[color=gray][quote]"Please, come join me ma'am. An old man like myself can use all the dining company he can get, and I'm sure you'll make a fine conversation partner."[/quote]
[quote]"If I recall correctly, you're Mister Johan, right? Company is always lovely." She prodded at a vegetable with her fork before looking to the older man. "I am Lian, pleased to meet you."[/quote]
[quote]Alice clenched her suitcase tightly while looking around for someone to hitch with. Her crimson eyes lay on a girl with dark hair who seemed to be enjoying the situation the same as she was.[/quote]
[quote]"I'm Rhea Heimlich from Comet-by-the-Sea. It's a pleasure meeting you, Miss..."[/quote]
[quote]"Hello there." [Andrea] said simply, approaching the pretty lady with long hair, and wings.[/quote]
[quote] "Hello, hello. So... do you have something in mind? I figured I would go investigate after exploring the rooms. Getting to know the building in case of an emergency or clues it may offer, you know? My name is Trilune, by the way. Very sorry for not mentioning that earlier. Yours? I hope to get to know you. Truly, you are most intriguing already. I am sure you have a story to world does not know. But now is not the time for stories, we are on a mission."[/quote][/color]

Mayor Casworon Toll remained very still and proper at his post on the porch, his spine straight and chin up, offering a little nod to each of the detectives as they passed him with their luggage. There was a palpable air of urgency about him: a twitch of his fingers behind his back, a shift in his weight from foot to foot, a strained smile on his face as if he wanted very much to demand the immediate commencement of their investigation -- but he held his tongue out of civility and hospitality. At the same time, his eyes darted occasionally into the dark pine woods that bordered the opposite side of the road.

After everyone else had gone inside to claim their rooms and their suppers, Mayor Toll remained by the door like a skittish sentry.

Rook leaned stiffly against the porch railing, a forbidding scowl on his face while he watched and listened to the shut-up village.

The old wagon driver set about rearranging his cargo for the rest of his delivery, which had been displaced for the passengers.

[color=gray][quote] "E-excuse me, sir. Thank you for taking us to town. Here's a little tip; its money I was supposed to use for travel through the gate, but I didn't exactly have a gate to travel through before arrival. I know you aren't supposed to talk to us, and you don't have to if you don't want to, but I'd like to ask a couple of questions pertaining to why were here. Do you know anything about Kenver Edwards, from four days ago, or Sewena Toll, who disappeared yesterday?"[/quote][/color]

The wagon driver dropped to the ground with a curious tip of his bald head, and he accepted Jenna's tip with a surprised grin. A proud sparkle came to his eye, and he nodded fervently.

[b]"Yes, miss, thank you miss, you have [i]no[/i] idea how hard it was to keep from speakin' a word for the whole ride over here! But I made a promise, I did, [i]'No talkin' 'less you're talked to,'[/i] and I keep my word, Miss, I keep my word! So thank you for speakin' ta me, it's such a pleasure, I'd've had a sour day otherwise."[/b] He gave a tinny laugh and shook Jenna's hand in both of his.

[b]"Now, as fer your questions."[/b] He tapped his shiny head. [b]"I don't know much about the mayor's daughter, poor girl -- but Kenver, well he was my [i]boss[/i] until he up 'n vanished. We stayed the night here on our way from Four Stones with a delivery of skiurium ore -- that's the reddish shiny sorta stone that the mechanikers use, rare stuff and expensive -- so when we got up in the morning and part of our supply was gone, Kenver had a right fit. He went tearin' across the village, bangin' on doors, demandin' his supply back."[/b] The wagon driver flung his knobby hands in the air to emphasize just how crazy Kenver had got over the loss of his merchandise.

[b]"Well, just when I was suggestin' that maybe we should just report the theft an' let the authorities deal with it like they properly should, Kenver he pointed out at the woods -- right here,"[/b] He stretched out an arm and pointed into the forest across the road, [b]"and he said, 'Hey Breok,' he says to me. 'Breok, you see that guy out there?' And I looked, and there indeed was somebody peeking up over the edge of that boulder out there, starin' at us. I couldn't tell much except he had kinda wild reddish hair -- kinda like mine, only on his head."[/b] He stroked his scraggly beard with a chuckle.

[b]"And Kenver yelled out to the guy, spittin' mad, and when we got no response he ran out into the woods and around that boulder to snag him."[/b] Breok scratched the back of his head and huffed a sigh. [b]"Well, I waited a bit, and he didn't come out again though I called him. And I went over around that rock and he'd gone."[/b] He turned up his palms helplessly. [b]"Kenver was just [i]gone[/i]. Me an' a bunch of the villagers, we combed through this forest, but we didn't find anything at all."[/b] He shook his head. [b]"I'm sorry I'm not much of a help, but thank you much for listening anyway."[/b]

Once Breok's story had finished, Rook silently shifted to his feet and made his way into the inn and to the dining room without so much as a glance to the others. Without relinquishing either his bag or his weapons, he helped himself to a bowl and a generous ladle of stew before finding a seat at the most remote table in the room, where he could keep an eye on the entirety of the dining hall -- and listen in on all their conversations -- while he ate.