A good soak....

[Zee]

Clydes trots off down the road past the deceased goblins. Following the curving road in and out of the forest for the remainder of the trip. Four days later about midday the woman comes suddenly out of the forest into a wide open expanse of plains. The creek about 50 meters from the forests edge running as far as the eye can see in all directions. The creek that had been gentle and narrow in the forest and along the road the woman had seen previously has now turned into a full blown river. Greater than 20 meters wide and violent rapids. The city on the other side of the river only accessible by the rock bridge somehow spanning the width of the river.

[Paks]

The ranger enjoyed the following four days, all things considered. The peace and quiet had given her time to think. Upon reaching the river, Paks dismounts and holds Clyde by the reins. "Well this doesn't look like it will be easy" she says to the horse and she takes a look at the rushing water. "Too fast to try and swim" she says, giving the gelding a pat on the neck. "Seems like the bridge is our only option, other than backtracking and finding a place further back to cross. As much as I don't want to have to do that, I'm not leaving you behind. Let's hope we can get you across this bridge." She leads the horse closer to the water and takes a good look at the bridge.

[Zee]

Clyde and the ranger easily make it across the large bridge. The bridge was designed to carry large wagons and every other sort of thing across so the pair has absolutely no trouble crossing it. Upon getting across the bridge they make it into the town and find it to be quite the bustling little place. There's shops of every sort, several of the frequently used ones, two butchers, two seamstress/clothing. There is only one inn though, but it is very large, in fact it appears to have been two side-by-side buildings at one point that they built together into one. People are continuously filtering into the inn with dusk soon approaching.

[Paks]

The ranger makes her way to the Inn's stables and hands over some coin for Clyde's lodging. She rubs him down and makes sure he's settled before heading into the common room to find a bed for the night.

Once inside, she flags down a serving girl and asks for the Inn Keeper by name. She waits patiently while the girl scurries off and brings back the man in charge. Clearing her throat, Paks nods in greeting to the man. "I'm after a room for the night, nothing fancy, though private would be nice. Also, some information. Your cousin from Tinville Forge said you may be able to help me Lorn. He mentioned a story teller, bard, what ever you call them around here, was headed in this direction and I was hoping he may still be here. Can you help me?"

[Zee]

The man nods "Ahh, my cousin sent ya did'e? Well i've got a nice little suite available. Usually saved for traveling aristocrats but I don't reckon i'm gonna get any tonight so no point in having an empty room. I'll let ya have it for the standard fare. Aye there be a bard around, been making me a fair bit of extra coin 'e has. Pity to see him go, but he is doing one more show tonight."

[Paks]

Giving Lorn a genuine smile, the ranger let's him lead her to the available suite and let's out a sigh of relief, at least she had made it in time. After getting herself settled, the ranger figures she has enough time to have a soak in the bath before going in search of the fabled bard. Pulling out a clean set of clothes, Paks finds her way to the bath house and set's about her business. Once clean and refreshed, she hands her dirty clothes over to the washer woman, along with the appropriate coins, and heads back to the common room.

Ordering herself an ale and what ever happens to be on the dinner menu for the night, Paks finds herself a quiet table and begins to search the room for the likeliest looking person to be the bard.

[Zee]

The ranger makes her way back to the inns common room and finds a quiet table for a moment atleast. Before long the inn becomes so crowded that there's nary a seat left and the rangers once private table has now become a public one. Whilst her new friends are indeed friendly enough they are rather loud and raucous. Scanning the overly crowded inn the ranger finds no one who really resembles a bard but then again so many people are moving about she really can't be sure.

After a bit she asks one of her new friends and they inform her that he doesn't make his appearance until right before he starts his act. And speaking of starting his act right after the man tells the ranger this a lone man well dressed in black makes his way up onto the stage. The candles along the stage are already burning bright and the fire pit at the foot of the stage illuminates him. Taking his seat on the stool waiting on the stage he pulls the violin out from its hiding under his cloak.

The strings well rosined he lays the bow to them and starts off a slow tune. Two small puffs of smoke appear from no where, one on the mans left colored red and the other, a blue one on his right. As the music grows louder the smoke plumes grow the red one taking on the form of what appears to be a armor clad knight and the blue a dragon. Keeping up with the sounds of the violin the two wispy forms circle the man before clashing in front of him enacting a battle. In the middle of the show the ranger would swear her eyes meet the violinists just as he hits a sharp note and the smokey forms falter before the man regains his composure. The finale of the tune the dragon slays the knight just as the knights sword pierces the dragons heart. The haunting sounds of the violin adding to the sadness of the smokey plumes. The music dies down as the two colored smoke plumes begin to fade away just when you would assume the show is done the music turns and the smoke plumes wrap around each other rising to the ceiling before dispersing in a purple color. With a pleasant ending the man stands and bows before exiting off the back of the stage from whence he came.

