Late Night at Wayfarer's Inn

LATE NIGHT AT WAYFARER'S INN

Place: Wayfarer's Inn

Synopsis: Zalara and Oates arrive at the Wayfarer's Inn late at night for their own reasons, and wind up talking with Maendir.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* W01: Wayfarer's Inn *>-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

          The inn's main room is large yet cosy, with plaster walls and a low ceiling supported by sturdy oaken beams. The decor is sparse: there's little other furniture save for a few rough-hewn wooden tables and chairs, and the only real object of 'ornamentation' is the large, moth-eaten moose head that's set above the kitchen door at the far end of the room. Still, the inn is pleasant in a simple, rustic way, and the delicious smell of food cooking makes it all the more inviting; the place seems to be more of a restaurant than a tavern, and a bar is nowhere in sight. 

          The innkeeper's counter sits in the east corner, within a few paces of the main entrance. Behind the counter is a small storeroom where one can purchase traveling supplies. The west corner of the room is occupied by a spiral staircase that leads to the second storey.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

It is late night... or early morning, depending on which way you look at it. The Wayfarer's Inn is quiet, as one would expect at this hour. Three souls sit within. One is a stocky, taciturn and grumpy dwarf, fully garbed in his armor and weapons hanging from his form. He is reading over a few scrolls of parchment with squinted eyes as if trying his hardest to see a hidden meaning to the words.

A man stands behind the inn-keepers counter. More than likely some sort of assistant to the innkeeper who keeps watch over the main room at night. He is cleaning off the countertop with a stained rag, minding his own business. Occasionally he looks up at the dwarf, and to the other occupant of the main room: an elf of slim build, with ruffle but clean-looking blonde hair hanging down to lightly touch his shoulders. He sits quietly by himself off to the side of the room in one of the chairs littering the area. One hand rests on the elegant weapon sheathed at his side, and the other rests lightly on the table as he studies his surroundings quietly.

Zalara comes in from a long day of looking for some mithril. She's got her artifice detector out although she hasn't found any today. She decided to stop at the Inn to spend the night. She comes in and she looks a bit tired, but cheery as she goes up to the bar, "Hello, do you have a room and dinner?"

Oates had decided to take a short breather from being in the city, especially after that incident with the stasis orb and the mini-imps. While the farmboy does enjoy Alexandria, sometimes you just need time outside of the city walls. Admittedly, he wasn't expecting to be out this late, but there's nothing wrong with staying at a convenient inn. Thus, he enters not too long after Zalara. Nodding at the artificer as he walks up to the bar, he awaits the barkeep's response to Zalara before placing his order.

Maendir looks up a bit as others enter. He watches them quietly as they approach the counter. He shifts in his seat but doesn't rise.

The innkeeper looks at Zalara with groggy eyes and a tired smile. "Rooms? Sorry. All full at the moment. Group of roamers come in about a few hours ago and took up what rooms we had left." He pauses and gestures at the grumpy-looking dwarf studying scrolls. "He's their leader I guess." He pauses. "But food, I can do. Might take a while since I'm the only one up and the kitchen's been prepared for breakfast, but it won't be a problem. What are you having?" He then turns his head to Oates. "If you're wanting something too, best let me know. Ain't no sense in making more than one trip back and forth..."

Meanwhile, the dwarf swears loudly. "Durn it all!" He slams the papers down onto the table quite loudly and slaps his hand to his forehead, shaking his head pathetically. "Gibbursh! Durn scrolls're gibbursh!"

Zalara hmms a little bit, "Well whatever you have left over I'm not too picky." She hmms, "Rats, looks like I'll be camping then.' She says about the room and she looks over her shoulder at the dwarf. She is curious as she moves over, "Hello, what are you trying to figure out?"

"Leftovers are fine," says Oates with a pleasant smile. "Mostly just need a nosh to tide me over 'til morning." Turning towards Zalara and the dwarf, he idles over and takes a seat within conversational distance of the two of them to listen in and observe.

The innkeeper nods quietly and disappears towards the kitchens.

The dwarf's face just turns blood red in his disappointment. He continues rubbing his forehead and shaking his head. "Ain' tryin' ter figgur anythin' out now! Thurt gibbursh is impursible ter read! Gruffaw!" He shoves himself away from the table and folds his squat arms over his chest in his anger. "I'd like ter fin' ther sapbrain thurt ruined good purchment with gibbursh!!!"

At this point, the elf sitting along the far wall slowly stands and walks over to the dwarf's table, reaching down to take up one of the scrolls and glance over it.

"Hmm. I can see why it would appear to be gibberish to you, Dwarf. It's because it was designed to appear that way." He holds up the parchment to the dwarf and so the others can see. "Whoever wrote this, wrote it in a code. A code that is most likely only deciphered by its intended recipient. I've seen military commanders communicate in such ways." He pauses. "Pray tell, where did you get this? It clearly does not belong to you if you cannot read it."

Zalara hmms, "Well I'm a fair hand at deciphering scroll and codes, I could take a look at it and help you out. If not." She shrugs and starts to go back over towards the bar to wait for her food. She smiles at Oates, "Hello there. I saw you before when the gnome came out of the orb and there were all those imps around."

