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Rin's voice raised an octave higher, but also louder than Pint. "Come off it, lad.. Ye act like mead ain't suitable fer a dwarf. Ye say the ale tastes like shy-tuh… Mead is always right. Ye want a proper ale brewed, meet a Kegsasunder." His expression was now slightly cold and focused more on his drink. Rin has brewed a few batches in his time, but his brothers and sisters run a tavern and brewery. The ruddy dwarf avoids ale when he doesn't want to be reminded of home. After a long day, all he wanted was that sweet mead taste.

Pint wasn't facing a jovial Rhinoman anymore. Rin was a simple dwarf from the lowlands. Pint's attitude seemed only typical from one dwarf to another. Mokk might have seen Pint as surly, but Rin sees 'just another dwarf'. It was actually comforting in a way.

He was glad to be of assistance at least. Rin did travel a fair bit for a commoner, working on various fortification structures under a conscript contract. He'd worked with all manner of dwarves. A human king enlists dwarves to advance siege technology with dwarven engineering. This requires dwarves of all types of backgrounds.

While talking to Pint, Rin notices the cat, half paying attention to it and stopping to smile at the barmaid. "Jus' hungry, methinks", he says about the cat.

Rin was drawn back into the conversation when Pint brought up action. "I know, mate. I know." He spoke in the background while Pint continued. He mentioned potentially leaving. "Ye fought the bloody Rhinoman? Well done. Feeling a bit antsy meself. There's guards round fer a reason. Let's say we put a patrol together and move past this border and hunt some flippin' highwaymen."

The idea of regular patrols which pushed down the roads at night might not be a bad idea. Although most guards may have been here just for a room or food, there had been a lot of talk of patrols and watchmen. There could be a serious threat to any nighttime travelers because of armed opportunists.

"Under Cap'n's orders... a course", Rin said as he sheepishly bowed his head to Captain Baring.

There were likely assigned guards for this task. Then again, Rin was a guard conscript under contract of local rule. Perhaps it was his duty to get out under the stars and see who crept alongside the roads.

The call for dinner came up soon afterwards. "Fish stew fer me", he reminded. The topic of the cat came up. "It's just hungry", Rin said to the barmaid. "Might wanna toss it somethin'."

Brenna's joking attitude melted away a bit at Martha's seeming distress over the topic. It seemed she was suggesting that Fitzroy took advantage of his position of power with the women here, or at least Martha.

"Maybe... once they are married, it will be different," she suggested softly. "He'll have to keep up appearances." It was purely an attempt to make it seem better for Martha's sake. It would not be different. People didn't change who they were because of marriage.

It also cast a whole new and even more unpleasant light on Mistress Weather's fortune. Could she really be suckered in by a devilishly handsome bastard son of the king? Perhaps... she admitted to herself. But with as much warning as she had now, she knew better. She hoped.

But what of Martha? For the first time in a long while, Brenna wished she were on better terms with her brother if only so she could ask of him a favor to hire the girl at the keep in Aylesbury.

"Why would Rosalind ask that of you?"

At last! Pint chooses not to contest Rin's argument about mead versus ale as he instead focuses on Firin.

"I got business with one of yer kind, mate!" He points towards the truthful dwarf somewhat accusingly. Although as Rin, Firin, and anyone who has dealt with dwarves before, Pint doesn't have a lot of tact as it is common with his kind, and everything he says comes of as confrontational.

"There's been an incident at the dwarven mines down south. One of ye truth dwarves is being called to help out sorting out the true ownership of it or woteva' tha' sod. They can give ye more details there. Anyways, I need ye or one of yer clan to accompany me back south. The sooner the better."

Pint glanced at Mistress Weather momentarily as she mentioned having something for the flea problem. It looked like at the bare minimum Pint was going to have to stay a night at the inn, and he didn't want to risk getting flea bitten at all. "Sure! Gimme a bottle." He gave a grunt as he dug around for some coin.

Not before rolling his eyes at the Captain however. "Tsk, the last time someone told me I was perfectly safe I almost got lynched by a mob of angry miner dwarves-- long story."

