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"To you, 5 silver pieces" says Alphonse to Meyeira, "I make him specially".

Brenna remains upstairs for a moment whilst the rest gather in the bar downstairs. The two disreputable looking men are chatting up one of the bar maids. "Can I have milk?" one says, "We don't supply it" says the bar maid. "Well you've got tits on yer" says the disreputable-looking man, and laughs raucously. The bar maid seems to be lapping all this up. The other bar maid looks quiet and reserved, and keeps as much distance as she is able.

"Too right, shortarse" says a disreputable-looking man to Pint, "The ale's horse piss in here. Foods s**t as well. Taste this chicken. Tastes like it's been seasoned with s**t. "He slides the bowl over to Pint's place.

"Be down in a minute," Brenna says, digging a comb out of her pack to try to fix up her hair a little, which has mostly come loose from the two tidy braids she'd had in the morning.

As she worked on fixing them, her mind wandered to thoughts of the capital city and what it would be like. Hopefully nicer than this place, she thought, glad she'd only be staying here a single night.

"Good enough," she says, retying the bands around the bottom of the braids. She was a little reluctant to leave her bow and arrows. Not that she was particularly worried about an attack, but rather that one of the shady characters here might decide to steal it. The set had been a gift from her late father, worth much more to her to their monetary value. But it would be rather conspicuous carrying them around, so she took a few moments to try to find a suitable hiding spot so that someone would have to be actively searching the room to locate it. Her options were slim though and she tucked it beneath the lice infested blanket.

Her two daggers she kept with her, hung on her belt. As well as her tools, dice, and her meager amount of coin. Then went to join her new traveling companions.

She made a quick scan of the room as she descended the stairs, taking note of the military man. Maybe that was the Captain Baring that Samuel had mentioned.

"Anyone up for a friendly game after dinner?" She asked the dwarf, wolf-kin, & elf, sliding into a seat next to Meyeira. "I brought some dice, though maybe Mick keeps some games on hand."

Akuma shook her head and got out a journal and started to write in it ignoring the question and started to draw a weapon of some type that looked alot like her glave

Had Pint been traveling alone he would have thrown the chicken soup at the man's face before kneecapping him. It was bad enough that he just rudely butted in on their conversation, but Pint had legitimately killed people for less than calling him a 'shortarse'.

Though gruff and generally brash as any dwarf however, Pint had enough sense than make himself a complete nuisance to his companions by starting random bar fights. It was bad enough that the inn had absolutely atrocious service, he didn't want his companions to suffer even more because of him. Perhaps it was the gentleman in him and the fact that all his traveling companions were ladies, but for whatever reason Pint didn't flip his lid where he would have otherwise tackled the guy to the ground and pommel his face in.

Instead, he just pushed the plate away and glared up at the ugly looking fellow-- also, no way he was going to eat from the same plate as this guy. "I believe ye. Maybe the fish soup is better." And Pint just kinna left it at that, trying really hard not to engage in a conversation with the disreputable-looking man. Something told him it was going to end in blood if he was left by himself talking to this random bloke.

"Sure! I'm game! I got a deck of cards too if yer into poker." Pint was happy to take Brenna's offer for a game of dice, giving him the opportunity to distance himself from the rude man. Spotting Akuma drawing, Pint gave her a friendly elbow jab to get her attention. "Come on, lass! Donna be a wee baby now! Come roll some dice with us, aye??" He looked over her shoulder to see her drawing. "Nice glaive! Like exotic weapons, eh? Ye should take a look at me Urgrosh next. The finest dwarven craftmanship she is."

Akuma looked at the dwarf and said "Sure ill join...and if i win i get to draw each of your best weapons" She said with a sly smile "And trust me I don't cheat" She even rolled up her sleeves and cracked her knuckles and cracked her neck as well

Pint leaves the bar, and tries to join the others.

"Oi, shortarse" says the disreputable-looking man, "don't you want a pint?"

"He doesn't want to eat your crap" says the buxom barmaid, to the two disreputable-looking men, "get away with you, you ugly disgusting pigs."
"You ******* keep out of it, you ******* wench, know your place" says the disreputable-looking man. There is something pig-like about him, you see. The eyes are small and slitted, and the ears seem to come to a point. His upturned nose reminds you of a snout.

The other bar maid comes over to your group,
"Can I take your drinks orders, ladies and gentlemen?" she says. She comes over as refined, she is also extremely well-favoured. There seems to be something special about her, "Ignore those two, they're always in here, getting drunk."