Oates nods. "Had my hands full, so I wasn't able to do much but kick the occasional straggler imp. Name's Jack Oates, but I generally go by Oates," he says, offering a hand to shake to Zalara.

Zalara smiles as she shakes Oates' hand, "Hello Oates, I'm Zalara Copperbottom. What brings you out of the city? I've been searching for some Mithril with my new detector."

"Nice to meet'cha, Zalara," Oates grins. "I felt like taking a breather outside of the city walls. Grew up on a farm not too far away from Elmsley-on-Danra, so I'm a bit more used to untamed breezes. Yes, there's green space inside the city, but it's not quite the same."

Zalara ahs and shrugs a little bit, "I miss the sounds of the city if I'm away to long, although it's fun to camp out in the wilderness."

Oates nods. "Makes sense, and I do have to say that I do like how much there is to learn in the city. Especially in the library..." His face softens into a look of blissful contentment.

Zalara nods, "Yah the libraries in the city are something else, you can learn just about anything there. I'd suggest joining the Explorer's guild, it's a good way to help people and to make money."

"One of the first places I went when I reached town," agrees Oates. "I was on hand to help solve things when there was that angry mob looking for a witch about a week, week and a half or so ago."

The dwarf shakes his head at Maendir and Zalara, reaching up to take the scrolls and shove them into a satchel. "Iss' not yer business whur I gurt these! Leave urt be!" With that, he scrambles off towards the stairs and starts up them as fast as his stocky legs will allow. Maendir watches him go and does not push the issue. He turns to approach the others quietly. "Him and his followers likely happened across an abandoned military encampment and mistook them for ruins. He probably thinks those scrolls are directions to receiving treasures..." He sighs softly and takes seat near the others so as to hear what they have to say.

Zalara smiles, "That's good to hear. Oh did they find a witch? What caused them to start to look for one?" She shrugs a little bit, "Well he's not gonna find any treasure if he can't read the map."

"Well, something witchy was found, but it sure wasn't the one the mob had been roused against," chuckled Oates wryly. "Turns out that the main rabblerouser of the mob was some sort of witchy green-skinned monster in disguise. Vicious claws on that thing, too." He shudders slightly at the memory.

Maendir chuckles softly. "I don't believe those scrolls were anything important. Probably just troop movement orders or another form of encoded message. If they were important, I find it unlikely that they would have been left in the tent for just anyone to find. But thats for the dwarf and his ilk to find out now. I'll not prod into their business. Seems harmless enough to me." He pauses, looking between the two. "Forgive my manners. Maendir Valadain, of the House Guardian." He offers a slight and polite bow to both.

Zalara ahs and nods a little bit, "It's nice to meet you I'm Zalara Copperbottom it's nice to meet you.' She says as she finishes up her meal and she looks to the others, "Well see you guys around."

"Jack Oates, or Oates for short," replies Oates, giving a nod of his head in response to Maendir's bow. "Haven't been in town longer than about two weeks or so, but I'm liking the place. Nice place to learn new things."

Maendir nods quietly, letting a hand rest casually upon the pommel of his rapier. "That I suppose it is. Though there are a great many places good for that... the world at large holds many knowledges: ancient, forbidden, and otherwise." He pauses. "Are you a scholar?"

"In a way, although it's more by hobby and less by trade," Oates clarifies. "I was raised a farmer, but I'm primarily a dabbler in many skills. I seem to have a knack for making traps, though."

Maendir nods. "Seeking knowledge can be equated to a need for survival. Knowledge -is- power, and some thrive on gaining power." He pauses. "I do not think you the sort of course. At least not in appearance. I am by no means an expert judge of character..." He grins a bit. "So you left your home to seek knowledge, I take it?"

"More like to seek my fortune, corny as it may sound. Wasn't enough room for me on the farm with my older siblings and their families, so I struck out to live on my wits," Oates shrugs. "Learning's just a fun hobby that tends to pay off in odd places."

The Elf shakes his head. "Does not sound strange at all. I fear it's a goal all too common nowadays, but... that does not make it less important. Why, aren't we all just seeking a fortune of some kind? A blind man seeks to regain his eyesight. An orphan seeks to regain his heritage. These are fortunes to them. Perhaps, my friend, knowledge is the fortune you seek."

Oates chuckles. "You may have a point there, friend. Making a living is relatively easy with the right skill, but learning is a way to get better not only in your job, but to open up options for more jobs, which can lead to more learning." He ponders this for a moment, then adds "Can't say I'm complaining about it, if that's what it leads to."

Maendir nods softly. "Knowledge truly is the ultimate weapon." He reaffirms, slowly standing as he does so. "Without the knowledge to use it, a fine blade is as only as good as the metal used in its forging." He raps his fingertips lightly on the pommel of his rapier as if the words ring home for him somehow. "I must take my leave of this place for the time being. I believe I can be of use to someone of import in the city. I go to seek them out." He bows. "Fair travels, Jack Oates. May our paths once again cross."

Oates nods and gives Maendir a small wave. "Fair travels and good weather to you, too, Maendir Valadain of House Guardian. I look forward to when we next meet."