The old, white-haired, wrinkled woman sitting at the Lady's table sips at her herbal infusion and politely listens, but doesn't take part in the conversation herself. Now she leans over to the Lady and whispers: "Well, there seem to brave and capable people here, Lady. Much unlike the places we've been to before. And I feel something else. It might be that... old spirits linger here."

She then addresses the locals, looking at them in the kind, amiable way that only women of her age possess: "So, maybe you know a story or two about this Citadel. Has anyone been down there recently?"

Cudberct
/walks to Lady & Winthrop table, picks up empty dishes, smiles to Lady
"I see that you enjoyed our cook's talents. I'm glad."
/turns to Winthrop still smiling, looks him in the eye, and then points to his own face while looking purposefully at cream flecks upon Winthrop
"You got a bit of wine about you."
/pushes napkin within Winthrop's reach and returns to the kitchen

Whilst cleaning his face with the napkin, Winthrop says cheerfully to Cudberct "While I will admit using a morningstar for big game hunting has its merits, I still think your spear would have been a better choice for your first time out.  You're lucky that buck got away, and didn't come back for revenge."

To the old lady, he says "Old spirits, you say?  I don't know about that, but I tell you, the citadel is an eerie place.  But have no fear, I'm certain I can bring your good mistress back in one piece."

Cudberct:
/places more firewood in the hearth
"Well, before anyone plans more details to tempt fate in that godforsaken ravine, perhaps we can hear a happy story before dinner. It would be good for the appetite. Perhaps our Lady can offer a story as entertaining as my efforts to wrestle bugbears or club stags."
/stands up and faces table where Lady Jastian and Mr. Winthrop and nods slightly
"But I'll leave the honor of my stories in the hands of Mr. Winthrop, a far better storyteller.
/turns to help with the place settings and meal courses.

In the north of Oakhurst, a gnome and his mount arrive in the town on the New Road. The rider is short and slight even by the standards of his people, making a sharp contrast against the large, muscular wolf beneath him. On the outskirts, Haddon dismounts and gazes at the town, speaking idly to his companion.

"Do you remember...? No, of course, I was here with Mala, before we had met your father. The townsfolk were welcoming, as I recall." He frowns, briefly. "I hope the local goblins have kept away. We and the guard dispersed their camp, but goblins never seem to learn."

Ashur, not understanding the words, looks anxious at his master's dark tone. He nudges Haddon's hand and grumbles in the Wildspeech, <>

Haddon starts, then replies, <>

<>

<>

Ashur growls in annoyance. <>

Haddon pats the wolf's head apologetically. <> He looks around the town, searching his memory. He begins walking towards the inn, gesturing ahead. <>

Ashur's annoyance vanishes at that promise, and he calmly keeps pace. <>

Winthrop hops to his feet and helps Cudberct with the table setup.  As he does so, he chats idly. He hasn't been into town in over a month, and so missed Sir Bradford's trip through the town.

"You know, if we're mounting an expedition to the goblin camps, it wouldn't hurt to see if there are others in the town that would like to get in a spot of adventure.  When I was here last, those Hucrele kids ate up every story I could tell.  They're old enough, I bet they'd be interested in joining us.  And your stablehand is a good lad, and raring for adventure."

Cudberct looks compassionately at Winthrop and says in confidence, "I know you mean well, but now retired from war I prefer defense or retaliation. This feels a bit more like instigation against the goblins. This worries me especially since my family lives so close. Our action like that wouldn't be a bit of youth going wild."

Grabbing a cheesy onion casserole from the credenza and returning, "I know that we have a difficult relationship with them, buying summer goblin apples one day and slaughtering raids the next, but I can't shake that this feels wrong. It's a gut thing from my soldier days, it asks: are these the same group? Those apples have saved more than one of us around these parts.

"I do know one thing, though, and that's the ravine is dangerous and should only be approached by seasoned fighters. I'm going to defer to the healer Dern Nacre and Sergeant Llewellyn's judgment on this goblin raid idea. I just don't want to bury any more young kids is all. I'm not even in my middle-aged thirties yet."

Retcon: Haddon and Ashur have not gone to the inn, and have instead gone straight to see Kerowyn Hucrele, in case the missing children problem has taken an urgent twist.

Upon ascertaining where to go, [opportunity to be the one giving him directions, if anyone wants to start work on getting the party together] Haddon and Ashur head to the correct house. After a pause to clean up from the road with prestidigitation and feel awkward about making a call dressed for battle, Haddon knocks on the door of the Hucrele residence.

OOC: I'm uncertain how best to handle this interaction, but I'm guessing the correct procedure is the pass to ball to JA and await a response from the inhabitants.

