Kosara seemed clearly spent. Crashing out once most was said and done. Kathryn did attempt to take her cloak off to act as a blanket for the small tiefling woman, only to remember when she activated her runes in the basement, one of the runes had backfired breaking t he clamp that held her cloak in place. So instead as Kosara fell asleep, Kathryn simply walked over, patted her head a bit, and returned her attention to the rest of the room. Even if Kosaras dreaming words were confusing, and a little concerning.

BB had brought up a good point about his attack and it gave Kathryn a pause considering what they knew so far. "It could be a coalition thing. Or several independent parties working towards a common or shared goal. Or comparable enough. Think like organized rebellion groups. Many times they are made up of multiple, sometimes dozens or hundreds of smaller groups with their own ideology and goals. With just enough overlap and central leadership to keep them unified. It wasn't uncommon for rulers attempted to put down rebellions to make compromises with a couple of these smaller groups so they could destabilize the movement as a whole. But for now this is all theory work. We need to make collecting information about our foe one of our top priorities. That also means information denial on our part. No matter how our enemy is organized, a major advantage they have to know they have over us is how little we know about them. We need to keep what little we do know from this point forward a closely guarded secrete. Like a form of weaponizing their own ego. Even if we don't know a lot, if we know bits that they think we do not know, they should act accordingly. Once they know what we know, they will likely react in kind."

When clearing things up with Lizbeth Kathryn admired the youth's willingness to learn and commit to the cause. Yes, she had a huge personal stake in the matter. But still, the commitment was nice to see. "With our morning trainings, we shall follow the interior and exterior perimeter of the coach house. As for that storage, Thank you for that clarification master Urmdrus. We will have to check it out as soon as possible, barring tonight as I do not want to get caught out after dark without a plan. Especially while we have company present." And unprotected. There also seemed to be a bit of confusion on the Mosswater's situation as details of their stay was sorted. BB seemed to clear things up rather well, Kathryn figured she would add on to the statement too a bit. "We are thankful for any and all assistance you are willing and able to provide. And thought the help is appreciated, Nothing is mandatory for you. I would just ask that while you are here, we consider these steps for the safety of everyone involved. Be it one night or the season, we need to take some broader precautions until matters are resolved. I would recommend that when you do leave it is without any risk of travel during the less lit hours of the day." Kathryn spoke in her best reassuring tone.

Kathryn was rather pleased to get Victoria's approval of her words so far. Kathryn was far from a public speaking figure, and she would be lying if she said she didn't at least partially crave the praise and approval from others. She always worried she was never enough, so any and all praise was always welcome. Kathryn was a little disappointed that Victoria's magic did not cover the niche she was hoping for, but considering that Kathryn's understanding of magic was spotty at best, and Victoria covered so many fields of magic for the party that otherwise would be drastically missed, she wanted to assure the bard that any disappointment was not in her skills. "A shame about the magic, but we can work with what we got." Morty with a Bell though? That was... actually rather amazing. "Does that mean we do not need a night watcher? Or that can supplement our night watcher? I am personally leaning towards supplementing just do to my own concerns over security." Though a part of Kathryn got a chuckle over an idea she had as a soft payback for Victoria not taking part in their night watches back in Avonshire. "If you are really worried about getting your beauty sleep, er can put you on the second watch so you can sleep in a bit in the morning and get all the rest you need!" Kathryn said enthusiastically as she volunteered Victoria for the shift that Kathryn herself got dumped with back in Avonshire. "It even allows you to get a nap in ahead of time before your proper rest." Kathryn said with her biggest smile.

Now, for the master craftsman. "Master Urmdrus, in addition to asking for assistance with your skills, I would also ask a favor to get permission to make the modifications. At the very least a good crossbar on the second story door. Something simple that we can remove and patch up when all is said and done. And maybe some sort of gate for the exterior door of the Coach house yard. Either something we can make pretty, or something we can clean up nicely when all is said and done." Victoria and BB seemed to be deeply invested into the magic books that... Kathryn hadn't made the time to join BB in collecting. "Sorry BB... I may have gotten a little invested in the moment..." Kathryn said shyly as she more or less stood up BB in this encounter.

Kosara’s earned reactions from her sleep talking wasn’t a thing she was aware of and how it caused the others in the room to react to it just like how everybody else lacked the context of the words to truly appreciate the rather marvelous taste of fried scorpions! Nor how well they went with beer and honey. Simple fact was that Kosara was enjoying a very nice dream about home in the aftermath of a frankly tiring and stressing situation. So yes, she was enjoying ALL the fried scorpions with some nicely chilled beer and some honey. It was nice especially so when Vierna appeared to pat her on the head like she always did since Kosara was little and first started living there.

She mumbled something or other that made absolutely no sense, since it was a collection of random sounds rather than proper words, but the white haired teifling woman made herself more comfortable in her sleep and moved herself into the headpat like she was a sleepy cat.

All was good in Kosara’s little corner of the world both in the physical and in the dream realms and while she was missing the discussion about what they would be doing to prepare for the future in her nap, she was resting well so once she woke up a bit later, she would be once more full of energy and enthusiasm to live the best life she could and unintentionally cause as much headaches as she could. Because Kosara was a nice girl and any headaches caused were an unintended side effects to her actions and plans. That was all for later however,, for now Kosara’s priorities laid elsewhere… in the giant plate of sweet flat breads with fruitjam that just appeared the moment ALL the fried scorpions were eaten! She didn’t even mind the Kosara double with the mean eyes that was also eyeing the plate of flat breads from the other side of the table with just about the same ravenously hungry expression! She made a few more content sounds in her sleep before turning quiet.

Weather: Thick, puffy flakes of crystalline water sink gently earthward with increasing frequency. It's still rather gentle, and not too windy, but this is becoming a decent amount of snowfall, putting a layer of fresh powder over a landscape which has melted slightly and refrozen. Caution abound.

Time: Early evening, still. The time for Tea is long past; we are closer now to the final repast of the day, were one to have a proclivity for it.

Ambience: Twilight has began its march toward the inevitable fall of night. The liminal time frame found that, upon closer reflection, it was likewise tired of remaining in the sky and relinquished use of the space to a more present caretaker, this one darker, cloudier, with just a few motes of starlight peeking through. The early evenings of Winter make themselves known.

There is comfort and fellowship, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, within the Coach House. While no changes of note have occurred with the decor nor lighting, the overall social feel of the location has grown a bit more professional. Books and papers take up the better part of two tables, prompting others to be very careful with their tea, among other things. This is a place of planning now, with even the guests of the establishment putting in what little they may be able to offer.



Barbal noted the insistence of the group that he stay for some time with mild amusement. It was interesting that these people were trying, at least to his eyes, to look out for him. Or their mission. Either way, it was a commitment, and he respected this. Still, this wasn't a reasonable request, so far as he was concerned. "Look, I know you have things you need to do here. And I have things I need to do there. I'll stay as long as it takes to have a leisurely breakfast (I mentioned how I take mine, yeah?), and I'll give you every detail I can recall about any ...eh... weird dreams I have. Then I have me and mine to tend to. If I have another bad night, I'll send you a little card with the outline of events." He nodded with faux sagacity and took a sip from his cup. "It is sweet that you young'uns are thinking about us, though."

Tarace merely kept his head low and began clearing the table, refusing to add to this particular conversation but still reaching for a social "out." To this end, he latched onto something which Victoria had just said, about initially wanting to find a boat to take her back north to Khimn territory. "Oh my, that's a journey, Miss Belmont. Are... are you from there? Your accent sounds a little like it, I mean, I think it does. And they have Elves there, right?" He looked embarrassed, like he might have crossed a line in what was otherwise small talk. "I'm sorry, is that, I don't know - is that okay to ask?"

