[h3][color=lightblue]TEAM RUTABAGA[/color][/h3]
Meryn brought the bell closer to her face to study the engraving, furrowing her brows in concentration. These odd runes again… She turned the bell back over to inspect the name. She wasn't great at reading, but she recognized these two names, at least. Two of her clients in Enn had been Oliver Heinbert and Felix Locke, so the letters were familiar enough. That is, they were when she could concentrate through the pounding in her head.

[i]Oliver Locke[/i]

Who was this? Why was his name engraved on this bell? What was the rune? Once again, questions spun around her head. Spook was a wealth of information, she knew… but whether or not he'd be very forthcoming with answers was another matter. Irritation blended with embarrassment as she thought back to how blithely Spook had dismissed her. Well, she'd gotten by this far in life without anyone else's help. She could manage on her own. Then again, the pain pulsing through her body reminded her that was sometimes a messy way to do things. She winced as she readjusted the pressure her hand was putting on her bleeding side.

Meryn carefully placed the bell in a pocket deep in her bag, grabbing a couple pieces of paper closest to her and slipping them in, too. She was still doing her best to ignore the people around her – Emma in particular. She'd gone to the botanist in the past with worse injuries than this. But this was probably the first time Emma had actually [i]seen[/i] how Meryn managed to rough herself up. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see the other girl's reaction.

She glanced up when a shadow fell over her, only to look away when she saw who it was, fighting very hard not to roll her eyes. Her clothes were still damp. Meryn tossed another piece of dried meat – seasoned with her own blood, she noted with a grimace – at the felidrake laying across from her. It'd finished chewing the first piece and now with nothing to focus on, its eyes were staring dully into space, half lidded. It was kind of funny, in a pitiful way. Meryn watched with a raised eyebrow as it seemed to register the food in front of it. It forced its jaw open and its tongue lolled out to the meat as the militiaman above her spoke.

Giving a little sigh to herself – and instantly regretting it as the pain in her side intensified – she finally looked back up at Alex. He [i]was[/i] apologizing. And she [i]had[/i] rattailed him in the face.

Instead of reacting to his question or his apology, she grabbed a piece of paper near her. It was split cleanly in half like all the others were, straight through the odd circular marking on it. Meryn didn't quite trust herself enough to stand yet. Instead she held it up to Alex with her free hand for him to inspect, though she couldn't reach up very far without pulling on her side. 

[@jordy0403]