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Dusk is falling on another warm day. The evening will soon cool to the normal 60 to 70 degree over-night low. Lights can be seen coming from some of the homes along the lane that Belle sidles down...her lithe body swaying slightly under her cloak. With a slight pang of loss and survivor's guilt she thinks about Joshua. She hadn't known him for long, but he was one of the good ones in this world of evil. He was a monk that joined her some months back while she was escorting a caravan. They weren't close, but they had a mutual respect for each other that transcended any differences they may have had.

Returning to Chisel Town, they were attacked by a flight of Skelter Bats and their riders. Belle and Joshua fought them as best they could, but they were outnumbered. Joshy, as Belle liked to call him teasingly, was picked up by one of the Skelter bats and torn to pieces in front of her eyes. She was able to use the distraction to disappear into the darkness and hide until the flight moved on.

Having made it to Chisel Town, Belle waited for another opportunity to go where she might be most useful. Being close to the edge of the Horde advancement meant many opportunities to fight against the evil beings that she once led.

As she had done for the last couple nights, Belle found herself walking to one of the watering holes in town. No sign adorns the front of the building; those who live here simply know it's there. Belle orders herself something to quench her thirst and takes a seat in the corner where she can observe and listen to the rumors. The room is busier than normal due to a number of refugees that have made their way from a small mining town about two days walk from here. The town was attacked by a large raiding party and many of the residents fled with their children.

One particular conversation catches Belle's interest. Turning her head slightly to the left she sees a woman and a man sitting at a table with another couple. The woman is speaking in a loud voice to be heard above the loud hum of mixed voices bouncing from the Wormwood grown ceiling.

"...lucky to survive, the goblins were on us before we knew it. We left our belongings and fled. The goblins were more interested in what we left behind than chasing us."

"Don't worry dear." The other woman responded. "You can stay with us. I have some extra clothes for you..."

At the table, Belle will carefully fold her cloak beside her, her mask within the folds. "Thank you very much," Her long blond hair is in the tight braid that she normal keeps it normally in. Her large sword and crossbow on her back.

It would be bad if the mining areas fall to goblins so Bell is quite concerned. She asks across the table, "If I might ask, what happened? I would like to see if I might help in some way."

The lady who was speaking first, her hair stringy and unwashed, is roughly thirty years old. It's hard to tell, though, since life on Wormwood ages people rapidly. She looks at Belle suspiciously at first, but her suspicions quickly pass. "We were on our way from Newhome," the village where the refugees were arriving from, "and had stopped for the night. Everything was quiet all night, but when we awoke this morning a half dozen goblins or so came down upon us. It was just awful, we're lucky to be alive." The other woman, probably in her fifties with greying hair, pats her sympathetically on the shoulder. The two men just nod occasionally in agreement. Belle has seen the older couple in her on occasion before, but doesn't know their names.

Two days walk, maybe a bit faster with her gate but still not going to be just a few hours travel. As such, she might as well wait for morning and maybe she can get a few allies in case the Goblins are still there.

"Was anybody hurt when the Goblins attacked?" the woman asks. She also looks around the room to see if there are others who might join her in investigating the attack.

{OOC: The woman indicated that the goblin attack was this morning which would make it no more than twelve hours ago.}

"No," the young woman responds "We were lucky to escape. They seemed to be more interested in our belongings than in pursuing the two of us." She looks over at the young man she apparently traveled with. Likely her husband.

Belle looks around to see who else is in the common room tonight. She sees a few familiar faces, but no one stands out as somebody that might be able to help her chase down the goblins. She has heard rumors of a pair of Apoks and a young girl working in the area near Newhome but doesn't know their exact whereabouts. It would be nice if they were here tonight. The four of them could make extremely short work of the goblins. As it is, she could probably take on the goblins herself, but not without some risk. It would depend on how well armed this scouting party was.

If Belle has heard that there might be some assistance later on, might be best to see if they will arrive tonight. She decided to ask the refuges, "If I investigate your homes, is there anything that I should try to recover if they are too much for me to deal with?"

Turning towards those at the bar, the blond haired woman states, "Not been here long but wondering if there are any who might help? Don't like the goblins this close to the mountains."

ooc: Need to come up with an alternate name, maybe "Reaper."

OOC: I would avoid Reaper as that is an alternate name of one of the ex-player NPC's. }

If Belle has heard that there might be some assistance later on, might be best to see if they will arrive tonight. She decided to ask the refuges, "If I investigate your homes, is there anything that I should try to recover if they are too much for me to deal with?"

The woman looks back at Bell, a bit confused. "The goblins attacked us this morning, but the raid on our homes was two days ago and two days walk ago. We didn't see any goblins in the party that attacked Newhome, so I don't think the two incidents were related.If you can bring back any of our belongings that the goblins may have taken, we would be forever grateful. It's mostly clothes and such, though. We didn't have time to grab anything but the essentials."

Turning towards those at the bar, the blond haired woman states, "Not been here long but wondering if there are any who might help? Don't like the goblins this close to the mountains."

Those within ear shot of Belle, including the older man at her table, all slouch down in their stools and chairs as if trying to make themselves small and invisible. One man even goes so far as to turn and slouch out the door.

The proprietor of the establishment, a skinny, wire haired fellow with a scruffy beard that refuses to do anything but grow in patches, speaks up after seeing the response Belle had gotten from the patrons. "Go across town to Jermander's tavern, big place...ya can't miss it. There's a really big fellow there working as his guard. Might be he'd help you."

The husband, or so he appears, of the woman that Belle has been speaking with seems to have a mental argument with himself--and from the look on his face he appears to have lost--before speaking "I can take you back to where we camped last night if you're willing to help us. I've got a pistol and and a knife that I managed to grab before we ran."

Whom is she to judge another if they are not actively serving evil. She wants people willing to help not shanghai individuals.
Looking at the man, she states, "I don't expect anybody to fight if they don't think they can. Not everybody is a warrior. I will do what I can."

Belle looks at his movement as she stands up from the table to see if he does seem to have that fighting spirit. The woman slings the cloak over herself, completely covering her form. It is hard to see that it is a figure of a woman with the cloak. After a moment, she puts the mask over her head. Careful look through eyes might reveal that it is a woman but otherwise it is hard to tell. In a gruff voice she states, "Thank you for your hospitality, good innkeeper."

She will look at the offer of guidance, "Well, let us go to this Jermander's." as she steps out of the tavern. If he follows her, find, if not, she will still head in that direction.

OOC: Which direction exactly is "that direction"? Is Belle heading to the other tavern or to where she thinks the goblins attacked the couple?

jawildey wrote:OOC: Which direction exactly is "that direction"? Is Belle heading to the other tavern or to where she thinks the goblins attacked the couple?

OOC: Towards Jermander's tavern