Lizbeth kept fluctuating her emotions with the ebb and flow of conversation, though she did seem to be evening out a little more as plans were made and things locked it. Perhaps it was the certainty of having a course of action to follow, even if that course of action amounted to simple vigilance and continued preparation. "Oh, just the Coach House! Sure, we can to that first thing in the morning. I mean, we should do that first thing. With the snow, it should be easy to see if anyone came up in the night!" She took a moment to go over her current situation with her more recent tutoring. "This is a busy winter, that's for sure," she offered, hefting her curved, wide-bladed sword in her hand while sitting alongside one of the tables covered in books. She continued speaking to Kathryn, "You're teaching me how to be a Knight, Master Urmdrus is drilling me on being a Soldier, and Mademoiselle Belmont was nice enough to tutor me on Arcana. This sounds busy, but I think," she paused, her mood becoming more grounded by the second, "I think I need to know this. No matter what happens with the Vineyard, this is stuff I need to know about myself. Thank you." Now directing more to the group as a whole, "Thank you all."

It was well past Teatime, but the rather heavy nature of the meal as well as events moved many away from pursuing something greater for Supper. To keep things easy as well as keep her hands busy, Lizbeth rose and strode toward the kitchen, offering, "I'm going to get something simple together us. For before we turn in. Like soup. Excuse me." The little blonde girl with custom armor on and weapons older than her grandfather paused at the kitchen door to see if anyone had a request or comment about her proposed actions, before entering proper.

Urmdrus also rose for his own preparations, but his took him away from the Coach House. "Can reinforce door. One hour, start to end. Make noise." He shrugged, giving a touch of thought to what he had explained. It was true, doing work like that would be a bit of a noisemaker. "Does not matter. Everyone knows we are here." The older Dwarf took up his large hammer, then let heavy bootfalls punctuate his way to the main door. Resting a hand upon it, he turned back around to explain in his own, few-worded manner, "Full dark when done. I stay here tonight." It felt like a statement as opposed to a request. Urmdrus opened the door just enough to allow himself room to exit, then closed the door behind him as quickly as he might, attempting to preserve the interior warmth.

BlackBerry gave a thoughtful "Hmm" at the mention of the Lich Emperor. It may be a name for him to keep an eye for in Monsieur L'Roses books this evening. A dead Lich seemed a bit...ironic? "It may be wise to recofd and discuss the dreams of Lady Kathryn and yourself, Victoria. At this point any information is useful."

"A Coalition? How modern." Blackberry replied dryly over the top of the book, and then waved away Kathryns apology. After all he hadn't been attacked again. Another mumble from Kosara drew his attention to her, and he commented, "I nominate Kosara for last watch. Clearly the poor thing needs her sleep more than the rest of us."

But it was Barbals response that worried BlackBerry the most. The man had declined their offer to stay longer than the one night even as he took another sip of the brandy! BlackBerry snapped the book shut, not that he had been able to gleam anything from it With a sigh he returned it to the pile. Maybe he could get more out of the damned things during his watch?

"Very well Master Mosswater. We shan't push the matter and shall have to be satisfied with your presence for the one evening only then and hope that what magic may be in the brandy does not take hold." He looked wistfully at the ceiling praying that whatever Gods looking down on them might grant that wish. He doubted it though. Shooting Barbal a small mischievous smile he added, "Of course, we may confiscate the eggs and cheese. Such villains are are we, you shall get only bread and water here."

The evening was continuing to progress and even without any windows to look out of BlackBerry could feel it was far too late to be sending anyone home on their own, so he recieved Master Urmdurus' resolution to stay the night with some relief and then mentally counted the available rooms and beds. Ah. Someone would be sleeping downstairs tonight and given he was taking first watch anyway...it may as well be him.

"Well, I will admit that I am not making any headway either with these yet." Gesturing to the books on the table, and then stood up from the table. "So I may as well prepare the beds for our guests. While Young Lizbeth prepares us a wonderous meal. Masters Mosswater shall have one room and Master Urmdurus shall take mine for the night. Victoria, i do ask though if you are intent on going off to be sending music into the night, do take someone with you. Please."

Victoria has been paying attention to Lizbeth, even if she was trying to look studious. After everything that has happened, she was trying to be a gracious hostess. More than that, she was throwing herself into training of all kinds with little regard to burning her candle at every end imaginable. On top of that, she was about to make them soup. And then thanked them. Logically, this shouldn't have been something which made Victoria feel guilty. Or anything, really, as she was certain that she hadn't done anything wrong. But this felt off. Maybe the girl was attaching herself to them because the genuinely thought that they could teach her how to do all of the nifty things which adventurers could do, and she wanted this for herself. Or maybe, they represented her best method of surviving whatever was coming next and she was scared as all hells. So yes, as a possible lifeline, of course Lizbeth would cling to them, learn from them, and serve them homemade soup under what would be her roof in about a year. So yes, Victoria felt guilt.

Tarace snapped her out of it, with an only slightly obnoxious question fueled, she hoped, with mere enthusiasm and not something more sinister. "Yes, but I am actually from Ashhaven. It is a vassal city to Khimn." she replied softly. "There are Elves there." She blinked slowly, trying to parse out the more meek Halfling as well as provide a moment to smooth over her own feelings, related and unrelated, before explaining, "There is a long standing Elven settlement not very far away from my home, and they like to visit as the occasion takes them. My family also has a trade relationship with them. We can get some really amazing fabrics and jewelry from them." She looked quite wistful as she pulled the memory of her earlier years to the forefront of her thoughts. "I have been through there a few times, with my family's caravans. It is a lovely place." She added as an afterthought, "Even if I have gotten remarks on my accent there. The Elves of Skara Kyril do think highly of themselves."

But she couldn't stop thinking about Lizbeth, who was in the kitchen preparing soup. No, she had to do something more substantial than translate texts and explain the arcane ramblings of a man who was clearly being taken advantage of and had no formal grasp on anything magical. Arnaud L'Rose knew more about what was going on here than he told anyone in his family, and those handwritten books might have been the only actual clues he left behind. It wasn't good enough.

Victoria listened to Kathryn as she attempted to unload a watch shift onto her, one which the tall Knight was not overly a fan of, herself. The Bard gave a appraising look in her direction but said nothing for the time being. Likewise, she listened to the words of Baronfjord, who was doing his part to organize the potential chaos of the coming nights on the Vineyard grounds. It took a moment, but she did finally respond to her Dragonborn associate. "Oh, but I'm never alone." She absently gave her animated, preserved boar a head pat, letting her fingers linger on one of its prominent tusks as she continued, seemingly to the gaunt, burlap-wrapped companion, "Isn't that right, Morty? There's a good pig." Her smile was equal parts sarcastic and playful. A quick mental request also brought her Raven Familiar fluttering over to her, which gave a single, barking CAW as it presented itself for inspection. "And of course, my Corvus Nocturnus." Her last issuance in the more scholarly tongue, a language she could not actually speak with any fluency but from which she drew some words and phrases that related to her studies. But it gave her pause. "Nox," she stated flatly, conjugating the word as best she knew and writing it down while her Comprehend Languages ritual was still active, to verify her suspicions. "Yes, that is a fine name. Nox." Victoria gently stroked her Raven behind its beak, resulting in a short series of croaks and chirps for her avian assistant. "Gorgeous." Apparently, she had chosen a name, and they both liked it.

Rising from her seat, Victoria wrapped her new pashmina about her shoulders and picked up her violin. Her other hand separated a single leaf of paper from her stack and set a pen next to it. Briskly, she responded to Kathryn's earlier suggestion about watch times. "Of course. I will take whichever watch you prefer. It doesn't matter. I'm leaving at first light, anyway." She spoke with the certainty of a lady who had made up her mind. Motioning to the paper and pen, she partially explained herself with, "Please have everyone come up with four questions you wish to ask Arnaud L'Rose. I'm tired of following a trail of breadcrumbs."

Kathryn couldn't place it, but the way Kosara napped reminded her much of how the cats in her home would nap when they were left to their own devices. "We shall see if she is up for that shift when she wakes BB. But since Lizbeth and I will get up early anyways for training and patrol, I am more than comfortable taking it." Kathryn was a bit surprised to see Victoria so easily agree to taking the middle shift. The half giant would be lying if she said she didn't feel at least a little guilty now for her jesting pettiness.