Ultimately though, Pint did like Rin's idea and nodded. "Aye, I'm keen on that, mate. If anything a walk out would be good to stretch me legs. I'm good for going on a wee bit hunt if yer up fer it."

"I'm in," says Dalin, the Firin dwarf, "we'll go all three dwarves together, shall we? If the Captain agrees, of course."

"Capital idea to take a walk before dinner", says Captain Baring, "I'm afraid I can't promise any orcs or highwaymen, but you dwarven chaps are useful to us because you can see in the dark. It'll free up some of my men to eat with the rest."

Pint, Dalin and Rin take up their weapons and pull on their outside clothes. Captain Baring takes them outside the inn and into the courtyard, then undoes the gate.
"Ring the bell when you're ready to come back", he says, "Here's what I want you to do. Circle the palisade, and just check that nothing odd is going on. Don't split up. I said there wouldn't be any orcs, but you never know. Then go for a short distance down the road in both directions, again just checking. Don't be longer than half an hour, or we'll get worried."

He shuts the gate and returns inside. The three dwarves follow his instructions, and circle the palisade. The forest has been cut back maybe a hundred yards round the palisade, to create grazing for horses. There's a ditch running round the outside, then an earth bank, then the palisade atop it. It's not dwarven standard military engineering, and wouldn't stop a determined attack. However it would keep out troublemakers and wild beasts.

By the time the three dwarves have completed the circuit, their eyes have adjusted to the dark. They see things in shades of red, based on heat; dark black for the cool leaves of the distant forest, slightly grey for the grass, and very faint red for the palisade. However there is a bright red spot, maybe ten yards into the forest, opposite the gate. That can only mean one thing, a warm-blooded creature.

They are just considering what to do, when they hear a scream from the Inn.


Brenna is still talking to Martha.
"Rosalind the landlady?" says Martha, "What's she to do with Henry Fitzroy? Why, she's his mother. That's how she got the Inn. The King set her up somewhere far from the court, after he had tired of her."
She laughs slightly.
"Anyway, you'd better go to dinner".

The elderly man crosses Brenna on the stairs. He looks faint and ill. He makes his way to a bedroom, and Martha goes in with him with another candle.

The tables are pulled together to make a single large dining table, and a place at the head is laid for Captain Baring. Peter and the soldiers sit in the places next to him. Then there is Mistress Weather, Macey, Caitlin, the Petulan ambassador, and Lady Helena.
Kitty and I will get your drinks" says Betty, and takes drink orders.
Captain Baring is served first, by Kitty. Then Kitty and Betty and bald Mick serve the other guests, fish pie or chicken stew, as ordered.
"Capital stew, isn't it?" says Captain Baring, "Alfonce has made good use of your spices, Macey".
"Only the best" says Macey.
"There's too much almond in it" says Lady Helena, "It's not clever to do that. It's the mark of a lazy chef. I suppose he thinks that if you put a decent sauce on it, you can serve any old scraggy bit of chicken."
"You know, young lady, maybe for once you are right" says Captain Baring, "It's a bit almondy. In fact ..." he gasps, then collapses.
"Quick," says Mistress Weather, "he's been poisoned. I can cure poison. Take this."
Before anyone else can react, she's pouring the contents of a bottle down Captain Baring's throat, but he has already gone blue, and it is obvious that he is dead.

"Murder" screams Rosalind, "And in my Inn".

Rin threw his set of chain mail over his tunic before heading out. He did a similar walk around the Palisade early the previous morning. It made for a simple enough route, though if it were left to the adventurous dwarves they'd probably march through half the forest. Rin held his hammer in his right hand, not wanting to risk the sound unsheathing might make. Then again, a large part of the ruddy dwarf figured this patrol would be as uneventful as the morning's.

His dwarven eyes scanned carefully, as did his ears and even his nose. Rin's body felt electric and hyper aware. The sound of a nocturnal songbird sending a 'whiporwhil' type hooting call spooked Rin just enough to make him lift his hammer and take an attack stance.

