night on the tall timbers of the inn's roof, numbering perhaps a score. The Hanged Man ignored them. Once he had brought in a couple armfuls of wood, it was time for water--he took a bucket from the kitchen to the well and peered down into the deep shaft, hoping it wasn't dry. He would need to get enough for them to drink, as well as to clean his gloves in.

Aybilla thanked both Crow and Cara for the help and took as much wood as she could carry back inside. She set it down by the fireplace with a "think this will last us the night, Ver? Poor Nixy looks freezing!"

She was smiling, but that smile fell to a quiet look when she saw the fugitive shackles Ver had. She looked around the room. No Brolin. She stared at the shackles again, thinking.

"Brolin. Did he keep the key?"

Ver's contagious chuckles leave her own soft laughs surfacing, setting firewood near wherever Aya had placed her own pile! "As do I! He certainly lives such a hard life, no? Woe is him." She answers Ver cheerily. The sarcasm certainly clear within her tone, gloved hands reaching behind either shoulder. The chubby fluffball had been clinging between either wing, though the young lady happily settles him upon her left hip as before. Delicate fingers soon lace behind him comfortably. While she casts Phoenix a light smile, she doesn't pry her into conversation, noting how the redhead has grown quieter for the moment. This is when she finally spots Hangy offering a helpful hand. "Thank you! Now we have more than enough." Crimson hues fall upon Aya now, her smile fading. "I believe he did, yes.." Like before, she begins to swing as though she is soothing an infant. "Yet I do not know why. Surely, that key is now useless with Mister Brolin free from such restraints..?"

Phonixheart cast Aybilla a warm, reassuring smile and said "I'll be all right. The worst the bit of chill from the inn can do to me is dull my powers a bit. I just need to get used to the little bit of chill is all." She then turned her smile to Carabia as she noticed the lady casting her a light smile. Phoenixheart then noticed that the topic of conversation had shifted and she thought for a moment before chiming in. "I think he did take the key, now that I think about it and I don't have a clue as to why he would keep it either..."

"Brolin said he was checking the back. I would've guessed you'd run into him." Though Ver was unsmiling, he didn't look too surprised, nor worried. "Give it time. We're safe here in numbers. Either he'll return or he'll be alone." He took a bite of his muffin and set the shackles on the ground, wiping his hand against his pant leg, frowning at the stain it left.
"How old are you?" he asks abruptly. To clarify, he turned to Phoenixheart. "You - how old are you?" Perhaps it was because of Carabia's demeanor that it didn't click that the two were the same age - he seemed focused on Phoe.

Phoenixheart listened as Ver spoke. She looked a bit startled at the sudden question, but nonetheless answered a bit quietly "Um, sixteen years old, though I have been told that I look a bit short for my age..." She felt a bit awkward as she wasn't ever really questioned about her age. It was true what she said about being of more of a petite stature as she only stood at four feet and eleven inches. She looked at Ver, wondering why he was so curious about her age. He seemed so focused on her and it made her curious why.

Ver cracked a smile again, this time a little more genuine and kind. "Hey, that's how old I was the first time I got sucked into something like this. ... Albeit, not exactly something like this, but you get the gist of it." He shrugged. "Just curious. Hang in there, kid, we'll sort this out." He returned his eyes to the fire, made it flare up a bit.

The Hanged Man trudged back into the inn with two large buckets of water. He grimaced as he set one down on a table a little ways off from the fire, then the other one right by the hearth ... but for that one, his hand seized up tightly and refused to release the bucket's rope handle. A small grunt of pain left him, but after a few moments, the heat from the fire warmed his hand enough that it spasmed open. "Agh," he whispered, kneading the palm of the offending hand.

With a soft sigh, the Hanged Man began to remove his gear--layer after layer, an almost ritualized process. First he leaned his shield against the wall and draped his cloak over it, revealing his weathered, antique-looking black halfplate armor and grey-green robes. After removing his sword's baldric and leaning it against the shield, he reached to undo the buckles attaching his pauldrons to the top of his breastplate, but he was so exhausted, and his hands weren't cooperating. "C-could someone please ... ?"

Phoenixheart smiled back at Ver. She felt a lot more comfortable around the group now and that made her fairly happy. She watched the fire quietly and after a little bit said "You know, this place sort of reminds me of the library that's my home... it may be cold and deserted, but with a little love and care, it could be turned back into a seemingly lively and cheerful little place." A wistful expression graced her face as she continued to watch the fire and became lost in the memories of her beloved home. She was then pulled out of her thoughts with a jolt at The Hanged Man's entrance. She watched with curiosity as the man began to remove his gear. She then noticed that his hands weren't cooperating with him when he attempted to remove a piece of the gear, so she went to help him.

An amused smile soon graces her features, simply finding it a little funny to hear Ver call Phoenix a kid. Still, she offers nothing aloud, for the question certainly wasn't directed towards her. "Yes, I am not worried. An extra person would always help a great deal, though perhaps tis' best if he is not dependable." Even as she remains fond of Brolin, the young lady is still able to see the facts at hand. Her head turns towards Hangy, about to offer assistance when Phoenix beats her to it! Still, this leaves her smiling gently regardless. "I would like to change, too. I'll return shortly." With Dembala still settled upon one hip, Carabia turns away to disappear up the staircase.

"Thank you," the Hanged Man murmured as Phoenix came to unbuckle his pauldron, in that moment sounding young and almost vulnerable. The leather strap was well-worn and clearly had been mended many times. He placed a hand on his pauldron so that when she unbuckled it, it came loose in his hand, and he set it in the seat of a nearby chair. Provided the girl continued helping him, he would remove the other one as well, then turn so she could undo the straps that held on his blackened breastplate. There were four on either side, under his arms and a little bit towards his spine--a difficult spot for him to reach, though not impossible.

"Your n-name is Phoenixheart, right?" he asked. As Carabia ascended the stairs, he bit his lower lip, nervous to send anyone off alone ... even Brolin, who the swordsman just realized hadn't yet returned. Let the fellow do as he wished, although now the Hanged Man was even more serious about standing watch when the others went to sleep.

(If Sol doesn't come back to the RP, what do you want to say happened to his character?)

[If you like, we could assume his character stepped outside to ensure that the coast was clear? Only to then not return, but this also leaves it open-ended should the player want to re-join later. ^^]

(That sounds like a good idea there ^^)

Phoenixheart noticed the Hanged Man's seemingly young and vulnerable tone as he thanked her. She simply replied to his thanks with a quiet "It's no problem, really." She was happy to be able to help with something, even if it was just helping someone take their gear off. She then responded to the Hanged Man's question with "Yes, that is my name" a small smile on her face. Sensing his nervousness when Carabia went upstairs, Phoenixheart cast the Hanged Man a reassuring smile and said "I'm sure if anything happens, the animal she has with her will protect her. And besides, we'd most likely be able to hear if there seemed to be a struggle up there."