Turning to Barbal and Tarace Kathryn listened intently as they shared their thoughts and concerns of the situation. "We will appreciate anything you can offer to us in terms of our work." Kathryn said in her best homely voice. Even grabbing herself a cup of tea to take a sip from. And after a single sip, setting it back down trying to ignore just how bad the tea was. What did surprise Kathryn was just how far Victoria had traveled in recent years. "How far have you gone with your family's Caravans? Ever been to Arcanaple? If so we may have gotten pretty close to crossing paths between here and there." Though... Victoria was a half elf. That also meant that she may be far, far older than she looked. For all Kathryn knew, Victoria had spent time with her father during his wandering years. But asking a woman her age in front of a crowd of people seemed rather inappropriate.

When hearing how BB was planning to sort the rooms Kathryn spoke up to him. "So where is your plan to sleep if your room shall be taken?" Kathryn asked with a little concern. Though there were a lot of beds on the second floor they also had a lot of people in the Coach House. BB did have a point about Victoria going out alone. Kathryn didn't like it that much either. "Please be careful Victoria. BB got attacked last night, and we all saw what was in the basement." Well, most of them saw. "And though I am sure that Morty and Nox are loyal, if you get attacked with only their support I worry about the outcome." Sure, she didn't know for sure what Morty could do outside of taking a hit or two. And Nox could probably scout a bit. Still, Kathryn worried. "If you'd like I can go with you. But at the very least I would ask you to stay close to the Coach house."

As if on cue from Berry’s mention of her name, Kosara made a cutesy moan and mumbled about the camels stealing her food once more, before turning a bit to the side so the warmth of the fire hits her body differently from her siting position before turning still and silent once more, only the soft sounds of her breathing to be heard from her at the moment, long white hair still left loose falling down across her back, over the chair she was sitting on and even the ends of it touching the ground from her slumped relaxed posture on said chair that served as her napping place.

Had Kosara been awake to witness and hear properly the words and discussion being had about the fact that V was planning to ask Mr L’Rose’s some very pointed question about his schenanigans and how they affect the rest of his family, Kosara would have loved to give her own questions to the mix. Alas, Kosara was well into the process of her napping so she missed it. Instead another mumble was had about the fact that the camel was bullying her. Truly camels were the most evil of animals and were out to get her. Not really, Kosara liked Camels usually… when they were stealing her food that is!

Currently in the lands of dreams Kosara was running in circle around a big table, running away from said camel that was chasing her on it’s hind legs and trying to grab her. The little white haired tiefling was instead holding her honeyed bread for dear life, keeping it away from the evil menance. Out in the corner of the room they were doing that, a similar pale tiefling was gnawing on a bit of meat, completely ignoring the proceedings and being ignored in turn.

Kosara’s dream antics were to go unnoticed, unless somebody had means to travel to the dream realms. It was a pleasant restful nap and it was going to take a while longer for her to wake up unassisted. Somebody was going to have to wake her up or something in the environment changed. Like the sweet scent of food that Lizbet was starting to prepare, but there was still time before that happened.

Weather: The snow begins to slow. It is still rife with big, puffy flakes, but as the night falls the intensity lessens, as does the wind. It is far from done, and quite frigid outside, but it looks like the worst of it for tonight is over. A loose layer of powdery accumulation now covers the previously melted and refrozen snowfall from the previous evening, making potential movement hazardous in the dark.

Time: Fully evening. The sun is passing the twilight hour at this moment, and while it paints what sky is visible all sorts of interesting colors, it is a promise that night is upon you.

Ambience: The first stars peek out around the clouds in the last few moments of light, with more and more following as moments advance. Cloud cover remains, but without the hold it had an hour previous. A calm settles over the Rose River Vineyard; possibly a false calm, but calm nevertheless. It really is a beautiful evening.

The scene within the Coach House hasn't changed much over the intervening time. The wooden furnishings and features remain as they were, an example of simple but masterful craftsmanship. The bar shelters rows upon rows of fine, local wines and a humble few from parts elsewhere, and resting upon it lay two casks - one almost full of exquisite, totally not cursed brandy and the other (notably less full) ale barrel. Light comes from sources of fire - hearth, candle, and grapeseed oil lamp - which is more than adequate to the task.

Books from the hidden study below sit neatly stacked upon a table. A couple of them, inactively or actively being looked through, stand open to reveal the detailed lack of apparent organization, even though it looks like the author definitely had something in mind. A single sheet of paper sits on a table nearby with a pen and small jar of ink, waiting on requested information to be placed upon it. From within the kitchen, there is a charming smell of vegetables searing. This is likely the light soup Lizbeth promised she would prepare for repast prior to turning in. Something warming, no doubt.



Barbal looked on as Urmdrus exited the building and assumed an expression of impatience, as he might have preferred to be back in his own bed that night, before things got even more complicated. "Eh, damnedable cursed brandy..." he muttered quietly. The gruff Halfling agriculturalist looked back to Baronfjord with an only slightly mischievous look to his eye, replying to the hopefully joking threat of bread and water with a faux cocky "I suppose I'll be telling my stories after breakfast. See how many details I remember on bread and water, hmm, young'un?" He did allow a thin lipped smile to breach his antisocial exterior, to his credit.

Tarace didn't quite feel up to attempting to intervene in Barbal's social tete-a-tete with Baronfjord, as he was dealing with his own faux pas with the Bard, who did redirect the scene quietly in hopes (well, he hoped) of a productive subject shift, to his great relief. "I, um, I don't think that I've been that far away from Avonshire, no. But I've ... read things. Nice things, of course."

Conversations deepened along with the darkness outside, resulting in a moderate amount of idle time passing as people tended to their own upkeep. Things which could be read were read, clothes adjusted for comfort, and the idea of everyone getting to know each other a little better as the evening progressed became more ingrained in the miniature zeitgeist of the the Coach House. It wasn't long until Urmdrus unceremoniously barged into the Taproom, carrying the same tool of his trade (including his suspiciously large personal hammer) and a few fittings, both iron and wood, to include a thick beam of heavy hardwood. "Latch there now. Keeping latch. Will have bar, also." He did dome mental figures on his hands, mumbling numbers in specifically phrased Dwarven, then looked back up with his estimate in Common, more or less. "Twenty more minutes. Be back."

His exit from the Taproom to navigate the snow-covered stairs along the side of the building was heard from inside, as it was a series of crunching, thudding steps, punctuated by what even those uninitiated in the Dwarven language could readily tell were various obscenities, increasing in volume as he ascended. He got to work swiftly.

Not very long after this, the kitchen door swung open, releasing the brunt of a quite toothsome aroma. Lizbeth, obstinately still wearing her ankheg armor, returned to the main area with a tureen that, to look at her, was quite full. "It's nothing very special, really. Some rendered bacon and duck fat with stewed vegetables. It's good soup, really. I know you all are probably accustomed to better. Mom used to make this for me when it was cold out, so I thought you might like it." She fished out a ladle, then returned to the kitchen for appropriate bowls and flatware. "And it's going to be cold out, still."

By the time everybody else was served, be it by Lizbeth's ministrations or by the helping of one's self, Urmdrus finally made his way back down. His arrival was heralded by more in the way of thumping footsteps, but notably less in the way of swearing. He helped himself to another ale from the barrel of local stuff, and noisily pulled a chair over to the table(s) being utilized for the last, light meal of the day before things turned to darker, more practical conversation about how things would proceed overnight. And maybe a less practical one about what would happen after that. But for now, as he plopped himself into the procured chair, he announced, "Done. Door has bar, door has latch. Good, strong. Ask tomorrow about gate."

