As the trio walked into Stolley's Tavern, Nora could feel the difference. It wasn't the same as the last time she was there. She wondered if Stolley had family in Dorhaven, as the patrons seemed to have picked up a saddened mood that seemed to radiate from him.

Nora approached the bar,"I'll have a starfly, Stolley. How you doin', kov, you all right?"

Annie could feel the mood too. It was as if somebody had dropped a black curtain over everyone and thing in the room. Even the fading sunlight seemed sad as evening came to Brunhold. The sky outside had gone from bright blue to crimson, and was now a deep violet as the red orb of the sun sank below the horizon.

Annie shivered, and shoved her hands in her pockets. All the candles in the world ain't gonna light this place up t'night.

Stolley looked up at the newcomers with a long, red eyed face.

"I've been better girly, I've been better. Just...Dorhaven." He sighed deeply and looked at the others.

"Anyone else gettin' a drink? May as well let me know now."

Annie was turned slightly, still surveying, the room. "Aye, I'll have a--" After the last few days, a good stiff somethin should do plenty of tricks "--a whiskey sour. I've heard they're good fer all manner o' aillin'."





*(I'm pretty sure there's whiskey in Vita, right?)*

Tonan walked into the bar, looking for Mue. She obviously hadn't arrived yet.. Then it hit him.. the depressing atmosphere of the tavern.
"This.. is kinda unusal, eh?"

He trotted over to Stolley.

"Dorhaven eh? seems a pretty.. strong topic.." he thought. "The place is a mess though.. Mebbe' I should say something to cheer him up

"Oh, hey! Stolley! I'll have a Gioran whiskey!"

He couldn't think of anything,.

((There'd better be whiskey! Whiskey sours are my favorite!!))



"Yeah," she said, "sorry, mate. It's only been a little while. From what I see, everybody's scattered. It may take a while 'afore you hear from 'em. But the damage wasn't..." well, she thought, it was pretty bad, but... "it was pretty concentrated. If they weren't at the site itself, they're prolly fine." She looked him in the eye and reached out a hand to pat his arm encouragingly.

She turned back to the others, "He'll bring us our drinks. Let's go have a seat while we wait for Mue, hm?"

Stolley nodded and smiled at her, his eyes a little watery.

"'Course, 'course. It's just me oldies you know. I worry. No one's seen em yet, but thats okay. I'm sure they're okay. Right then! A Starfly, whiskey sour and straight whiskey." He took three glasses from the underside of the bar and prepared the alcohol, letting the trio find a seat.

Tonan looked at the seat he usually sat at. "Shall we go over there? no-one usually goes over there, we can talk about the resistance over there."
He quickly added "Quietly, of course."

Quickly scampering over to the table, he pulled out the chair and sat down.

With a quick glance around, she followed. The entire tavern was quiet and sad. She would have felt better if there were a band or something to make some cover noise...

She took a seat near Tonan and said in a near-whisper. "So, what do we need to do to, erm, get in?"

Annie lingered near the bar for a moment longer whilst Tonan and Nora got a table. "While you're here, erm Stolley is it? How much fer a room for t'night? Ain't quite enough room in that wagon or theirs for three bodies, an I figured as to me bein the last one t'join the convoy the least I can do is pay my own way fer sleepin."

The reporter in her quickly took over, and she leaned in a bit, lowering her voice as to seem less intrusive. "So...d'ye have family what lived in Dorhaven? Hear anything on what caused it all?" It was always handy to know what rumors were flying around to compare to the truth.

Stolley looked thoughtfully at the woman as he finished off the drinks.

"Five tallies a night. No room service." He said quietly.



Sighing, Stolley nodded, looking around.

"I do, my oldies. I hear from some of the passer-throughs, it was some accident." He lowered his voice more and motioned her closer.

"Passive accident girly, something to do with a diablerie." Standing straighter, he picked up the drinks.

"Thats all I know." Turning aside, he walked out from behind the bar and took the three drinks to Nora's table.

"That'll be..er...one tally and two forts."

He whispered to Nora "Well, According to stolley, we need to find the cart with the Golden Gryphon, and ask for 'A cool drink of water' "


"Thanks Stolley! But cheer up, eh? They'll be fine." he smiled.
Tonan dropped 3 forts onto the table and pushed them towards Stolley.


He took a sip of his whiskey and savoured the slight burn it gave to his throat.
He continued to whisper to Nora.
"Whether they'll ask us to do something for them, or accept us is beyond me."

Nora listened intently. A cool drink of water? That seemed odd to her- it was just too common a phrase to be linked to the resistance. But then, if they didn't want to be found out, why wouldn't they use something common? Ugh, it was making her head hurt. She glanced up as Stolley brought over the drinks.



Nora took the rest from the pouch at her hip, leaving only the tip to Annie. She didn't dip into the funds Khymarah had given her- though it was tempting. She had resolved to use it for something of which the kind galdor would approve. The resistance may not have been what she had in mind when she gave her the funds, but she wasn't about to use it on drink.



Nora took her drink and plucked out the cherry- her favorite part- and ate it first. Usually she would play with the stem, but tonight she dropped it to the side and took a swig, loving the smooth burn of the vodka. "Yes, it's all very vague as far as I can tell... I don't even know if I'll get in, but... But I just can't sit by anymore, you know?" She took another swig. She wanted to not think about Dorhaven for a while...

Annie tossed three tallies and a fort onto the pile, hoping it would be enough for a tip. She could always add more in the morning for the bed.

Picking up her whiskey sour, she tossed it back in one gulp and plunked the empty glass back down on the table. It was strong, but she needed strong after everything that had happened over the past few days.

