The Township was a welcome sight and as Old Boy galantly pulled them on BlackBerrys thought were already turning to the very important business of rest and food; the sandwiches from lunch had filled a hole but were a far cry from an actual meal. But of course his eyes were pulled to the caravans and tents sitting outside the Township walls, admiring the bright vibrant colours hardly diminished by the evening darkness.

Thankfully Old Boy had the sense to keep his eyes on the road ahead and plodded onward.

BlackBerry did draw the wagon to a small stop when the soldier, notably dressed in Darenby Colours called out to them. He said to Victoria, "Ah, it really does seem our adventure has already been making a name for us.", and then once she had eloquently deflected the praise, he turned to the soldier and asked, "May I ask as to whom has been been asking for us?"

BlackBerry was already half expecting a particular answer, but it made sense to ask in case anyone else was asking for them.

At the halfway point, BlackBerrys eyebrows(?) had shot up when the man mentioned their groups name (patent pending. Subject to change). With a grin, and a quick look at Victoria, he spread out his arm and decried; "Well I am happy to announce Sir you are indeed correct; you have found two of our happy group. However, you must forgive our rudeness for we are in a rush to reach the Township before dark, otherwise we have endeavoured to answer your questions. Though I may say if you are travelling to the vineyard you shall of course meet the others in due course."

Now a few hours later and many more miles, BlackBerry and Victoria had now arrived at the Township thankfully without any further excitement. Though as the sunlight continued to dwindled it had become harder for him to see the edges of the road, only evident by the weak moonlight shining off snow banks to guide him. How Victoria was still able to read that book of hers was beyond him. Once the guard had given him.and answer, BlackBerry would politely give thanks before moving them on.

"Well I would suggest we first find somewhere to retire and make Old Boy comfortable." BlackBerry began as they steadily made their way. "I believe the place I stayed at when we met could host us all." BlackBerry could feel as well as see the tiredness of the poor Mule who had become more sluggish to BlackBerrys instructions since they had entered the walls of the township. To be fair BlackBerry as well was feeling somewhat tired both from the ache of concentration guiding the wagon, but also in his arm as well for the same reason.

Guiding Old Boy through the streets of Avonshire, decorated in bunting and decoration for a different celebration than before, he listened and nodded when Victoria mentioned where the Cemetary lay. It was indeed a problem without any easy fix that he could think of.

He sucked on his teeth. "That could indeed cause an issue. Perhaps the hayloft we all stayed before would be more prudent; less eyes to notice ones absence." A tug at the reigns and a click of the tongue prompted Old Boy to begrudgingly change course at the next corner. "I do however have some business to attend to; namely the errands Lady Kathryn and Kosara have requested us. Though at this time I suppose they shall have to wait until tomorrow so let us try not to cause any sort of fuss."

The task before them did not fill him with any degree of excitement. His voice had been low and hushed even as the conversation drifted to other matters. It was becoming increasingly evident they were going to have to sneak their way to the cemetary, this being on top of having to dig through frozen ground, then no doubt deal with whatever trouble the gods of misfortune would conspire to throw at them. BlackBerry gave let a small huff at the very idea of it all. Perhaps they needed a pickaxe.

"And what of your book? Anything of interest?" He asked. He had tried to get a look at it during the journey but hadn't been able to read anything in the darkness.
"Otherwise once we find a quiet moment we should let Lady Kathryn and Kosara know about the man investigating us. I should hope his intentions and reasons for the investigation are good natured and without ulterior motive...but given our track record thus far....well. It is never a bad idea to be cautious."

"No no Lizbeth, do not apologize for me. I should have taken better care to learn the local customs." Kathryn spoke shamefully. Kathryn had not prepared a gift, but she figured maybe she could offer something to the grieving family. Adjusting her person and kit some, she pulled off one of the two waterskins she carried and set it on the box much like Lizbeth did the coins. "I must apologize I am still unfamiliar, so I hope this is acceptable. Some riesling from the vineyard and a well made waterskin." She paused again, before reaching into her coin purse and setting a gold piece with the wine filled waterskin. "I did not know Toombes personally, but I have heard nothing but kind words about him. The world will be a little more amiss without him. I am sorry again for your loss, and I will do everything in my power to make sure justice is delivered." She offered up with a curtsy. "And thank you for what you have shared. I shall leave you both to grieve." Kathryn said humbly and apologetically before turning to leave.