Discussions of villainy and cheese restriction, and even the faux pushback about calorie-dependent memory aside, this group did seem in high spirits. This was especially noteworthy considering that everyone seemed to be preparing for what might amount to an Undead Uprising. To be fair to the overall situation, this was not a rudderless flight of fancy. This was a possibility that was hinted at, and rather directly. Baronfjord's suggestion not to go anywhere alone was, objectively, the right call. But Victoria was a Bard, and a bit of a free spirit. Even if she agreed with him (and again, to be fair, she did), she couldn't just let him know outright. Even when Kathryn mentioned something similar to back up the Dragonborn fellow's assertion, the most that Victoria offered was a dismissive wave, a nonchalant smile, and the assertion that, "Oh, it's fine. I don't plan to wander. Just far enough for my music to carry under an open sky." She gave a thought which shifted her smile from cordial to truly delighted, continuing, "I've been pursuing so many serious things for a time now; medical studies, arcane mysteries galore, translations, and so on. I haven't danced in the nighttime snow for ages, and that's worth a little risk. Wouldn't you agree?"

Further conversation with Kathryn brought up an interesting question. It was one that no one had asked her in a long while, for various reasons. How far had she traveled with her family's business? She gave it a thought and crossed her arms in front of her, letting one hand drift lazily up to her chin. "I don't believe that I have ever been to Arcanaple, no. When I traveled with the Belmont Trading Company, or whichever smaller outfit my parents financed by proxy, it was always along the main routes. The safer, established ones, I mean. I was a child for a lot of it. Sometimes I was with one of them, sometimes it was someone they trusted; old adventuring colleague, what have you, and always tutors. They insisted on that." She looked into the middle distance, getting wistful with her words. "I'm sorry, that's not what you asked me. I have been to the main cities in Khimn territory, where we're from. Khimn City, Ashhaven, and the garrisons around The Silent Eaves - but that's just home. I've seen the nearest Elven lands, Kyril, like I mentioned, and the Forest Temple of Nuada, but they never let we go any farther east than that." She thought again, taking a moment to sip from her cup, "I've been to Aquitania, but the last time I was anywhere near Avonshire I was very young. Hmm... and I have been as far north as Argentum. There is a spot to visit. A city the size of a nation, all within a wall. I haven't been to Orc lands, but I did seen a tribe on migration when I was a kid. The caravan pushed hard to get out of the open after that."

Continuing a little bit past where she had been, Victoria commented on where she might have wanted to go. "Now that the wars are over, I would eventually like to visit beyond the mountains here, to the Southlands. The desert folk are supposed to have some of the oldest arcane libraries, and the Amenteph have some very interesting funerary practices I would love to study."

Past the removal and eventual return of Urmdrus, and the reappearance of Lizbeth with soup, Victoria gave quiet wonder to where the tine must have gone. But fair enough to her lacking sense of time, the sun had appeared to have retreated for the next few hours. It was getting about the time that she make her nighttime concert to the snowflakes and open, night sky. But she did pull a bowl closer to herself as she found a seat at the table with the tureen. A spoon went to her lips, whereupon she declared; "Why, this is absolutely restorative, Mademoiselle L'Rose. This is exactly what one needs; thank you."

Her eyes drifted to the paper that she had left for others to write questions upon. Still blank, but Victoria supposed that it wouldn't be an issue until after the start of the next morning. She had an assigned task to perform, even if she assigned the task for herself.

BlackBerry stood by the door as he listened to Victorias answer. He cocked an eye brow, unamused by her flippant response to his concerns while listing off her growing menagerie. "I take it you also include your stallion as well on that list?" At least Lady Kathryn shared his concerns, folding his arm for good measure he added to Lady Kathryns point, "I second that motion; if I have to stay up late so to follow you then I shall."

His mind then put two and two together concerning Victorias request for questions to ask Arnaurd L'Rose, and his eyes practically bulged out of their sockets as realisation dawned.

"I beg your finest pardon Victoria, but what are you-No you simply cannot-. Oh a pox on it all I should have known." After several false starts of the sentence BlackBerry gave into the idea Victoria was in fact suggesting. He pinched the bridge of his nose and wondered, why? Why had all the decisions in his life lead him to here and now. He looked towards the door to the kitchen where Lizbeth was at that moment still preparing their meal, and then back to Victoria. "We should at the very least ask Madame L'Rose first."

Not wanting to hear about the matter any further he stepped out into the cold, the chill air rudely reminding him that he forgot his cloak, and gave Master Urmdurus a quick, "I shall just prepare the room for you say good sir; second door on your right when you head upstairs upon your retire this evening." Making the beds themselves didn't need much time as his own simply needed remaking, and a quick tidy to make the room presentable, and he was able to quickly find some spare sheets and blankets for the other.

"The beds are ready." He declared upon his return to taproom, bed warmer tucked under one arm. He would have to go into the storage room to find another pair but that could wait until after dinner. "Masters Mosswater, you shall have the room first on the left when you head upstairs. I shall warn you they may be a mite cold at the moment. We should get that sorted shortly though." He gave the warming pan in hand a quick spin before heading down into the basement again to dig out another two.

It seemed that in his absence the discussion had drifted from profane suggestions to something more mundane asking where Victoria had been travelling. Despite the time on the road travelling, and staying with one another for some time time now, he couldn't say he knew Victorias background, or even the others, all too well. Lady Kathryn was the exception as she always had some anecdote or reminded of something of her past. It was a nice change of pace given most of the big discussions they had had so far had mainly been around one catastrophy or another.

"My word, I must say you have travelled far." There was a clear sense of awe an a bit of wonder in BlackBerry's voice. Kneeling by the fireplace, topping up the fire ready for the warmers later, his eyes sparkled to hear the strange names of cities, towns, and of even stranger lands. He would have to find a map later on to place them. "Anywhere you would recommend? Or perhaps even avoid?"

Dreamtime passed as dreams do, quick, hazy and probably revealing secrets of the universe that not a person would remember by the time they wake up. Eventually roused form her pleasant slumber by the sweet aroma of tasty food, Kosara started moving. A bit of a twitch, a bit of a turn and eventually a long white eyelashes fluttered as her white eyes opened and she very cutely yawned, stretching her arms and back in the process, smiling happily.” Ohh, it’s meal time?” She blinked, fluttering those white eyelashes a bit more before bolting upright from her seat with almost a jump. Then the pale tiefling pulled her chair with her over to the table to prepare for a meal and to get her own tableware.” This smells absolutely delightful, Lizbeth!” She told the younger woman with an absolutely huge smile on her face.

Everybody was seemingly setting in for the meal and Kosara now fully energized was smiling at everybody with the type of innocent joy and excitement that most adults rarely expressed. Kosara then briefly had her eyes move around the taproom and linger on each person, trying to figure out what it was that she had missed. It was… hard to figure out, but she supposed it was fine. Had it been truly important, the others would have woken her up, so likely it was things of substandard and not so important nature… or maybe just not so pressing nature at least! That was fine, that she could work with, but for now – food! She gave another big grin towards their host Lizbeth when the girl helped set her bowl of soup.” Thank you, Lizbeth.” She gave proper gratitude to the girl.

Kosara then proceeded to taste the liquidy goodness and let out a small bit of moan of enjoyment. This was some good soup… seriously good soup! Hearing Berry’s question and figuring this was a fine moment to rejoin the discussions and merriment of the party, she took her chance.” Down south in the deserts, though I’d advise to stick to the trade roads as getting lost in the endless sands is a slow and unpleasant way to go. Still there are a lot of beautiful sights to see. A golden sea of sands, cities build around the water sources that can be found there or at ports.” Kosara gave her two coppers in that discussions. She wasn’t as well traveled as the others, her whole journey so far had been from leaving home at the oasis to getting to the nearest port city, getting a ship north, then a bit of travel on foot and via carriage to Avonshire. She had a bit more knowledge on the geography of her home and the deserts because of her Patron, but admittedly not exactly much.

"As for places to avoid, I would say to avoid any of the ancient ruins in the deep desert... There be all kinds of nasty things there. In fact better avoid the deep desert away from the trade roads entirely if you are headed in that direction." Kosara added, enjoying her soup, spoonful by spoonful, with a happy grin on her face.