Hasor finished brushing down the guests' horses and cleaned up the stables then took a few minutes to eat his evening meal. Before heading inside, he leaves a bag of oats for Lady Jastian's mount: she was receptive to his request when he arrived, but he wasn't going to risk his one big chance at adventure by way of unhappy horses.

Upon entering the common room of the inn, he sees Winthrop talking to the newcomers. Seizing an opportunity to learn more about the Lady and her companions, he waves amiably to Winthrop and lends a hand distributing the dinnerware around the table.

"Nice of you to finally come by town Winthrop. I think Notos is getting tired of taking me all they way out to your humble abode so often!"

@Haddon: You knock on the rear (or residence) door of the Hucrele trading post just off the town square. After a few moments, it's answered by a woman with long black hair that's streaking with silver. Her face is handsome and proud. She wears a dress of moss green belted with modest silver. You flash your Hucrele service badge.

The woman frowns. "You're from Southcourt? I expected someone... taller. Come in. I've just put on some tea. Would you care for a cup?"

Back at the inn, Winthrop is paused in thought, watching the innkeeper with a troubled frown on his face.  Cudberct's warning plays through his head.  It's not instigation to want to eliminate so obvious a threat as the goblins, is it?  They prey on travellers and raid the town on a regular basis.  Sure, there's some trade between the two peoples, but even that is coloured by hostility and greed.  If the goblins truly wanted to help the humans, they would share all their apples, not just one per year, wouldn't they?

His thoughts are interrupted by the arrival of the stable boy, and the melancholy mood that had threatened to overtake him disappears instantly.  "Hasor, my boy, good to see you!  You know I come into town as often as I possibly can.  There's a wide world out there calling to me, I can't be tied down by four walls.  How's Keria?"

@DM: Haddon is neither surprised nor phased by the woman's disappointment at finding a gnome where a soldier should stand. "Thank you, I would like that." He follows probably-Kerowyn inside, Ashur following closely. Haddon rests his hand soothingly on Ashur's side, a leftover habit from the wolf's excitable youth.

"I apologize for arriving in such attire; I wished to report in as soon as possible. I am afraid the news which reached me was somewhat lacking in detail. Is there any notion the direction in which the missing persons have gone? My companion Ashur is a skilled tracker, but given the time that has passed a lead would be most helpful."

When they come to the kitchen/sitting room/tea offertory area, a quiet word in the Wildspeech has Ashur lay unthreateningly on the floor.

"Keria's doing well, although I think she's been trying to avoid me a bit lately..."

Trailing off into a sigh, Hasor glances suddenly around the common room for Keria or any of her friends. Satisfied that he can speak freely, he continues in a slightly lower voice.

"Of course, I think my fortunes may be turning around soon. If Lady Jastian let's me accompany her to the Sunless Citadel... I'll be at least as much a man as that ox Talgen. Just think, he'll be back any day with tales of the ravine, but I'll have actually set foot in the dark Citadel itself!"

The fact that the Hucrele boys haven't been heard from in several weeks, or that an ill fate may have befallen them, doesn't seem to have dampened Hasor's naive optimism.

Leaving some work unfinished, Cudberct returns to his wife Ermengilda, "I'll go find the maids Merewyn and Ysmeina. I'm sure one's minding the kids playing upstairs. Eadric (errand boy) should be back soon from the store with supplies, so then you can inform him and Certh dinner is about ready." Leans in for a peck upon her cheek.

"Naturally Johannes (night manager) is expected to arrive later to cover the night shift, but he might stop in earlier. Losing his wife of so many years must still be hard on him. I'm glad you coaxed him off his farm a bit. With age bringing him less sleep, it's better for him here with people around." Turns to go upstairs.

Cudberct thinks, (How like the full family I was so eager to leave behind when younger. My kids have a kind of grandparents and older siblings with this inn. I hope I can make that comfort of childhood last.)

On the second flight, rounding the corner, (But the maids are of marrying age and I need to find them solid prospects, as was their parents terms to let them off the farms to work here.) *sigh* (Why did both of those Hucrele sons have to be so impetuous? Maybe Hasor or Eadric could fill that role. But they need to know how to survive long enough in a real fight, and to know what's worth fighting for to protect...) Opens the children's room to see Ysmeina with both.

With a sigh, Gileus turns away from the manuscript he's been studying.  If there's any clues to what they might find in that ravine to the south, he won't be finding them tonight.  He puts the scroll away, and heads for the inn's common room.  Seeing Lady Jastian, he takes a seat near her.  "Good evening, milady, and to you miss Scroppings.  Might you introduce me to your new friends?"