Luckily he relaxed before raising alarm. Just as they started to make their way from the Palisade circle to the roads, they noticed the shape in the distance. Rin raised his fist, stopping the group until they huddled close. "Right. Stay low lads. "

The scream at the inn inturrupted the dwarven planning. Their heads turned. "There are guards back at the inn", Rin whispered. "We need to identify that thing", he grumbled lowly while pointing at the blurry heat form.

He dug into a satchel on his belt. "Lemme check me viewin' glass... See if I cannae sneak a betta' peek." Chubby dwarven fingers pulled a simple set of magnifying binoculars that may or may not work well enough with his nocturnal eyesight.

Brenna nodded and started down the stairs, unsure if her original suspicions about the source of Martha’s distress had been correct or not. But at least that explained why Fitzroy would visit a run-down place like this.

In truth, she was hardly paying attention to the crowd gathered at the table until Helena’s grating complaints reached her just as she got to the bottom. Maybe right after dinner she’d retire back to the room and hope they could hurry out in the morning before Helena was ready to go so she didn’t have to listen to her all day tomorrow too.

But her head snapped up at the sudden scene, eyes widening in surprise, but then immediately looking at the faces of those gathered, trying to determine if any of them didn’t look as surprised as they should.

No matter what, it seemed she'd be eating the bit of trail rations in her bag for dinner.

"Ey, relax will ye? We're dwarven fighters over 'ere, not halflings or somethin'." Pint chuckled as the Captain worried about them, and told them to stick close to the fort. As far as he knew he was just going to stretch his legs a little and hang out with the lads, if any orc where to show up it'd only prove to be a bit of entertainment.

Nevertheless, never let it be said that Pint was going to let his guard down. He kept his Urgrosh out and resting on his shoulder as they patrolled around the fort, just in case they ran into any trouble.

And when it rains it pours as they say. When the three dwarves ran into something, Pint's eyebrows furrowed and he held his Urgrosh on both hands-- but almost immediately there was a scream coming from within the fort.

"Dalin, go back in the fort and see wot's going on. I'll feel safer knowing there's at least one dwarf in there." Said Pint to Dalin, Rin was right in that they needed to identify whatever it was they ran into, but to Pint it was also imperative that Dalin staid safe as he needed to bring him back south to the dwarven mine.

In the meantime, Pint fully intended to stay with Rin until they figured out what was out there lurking in the darkness. His hands gripped the handle off his Urgrosh ready to fight as always.

Rin focuses his dwarven manufactured binoculars of marvellous contrivance on the warm shape. It's approximately human-size, and lying in a prone position facing the gate.

"It could be Mistress Weather such as what is in danger" says Dalin, "it's my job to protect her. You two stay out here and investigate that thing out there."
He rings the bell. There's a delay, and a guard comes to the gate to open it. Something small and warm slip out as he enters, you look at it, and it's Mistress Weather's cat.

"There's been a murder" says the guard "Captain Baring. He's been poisoned."
He shines his lantern on the scene, and the dwarves curse as their night vision is destroyed by the combination of light and intense heat from the flame.

Meanwhile Brenna is trying to work out who is responsible by checking their immediate reaction. But it is almost an impossible task. There are about a dozen people round the table, then she herself is surprised. However it must be said that Mistress Weather reacted very quickly and very coolly.

"I am now the commanding officer here" says Lieutenant Peter, rising to his feet, "and rest assured we will find out the person responsible for this. No-one is to leave the inn until we have found the culprit, and reinforcements have come from Fort Middlesburg."

The bell rings.
"The dwarves" he says, "could they be responsible? They were the last to have a significant conversation with him."
"But why not kill him outside there and then?" says Caitlin, "and pretend it was an attack by orcs? Who could have detected such a crime? Surely it cannot be the dwarves ...."
"Austin", says Peter to a guard, "go open the gate".
"Yes, sir" says Austin, and gives him a salute.

