Ranne

Ranne nodded absently. The grease from the sausage and bacon didn't sit with her very well, and they weren't serving any fruit. Plus their "friend" was eating enough for the entire party, without being very forthcoming as to advice.

Maybe he couldn't speak with his mouth full, and they would have to wait until all the food was gone before he would say anything.

Complaining about it was just going to get them in trouble, so she opted for the silent approach.

The white bearded Lawgiver grabbed another sausage and nodded at Duerin,
"It is quite simple really. To go down in the mines you need a licence. The best place to get one is at Zambors Well in the city". Holding a sausage in one hand he pointed in the general direction of the keep.

He then continued, "All findings are subject to a treasure tax and the Lawgivers have the final say on all valuations".

He then sat back in his chair and wiped his mouth on his sleeve, he was about to belch when he suddenly stopped and forced it back. He looked at Ranne and Faeril and nodded.

"If you are after supplies, you can get them either here in Deadgate or p in the Hold itself. If you are after hiring then Deadgate is yer best place".

He took a large drink from his mug and then smiled,
"Now my turn for questions. Are you here for something specific ?"

Duerin

"We are all after different things really. I'm always hoping to find weapons. I like the idea of something practical but something that has a real feel of history about it. The girls tend to like more decorative pieces."

He grins.

"So we'll go and get a licence today. Can I ask about these valuations? What sort of range do they have? I'm a bit concerned about how much we might be expected to pay."

Faeril


Faeril looked at Ranne and shrugged slightly, one eyebrow quirked slightly upward at Duerin's decorative pieces comment.

Ranne rolled her eyes and fluttered all ten fingers, then twisted her shoulders one at a time as if she were showing off some fancy attire.

Decorative, that's us.

Silas

He mutters an obscene curse with a mouthful of food after hearing that the Lawgivers are the ones that make the valuations as well. The food is good though and his anger fades as he keeps quiet for most of breakfast. He does give Olaf a stoney look, waiting to hear what he has to say in answer to Duerin's question.

Olaf did not seemed at all phased by the question from Duerin, he had heard it many times. He also understood the scepticism around the Lawgivers being the tax collectors and the value setters, but he did not really care. The mines belonged to the dwarves of Skalf Hold so he truly believed it was their right to set the rules.
"I have seen goods valued between worthless and priceless. If the item falls into the priceless category the decision on letting it leave the city then lies with the council. To be honest the average tax usually falls into the 10 gold coins category".

He then leaned forward and looked right at Duerin, "Now I do have a different question to ask. We have most of the passes leading up through the mountains monitored and you seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. You can understand from a security point of view that this has made a few people very nervous. If you can reach the city unnoticed then what is to stop our enemies?".

Ranne wondered how the declaration that they were "on a mission from God" would play with the dwarves. Sigmar was likely not a fan favorite hereabouts. On the other hand, they might come off like harmless crackpots.

Right, and the dwarves were the fountain of generosity. She maintained a stoic demeanor. Let one dwarf gull another.

Faeril


Full now, Faeril sat back in her seat and belched slightly, content, as usual, to let the others do the talking and planning.

Silas

He does not like the line of questioning Olaf is taking, but at the same time does not want to make it look like it is bothering him. Trying to ignore Olaf for now, he points at the two women with his knife and asks after his last swallow of food, "Where'd you women disappear to last night? You missed all the fun with Duerin playing the darts, and me losing good coin on bets."

Duerin

"That doesn't sound too bad. I presume we can pay off in items, rather than gold, if we are fortunate to find enough?"

Then he grins.

"Oh you noticed that? Comforting to know your security is good. Last job we did was for a magic using fellow.."

Maybe not the best description for the Arch Lector.. but then he is not here to hear it.

"..kind of owed us a favour, so we had some assistance in shortening our journey, so to speak."

Faeril


Her ears suddenly felt overwarm and she coughed slightly, then cleared her throat.

"Oh, we had a bit much to drink and... took a walk to uh... work it off," she said, glancing at Ranne and hoping her friend would help her out of her fumbling attempt at an answer.

Ranne

"It's really none of your business. But if you must know," Ranne said, "I was teaching Faeril a few of my tricks so that she can properly reward people who ask annoying personal questions. Show him, Faeril."

She gave Faeril The Meaningful Look, which seemed to say, "play along."

Faeril


She gave her friend a quick, skeptical glance, but nodded and then turned her attention to Silas.

"I'm not sure I have this one exactly right so far, but it's called the Heruvial Hot Foot," she said, then made a couple of arcane - she thought - motions with the fingers of her right hand and then pointed down at the tabletop, aiming in the direction of Silas' feet.

Which coincided perfectly with Ranne's plan; fire leapt from a point a couple of inches away from Faeril's hand (so that it didn't scorch *her*), and scorched like liquid lava across the tips of Silas' boots.

Good thing he was wearing boots.

"Nice one," Ranne murmured. "I especially liked the finger wiggle at the end."

Silas

He pulls back his feet with a yelp, and nearly upsets the entire table in doing so.

"What the frick! Careful with that stuff!"

He looks wide-eyed at Faeril, truly believing that she had done it herself since he missed the look between the two women. Calming down some, he pokes his feet out to check that all of his toes are still there, and then says, "Gods, just asking where you went, don't need all the details. Now I know..." He gives Ranne a pained and frustrated look, " ... teaching her magic."

Grabbing his drink, he goes off grumbling and looking for a horse trough or nearest bucket of water to cool off his feet.

Faeril


"Just trying to give you a complete," if not completely honest she thought, "answer, Silas," she said, doing her best to maintain a serious expression.

Her best was pretty good, but not perfect, and the noncommittal expression slipped when she caught Ranne's expression out of the corner of her eye.

She reached under the table and gave her friend a low five and then giggled.

Ranne's eyes were wide and filled with humor, when she slapped hands with her under the table.

"Way to go, Sissie. I feel bad about it being Silas, but what he doesn't know won't keep him up nights."

Silas

He returns to their table a few minutes later with his boots looking quite wet, but at least now his feet are back to a normal temperature.

Duerin

He takes the opportunity to eat whilst waiting for the other dwarf to respond. As Silas dashes off, he wags a finger at the two girls, but he is chuckling to himself.

As a reward for being a good sport, Ranne piled some extra sausages and eggs on Silas' plate, and told herself to make him some cinnamon rolls the next time she had the time to bake. Her grandmother had taught her a number of skills she never used any more, and this might be an opportunity to break one of them out for a friend.

Faeril


Her expression was almost contrite, but it did not quite extend to her eyes which sparkled with repressed fun.

"I am sorry, Silas," she said, sounding anything but sorry.

"I did not intend to hurt your feet."

Silas

He is not one to waste food, so he finishes the extra sausages on his plate and with his mouth full mumbles an "It's okay" to Faeril.

His toes are still there and his boots are still in one piece, so for now he is fine.

Olaf watched with amuzement at the antics of the non-dwarven folk and laughed out loud as Silas went off in search of something to cool his feet.

He then turned back to Duerin and returned his thoughts to the formal conversation he was supposed to be having.

"Ah, magic, we thought that was the case". He nodded as if he was comfortable with hte answer.
"You all look as if you will be able to handle yourselves, that will be useful if you intend to go deep into the mines. We have had an increasing number of problems in some of the more remote caverns. It seems as if the Orc scum and the rat scum are planning something. We have had a number of incursions in the last few months".

Duerin

"That's a timely warning my friend. How much activity has there been? have people been hurt?"

He continues eating, waving his fork to illustrate a point as he talks. However he is most interested to hear more, even if he is playing it casually. This might be connected to their reason for being here.