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Mikal - with Celi

He nods to Celi. "I am sure you will be of help there, and there is where I could use the most help so it should work out."

Re-entering the inn with Celi he stops as he sees Camelia. *Well. A bit different than the first time I saw her.* He thinks, turning away so as not to gawk.

Looking around the inn, he asks the group at large. "Did Lady Comfrey ever return from the Hospice? I'd like her to look at Celi's wrist."

Celi

Celi tried to look like it was no big deal. And maybe it should not have been unexpected, given the disparity in size, strength, skill and armor-plating. But she still seemed energetic, and pleased to be working with Mikal, and at least he was not trying to leave her tied to a wine tun while he sneaked away. She was considerably more relaxed than she had been on the trip out.

Cesare out walking with Darian & Longtooth

He smiles.

"Well I meant the 'we' in a general sense. 'We' Rhoni rarely settle. Moving brings opportunities if the Fates smile on us but also help us to avoid troubles. On a personal level I travelled with some of my family."

He accepts that information received implies a debt to respond in kind and is fairly easy going in conversation, seemingly enjoying the walk, the morning air and the company.

"When you say a full handfull and half, do you mean days, months, years?" He smiles again. "And if you've a mind to, maybe you can tell me more about Longtooth? He interests me."

Camelia

The compliments made Camelia blush.

Her life was one of standing in the shadow of her Lady. Kristine was always gracious though. The pair had grown up together and had spats like any other pair of friends, but they had more good times than bad. But it was always based around the understanding of the hierarchy of Imperial Life. Camelia had never known, before today, that she too was born of Imperial Blood, only that she was a servant to an Imperial Family. She had duties and responsibilities. The friendship was uncommon and born out of a shared loneliness between them.

Even though she wore the clothes of her Lady, and affected her Lady's courtly and public demeanor, the words and looks were for Camelia. It made her blush, but at the same time it was a small rush. The color in her soft pale cheeks was hardly something she could hide.

She walked, with Imperial bearing as though she were Kristine, or any number of the older Imperial ladies moving among those gathered at Court. Normally it was all but insufferable to Camelia to stand in the background and have to watch the show, each and every participant given a role. Even Camelia had a role. She played a different one today, as she had done since she left Trundle, but she knew it well. She had seen it all her life. Both the public and private side of her lady. She knew Kristine as well or better than anyone except Kristine.

Inwardly she chastised herself. Camelia knew she could never return to her old life. She knew she didn't want to. The orld was opening up before her with all it's strangeness and wonderment. She was a Koromov, and she knew it now. She could never be a Handmaiden again. It was it's own rush, and yet a little bittersweet. It was what she knew to be. But she wanted to be more...

At the presentation of the cloak that Conrad had purchased her, Camelia's eyes lit up. And then she realized that a young man had given it to her and she realized she had to heed her sister's words carefully about the message that such things could give to others. Sure this was a charade, but still truth and illusion were easily blurred.

She tried to stifle the outward expressions of happiness, but it was only partially successful. "Thankyou Conrad," she replied with some affected formality, demonstrating her acumen in guise. She curtsied and allowed Conrad to drape the cloak about her. Her mind swam. Of course it wasn't hers to own, but it felt great to 'own' it for a while.

"Or should I call you Connie," she said with a wink, as she turned to show off the cloak in a short half turn whirl. "Given the nature of our relationship?" It was a jest to remind him that she overhead and remembered the way his sister, the Aterran healer at the Hospice referred to him.

Daxia
with Kadri, Camelia, Conrad, Mikal and Celi in common room

She looked at Mikal and shook her head. "Lady Comfrey has not yet returned. Do you think Celi's injury is severe enough to warrant a request for another Healer to attend to her?"

Mikal

"I broke her wrist", he says simply and straightforward. "I did what I could to mend it, but my skills don't lie in that area. I think the worst is repaired, but I'd be happier if a real healer looked at it."

He frowns. "I don't want to delay our mission. Perhaps she and I can meet another healer on our way to or from the Guild? Would she be at the hospice? We can stop there after we leave." He finishes, seeing Camelia is almost ready to step out.

If so, he'd plan to leave with Celi shortly after Camelia and Conrad did and stop at the hospice or wherever this other healer might be found, then continue on to the Guild Hall.