"You're quick at drawing weapons" says the military man, who comes over to talk to Akuma. "I'm Captain Baring, in charge of the garrison here. We'll keep you safe, there's nothing to worry about at the Royal Mile Inn."

The other disreputable-looking man stares at Meyeira, and seems perturbed.

"We've got chess, backgammon, dominoes, or tarot cards" says the bar maid to Brenna, "I'll bring them over with your drinks".

The little hairs on the back of Brenna's neck stood up. "Ah, an ale for me," she tells the bar maid.

It wasn't just the two disreputable-looking men ... those two were obviously the shady sort. Judging by their pig-like looks, Brenna would be willing to bet they had orc blood in them. And if they were really in here all the time, just where did they get their money from? She'd guess from preying upon travelers along the road. But they were a known threat. She might even suggest privately to her companions later that they take turns keeping watch, noting the way one of them looked at Meyeira.

So what else was tickling her danger sense? Maybe it was the way the captain came over out of the blue and told Akuma there was nothing to worry about. Which seemed to imply there was something to worry about. She offered him a smile as she tried to take his measure.

"The games would be lovely, thanks," she told the maid.

"I'll get you an ale" says the bar maid. Brenna realises that she has something special about her, a delicacy that you don't normally expect from a servant.

Captain Baring comes across as overbearing, arrogant. Brenna feels that he is showing off, though at the same time genuinely trying to reassure them about the two disreputable-looking men.

"Is the swearing bothering you?" he asks.

“No im used to it back home” She said with a shake of her head “And I am indeed able to draw all sorts of weapons and items of interest” She laughed “Its amazing what a little patencence and expertiese can get you!”

Brenna shook her head 'no' at the captain's question. Even if the swearing did seem a bit excessive, she wasn't about to make a scene about it.

"Thanks," she said to the barmaid. Then wondered idly if the barmaid might be Old Mick's daughter. Her eyes went once again to the painting to see if there was any family resemblance between the woman in the painting and this barmaid.

Pint has danced this dance far too many times.

That ugly looking fellow is just trying to goad him into doing something by now. Say nothing and he looks vulnerable, but shoot an insult back and that leaves the door open for a fight. Pint turns around ready to throw down when the other barmaid thankfully shuts the other guy for Pint. The dwarf leaves it at that, but not without giving the ugly pig looking guy a death glare.

Like Brenna, he too thinks they must have some orc blood in them. Not hard to imagine considering there's supposedly a large orc population here.

He certainly doesn't like how they're looking at Meyeira and he casts another glance at them. He figures he's gonna have to cut their throats before leaving the inn so might as well start checking for any weaknesses.

Brenna notices that the woman in the painting and the barmaid are the same type - both with classical, delicate good looks. But the hair colour is different, the barmaid has rich black hair whilst the woman in the painting is a brunette. That doesn't totally rule out them being related, of course.

"Can I get you a drink, sir?" the barmaid asks Pint.

Pint reckons that the two disreputable-looking men are trained fighters, maybe thieves. They've got the adventuring air about them.

"Don't size 'em up" warns Captain Baring, "They're looking for an excuse to kick off."

The second disreputable looking man shifts his gaze from Meyeira, and says something to his companion. They slurp down their drinks, and leave.

"They're frightened of elves", says Captain Baring, "Their names are Thugley and Hoggins. They're known troublemakers, but we can't pin anything on them. They'll be back later tonight. Peter!"

A lieutenant appears.

"Make sure the gate's closed properly after Thugley and Hoggins and they have actually left the premises."
"Sir!" says Peter.
"Now maybe we can settle in for a nice evening" says Captain Baring, "Could you draw my sword, wolfkin, what is your name?"

((Thugley and Hoggins <-- love their names! ))

As the pig-like men converse quietly, Brenna makes a conscious effort to not put her hand on the hilt of the dagger on her belt, feeling as if they were about to start something. But then relaxed slightly as Thugley and Hoggins leave and the lieutenant goes to ensure the gate is secured.

"Would seem so," she said.

As the captain asks Akuma to draw his sword, her eyes go again to the woman in the painting, thinking it was probably the girl's mother in the picture. And she wondered with idle curiosity what might their story might be. Maybe she'd ask her later, when she wasn't so busy getting orders.

"I figured as much." Pint mutters to the Captain who butts into his business. What is it with these people just waltzing in on their table and talking to them like they know them? Must not have a lot of visitors around these parts.

Pint manages to keep his civility though, he figures that these two idiots make enough messes to add even more fuel to the fire. The dwarf had already pegged them for at the minimum bruisers. Still, a bunch of brigands shouldn't be too much problem for a tried and true dwarven warrior, much less from clan Bloodhorns. When fighting thieves all he had to be concerned was that they didn't get the drop on him, and if things went the way Pint wanted them to go, it would be the other way around.

