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	[u]Weather[/u]: No change in the weather. It remains cold, windy, and precipitating just oodles of snow. This is a storm, no doubt about it. Woe be to a person spending more than a few moments unprotected outside.   

   	[u]Time[/u]: It is in the middle of the night now. Darkness is a primary feature of the evening, right alongside snow drifts.  

	[u]Ambience[/u]: The evening is not quiet, not by a fair sight. Indoors, there is a constant sound of the unseasonable weather howling about, but walls and fire have given enough of a buffer to prevent this from interrupting conversation. While it isn't the very spirit of luxury inside, it is enough, and a fair sight better than it might have been otherwise. Comfort is possible, even if its perfection seems to elude. The food and fire help tremendously for this purpose. It remains a bit dark inside, as lamps and candles both remain unlit. The hearth provides enough light to get around and a pleasant overall atmosphere, with the caveat that the same atmosphere might be used for ghost story ambience. 

	The kitchen door remains propped open from Lizbeth's little kitchen adventure with fresh onions. It gives a good vantage into the other room and puts a little more direct light around and behind the bar, upon which the barrels of "outside" potables remain, brandy and ale both. Lots and lots of wine remains in stock behind the bar, in varying degrees of quality (though nothing below moderate market caliber, of course). 

[center][color=darkgray][h2]*****[/h2][/color][/center] 
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	[color=darkgray]"It's okay,"[/color] Lizbeth said to Baronfjord, [color=darkgray]"You should sit and rest. You're still hurt."[/color] She accepted the offered help from their resident Bard and between the two of them, served the rest of the party. When everyone else was handled, she took a chair with the group and also served herself.
	
	Lizbeth sat with her meal, grabbing a slice of toast for herself from the stack and staring thoughtfully into the bowl in front of her. She dipped her spoon into the amalgam of bacon and vegetables and took a bite, seemingly satisfied with the final product. Past this, the young lady turned to a sullen sort of quiet. The day had been both difficult and something of a revelation, and based upon the lack of answered questions, more revelations were in the offing. Cooking things appeared to be a distraction as much as anything. Now that the meat had been seared and squashes braised, the final product bowled and served, the weight of the day settling back. 

	Composing herself, finally, Lizbeth breathed a quick, [color=darkgray]"Thank you,"[/color] to Victoria. With a bite halfway to her mouth, she paused and eyed the items that she had recovered from the Study. Pendant, stick, and journal, the latter especially as Baronfjord retrieved the item and gave it a quick perusal while he ate. With hesitation, Lizbeth moved the bite into her mouth and chewed deliberately, taking her eyes away from the book and back to the other two items near Victoria. When she felt like it was obvious that she was staring, the girl moved a conversation along different lines. [color=darkgray]"Those books you were talking about, Miss Belmont,"[/color] she said with some formality, [color=darkgray]"The, ah, 'The White Book' and 'The Lucky Ghost,' I mean. When you're not referencing them, may I read them, please?"[/color] The last sentence broke a mote of eagerness into her speech. Almost as an apology, Lizbeth offered, [color=darkgray]"I ...like to read. And they sound interesting. May I? I'll be careful."[/color] 

	To Kosara, Lizbeth was a little more talkative. She spoke first to thank her for the appraisal of her food, but also took time to address one of the points the taller Tiefling made about clergy, [color=darkgray]"There's not a lot of folk who attend temple services regularly in Avonshire, I don't think. People keep to their worship kind of personally. I don't think we even have a real-life, full magic using Cleric in Southmoor regularly. I mean, every so often we get one that comes around the temple representing one or more gods, but mostly it's lay folk. Some have enough ability to perform ceremonies or rites, but full magic, Cleric or Wizard, is more difficult to come by around here. The most people I ever saw that can do magic in one place is [i]...here...[/i] in this room right now. The temple is just a spot where shrines to the gods are set up for whoever's passing by."[/color] She thought for a second, adding, [color=darkgray]"There [i]is[/i] a Halfling that uses a hoe like a walking staff, who can do some magic, that comes around a couple times in the year. I heard he turned into a goat once!"[/color] A tinge of excitement was felt in her voice as she described the secondhand exploits of this mystery Halfling, which mellowed back after a second or two. 

	Lizbeth gave Kathryn a polite smile at the compliments to the food. [color=darkgray]"Yeah, simple. Just rendering some pork fat and cooking vegetables, adding liquids and seasoning. It's not so much. Thank you, though. I'm glad you like it."[/color] And to the question of the group splitting up or sticking together the next day, Lizbeth asked, [color=darkgray]"I know I'm not [i]with[/i] you all, but if it's okay, do you mind if I stay here at the Coach House tomorrow? Or did you need me around you to help with something? If you do, I'm happy to help and if you don't, I'd just as soon practice and study, if it's all the same."[/color]

	Mention of Kosara making dessert went over well with Lizbeth, who added, [color=darkgray]"That's very nice of you. While you're doing that, I will see what I can do with the upstairs fireplaces. It's going to be cold up there tonight."[/color]