Thanks to the work of Master Urmdrus, the Coach house was quickly becoming a small fortress. The design did very much remind Kathryn of a small keep in more isolated regions or by lords who couldn't afford large forts. Maybe even garrison forts that didn't house lords, but the king's men in isolated regions. Still, with the few improvements that were made, someone trying to force their way inside would be having to go at it for a while before gaining entry. And the crossbars she was pretty sure would be significantly harder to pick than a traditional lock. When all was said and done, Kathryn gave the master craftsman a nod and spoke simply, yet warmly. "Thank you very much Master Urmdrus. I pity any poor bastard who tries to force entry into this place. And thank you for following up about the gate. But the crossbars and latches were far more important, and would likely do more to to keep everyone safe. Thank you very much." Kathryn said, thankful to have Urmdrus on their side in this.

Kathryn did have a chuckle at the talks of the next day's breakfast. How the quality of story telling would be entirely dependent on the breakfast the next day. Kathryn had let out a snort of a laugh at the shenanigans, and had to quickly catch herself before she did something worse with her laugh! Snorting like a pig was one she rarely did, but if caught off guard enough, she worried it would come up.

Victoria seemed pretty insistent on going out on her own. Kathryn worried it undermined what she had just stated being so close to dark already. A part of her wanted to put her foot down. Demand that Victoria not go off on her own, even if she did have her creatures to assist her. She decided against that though for a few reasons. Firstly, Kathryn didn't actually have any authority here. What she had was a loud voice, a huge stature, and brief moments of confidence that gave the illusion of authority. But more importantly, everyone was warming up to the situation. There was far less doom and gloom than she was originally worried about. On top of that, it was not yet dark. Though it was close. "If you are going to insist Victoria, then go have fun with your music. Just stay close enough so if some undead bear tries to eat you we can hear you calling out yeah?" Kathryn joked, trying to keep the lighthearted mood.

Though when the talk on travels seemed to explode, Kathryn couldn't help but feel giddy and wanting to include what she knew too. "You've never been to Arcanaple? A shame really, there are trees older than any mortal being in the deep woods, as thick around as a stone tower if not bigger. Old stone structures that were likely forts dating back to the age of empires long before Arcanaple was the kingdom it was today. About 30 years ago a whole underground city was discovered, and it was confirmed to be Yitilla, a city believed to be a myth in old children's stories. Making a bunch of regional scholars begin to question what else from those old stories are real, or just included that city for name alone." Kathryn said with excited glee. "My father even visited it during his Wandering years. It was actually... the only place he visited in his wandering years. Otherwise he spent 4 years studying in the Great Library of Ophelia. Four years, reading books. And attending lectures." Kathryn said in disbelief considering how her wandering years were going. He wasn't even going to study to pick up skills. he just wanted to... read. Then Kathryn looked over to Victoria, and a part of her could see Victoria doing that as well. "Though I am surprised you haven't been to even one of the port cities in Arcanaple? Well, maybe I shouldn't be that surprised. Yet here I am." She said with a dorky smile. Mostly just excited to chat about something other than impending doom for a moment. "You know BB, I am not sure you have shared much but what places have you been too? Have you traveled far at all?" Kathryn asked the monk with intrigue, excited to hear more about her fellow party members. Even Kosara got involved in sharing some details about her home! More places she would love to visit someday.

Kathryn found herself weak to dinner. When Lizbeth brought out the food, she would be lying if she said she didn't have a small sparkle in her eyes, and struggled to hide her excitement. Though Kathryn absolutely worried what people thought of her in terms of looks, her acts, and her abilities, she liked food. There was no hiding it. When confronted about it, she would always answer something along the lines of "I am the biggest person within 50 miles of here, I will eat more than other people" or "I can bench press a whole family sitting at a table, that takes a lot of energy" or! "It's not that much! Stop judging me! Don't look at me!" before crying into whatever she was currently eating. All depending on her current confidence levels. When Lizbeth gave Kathryn her food, Kathryn let out a chuckle at the comment of "Being accustomed to better food". "Lizbeth, my schooling and learning years were spent on reading, writing, and how to wield a sword. I can't cook anything more complex than scrambled eggs and cinnamon rolls. This is freaking fantastic. I must say, it smells delicious, and thank you very, very much." Kathryn said warmly trying a few bites of the soup, a few more, before tipping the bowl back with both hands and downing it. Yes, it was in fact, good soup.

Weather: As full night settles in, the slowfall settles into something that reads as light or occasional, as opposed to constant. The cold is more firmly settled across the landscape, but at least the wind has shown enough mercy as to be bearable. It is not the most pleasant of evenings, overall, but conditions have notably improved.

Time: The Nighttime Is The Righttime.

Ambience: The moon shines coldly upon the fresh snowfall below. The thickest of the cloud cover has passed, leaving a mostly starlit sky to provide the barest of illumination, but amazing stretches of view for those with an elevated vantage.

The interior Coach House has gone through no amazing changes since the last of the daylight shone outside. So long as the fires are kept up and light sources are maintained, the Taproom and Kitchen remains comfortable enough. It is a tiny oasis against the outside world - one of frigid temperatures and potential undead threats. But to reiterate, the Coach House is a bastion of simple but well crafted wooden furnishings, lots and lots of Rose River wines, and a few interesting selections from elsewhere along with the ever present casks of ale and brandy, spigoted, resting upon the top of the bar.

The handwritten texts, penned by Arnaud L'Rose, remain on one of the tables with two of them open to reveal what appears at face value to be rambling words in Common, written by a bold hand. On a clear spot next to them, a blank sheet of paper seems placed with prominence, along with a pen and small container of ink. And finally, upon the tables around which the majority of the people inside the Coach House are sitting, is a tureen of rustic soup and several bowls, each giving off a welcoming waft of aromatic steam.



Lizbeth gave a little blush as the praises of her rustic, peasant style soup was given praise from the whole of the tables in the Taproom. It might be noted that she was capable of blushing in that hour, giving indication that the less "alive" side to her was keeping itself at bay. Perhaps it was the lively and spirited conversation that was taking place while she was in the kitchen, which she could hear snatches of in her labors, but unfortunately could not clearly understand. "Yes, you're all very welcome," she said, just a little sheepishly. She looked like she wanted to say something else, as if some nagging detail was stuck in her mind and she didn't know if it was proper to speak it aloud. But she reserved herself, finished filling the bowls and got one of her own, and sat heavily in her own chair.

Urmdrus, in the straightforward and not always polite manner that had come to define him, had no problems helping himself to a little something from the pot. "Soup. Warm for road." was all he would really say, occasionally eying the door as if to plot an escape. "Workshop has stone wall. Heavy door. Weapons. Fire. Good place." And for those who had ever been out his way on the Vineyard grounds, that would be confirmed. Fitted stone and Dwarfcraft precision, in a manner of speaking, went into the construction of his workshop, be it a touch small for the preferences of many. "Upper door, solid. Gate takes longer." He mentioned this offhand, quite possibly reassuring those listening about the status of the barred door to the upstairs bedrooms. Either way, he slurped his soup noisily and gave a grunt of satisfaction in Lizbeth's direction.

The Mosswaters looked over the situation with one part interest and one part annoyance. The fact that they agreed to stick around was annoying, especially to the snarkier Barbal, but the drama of the conversation was enough to blunt that annoyance for the purposes of finding out more. Horse's mouth, so to speak. So while Tarace covered his mouth and voiced an, "Oh, my..." at the unfolding scenario, Barbal was more upfront with a guttural chuckle and a raspy, "Oh, I've got a few questions I'd like to ask the old man... Heh, but, I'm not a big time adventurer with big time goals to meet. Oh, but keep me in the loop, this is positively delicious." He made it a point to rub him stomach in a manner that suggested that he was enjoying his healthy helping of potential drama. "Yeah, thank you, Master Baronfjord. Or, ah, what honorific does, well, your people use?" He waved it away, returning to his main point, "Thanks. I'm sure the rooms are fine. Just fine. Matter of fact, I rise early when I can, it's getting to be about the time that I settle in. Unless you want to stay up late and tell spooky stories, I believe I'm going to finish up here and head upstairs." Just a bit of sarcasm, to be fair.