Daxia
with Kadri, Camelia, Conrad, Mikal and Celi in common room

She nodded. "The hospice would be the logical place to find a Healer, of course. However..." Daxia paused a moment, brows knit. "If my meager understanding of Cragside's layout gleaned from listening to the Horde members is correct, your Guildhouse is in the far east part of the town, while the hospice is located to the west." She looked at Celi. "It is up to you, of course, which direction you take upon leaving here. Just be very careful with your wrist until you see a Healer, da?" she remarked kindly.

Conrad

He drapped the velvet cloak around her shoulders and smiled at her us of the name, raising an eyebrow.

"Connie? Generally only my sister calls me that but if it makes you happy you can call me such." he said, then offered his arm.

"I believe that we are ready for our walk through town. Yes?" he said, glancing around at the others to make sure that they were ready for their own parts in this play.

Mikal

He turns to Celi. "Up to you whether you think you're up to heading for the Guild first or the Hospice."

Celi

"I am ready for either, Milor ... umm, Mikal. Whichever serves you best. I am just as sneaky as always with this weak arm, but I won't be able to fight as many thugs for you. Or carry you from a burning building." Celi dimpled in a brief grin, undaunted by the circumstances.

Mikal - to Celi

"Alright", he nods. "If it's bothering you, or we have time after the Guild, we'll stop on the way back."

He turns to see if Camelia and Conrad are ready to leave, wanting to let them leave first.

Camelia

"I can take a hint, Conrad it is," she replied as she took up his arm, but no sooner had she done that when she heard the woman whom she first saw at Plainsend wearing animal skin leathers for clothing, the one who seemed so awkward as to be endearing. Seelee or Saylee was it?

She had been hurt to some degree as there was talk of seeing a healer, and Mikal saying he broke her wrist, and all of that was sinking in as Celi mentioned fighting thugs and burning down buildings. What? She twisted around, her new cloak swirling with her. Still one hand, stretched out on Conrad's arm, she took a step toward the 'Woman from the Wilds'.

"Please no... The whole idea was not to fight any thugs," Cami interjected worriedly. "We can't be the first to escalate this. And certainly no setting fires...."

And she froze there and shook her head as she realized she was over-reacting yet again. She blew out a heavy sigh.

"Ummm... oh-kay... I get it... I'll just go back over here," she said with a motion to Conrad. "Pretend I didn't just make an idiot out of myself."

Celi

"Don't worry, Umm.. your ladyship," Celi wasn't sure what the correct form of address was, so she cranked out something all-purpose. "My job is to be extra eyes and ears, and to keep any pests off Mikal's back, so to speak. The ..." she glanced at Mikal, and grinned, "... the smaller pests, that is. I won't cause you any trouble; we were just having a small laugh. Umm ... by the way, you look quite striking."

She was pretty sure that was Camilia's intent, so Celi thought she should give her praise for succeeding.

Daxia
with Kadri, Camelia, Conrad, Mikal and Celi in common room

Daxia managed to catch Camelia's eye, and gave her a smile and a slight nod of her head, as if to say well done.

Darian with Longtooth and Cesare

"Rhoni? This be unknown to me," she comments then shrugs, "but many things are."

"I mean days, so about one month and half again that we, me and Longtooth, have been journeying together."

She cants her head briefly at Cesare but her eyes always roam. With a gesture towards Longtooth, she said, "Ask. I answer what I can."

Cesare with Darian & Longtooth

"So new to travelling alone.. and female. Must have been a tough adjustment?"

Just an observation, there is no criticism in his words.

"I suppose Longtooth helps for companionship and safety. Be interested to learn what his role is, what he can do?"

Darian and Longtooth with Cesare
wandering the streets of Cragside, surreptitiously looking for clues

"The traveling for so many days, yes. The alone, not so much. More alone before journey. No ruff to run with."

She gives the ruff in question a skrtich between his ears.

"His role? He is my friend. We run together. He has keen senses like any ruff. He sees, hears, smells more."

Cesare with Darian & Longtooth

"Ah so the relationship is fairly new then? How did you find each other?"

The idea of having an animal companion is certainly appealing. He can see times when it could be a disadvantage for him, but more times where it could be an advantage. Must be cheaper than a horse too.

KAdri



"Keeping small pests away is serious business."

She winks.

"As a small pest myself, I know this. At any rate, I wager you are more deadly with your knives than I with mine."

Darian and Longtooth with Cesare
wandering the streets of Cragside, surreptitiously looking for clues

"Not new, different. He ran with my master before he ran with me."

Mikal - with group and then to Celi

He nods seriously in agreement with Camelia's statement about keeping away pests, saying to both she and Celi. "I've seen more men go down from being distracted at the wrong moment than almost any other cause."