Grouse Rise. Luci of Grouse rise. Who had failed to show up to her lovers funeral? And the last known person to see Toombes. She didn't like it. She worried Luci was also in danger herself, or worse had suffered a fate much like Toombes. But it was getting close to dark. If Kathryn was by herself, she would take the chance and go. Though she wouldn't know the way... But having Lizbeth by her side? Sure, Kathryn was confident in her ability to hit hard and take a hit. But BB had shown that one wrong misstep or one bad chance, and Kathryn could be stunned, delayed, slowed, just long enough to take advantage of in a fight. In a moment like that she couldn't protect Lizbeth. She may be able to handle the beating that followed if she was by herself, but recovery would take too long. "Let's go see Luci in the morning. If Kosara is up for it maybe we can bring her along too. Though chances are low of something happening, I would rather not tempt fate unprepared." Kathryn said before ushering Lizbeth back towards the vineyard.

Though lower in priorities, Kathryn did take a few moments to stop, order a new caste of ale for the coach house, pay a rather handsom fee for it, and get moving at a good pace so she had plenty of time to sort out what little was left of the day. Though it wouldn't arrive until the next day, it would arrive in time for everyone's return whenever they did return. It would be a welcome find. She did let the shop keep know there was a chance that no one would be home when it was dropped off, so to just leave it by the door if no one answered.

On the return trip, Kathryn figured it was a good idea to cross her T's and dot her I's. Grabbing the sending stone from her belt she called into it so BB could receive the message. She knew there was a word limit, but she wasn't totally sure what it was. She also wasn't sure it could be recast or not quickly. "Got a lead on Toombes, heading to Grouse Rise in the morning with Kosara. Stay safe out there." Kathryn said into the stone before continuing to the vineyard.

Nearing the Coach House Kathryn spoke up to Lizbeth. "I do not know what we are going to find tomorrow. It could be nothing. It could be really, really bad. You heard a bit about Toombes and his fate, and I do fear we will see some of that as well. Though I am hopeful that will not be the case. You do not need to come with us tomorrow. If you would like to come and see things through, I will take you with us. But I do not want to pressure you either way. But I will leave the choice to you." Kathryn offered up. She wanted to protect Lizbeth, but she couldn't be sure the best ways too. And no matter what she wanted, Lizbeth was involved now. Only so much could be hidden from her.

Entering the coach house seemed much less a stresser than the rest of the day so far. It seemed Kosara had already returned and had begun food. Thank the gods, Kathryn felt like she could eat a horse in that moment. "We're back Kosara, need a hand with anything?" Kathryn offered up as she began to set her gear and pack down on one of the tavern tables. "Can I get you anything Lizbeth?" Kathryn offered to her would be squire.

Weather: Winds remain slow and steady; less of a gust and more of a steady stroll of current, stopping every so often as if to admire the scenery. The skies are half covered with high atmospheric clouds which move quickly across its black, starlit backdrop, regularly allowing the moon to evade direct detection.

Time: It is early nighttime. We have passed the final moments of twilight, and now rely upon the half-covered celestial bodies above to light the way. It took a little longer upon the roads than expected, and travelers find themselves within the boundaries of their intended destinations after true night had fallen.

Ambience: Snow-covered hills make up the majority of the landscape. Even within the area of the Rose River Vineyard, this is mostly the case. Perhaps this helps to make structures stand out even more against the background; what can be seen when moon and stars make their way through the growing cloud cover. The Estate House stands out more than anything else, despite the drifts of snow which softened the bottom most portion of its silhouette. The largest building upon the land for a long way around, and only a couple of lights from within visible. Rows and rows of silent, sleeping grape vines upon frames have collected their own drifts of pale, frozen precipitation, forming strange, elevated lines across acres and acres of cultivated farmland.