Tarace, usually the more thoughtful one, brought up a point to which he had some curiosity. "If we're taking one room to ourselves, then where is everyone else staying? Is there room for everyone in the chambers upstairs?"

Finally putting two and two together, or at least nearly enough, Lizbeth inquired in a tiny voice, "What do you mean, 'ask the old man questions?' What did I miss?" Her emotion was difficult to read at the moment but her eyes were quizzical, even critical, as she looked to the faces in the room with her.

The light verbal sparring provided by Baronfjord might have been a refreshing change of pace for Victoria, except that she wasn't really feeling it right in that moment. So far as she might be considered flighty because of her actions from time to time, she was mentally dealing with a commitment to travel and ...potentially committing a felony... in the name of getting answers. Far be it for her to dampen the fun, however, as she responded with faux seriousness, "Why, of course not. My stallion is a ten minute summon." She finished off her bowl of soup - as good as it was, she opted to keep her portion modest. There was yet a little something to do this evening, and she didn't want to weigh herself down for the occasion. But she did interact more genuinely with the conversation which followed. "Of all the places I mentioned, I would avoid The Silent Eaves. It used to be something special, but now it's just a place for the dead; and the dead rule there. Myself, I only visited the garrison stationed outside of the place. The Paladins of Khimn keep it pretty isolated, and for a reason."

To Kathryn's disbelief on her lack of a visit to Arcanaple, Victoria merely responded, "Your rediscovered city sounds fascinating. But no, my family's established trade routes haven't taken me in the direction of your homeland. Perhaps one day, I should love a tour."

After respectfully putting away her bowl and utensils, Victoria walked back to her things and slid herself into her favorite coat. Like most of her belongings, it came in various colors of purple, black, and grey. She buckled her laden swordbelt on over it, and slipped her obsidian shard of a wand into it as an afterthought. "I shall have to find a better means of carrying this," she thought, and became curious as to what distance necrotic damage might do to a grunt level undead soldier. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to find out tonight. She left her exceptionally bardy hat where it lay on the table, and instead took up her new black and gold pashmina, which she draped over her hair and tied stylishly in the front. If the wind wasn't too bad, this would be adequate to the time she expected to be out in the cold. Victoria took up her violin; indirectly her most powerful sword and shield, and took a step or two toward the door. her movement was immediately halted by Lizbeth, who asked the question which may potentially shatter the impressionable girl's opinion of her. Victoria set down her violin and waved Lizbeth over, claiming two chairs toward the corner of the room for them to talk.

It was difficult to make out what they were discussing, but one could tell that Lizbeth was going through a series of emotions, while Victoria kept a beautiful, serene expression on her face. "...back during Harvestide, I made sure that your grandfather got a ceremony appropriate to his beliefs. I am no Cleric, but I did my best. And now, all of us are doing our very best to make sense of what is happening, to you and to the land. But despite our best, we are not solving this fast enough. I have the means to ask a few questions directly to the former animus of the fallen, that we may use to help everyone. This does not involve his soul in any way. He is not discomforted by it, and it does not disturb the fate of his eternal spirit. It is like reading a few, obscured parts of a detailed book describing a person's life. The author isn't aware whatsoever, but so much knowledge may be gleaned from it, if we know what to ask. I shall do so as respectfully as possible, but - and I stress that this is necessary - I will have to take a shovel to your grandfather's resting place. Do you think that he is the type that might forgive me, as we are doing this to protect his granddaughter?"

Victoria might have sighed with relief when Lizbeth gave a quiet affirmation. Her serene look remained unchanged, as was her custom at times of uncertainty like this. "All right. I am leaving early in the morning to get back to the Township. I might be a day or two. Do you think that your aunt might begrudge me the use of her hayloft again? Or maybe there will be actual lodging, now that the festival is over." On the other hand, Victoria did still have access to a building in Avonshire that she and Marita had investigated, and never quite had the time to hand the keys back over.

In any case, after the quiet affirmation, Victoria gave Lizbeth a warm embrace and rose to exit the building for her Winter's Night performance. She took up her violin and stepped deftly toward the door. She paused before exiting, suggesting to Baronfjord, "You know, if you have ethical concerns with what I'm doing, perhaps you should join me back in Avonshire tomorrow. Keep me out of too much trouble, yes?"

Victoria didn't go too far from the Coach House. In the gloom, she was accompanied by her Morty, who kept a rigid pace at her heels and took up a vigilant position near her, partially buried in the snow. Despite the temperature, her Raven circled overhead briefly before taking a nearby position of vantage on the Coach House wall - an extra set of watchful eyes from an elevated location. The building was constructed on a rise, which was mostly all that she needed, although she might have walked as far as the watchtower, like she did the last time she tried this. Back then, it was about expressing herself artistically in a new location, really attuning herself musically to the place in what was supposed to be a sort of vacation. This time was different. When the bow was put to strings and she found herself swaying to the music she made, the intent was to observe. The last time, she heard music play back - plucked or strummed strings which could not have naturally carried that far, that clearly, playing a tune which complimented her own music. So she played. The melody was cast into the air, punctuated by her mellifluous vocalizations as her desire called for it. It was a superior performance by all objective accounts, even if the Bard felt she was capable of better.

And somewhere, in the distance, still air allowed the sounds of strings plucked with proficiency to reach Victoria's ears. Something was listening. Something was responding. Victoria and her menagerie returned to the Coach House very shortly afterward.

BlackBerry had chuckled in equal parts amazement and exasperation when Kosara awoke just in time for for food. "Thank you kindly, Young Lizbeth. I shall be at the table shortly. My it does smell wondrous." After adding a few more logs to the fire, joined the others at the table, to Lady Kathryn he said with a threatening wave of a spoon, "Do Not. Give the world any ideas." The last thing they needed was an un-dead bear. He let the serious tone drop with a smile and tucked into his soup.

The soup was of course marvellous; warm and comforting, with a hint of some sort of spice that he couldn't place but enjoyed anyway. And it paired brilliantly with the tales the others told of all the places they had been and adventures they had gone on. Lady Kathryn, ever the word smith, painted a picture of her home Arcanaple and the ruined city Yitilla that had BlackBerry hanging on every word. He resolved to go see it someday. All of it. The forest Temp of Nuada, Aquitania, The Gold Sea of Sands and the cities build around pockets of water.

"The Yitilla!?" Blackberry exclaimed with a mouthful of soup soaked bread. "I read about it as a boy. Oh you shall have to take me there some day. Perhaps even a visit to the Deep Desert is in order so then we may compare the ruins of the two?" Despite the lopsided grin there was the tone of resolve in his voice. But he quickly turned somewhat bashful when the spotlight landed on him, "Well I must admit I have not journeyed for as long as the rest of you nor to any place as exciting; I have simply been travelling here and there. I did spend some time travelling the coast through some delightful fishing villages. But I must say I never came across something as exciting as a ruined city."

He took the moment to then, after being prompted several times before, to answer the question of where he was staying the night. "Oh worry not. I shall simply sleep down here for the night. No, no, I shan't hear otherwise. Regardless a night by the fire will do me some good and drive the last of this blasted cold away. And Master Baronfjord is more than suitable, though many simply call me BlackBerry, or simply 'BB' even"

When the awkward question came from Young Lizbeth he kept his mouth quiet letting Victoria take the girl aside to talk which he gathered went as well as such a conversation could go; Lizbeth didn't scream any damnation or cry but...well, it wasn't a nice conversation topic regardless of how it could be dressed. Blackberry still frowned and chewed his cheek wondering a little snidely if he should have been more specific when he said to ask Madame L'Rose. He glared down at the empty piece of paper on the table. He had a few questions but he was apprehensive to put them to paper, as if doing so would make him a willing participant in such a crime. To have seen it on a flayed corpse was one thing but to go out of their way to dig up a corpse? The Dead were dead and that was all. So why did this make him uncomfortable?