Rin's dwarven viewing glass was not such a surprising item to posses. It had been mentioned that he was a soldier who's worked a long shift throughout the day. The satchel on his belt has also been mentioned as the spot where he drew his coins from. The small brown bag attaches to his heavy rope belt via two tight loops. The monocular viewing glass is the least of all items a stout guard might require.

The satchel carried more than coins and a glass. There were eating utensils and a trusty knife used for skinning. The latter item rested within a small sheath attached to the bag. Rin also carried flint and sometimes carried a bit of tinder. No smart dwarf should travel with something like '1 weapon and the clothing on their back'. Survival is everything in this era. Rin carries as many items as he can to make life easier.

There were also a few dried herbs and a flask of a colorful potion (besides the flask of liquor). Wrapping used to make a bandage tallies out the bags contents. The point is that Rin IS surely prepared. There is little contrivance in that.

Rin was proud of the way each dwarf took control of the situation. "Right, safe travels back Dalin." He knew Captain Baring told them not to split up. If both dwarves felt so impelled for the Firin to return, so be it. "But we ain't splitting up on our approach to that shape", Rin told Pint as he tucked his viewing glass back into its pouch. His hand returned with the flask of dwarvish hard liquor.

A quick nip from the silver flask and he was tucking it away. "Let's work down the terrain", Rin said as he studied the shadows. Soldiers knew not to silhouette themselves and use natural features to stay out of sight. "Stay low. Me 'hinks it be facing the gate. Whatever it be." He pointed out a path where they could crouch in the tall grass, move through a dip in the hill and try working around without being noticed. "Some kinda person, I'm sure." In these times, being in such a spot after dark was more than suspicious.

Of course the proposed route wasn't without risks of its own. The still air could give away their footfalls if they weren't extremely careful. The route also might be upwind, based on the gentle wind. "Ye thoughts, lad?" Rin was ready to hear Pint's advice and tactical opinion as well. After Pint's final say, he'd be prepared to move out with the other dwarf. Once again, he secured his hammer in his grip.

Their voices were low, almost whispering in avoidance of being heard over the distance.

((Thanks for waiting on me! I've really stretched myself too thin on RPs so might only be able to do 1 reply every few days until some of them slow down!))

Brenna's own list of suspects was long... but Lieutenant Peter sure went to the top of her list the moment he suggested it might be the dwarves.

She'd been thinking of slipping quietly into the kitchen for a quick look, but could not let that idea go unchallenged. Though at least Caitlin seemed to think it was ridiculous as well.

"If it was an axe to the gut," she said, "then maybe anyone would believe it was the dwarves. Poisoning isn't their way!"

Like Rin, Pint also liked to carry around several items on his person that might help on a particular occasion. Besides his trusty Urgrosh, he also carried with him several throwing knives, a hatchet, and even a short compound bow with a quiver of arrows. A weapon for every blighter out there, as he put it.

When asked for his opinion on the matter, Pint pursed his lips and handed his Urgrosh to Rin. "Here, hold me Snickersnack for a mite." It was fortunate that Rin was a fellow dwarf, otherwise he would not trust anyone else with his weapon of choice. And one could tell that Pint was very fond of his weapon since he had a name for it.

With his hands now freed and hidden in the tall grass, Pint pulled out his bow and notched an arrow, aiming for the figure in the darkness.

"I got the blighter in me sights. Let's call 'im out, and if he does any funny movements I'll put an arrow through his head."

As much as Pint wanted to satisfy his bloodlust and drop the interloper with a sneaky shot to the face-- this was an inn, and it -could- just be a traveler.

Rin had indeed noticed the shortbow slung over Pint's back, along with the tankard strapped to the front of his kit. Now there was an idea! Rin took the axe in his left hand. With heavy handed dexterity an elf could barely match, the Kegsasunder tossed each weapon from hand to hand... One, two. Until both weapons landed in either hand.

He twisted the axe and hammer, rotating his shoulder blades and returning to a low fighting position. "Right lad." Rin simply called his hammer 'the kneecapper'. He often carried two hammers and was more comfortable with the Urgosh in his right. "Looks like ye took proper care a this weapon, me 'hinks", Rin told Pint just before the other dwarf warned the interloper.