Turning to Celi he says, "If anyone at the Guild asks, we'll tell them that you are an orphan who attached herself to me somewhere along the road. It's close to the truth, and not terribly unusual for a mercenary. They can assume anything else they want as far as what you do. You might get a few snickers, but it should eliminate a lot of suspicion and curiosity."

Celi with Mikal, Kadri et. al. in Commons

Surprised by Kadri's comment and comradely wink, Celi found she was quite pleased at being accepted. It was a small but meaningful victory; but then, every day surviving and adjusting, somewhere other than in the Wild, was likewise.

"I am learning to pick my battles," Celi admitted, with a mischievous sideways grin for Mikal, accompanied by a gentle shake of her damaged wrist. "Mikal is a more-than-fair instructor. Hopefully, the lessons will take before I run out of bones to break."

Mikal's additional comment was another lesson, and one she immediately took to heart.
"An orphan. Very well. I should act properly doting, and quick to obey even innocent requests." She nodded. A little hero worship was a good thing, especially for someone who had already shown remarkable restraint and a willingness to be patient while she learned her place.

"I can do it, Mikal."

She liked his plan. Mikal was a lot more thoughtful than one might expect from ordinary ... what was he then, a soldier? Whatever he was, she was a lucky girl. This could have gone many different ways once she came in from the Wild ... most of them the worse for Celi.

Camelia in common room, with 5 others(Kadri, Daxia, Conrad, Mikal, and Celi) (Darian and cesare and Longtooth are outside, nearby we hope)

Restday, last day of Raven-

Camelia was satisfied she had gotten across her point ina way that wouldn't intimidate anyone. Self deprecation eased tension. She was sure the red-head, daxia watched her too closely and knew she was putting on a show of her naivete, but that didn't matter. All she needed to do was remind people of the overall objectives and the risks and stakes in play. Camelia hoped Darien, the woman with the ruff, and the Rhoni man were prepared as well. She hadn't seen them in a little while.

Her intentions were genuine. Her motives were honest. She just used the skills she had to achieve it. Camelia wanted people to relax a little, and even joke with each other. If that was at her expense so be it.

But more importantly it allowed someone like Celi to open up and not feel like she was the oddest or most awkward in the room. And Celi's response brought her closer to others in the group. Even if it was only indirectly that Camelia had some hand in helping everyone unify then that was a good thing. All of them would soon be split into twos and everyone had to trust their partner and trust the other groups.

Camelia thanked Celi for her kind words and nodded in agreement with Mikal. The groups were as ready as they would ever be.

Camelia turned back Conrad, whom she had never let go off in the first place. "I think we're ready," she told him. "If you have some pennies, that will help us along the way."

AND THE PLAN...

Today was Restday and it was also the end of the month. A good day at that, and maybe the last of the good days before the fullness of winter was upon them. Camelia hoped people would be outside and enjoying themselves. Pennies for the children, that would bring more scrambling and those that got pennies would tell others and that would bring more, and it would bring parents to watch. Those pennies might be spent places and stories told of how the pennies were obtained. More stories of Conrad Shannon, the Khorall's son and his mystery lady from the Imperial House of Deynekko. The stories themselves should bring people as well. camelia hoped it would grow. People watching and talking and thus it would be impoosible to act openly against them, and also clear back-streets so that her comrades could move about with less hassle. Hopefully even the eyes of those who watched the them from nearby the Hart and Horse, no matter their faction, would be drawn out to see the spectacle that Camelia hoped would become more like a processional and parade as it moved from the Hart and Horse to the Punched Penny and wherever else it would go next.... Likely the Hospice as that was a safe place for the girl. The others knew their tasks, as they had come up with things to investigate that best suited them and their skills.

Darian, Cesare, Longtooth in the streets of Cragside

As their companions made ready their plans and accouterments, the Rhoni and the Huntress made a show of talking her ruff for a walk among the streets of Cragside. The surreptitiously made their way towards the alley where the one had been accosted by many and the key dropped, there to search for evidence of the wounded criminal and perhaps to find where he went to ground.

Mikal

Seeing Camelia stand up and leave with Squire Conrad, Mikal turns to Celi. "Seems like we're up. Back door to the stables, then out the back and swing around to the Guild. Hopefully we can escape notice that way, though we are probably the least likely group for our adversaries to be worried about."

He stands and moves to the doors that lead to the stables.