[Paks]

As the bard performs, the ranger becomes so absorbed in the story that she almost completely forgets what she had come for. As the tale concludes, Paks leaps to her feet and applauds along with the rest of the common room patrons. Caught up in the moment, it's only when another at her table asks her what she wanted the tale teller for anyway that her mind clears and she curses to herself for becoming side tracked. Politely thanking her comrades, she slips away from the table and heads back stage in search of the entertainer.

"Errr, Hello?" she calls out as she attempts to locate the bard. "I'm looking for some information and was hoping you'd be able to help me. You know, take a look at an item of mine to see if you recognise it? I won't take up too much of your time" she calls out, all the while drinking in her surroundings.

[Zee]

As the ranger makes her way back stage she finds the area largely vacant. Though after her question an old familiar voice speaks from a darkened corner to her side. "Never really thought you'd want to take up any of my time again...". Turning the woman sees her old friend slouched in a chair, largely obscured by the shadows but even the dark doesn't conceal the look of longing in his eyes.

[Paks]

The ranger jumps as the voice from the shadows startles her, her heartbeat racing, whether from being startled or at hearing his voice again, Paks is unsure. Turning towards him, she merely stares at him for a few moments, waiting for her heart to slow enough that when she did speak, her voice wouldn't betray the strange mix of emotions now carousing her body.

"Hello Joe" she says finally, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "Nice performance tonight, it's strange that in the time I have known you I have never really seen you work," the ranger continues as she makes her way slowly towards a wall, leaning back against it, her heart slowing even more now for the distance between them.

"You're quite good, though I must say I'm a little surprised to see you in a town such as this, I thought you would have long since hit the cities. More girls to charm and all, though given the applause you received out there tonight, I have no doubt you haven't exactly been lacking here in that department."

[Zee]

Rising from his chair Joe takes a few steps into the light before giving a faux yet oddly sincere bow. Closing the distance the man stops well short of breaching the womans personal space and still a pace or two from arms reach. "You could have changed that you know." He winces slightly before bowing his head apologetically. Looking back up with a forced smile he carries on "Anyway, you've a trinket you want me to look at?"

[Paks]

The ranger closes the distance between them and softly places the palm of her hand against his cheek. "Maybe," she whispers, "But at what cost? I don't need a broken heart."

She steps back into the shadows in attempt to hide the tears that are welling. From her belt she pulls the wrapped dagger along with the parchment signed with Burcanto's name and holds it out in front of her. "Are you able to recognise the design? The owner seems to have taken a disliking to me. I really need to find him."

[Zee]

Joe winces slightly as the woman places her hand on his cheek. He starts to speak but stops himself, the look in his eyes say that would never have happened more truly than any words even a bard could produce. Taking the dagger from the woman he turns it over and looks at it, inspecting every little aspect of it before clearing his throat "Doesn't look like anything that belongs to an organization." He opens the rumpled piece of paper and reads the note and the signature. "This however. How were you unfortunate enough to gain the attention of Burcanto? Woe be the person who draws his ire."

[Paks]

The expression in Joe's eyes as she had touched him had not gone amiss, it had touched her more deeply than he would know. However his words regarding Burcanto grabbed her attention fully.

"So you know who he is then?" she said, "That is a surprise. Honestly I thought I was grasping at straws." She leaves him possession of the paper and dagger and almost throws herself down into the chair he had previously been sitting in. She rests her head in her hands, her hair falling loosely around her face like a curtain.

"I have no idea how I got his attention. Honestly, no idea what so ever. Hell, I don't even know who he is. One minute I'm traveling along, next minute a rat steals my necklace, and not the one you gave me incidentally, I go after it and I find myself in a clearing in the woods where he has one of the swanmays hostage. Next thing I'm blindfolded by his thugs and by the time I'm free, she's dead and all I have is this dagger and note to show for it.

Sometimes, I just have to wonder, why me?"

[Zee]

Joe watches the woman as she takes her place on the chair rubbing the paper nervously between his fingers and thumb. "I don't know. All I can tell you is that he is a man whom I know fortunately by reputation only. He's said to be a mad man preferring to toy with his victims rather than killing them. No one knows how they die, they simply get to a point where they vanish and are never to be seen again. It bodes ill that he's focused on you. Your friend was just a bystander in his plan. Anything and anyone you hold dear are now pieces on his game board." He sighs and shakes his head "Word is he works for someone but who would employee such a lunatic is beyond me."