((I did forget that Pint had that bow in his profile pic. I didn't mean to skip the GM's turn. Just figured I could add to Pint's post to round out the scene for the GM's next response.))

((GM's note: binoculars were invented in the 19th century. However you could maybe have them as exceptional items of dwarven manufacture. The dwarven manufacture is the contrivance, not Rin having them in his backpack)).

The two dwarves bob down, and for a moment discuss what to do, in hushed tones in case the figure in the woods can overhear. Pint's plan is accepted.

Pint shouts a demand for him to come out, in Common. The figure pulls himself up to full height, and Pint trains the bow on him. Then he turns and runs back into the forest. You hear twigs cracking and branches brushing as he runs.

((Pint roll for attack and damage. Target loses dexterity bonus because you are shooting him from behind. So you will need a 12 or higher to hit))

Meanwhile. in the Inn, Dalin returns with the guard.

"Well, dwarf" says Lieutenant Peter, "there's been a murder. Captain Baring has been poisoned. Where are the other dwarves? Have they escaped?"
"I very much doubt what you are saying" says Dalin, "the other two dwarves struck me as nice, straightforwards dwarves. Not your murdering type. Someone was looking at us from the woods. Then we heard the scream from the Inn. So it was agreed that I'd go inside whilst they investigated the strange character in the woods. I know Captain Baring told us not to split up ..."
"Why did he say that?" asks Lieutenant Peter, "Did he know there were outsiders about?"
"I don't rightly think so" says Dalin, "It was just a precaution. He didn't seem to think there were any orcs in the area. Quite proud of sweeping them from the road, in fact. But there was something on his mind, I think he was worried about something."
"Normally he wouldn't like guests taking it upon themselves to protect the Inn", says Lieutenant Peter, "but he seemed to want everybody down, no-one upstairs on the watch tower. That was his last order, an unusual order - not that I thought anything of it at the time."

Brenna gives her view that poisoning isn't the dwarf way.
"Then who's way is it?" says Lieutenant Peter, "we need to investigate. I note that you, Dalin, are the companion of Mistress Weather. If the other dwarves don't return, then I shall know ..."
"Surely the other dwarves won't run way" says Caitlin, "Which will prove they are not guilty. I don't for one moment believe it was the dwarves."

((Edit: I said binoculars, but meant more like a nautical viewing glass. That's why he said 'viewing glass'. It was meant more like what was on ships as early as 1614. That's not far off at all, especially not for creatures more advanced at working with heat. Bending glass.))

Rin tucked low and prepared for the shot. He braced himself to chase after the intruder if the shot missed. Thinking he should get a head start, he started walking. He looked back to make sure he was out of Pint's firing arc. He would wait to hand Pint his axe if he decided to run.

(Oof! Dat damage!)

Pint figured that running away counted as a funny movement, if this guy was running that meant he was hiding something and that earned him a shot in Pint's eyes.

Lining up the arrow, Pint aimed at the figure and let loose, putting an arrow right on the back of the fleeing figure.

This Lieutenant Peter was continuing to strike her as either a moron or the culprit. It was difficult to tell which. But he'd just been told about someone or something watching the Inn from the woods and hardly seemed to bat an eye about it.

"...no-one upstairs on the watch tower. That was his last order, an unusual order - not that I thought anything of it at the time."

She was tempted to be snippy and tell the Lieutenant that he'd better get someone up there quick. But he might not take kindly to orders from a civilian woman. And, if he really was the culprit, he was incredibly dangerous as he'd just assumed authority in the wake of the murder. She didn't wish to have him try to pin it on her the second the dwarf theory fell apart.

Her mind went involuntarily back to the fortune. She hadn't had any plans to go to the court, but if she were under arrest, then she'd hardly have a choice in the matter. Is that how she'd meet Fitzroy? In shackles? After what Martha told her, that felt particularly ominous. Now she wished she hadn't had the fortune told at all, knowing it was clouding her thinking and her actions.

