With Castan's last letter clutched to her chest, Aveline lay asleep in her room. She dreamed of the days when she ran with her brothers through the streets of Helmfirth, chasing a thief or a runaway cart. Castan pressed himself against a wall and she leapt onto a rooftop with his help. Together with their elder brothers they retrieved the stolen jewels and apprehended the thief. In her dreams she made a vow, she prayed to whatever lurked beneath Valuun Keep; let my brother live.

She was awake and devouring a quick breakfast when the fire erupted, and stood to help put it out when a small group of workers took to it in quick time. She remained standing until the commotion evaporated and calm returned to the inn. Returning to her seat and her meal, Aveline watched the room begin to fill with the adventurers from the night before. The typical sorts, and the suspicious few – that girl in the coin skirt especially – and then the odd gifted fellow. Each had their skills, she was sure, but she still considered the possibility that each could keep her from finding her brother.

[b]“Quiet... quiet everyone... I've something to say.”[/b]

Aveline leaned back in her chair, resting a forearm on the pommel of her sword, to listen to the large northerner. Everything he said more or less amounted to what she already heard. Dark forces, evil... if no one could tell her anything different, it must have some truth to it. The speech and the fire, which she took as a bad omen, diminished her usual cheer. She watched the man stride out of the inn and the group of people who accumulated in his wake to discuss his speech. 

They all seemed to agree to needing each other's skills and protection. When a few declared their intentions – the old man vehemently disagreeing with the northerner – and left for the keep, she stood up. She picked her cloak off the back of her chair and strode to the group, “I too would like the company,” Aveline stated simply. “Shouldn't we get going?” 

She looked each of them over, offering a cheerless smile to the group as a whole, then left the inn in favour of the stables. Bella awaited, a handful of hay between her teeth. Aveline saddled the horse and rode out to the front of the inn. There, she waited a short while for the rest of the party to finish their preparations, before starting for the keep.