Huldith
It's Gilday, Vhast 25 10:31:49 1019. The full moon isn't up. The tide is high and rising. Snow flurries drift silently down from the pale grey sky. The air is damp and cold, and there is little wind.
A05: Warehouse District
Alexandria's warehouse district is still awake and running a the snow falls lightly this gray, damp morning. Workers are busy loading and unloading wagons, etc. Standing under a certain mana lamp post is Ga'Elian. His griffon can be seen in the sky above flying toward the southern bridge over the Tormawr. He is silently observing the traffic go by, and seemingly quite unfazed by the temperature.
Munch is fairly unfazed himself, striding naked though the snow. Then again, the metal man is pretty much always naked, so not a big deal. Spying Ga'Elian, he raises his axe in greeting, and hurries close. "Oy! was gonna ask around, see if some of the guys I know were familiar with where we're going, but I forgot the name."
Ga'Elian smiles and returns the wave with a nod. "Good, good. Yeah, the name I remember, but I wasn't positive which warehouse it was. Do you still have that paper?"
Munch blinks, and fishes around a second. "Oh! Yeah, I do. Good. Though I'd given it to you. Geeze, why I work as the brawn in this sorta stuff." he offers the paper over, lest it be forgotten and lost.
Ga'Elian accepts the paper and reads it. "Um, it says 'Cooper and Sons'. I think I saw that name... yeah, right over yonder. See it? The one with the barrel in front of the window next to the mana lamp?" He points.
Munch nods. "Yeah, think I've seen that before. Can't say I know 'em. Likely best you do the talking. I'll just loom a little. Or maybe a lot, if they get snippy."
Ga'Elian chuckles. "Yes. You're much more adept in the art of looming that I will ever be." He starts toward the warehouse, tucking the vellum sheet into his cloak. Upon reaching the front door of the establishment, he grabs the handle and is about to pull it open, when it suddenly opens into him. Luckily for him, Ga'Elian is inhumanly dextrous and sidesteps just in time to avoid being smacked in the face by the door, and the irate Lucht Siuil that comes storming out of it, yelling "I'll be back, Cooper, and you'd better have it... or else!" Then he looks up at Ga'Elian and mutters "'Scuse me." and turns to stride off.
Munch steps aside, having no particular reason to get in the little Lucht's way. Watching him depart, the golem perks a little and raises a hand in greeting. "Yo! Frankie!" Glancing to Ga'Elian a second, the golem strides over to a large dockworker, the pair bumping fists in a way that should result in broken fingerbones. "See you at the Arena later, yeah? Anyway, quick question. You know anything about this Cooper and Son's place?"
The large human shrugs, peering a moment. "Nah. Jimmie said something 'bout they pay okay, but work ya like a dog. But then you know Jimmie, would do a full day to save his soul. Why? You got a problem with 'em?"
"Nah, nothing like that. Delivery went sideways, trying to make it right. Anyway, see ya 'round." The pair bump fists again, the Munch hurries back towards the warehouse with a shrug. "Figured could ask."
Ga'Elian watches Munch's exchange then says, "Absolutely." Then heads inside.
There's a counter with a couple of desks behind it, and a separate office on the right. Hanging on the wall is a large painting of how Dragonier used to look before Heth ruined the place. Behind the counter the lefr and right sides are both open to the warehouse's storage areas. It is very drafty in this office, but there are mana-crystal-powered space heaters at close intervals along the walls, keeping the place from being as cold as the outdoors. There is a low swinging door in the middle of the counter.
Ga'Elian walks in to find a dwarf woman shuffling a stavk of papers, shaking her head, and griping to a gnome seated at one of the desks something about "That uppity little jerk. Who does he think he is?" etc.
"....I give up. Who?" Munch is not the best at retorical questions. "Are you Cooper?" He knows better than to ask if she's one of the sons. That's a mistake you only make once with a dwarf.
The dwarf's tirade dwindles off as she notices the utterly intimidated look quickly overtaking the gnome's face, then turns to see Munch looming with an elf at his flank. She stutters her reply, "C-c-cooper? No (swallow), sir. Thats the boss. You want I should fetch 'im for you, good sirs?" She catches her breath and assumes a more professional demeanor, then continues, "Pardon my outburst, if you please."
To this, Ga'Elian merely smiles, then says, "Yes, that would be fine. And... perhaps you could tell him we're looking for a certain Huldith." At this, the dwarf's face becomes angry again, but she controls her temper, and says, "You mean that little, (she searches for an appropriate word), "Lucht that just left?" The gnome rises from his desk and says, "I'll go get Mr. Cooper" and scoots away, disappearing into the the office on the right.
Munch buzzes quietly. "I'm not the betting sort..." he's learned a lot living near Ma Rosie's "...but I'd bet Lutch Huldith is pissed his box ain't come in."
Ga'Elian tells the dwarf, "I'm not readily certain. I have a note here that gives the name of this warehouse and the name 'Huldith'. My friend here retrieved it from the body of a teamster whose body we recovered from a wagon crash in the mountains northeast of town." He takes the note out and shows her.
As she takes the note and looks at it, Mr. Cooper, a gruff-looking human, comes out of the office, the gnome at his heels. He says, "I'm Cooper, gentlemen. What can I do for ye?"
A look of sudden inspiration comes over the dwarf's face. She blurts out, "Excuse me, Mr. Cooper." Then looking straight at Ga'Elian, she adds, "I remember reading about that crash in the latest Tribune. You're the elf that brought the body to the Watch, aren't you?"