"Do you think it might ... might be part of some larger attack?" she suggested in the least confrontational tone she could manage. "Maybe someone should check the watch tower..." She'd do it herself, except that trying to slip quietly away from the scene of a murder was bound to look suspicious.

"Kertwang" the arrow sings as it flies from Pint's bow, and strikes the fleeing figure straight in the back. The force of the shot propels him forwards, and he falls over, and doesn't get up.

The forest is coniferous, with trees forming eerie shadows against the moonlit sky. As their eyes adjust further, the dwarves can see many small warm shapes, the animals that live there. Here a bat flying between the trees, there a small burrowing animal in amongst the roots. Rin can see Pint, a squat red shape, deep crimson from the excitement. Then behind him is the diffuse, dull red glow of the Inn.

Meanwhile the inhabitants of the Inn are coming to terms with what has happened.

"Do you think it might ... might be part of some larger attack?" suggests Brenna in the least confrontational tone she could manage. "Maybe someone should check the watch tower..."

"I'm pretty sure the watchtower was empty" says Martha, "you can hear it from the upstairs rooms, and there didn't seem to be anyone up there. The guard went down when Captain Baring called him."

"There should be someone up there all the time" says Bald Mick, "particularly at a time like this. That's the procedure."
Lieutenant Peter looks flustered, unsure for a moment what to do. "I'll post a guard" he says. A soldier goes upstairs, you can hear his heavy tread on the wooden stairs.

"I suppose no-one wants to eat dinner now" says Rosalind, and begins to clear off the plates.
"No, don't" says Macey, "we need to work out exactly what happened. Don't throw away any food."

With the sheer force of Pint's arrow, it was a good thing the shot hit the figure in the back. At that velocity, the arrow would have likely torn the person's head off. They might not have been able to identify them one way or another. There was a part of Rin's mind that wondered if they hadn't made a mistake. There seemed to be little recourse after the verbal warning.

"Flip sakes, lad", Rin said in a tone which sounded heavily impressed. "Knocked 'im right, OOT!" He spread his arm to lean Snickersnack towards Pint when he was ready to take it. This caused Rin to turn away from the intruder and back towards the inn, since the axe was in his right hand.

It gave the ruddy dwarf time to ponder the situation inside the inn. Perhaps they'd just found the person responsible. Even if the incidents were unrelated, the slain intruder could have been an accomplice or be up to mischief of their own accord.

"'hink I'll have a look" Rin said before starting off. Once the axe was handed off, Rin began moving towards the body. He kept to a steady pace, keeping his noise down so he could monitor his surroundings better.

Shouldn't have run.

Pint's expression was that of horrified excitement. It was difficult for the dwarf to contain his bloodlust, and the rush of adrenaline he got from nailing the figure on the back with an arrow was intense! Yet, at the same time, Pint wasn't without his conscience and a small voice on the back of his head wondered if he had just shot some innocent bystander... funny how that particular voice sounded a lot like a certain cleric.

"Aye, that bloke's done fer alright." Pint agreed to Rin as he lowered his bow. Even he was impressed with the strength of his shot, it looked like he had gotten the figure right on the vertebrate by the way it bent backwards before flying forward.

"Keep it down though, we donna know if there's more buggers 'round." He gestured to Rin to keep his voice down as he grasped the offered Snickersnack.

Trading his bow for his Urgrosh, Pint advanced cautiously behind Rin. "Go and check 'im. I'll cover ye, brother."

"I meant to keep watch for an attack..." Brenna said, unsure how Martha might have construed her statement to mean that something was hiding up there. Luckily, the Lieutenant sent someone up anyway.



Normally, (not that a poisoning at dinner was normal...) she might have simply sat down and drawn as little attention to herself as possible. But with Pint being at the top of Peter's list of suspects, she felt she needed to do what she could to get to the real truth of the matter.

"Macey's right..." she added. "We should determine if the other food is poisoned as well." Not that anyone was going to be volunteering to try it, of course... But then they'd know if the target was the Captain or if he was simply unfortunate enough to have been the first one to dive into his meal.

"Let's get some of those rats from the barn to be the taste testers..."