Victorias suggestion took him by surprise. He sat there for a moment blinking, still spoon in mouth as he mulled mulled over the suggestion. "Oh very well." He answered finally. "If only to keep you out of trouble. I'll let Old Boy know to get ready for tomorrow as well."

If there was anything truly important that could be taken from Kathryn’s speech, it wasn’t the various travels, locations and knowledge she was aware off from her travels… no. The truly important thing was that in fact it was a good soup! Kosara was very much in agreement as already displayed and gave a big hum of agreement and energetic nods when her VERY good friend complimented Lizbeth on the food too. Good food had to be complimented and eaten with great enthusiasm. It was only proper after all. Though there was a thread of thought lingering after that, something about a bear. After a few more mouthfuls of soups, she stopped, blinked, tilted her head in her usual manner and pondered before reaching a very important conclusion.” We need to tame a bear.” She stated flatly out of nowhere before returning to her food.

Kosara looked with curious expression at the following mentions of questions, but she had no idea what it meant exactly. The one Old man that might be relevant would be Liz’s grandpa who was very much dead. So this was a puzzling situation unless it meant that V was going to be necromancing some answers out of his remains… which was kinda ew considering that as far as the white haired tielfing was aware they didn’t do the same means to preserve the body around here and when he died it wasn’t cold enough to keep him from decaying? Actually on that thought, wouldn’t he be 100% frozen stiff right now? Would necromancing answers out of him break him if her attempts to move? She scattered those thoughts with another spoonful of soup since she wasn’t sure if that was even the plan. Maybe it was another old guy?

‘Ah.’ Yeah, it was Lizbeth’s grandfather that V was apparently going to go dig up to get her questions. She blinked, looking at the bard. Well that was interesting thing to do. She truly wondered how V was going to do it, now that she thought about it. The earth outside was hard cold and frozen. Now Kosara didn’t know much about how frozen earth was exactly, but her brief experience from playing ahm exploring outside meant that it was very hard to work with. Her eyes followed the purple clad woman until she left.” Hmmm...” She made a thinking sound as she returned to the food, pondering things that only she was aware of. Alternatively she might have been daydreaming about something while enjoying the meal. Truth was that letting the dead rest was important, but given the situation it was kind of imperative to get the answers to protect the living.

“Alright, so what’s the plan, it seems everybody has figured something while I was having my nap?” Kosara asked instead, looking at the others with great intent." Also if you are heading to Avonshire tomorrow, can you buy some things if I give you the coin while there?" She asked, blinking long snowy white eyelashes.

Kathryn couldn't imagine the stress and pressure Lizbeth was under currently. She was working hard to accommodate them while she learned more and more how much of her life held much darker tones than she had known. When she asked about what they were talking about, Victoria had explained it best. Even if the news was upsetting. "As well Lizbeth, if tomorrow would be too much for you to go with Victoria, there is still that long term storage we need to look for and you can join me on that? But at the end of the day, the choice is yours." Kathryn said sympathetic. Wishing she could do more. "Or if you would want extra hands, I can tag along and we can check out the storage later on?" Kathryn offered in case Lizbeth wanted her to go with her to make sure ethics were followed.

BB was another tale. "Next time I make the return trip you are more than welcome to accompany me. Though I may have to go strait to the frontiers depending on the conditions of my return." This was ignoring the fact she needed people with power backing her. And a few thousand gold. Allies that would make her enemies question if going after her was worth the push back. Strength to push back in case they were stupid enough to still try. "I must insist against you staying down here tonight. Not only does that go against the safety outlines I just brought up, but if you do notice something there will be at least one barred door between you and the rest of us. And without the courtyard secure, you would have to pass through what I personally consider an easy spot to ambush. Changing watch would prove rather hard too. If space is what you are worried about I can move another bed into my room and set you up closer to the fire? Though if the concerns are culturally, I have a sleeping bag we can sew you shut in? And I happen to have a very capable squire who will be present to act as witness, and enforcer to make sure all parties behave." Kathryn said in jest, but she was trying to also hype up Lizbeth's importance. There was honestly a part of her that wished she could properly have Lizbeth as a squire. Or even a page, though she was a bit old for that role now. "Also, if something or someone sneaks in through the second story window, you are more likely to notice on watch. So, for moral and practical reasons, please don't sleep down here. If I must bribe you, Kosara and I can make Cinnamon rolls again. And we will have you present so you can have some fresh." Kathryn said trying to add some humor to her insistence so she wouldn't come across as someone who wanted to weaponize her power. Especially since she didn't actually hold any authority in the region.

Victoria explained a bit of what her mission the next day would look like. "Robert's may have room too. I doubt our current issue spreads to town like it did last time. But if we can learn the details of this deal, and the conditions needed to meet or break it, I think it would go a long way. Or, a way to communicate with this... employer." Kathryn said uneasy. As the talks of the next day continued, Kathryn got up and grabbed herself another bowl. BUT! No one had said anything to her which was nice. But the magic she pushed today really took a lot out of her. Not as badly as previous battles, but she was reminded she needed to practice what magic she did know so it didn't wipe her out so badly. "Tame a bear? Kosara I do not think we have the means to do that, nor to take care of a tamed bear." Kathryn would be lying if she said that the idea wasn't at least a little cool.

Weather: The snow is practically nonexistent now, an event which arrives concurrently with the sky clearing considerably more of its cloud cover away. The cold outside feels sharper, more crystalline, but with less of a penetrating, lingering effect. The wind now gusts lightly, causing what few flecks of wintry precipitation remain to dance and settle with quiet grace.

Time: Conversely, the Righttime Is The Nighttime. Go figure.

Ambience: The night sky opens somewhat, revealing a host of twinkling stars and a prominent moon, beaming down soft, cold light upon a now fresh, white landscape. The view might be considered breathtaking from vantage, were it not for the knowledge of underlying uncertainty and horror.

Inside, the Taproom remains the very vision of comfort, relative to the exterior. Warmth, the feeling of security from walls and barred doors, comfortable furnishings, and the little luxuries that make life bearable are present here, along with a warm, if darkening hearth light. Per usual, the alcohol selection is top notch, featuring fine local wines, a few imports, a somewhat full cask of ale, and another cask of totally not cursed brandy. Prepared foodstuffs are available, but the pantries and larders of the Coach House contain enough unprepared and/or preserved items to maintain a household for a decent stretch of time.

Books and papers recovered from the hidden study remain on one of the tables, written in Common by a bold hand. Next to it, in a place of prominence, lay a single sheet of paper, a pen, and decent ink in a small bottle, set there for a specific task assigned to the party.



Lizbeth could only listen to Victoria with horror, then discomfort, then a slow dawning of understanding. No, she didn't like it. Yes, she was capable of putting it aside for the purpose of saving her family vineyard as well as herself. The reality of what her Bard friend really was hit her in much the same way that her own personal identity - or what it had become - did as well. When it came down to the question the use of the Hayloft back in Avonshire, Lizbeth mentioned in a quiet voice, "I don't think it would be a problem, but, it's going to be cold in there, isn't it? The brazier might help, but... Sure, I mean, if you want. I don't have a problem with it."

She then turned her attention to Kathryn, who had put a direct conversation in her line of sight. "I don't know if I should go or not. Or even, if I was really invited to go. Mademoiselle Belmont was supposed to be teaching me about Arcana before my second martial practice with Master Urmdrus in the evenings. But I started training with you first, so... I guess I'll go wherever you are going. Besides, if we all go into the Township, we'd be leaving Mademoiselle Kosara all by herself here. That's probably not very nice."

