A good soak....

[Paks]

Looking over his battered upper body, the rangers lips tighten in anger. She listens to his tale and by the time he's finished, the bard can plainly see how furious she is. She schools herself however and very tenderly cleans the arm wound and rewraps it with a clean bandage made from her tunic. Using a salve that Lilac had given her, she rubs it into the bruises as gently as she can. Finding him a clean shirt she helps him put it on, her fingers shaking slightly as she does the buttons up, making the job take twice as long as it normally would. "I don't have any skill as a healer but as long as we keep your arm clean you'll be fine" the ranger says, stating the obvious as she puts on a clean pot of water to boil.

Laying out the blankets she makes them a bed and then brings some food over to Joe, eating some herself. She's pretty quiet but it's easy to tell the anger hasn't died. Once the water has boiled, Paks tips in some tea leaves mixed with some herbal leaves and hands a cup to Joe. "It will help with the pain" she says. Once he's finished it, she puts the fire out, strips off her armour and climbs into bed, motioning for him to join her. She gently strokes his hair as she waits for the tea to kick in, knowing that it will give her the nights head start. When he's breathing soundly, she rolls out of bed and puts her armour back on. The ranger saddles Clyde and gathers her weapons. Tethering Whisper, as she had named his horse given he wasn't likely to do it, she swings up into Clydes saddle and heads back for the town of Millcreek.

Making it back to town before the sun rises, she slips Clyde back into the stables and waits for the Inn to open it's door. When it does, she seeks out the bar keeper Sam. "Morning" she says casually slipping a handful of coins to the man, "Say I needed some information, any idea what beautiful woman in this town I could go to?"

[Zee]

The man raises an eyebrow at the woman slightly confused by what she's getting at... thinking that she's trying to find a sly way to ask for the brothel. "Well, there's a house full of beautiful women right up the street." He pauses as he leans in close a smile on his face that the ranger can only imagine means he's picturing the event in his head. "But I think they charge other ladies extra to get... information."

[Paks]

The ranger gives the man a look like she is about to slap him when a thought suddenly occurs to her.
"Thanks" she says with a smile to Sam before she heads out the door. Walking down the street it doesn't take too long for Paks to locate the brothel and gain admittance. Once inside, she takes a seat on one of the lounges and waits for someone to approach. When she is noticed, the ranger asks to speak with the one in charge. She waits as long as needed and only when that person arrives does she stand and begin to speak. "I'm looking to purchase some information. Only, I'm looking for very specific information, not the sort you would generally find from the patrons around here. However, I'm sure you have someone that buys information from you and that's the woman I'm looking for. Give me the information I need" the ranger adds with a smile, one hand on the hilt of her sword and the other holding the smallest of her gems "And I'll pay well for it."

[Zee]

The owner of the "establishment" is slightly older woman. Though still youthful in looks, something in her eyes and the creases on her face mark as one who started where most of her girls are now. Taking the ranger aside into one of the rooms they use for their work the woman motions for Paks to sit down on the bed. She pours herself and the ranger a glass. The woman sits down on the bed, the only furniture in the room aside from the table holding the drinks and hands the woman a glass. Taking a drink Paks find it to be merely water the surprise on her face quickly picked up by the house Madam. "Not going to waist anything expensive if all you want is information." The Madams tone is stern, yet playful no doubt something that helped her rise to her current position.

[Paks]

The ranger shrugs, it really made no difference to her in the end, water, wine or ale, she really didn't care.

"I know that there is an information broker here in town somewhere, I just need to know where and what protection she has" Paks says simply, she had no intention of going into detail her plans with this woman.

[Zee]

The Madam nods "She's just up the road to the north. Last house on the left, can't really miss it, biggest one up there. She usually has a man with her, but more'n that I can not say." The Madam sets her cup down on the floor reaching up to touch the rangers hair. "You sure you don't want anything else while you're here darling? I've men folk too... or perhaps you would like to make some extra gold yourself? I let my girls keep 75% of what they make."