Back in the Coach House, things seem a touch more homey. One would never have imagined that a life-and-death struggle took place here just the previous night. But the location is stocked full (and recently) with basic foodstuffs, preserved goods, lamp oil, and firewood. Bedclothes are changed and a general sense of tidiness has been restored, should there have been any untidiness to speak of. Only clothing that was set aside for the purposes of laundering have been appropriated by the domestic staff, one hopes temporarily. And the appropriate containers in the kitchen and behind the bar have been cleaned and refilled with well water.

The Hayloft was much as one would remember it. With winter on, it felt colder, darker, forgotten almost, even though it clearly was still being used to deal with the L'Rose family's business needs. These needs were significantly less during the winter months, and so things were pretty much as the party left it. Tightly fitted wooden boards were painted red-brown toward the exterior, with indoor facing wood either minimally treated or left as open, sanded wood. A ladder allowed access to the top loft, where the vast majority of the baled hay was rotated and stored. In this higher level, the metal brazier which once kept the party warm and cooked the occasional meal was still present, along with a meager amount of wood for fuel which hadn't been used from the hayloft's previous occupancy - and probably was only enough for one night. The block-and-tackle platform system remained here as well, capable of moving light cargo or deftly maneuvering multiple bales of packed hay from the ground to the loft, and vice versa. Upon the ground floor set very little, comparatively. It was the place where wagons loaded or unloaded bales, and so was kept mostly open, with water barrels and downstacked hay, and a smallish cart for moving light supplies. Large doors opened at each end of the building on the ground level which thankfully could be shut and barred from the inside, and one large, swinging door in the loft which was presently slightly ajar. In short, there were much better places to hole up during a winter night, but there were far worse options as well.



The brief exchange with the soldier ended with the equally brief exchange of information. "Never got a name," he replied to Baronfjord as he waved in their vehicle. "Tall fellow. Big moustache."

From inside Avonshire, one could not see the occupying caravan. It looked quite like business as usual, for the most part. The Township was obviously still getting over the incidents at Harvestide, in the way of the people as well as the physical scars of the fighting. People weren't very quick to get into conversations with one another, at least not like they used to. And with the corruption of the town guards, the responsibility of law and order fell to an all too small detachment of soldiers of the realm, instead. Everyone, including the soldiery, hoped this was temporary. The path to the Hayloft didn't quite take the intrepid adventurers to the town center, where the big fight took place, but it wouldn't be a long walk to get there, were one to have a nostalgic moment about it.

Arrival at the Loft served as a reminder that other businesses were present in the area, specifically the farrier and stables run by a Human fellow named Fields, and next to that, the enigmatic hub of their previous adventure, Neil & Bob's Public House. Fields, a man in his middle years who looked like he was in desperate need of a shave and change of shirt, was toward the front of his establishment near where he would hammer horseshoes, seemingly packing up for the night. Over at the public house, lights were on and a little foot traffic could be seen entering and exiting. They obviously would be open for a ways longer, owing to their choice of business and clientele.

Back in Southmoor, the Family Toombes seemed content with the offering of wine and silver, the elder Mssr. Toombes beginning a word of protest at the need for a gift before he was shushed by other family members. The silver was already accepted, but the wine on top of it, well intended, might have been a little bit much, or at least a touch insisted upon by circumstance for a family of common means. It was not usual for someone of bearing to offer up fine wine, but there was an understanding that the customs of the area were not intimately known by the tall lady, and it was improper of him to make a correction. Instead, he voiced a polite word of gratitude and left it at that.

The passing of time and light travel brought the reunion of people back in the Coach House, and the preparation of food at the outset of full nighttime. Prior to entering, Lizbeth responded to her mentor's words of warning, stating, "If you prefer, I can stay here. If it's my choice, then I'll... well, I'll make it in the morning, okay?" She did seem of two minds about the whole thing, and genuinely looked like she was weighing her options. Inside, with the smell of cooking, she had a reaction similar to Kathryn and her sudden, horse-eating desire. A growl escaped her stomach that mere politeness could not force back down, and when asked if she needed anything, Lizbeth answered in a quiet voice, "I could really go for some bread and butter while we wait, if you don't mind, please." Lizbeth slumped in a chair at first, then rose once more to unbuckle her swordbelt and lay the whole apparatus, weapon and all, upon the table in front of her.