Seizing upon the opportunity to do precisely as threatened and call it a night, Barbal Mosswater rose and tended to his and Tarace's dishes, then rather sarcastically offered a solution to the pressing issue of sleeping locations with, "Heh heh, Master Baronfjord, if it makes you feel better you can bunk with us. O'course, I sleep in the nude. But I almost never sleepwalk, so you're probably safe. Yeah, so, we're going to head on up. Pleasant night, everyone." Though he did wish everyone a pleasant night, his continued presence was due to consuming the brandy, which was supposed to guarantee the opposite of that. Nevertheless, it was a good time to turn in, and so he and Tarace made for the door, to brave the exterior stairs of the Coach House.

On the way out, Tarace, ever the polite one, requested, "Oh, hey, I know there's a lot going on right now, but if it's okay with everyone, could you please act on your plans with the bear (living or otherwise) after we leave? Is that okay?" He smiled, nodded his head in a hopeful affirmation, and followed Barbal to their arranged room.

The brief moment that the door was open revealed a much improved, though still quite frigid, state of the weather outside.

"Music again," muttered Victoria, surprised that someone like herself would ever use that phrase in a negative manner. Of course, it wasn't the music itself, just the possible meaning behind its presence. To that end, she simply did not know. But it felt off somehow. Herself notwithstanding, a normal person would have much rather kept themselves inside and warm. Another, hopefully unrelated mystery that she could not convince herself was truly unrelated.

Seeing that Baronfjord was still in the Taproom, not having moved on to get a night's rest, she declared in a somewhat softer tone of voice than she used when last addressing the blue fellow, "I appreciate your presence with this task tomorrow. I understand it's grim business, but I honestly believe that it will lead to more solid answers." With that, she grabbed what personal belongings she might require for the evening from her errand cart and made for the exit. She was to follow the example of the Mosswaters and retire to the bed she had claimed for herself. As she neared the exit, Victoria called out a cheerful sounding, "Someone, do rouse me for my turn at watch. And as I have my hands a little full, I might consider it a favor if someone were to move a chair or two upstairs. I much prefer 'sitting' sentry to 'standing' it. Thank you all, and goodnight."

Victoria took to the stairs with some amount of care, seeing as they were still rather covered with snow. The movement of Tarace and Barbal did knock quite a bit from it, but it was still potentially a hazardous climb for someone with their hands full. A quick mental note had Morty following behind her, albeit not so closely as to impede any misplaced footfall and cause a tumble. Victoria had quite enough of falling for one day and didn't care to repeat it. Before long, the Bard found herself upstairs, giving pause for just a moment to view Urmdrus's work on the door before entering her chosen room.

As she was the first one up there, it seemed like the polite thing would be to establish a fire in the smaller, upstairs hearth. It was simple enough to arrange larger and smaller bits of wood (which had been neatly stacked by the service staff of the Vineyard, she was happy to note), and an even simpler task to invoke a tiny thread of magic to ignite it in just the right places to get a nice, controlled fire established to chase away what remained of the room's chill. From there, it was a collection of mundane nighttime rituals that one may go through in preparation for rest. She retained her black, silken undergarments, things which were immeasurably comfortable and still allowed for a modest, mostly covered appearance. Tendrils of lesser magic served to freshen her clothing and have them smell faintly of lavender, while repeated use of the same magic warmed the blankets on her bed. It was a lovely, simple trick that she picked up early in her travels - the application of Prestidigitation for a myriad of personal tasks involving comfort and personal hygiene - even if it felt just a little like a cheat, in some way. Still, this didn't stop her from enjoying the benefits of being a talented, charismatic spellcaster who practically emanated versatility and presence.

Morty stood near to, but not blocking, the door to the bedroom. The animated creature stood with Victoria's hand bell clamped in its jaws, standing orders awaiting the required stimuli to make the porcine companion make a lot of noise. Of course, it would change location if needed to suit the needs of the watch cycle. It was nothing if not loyal, being practically an extension of its mistress's will. Victoria made sure to whisper enthralling syllables of necromantic power to maintain her thrall for another good amount of time, that her smoky guardian may do its appointed task without the risk of de-animation.

Victoria herself slid into her magically warmed bed, hoping to get some rest before it was her turn at watch. Her gear lay neatly within reach, along with a stylish yet functional set of clothing for the next day, and her ankheg armor. As she lay down, Victoria gave a longer look at the sectioned green chitin, still bearing the black mottling of the necrotic energy with which she killed it. A grand set of armor, exceeding her previous set of leather armor not just in protective quality, but in the fact that is was amazingly customized by the older Dwarf who made it. Being able to wear it underneath normal clothing without it affecting her ability to move made it worth more to her than armor which, objectively, would have more raw, protective ability. But that was never really her style, anyway. That was a fine set. She would have to do something more substantial to thank Urmdrus at some point, not that she knew what that might be right at that moment.

The low light and crackle of the fireplace did as it does, helping to lull her into a more productive rest despite the stresses of their situation.

"We absolutely do not." BlackBerry shot down the idea of taming a bear in an instant. "There are enough mouths to feed as it is."

The discussion continued on with the idea of Lizbeth joining himself and Victoria on their quest to dig up Master L'Rose., to which he opened his mouth to try and argue. But at that moment Lady Kathryn quite rightly shot down his own idea of staying downstairs for the night, and offered him some floor space instead. Part of blackberry was glad for the offer, and for a possible out of staying downstairs, possibly alone, and with the memory of the fight downstairs still fresh. The door into the Coach House may have been reinforced...but what about the doors inside?

Still, he could almost hear the Matrons back home gasp with indignation at the very idea of him, an unmarried man, and Lady Kathryn, an unmarried lady, sharing the same room. For his part, BlackBerry simply blinked a few times in slight surprise; necessity at one point had already broken that barrier of 'Moral and Social Decency' for him a while ago but it never did well to assume.

"Now, now, it is quite alright Lady Kathryn." He held up a placating hand. "I see your point, and all very well put I should say. If it is no trouble for you then I shall happily stay in your room for the night; a bit of space by the fire though would be more than suitable. Thank you." Necessity wasn't demanding they huddle in bed together for warmth. He did add with a smile though, "I will happily accept the bribe regardless."

Blackberry's smile then dropped as he turned to a more serious matter, and to Lizbeth who was clearly debating with lingering horror if she should join them tomorrow.

"You should stay here, Lizbeth." Blackberry looked at her and said with finality, clearly signalling he wasn't going to budge on the matter. "You have your training with Lady Kathryn, and there is plenty enough to investigate here. Focus on that, please. Let myself and Victoria handle what we must. And try to forgive us if you can." There was no point in scarring the child further than she already had been.

After waving off the Mosswaters with a polite, jovial laugh, he followed suit in gathering his own cutlery and any other plates, cups, cutlery and taking them into the kitchen. "Right, off to bed with the rest of you. We have a busy day ahead tomorrow. I shall be up in a bit Lady Kathryn once I have finished washing up. There is a Watch tonight Kosara. I am on First, but have nominated yourself for Last so best get some sleep while you can. Go on, get." With the teapot in hand he gently motioned for the others still in the Taproom to get going to bed. He gave the same instruction to Victoria upon her return, but he did take a moment to reply with a similar soft and apprehensive tone, "Grim business indeed, and no mistake. I shant lie I do not relish the idea of what must be done but...I shall leave a question or two on the paper."

True to his word BlackBerry would take the time to do the washing up (forgetting the pot which would then be left to soak) and writing upon the paper which he then folded in half. After Blowing out the candles he headed upstairs with one of the recovered books tucked into his cloak, and a chair as Victoria had requested which he would leave by the door in the hallway for her to find.

It was his watch first. The darkness, and the wind blowing outside would be his only companions for the few hours he would be awake for. Time would be taken to gaze out the window onto the courtyard, and the on in Lady Kathryns looking out upon the grounds. He had to admit it was better being up here than downstairs; there were windows, and the work Master Urmdurus had done on the door had been quick but it still reassured Blackberry to know it was there. Despite his intentions the book he had brought up would lay untouched on the table in Lady kathryns room.