[Paks]

The ranger hands over the gem, thanking the woman, "Maybe some other time" she says as she heads out the door, having no intention of ever coming back.

Following the directions, Paks takes her time in getting there. She contemplates her actions, debating whether or not to just barge into the informants house and make her demands known, swords blazing or simply knock on the door and try reasoning with the woman. It was just that neither idea was really her style. In the end, she reaches the house with her mind still undecided.

With a sigh of frustration, the ranger stands out the front and leans against the fence, watching the front door and windows. Sooner or later the informant would have to come out and see what she wanted and the ranger would much rather be out in the open than stuck inside those walls with her.

All this just to get his belt back, she thought with another sigh, it would want to be worth it!

[Zee]

Much to the rangers dismay the woman does not come out. Instead she sends her man out, well her new man atleast. "Some reason you're standing there leaning against our fence there?"

[Paks]

"It's kinda comfy" she says sarcastically, her hand sits on one of her sword hilts but she remains leaning against the fence. "Now, how about you move along back inside and tell your employer that she has something that I want. A belt that she acquired yesterday in fact, and you can tell her I'm willing to pay for it."

[Zee]

The man laughs to himself. "Something tells me the price may be more than you're willing to pay." But he bows and turns into the building closing the door behind him. A minute or so later the woman comes out. Beautiful, hardly a fair description, angelic in both appearance and mannerisms. The woman smiles.

"I would ask you in my dear lady. But you come asking for something that only one other person would know about." She holds a hand up staying her mans hand who had appeared at the corner of the house. The bow string slowly untaut so as not to loose the arrow at the ranger. "Speak, and quickly if you would."

[Paks]

The rangers eyes narrow as she is confronted with the woman that Joe had taken up with. He would have to choose the most stunning woman that she had ever seen, he never seemed to do things in halves. Paks continues to lean against the fence, "I'd like the belt, intact, back. I would just come get it" she says causally, "But that would mean consequences that I really just don't have time for right now. So, I figure you can either sell it to me or I'm willing to trade for it and not Joe either before you think of going there. I do however have a lovely magical ring that may suit you" the ranger says, holding up the swanmay token to be viewed. "Shapechanging can be such a handy thing at times" she adds pleasantly.

[Zee]

The woman looks at Paks somewhat perplexed, surely the ranger was jesting with her. As she starts to speak she stops and her eyes widen almost giddily. "Oh, this is precious. You don't know do you?" She smiles sweetly to herself. "The gem on the belt. It is known as The Eye of Terrarie. Shaped by the lashing of waves fed by a river that runs beneath a mountain. Extremely treacherous to traverse the mountain itself even more so find the way down to where the rumor was that the gem may have been found." She pauses for a moment leaning against the door jamb. "It is the only one of its kind. Rumored to be so valuable that Aranthis himself would give his left testicle for it." The description was crude, but certainly drove the worth home.

[Paks]

Raising an eyebrow the ranger shakes her head slightly wondering what the hell she had gotten herself into. "I take it as a no for the ring then" she mutters sliding it back onto her finger. There had to be some way of getting that belt back without getting herself into more trouble. She really needed to start asking questions before she went ahead and starting acting but that was a thought for the future.

"Well, you're right on one account, I have no idea what you are talking about. Everyone tends to have a price though, name yours" Paks says as she sizes up the informants new man.

[Zee]

The woman smiles most politely. "Well, my man here. He's a little lonely so you do for him and I give you the belt. Or perhaps if you don't like that maybe we leave a mark or two." She says implying to scar the ranger. "Then send you back home to that lout." Seems to be true, the devil really does look the best and act the sweetest until he puts you on the rack.

[Paks]

Paks thinks for a moment. Could she really do this? She didn't think she had the stomach for it but he had gone through it for her, the idiot, so she could do the same for him.

"I'm not a whore" the ranger says firmly, "So you can forget that option." She takes a good long look at the woman she would probably hate for the rest of her life before continuing, "Two. You can leave two marks."