As the barmaid offered him a drink, he reconsidered getting drunk as the inn was starting to sound a lot less safer than he initially thought and he might have to sleep with one eye open-- it was bad enough that he was going to have to use his own sleeping bag... "Just honeyed water fer me, thank ye." He said to the barmaid.

On that note, Pint goes to the innkeeper and makes sure that his room is right next to the girls. The way these fellows are looking at Meyeira is starting to give him Galiena flashbacks, and something tells him he might have to wake up in the middle of the night to stab a fool trying to do decidedly unpleasant things to his traveling companions.

He took another swig of his drink, eyeing the people as they argued, a smile creeping over his face. He raises his mug after he finished it. "Another round!"

"It's a beautiful painting, isn't it?" says Captain Baring to Brenna, "It's of Mick and Rosalind when they got married."

The elegant barmaid comes back with the drinks. Your chat is interrupted by the arrival of another guest. It's a rich merchant, his two servants, and a young woman who appears to be his daughter. He's fat and outgoing, and shakes hands with bald Mick as he leads him into the main room.

"You shouldn't travel with such a small party" says bald Mick, "With a valuable cargo of spices like that. These parts are dangerous. I'll ask these two gentlemen" he gestures towards Pint and Nakon, "I'm sure they'll agree to make up a travelling party with you when you leave, on the morrow. It will be much safer that way."

"That's hardy necessary" says Captain Baring, "there have hardly been any orc attacks for months now. We've been doing our job. See that shield?" he points towards the shield on the chimney breast, "Each eye is a dead orc. We've broken the back of them."

The spice merchant and his party order pints of ale, then sit down next to you.

"Hello," he says, "I'm Macey" he proffers a hand, "What are you doing in these parts?"

Brenna wasn't quite sure what to make of yet more folks just barging their way into their conversation and now, apparently, into their traveling party. Maybe bald Mick was really just trying to help, but it felt like they'd just been signed up to perform free guard duty for the spice merchant.

A good deal for this fat Macey fellow. He'd no doubt be safer with 5 extra guards... counting the guy who seemed to be getting drunk at the bar. But their small group might not be... with the addition of a spice loaded wagon painting a large target on them.

But maybe she could twist it to her advantage... er... their advantage. Or at least make it harder for the merchant to be take advantage of them.

She reached out to take his offered hand. "I'm Brenna Collins," she offered, purposefully using the surname of her late father to see if it raised any eyebrows with either the elegant barmaid, Captain Baring, or Macey. "Traveling to the capitol. You hiring?"

He raised an eyebrow at Mick's words, unsure whether he just assumed he could fight or had eyes and looked at his sword. He sipped at his mug, deciding that he couldn't afford to get drunk in this place. He yawned, finishing his beer and relaxing, leaning backwards on his stool.

Pint furrowed his eyebrows in thought. It was awfully convenient that this merchant was traveling to their destination and was probably going to need guards. A large convoy like that would present a big target, but with that many people any wayward orcs might be too intimidated to attack them.

Or... they would view it as a challenge and attack anyway.

Either was a win to Pint.

"I say we go with this bloke." He leaned over to Brenna before introducing himself as well. "I be Pint, from the Bloodhorns clan."

"Collins? Oh I met Lord Collins at court" says Macey's daughter.
"He was one of my customers" says Macey, "How is he keeping? I get to know most of the nobles, in my business, and the wizards. They both need spices. Awfully good of you people to agree to travel with us."

Bald Mick smiles. "This dwarf is a Bloodhorn" he says, "A very fearsome reputation."

"It's hardly necessary" says Captain Baring, "The orcs have been almost cleared. We in the army have been doing our job, and they never attack during the day. We don't need any help from you adventuring types." His mouth curls up in irritation.
"But it will be so much more fun to travel together" says the daughter, "My name is Caitlin." She smiles. "Have you been to court, Brenna?"
A rather dumpy middle-aged woman appears. "I'm Rosalind" she says, "I'm the landlady here. Are you all settling in for the night? Just tell me if you need anything to make you comfortable. Supper will served at seven or so."
"We've just got our drinks" says Macey, "but would anyone else like refills? Captain?"
"An ale, thank you" says Captain Baring.

Nakon is sat at the bar, away from the main party. The well endowed barmaid (not the elegant one) starts to talk to him.
"You don't talk much, ducks, do you?" she says, "Have you not been travelling much before?"