Annie had no clue what Tonan and Nora were talking about, but if her math skills were what she thought they were, then 2 + 2 must equal...
"We talkin about a certain gang o' folk what don't agree with the socio-economic norms of our beloved nation as a whole?"

Nora pursed her lips. She had been wary of the others in the tavern, except the one inquisitor right in front of her. She pursed her lips lightly at her half-raised glass, glancing sidelong at Tonan. She looked back at the wick. She liked Annie, but the fact that she seemed to "collect" facts wasn't necessarily a good thing insofar as she was concerned. She didn't, however, want to keep her completely in the cold...

"So to speak." Nora set the glass down and looked Annie in the eye, "Circle-swear to silence and I'll be open with you."

"Circle, square, hells I'll rhombus swear to ye. I'm honor bound not t'tell secrets what I've been told not to share. On that ye have my word." I guess it's about time I let the cat outta the bag...

Annie reached into her pocket and pulled out her press pass, placing it on the table between herself and her travel companions. "I ain't been entirely honest wit ye both. Remember that article what got all hells riled up in Vienda, 'bout the hangin an' the girl from the bakery?" She took a piece of ice from her glass, crunching it between her teeth. "That's my handiwork." The reporter shrugged in a yeah-I'm-that-good sort of way.

Leaning forward, she placed her glass on the table and looked Nora in the eye. "I make my livin' offa things people tell me. I ain't about t'betray them that bank my paycheck."

Nora gave a small laugh and was about to continue when a press pass was laid out on the table. She blinked at it.



Nora nodded, slightly aghast.



Nora looked mildly astonished. She had arrived in Vienda only days after the hanging, and was there for the news, but she had never paid heed to the authorship of the paper.



She held Annie's gaze without a flinch, but it wasn't long that she averted her gaze. What now? She had suspected something of the wick's inquisitive nature, and now that it had been confirmed (and boy, had it been confirmed), she didn't know how to respond.

She took another swig, then looked at the half-emptied glass, "Well, which is it?" she asked,"Honor bound to not tell, or not talkin' to your employers about what'cha do hear?"

She wasn't trying to be belligerent, but she had to know before she went any further- despite how uncomfortable as she happened to make it.

Annie laughed and stared at her icecubes. She now remembered why she always told people she was a trash collector when asked what she did for a living at parties.

"Ain't ye never heard of the Reporter's Creed? 'Never reveal a source', much less one with information what could end up with somebody's head on a stake in town square." Her eyes shot up to match Nora's. "Or their neck in a noose."

Nora tipped her head to the side in consideration. She seemed sincere, if a bit... morbid. Finally she nodded decisively, took a swig, and said, "Alright. Yes. A 'certain gang o' folk what don't agree' with the situation at hand. I'm sick'a floatin' by, lollygaggin' around waitin' for something to happen. Hoping it doesn't happen to me. Hoping that someone will step in and save me each time it does." She shook her head, irritated, but thinking fondly of Khy.

"I've always been someone who looks out for people who can't stand up for themselves. But I think I've been goin' about it all the wrong way. It's about time I dedicated to makin' something happen right."

Annie nodded in agreement, crunching on more ice. "Ain't that the truth! I spend plenty enough time hidin behind a typewriter just t'save my skin. I got a few contacts, but not enough of 'em willin to save my neck if it came to it."

"Aye, I've been thinkin the same. It's my job t'report the goins on of the world, an' it's my duty to not have a bias 'bout it, but I'm tired o' writin' about the news an' not bein' able t'change none of it." More crunching. "I've realized life ain't all about the bylines."

Nora nodded, laughing darkly in agreement, "Ent that the truth... So, yeah. That's the idea, and he's got some idea," she tilted her head toward Tonan,"of where to go from here."

Tonan looked around at the mention of his name.
He had been enjoying his whiskey and looking around the tavern, watching the occasional galdor pass by. He knew why they were there.


Tonan palmed his face. "Sorry, I've not been listening.. Daydreaming again, y'know? Didn't miss anything important, did I?"

Annie laughed, crunching more ice and slipped the press pass back into her pocket in one slick motion. The less folks who know, the better, she thought.

"Miss anythin'? Nah, nothin' important. Just a little friendly girl chatter, ain't that right Nora?" she said with a wink.

Nora laughed, "Sure thing. Cheers, friends!" She held up a glass. She was starting to relax and get that giddy looseness that she got when she drank. It was the kind of thing that made her want to get up and dance. Well... If there was any music in this joint. She looked at her glass absently for a moment. Then, dipping her finger in the liquid, she ran her finger along the edge. It made a ringing noise, though it sounded off. She took a sip and tried again. Ahh, perfect G...

A moody Mue pushed the tavern doors open without a care for sublety, causing it to slam rather noisely and startling a few close-by people enjoying a nice quiet drink.
She didn't even bother to glance around and she walked with a face like thunder towards the bar. As she got nearer, all manners were forgotten and she barked rather rudely.
"Give me something strong!" Whilst slamming down four tallies.

She was undeniably pissed at being refused information. She had kept her calm right about to the point where that smug bastard had said she was "too young." BAH! What a lame excuse.
She desperately wanted someone to try hitting on her, or pickpocketing her right now. She had a lot of built up frustration that could quickly be freed by punching the crap out of someones face.
She clenched and unclenched her fist, whilst grinding her teeth roughly.

Plan B, Plan B, Plan B.. What the HELL is Plan B anyways?! The fact that she hadn't planned in advance only added to her frustration, and she had to fight the urge to scream a choice few curses at the cart drivers expense. Instead she eyed Stolley with a look that said Drink. Now. Or die.
She wasn't usually like this, and somewhere deep down she hoped Stolley wouldn't hate her for it.