A Blast from the Past

Sprouting Keg Tavern 

''When Gamlon Seamel established the crossroads village of Silkfield nearly six centuries ago, he entered a partnership with Lannak Lomasa to build and manage this tavern: The Sprouting Keg. ''With walls of polished shardwood, a riverstone floor strewn with amber rushes and silky husks, the tavern has a V-shaped biinwood serving counter and about two dozen tables beneath angled rafters. The fireplace can be found in the corner common area, where weary travelers can sit in chairs without tables and contemplate the flames while they relax and talk.

The door opens allowing a waft of cold air into the tavern. A rather scraggly dressed woman shuffles in and nudges the door closed with nudge of her stooped shoulder. She sniffs the air once and brushes a strand of dark hair behind her ear with a hand smudged with dirt and grime. Her gaze flits over the patrons as she starts a slow shuffle towards the bar counter.

Most of the bar patrons are the standard stock for this time of night. Farmers and woodsmen in small groups talking, laughing and eating. A lone noble woman sits at a table by the bar, watching the steaming cup in front of her, and taking occasional glances at the crowd. Behind her by the wall stands a man in a tabard of House Seamel, keeping a far more active eye on the crowds.

The woman casts a glance in the general direction of the noblewoman as she passes nearby, she eyes her briefly until her gaze is caught by the man standing behind her. Her eyes narrow slightly as the linger upon him, giving him a brief once over from head to toe and back up again.

The guardsman returns the once over, though he attempts to throw it in casually as his gaze roams the crowd in general. The man's face and body remain neutral, and he returns to watching the bar in general. The noblewoman is oblivious, noting the new patron only with a brief glance.

The woman makes it to the bar and lays one hand on the counter. A few imperials clink together as they land on the surface. The barman nods at her without saying anything and starts to pour a mug of ale. The woman clears her throat and queries him in a fairly loud voice, "Yah seens da good 'ord Seamel round lat'y. Yah know da Jade one?"

One of the younger bar maids perks up a little. "I ain't seen him of late, but you could ask the Lady Seamel there." She points with the mug she's holding to the loan noblewoman, managing to slosh some of the ale on herself. The young womans eyes freeze open, and she quickly moves away from the bar in the hopes that the barman didn't notice.

The woman wrinkles her nose as she nods at the retreating girl. Her hand closes around the mug as she turns to look at Broess. Her head tilts to the side as she contemplates the noblewoman.

Duhnen pushes the door open to the Spouting Keg, looking more like a farmer than a noble. Then again, he has looked much more rural as of late. He wears some old looking trousers and a loose, faded blue shirt. The withdrawal from public life has done him well, though. He seems happier in general.

Broess looks much like a smaller, softer, feminine version of Duhnen, only with much longer hair. She's rather pale, and her face holds the thinness of the recently ill, dark circles lining her eyes. Her every movement seems slow and controlled, and some how quiet.

The woman takes a swig of her ale before she starts a slow shuffle towards the noblewoman's table. She mutters something imperceptible under her breath as she casts a wary glance from side to side.

Duhnen Seamel glances about the tavern briefly, before smiling as he spots his sister. He makes his way over towards her table, humming to himself. "Brolly," he calls, his voice carrying across the tavern.

Broess looks up at the sound of her name, eyes widening slightly before a soft smile appears on her face. The guardsmen behind her nods briefly at Duhnen, but keeps his shifting glance mostly on the moving stranger. Broess appears to mouth the word "Duhnny" at her brother, though considering the noise level she may have actually said it.

As the nobleman appears the woman stops dead in her tracks and stares at him. She looks uncertain and shows no movement until she takes a couple of rather large gulps from the mug.

"You 'ere of tha' Jaltham Siltwater?" One drunken sailor questions of another patron "He fights like a Zahir!" He takes a drink of his ale to whet his throat and continues. "Took 'is knife and stabbed a man in th' back right in th'middle o' th' Thirsty Trout!." He draws a couple of stares. "It's true! Mikin man 'r no."

Duhnen Seamel doesn't seem to notice the raggedly dressed woman, the man's focus on his sister. Rounding the table as he arrives at it, his smile broadens as he leans to wrap an arm about Broess' shoulder, laying a large kiss to her forehead. Tugging a chair, he lowers himself to a seat next to her. "How are you, Brolly?"

Broess' smile widens as she leans into her brother ever so slightly as he wraps his arm around her. The smile distorts into a mild grimace as she flushes slightly. "Better? They are letting me have darker liquids now." The grimace returns to a softer smile as at that moment one of the barmaids sets a new steaming cup in front of the noblewoman and removes the old one. "And some of these have flavor."

The woman still doesn't move as she watches the pair. "B'oody frig," she mutters to herself, "Not good. Not da 'ight time." She lets out a small sigh and downs most of her ale.

"Well..the flavored ones are what to look forward to," Duhnen replies with a smile. "I'm glad you're recovering, Brolly. We were all worried, you know."

Broess smiles softly. "I always pull through somehow." The guardsman behind her approaches. "Excuse me, my lord, my Lady, We need to leave now if we are to get you back in time for the healer Lady Seamel." Broess sighs softly, closing her eyes a moment. She reaches her hand out to touch her brothers. "I am afraid he is correct. I shall have to visit with you anon." She drinks a large sip from the cup in front of her before slowly rising to her feet. From one of the nearby groups a second guardsman appears to take her arm while the first pulls a cloak out. "Fare thee well Duhnny, remember you are always welcome."

Ester blinks as the woman starts her departure. A look of relief crosses her face and she stares pointedly at Duhnen.

"Be well, Brolly. I love you," Duhnen replies, rising to his feet as his sister makes to leave, and leaning to kiss her on the forehead again. "I'll come visit." Thomas Ravensteed has arrived.

Broess nods, smiling softly before pulling her hood up to hide her face. She and the guardsmen move to the exit. If not for the dark of her cloak the young noblewoman would look like a ghost floating between them, rather than a noble walking.

A few emaciated men huddle in the corner near the fireplace. One picks his nose before remarking to his friends "That Rayk Nillu. Yeh. Bin' tainted. Used his powers to break out'a jail. He's touched he iz." The others nod in agreement casting their black gazes on the rest of the establishment before they go quiet.

The woman shuffles forward towards the table where Duhnen sits. Her expression is gruff. She clears her throat and speaks in a hoarse voice, " 'ord Seme'. I've got wo'ds fer yah!" The woman is stooped and dressed in raggedy clothing with one shoulder stooped to the side.

Duhnen Seamel draws his attention way from his departing sister to look to the woman addressing him. He blinks at her in some confusion, lifting a hand to straighten his faded blue shirt. He doesn't look very noble. More like a farmer of some sort, currently. Though for those about Silkfield, he'd still likely be well known. "What's that?"

The door swings open slowly, and in enters Ravensteed quite silently. He wanders slowly to the counter, not stopping to talk to anyone along the way. Once at the counter he nervously leans against it, not making any effort to catch the attention of whoever is serving.

The woman shuffles right up to the edge of the table and stares at Duhnen, her look sinister. She leans forward in an ominous manner and suddenly quirks a small grin. Her voice clears of both accent and hoarse quality as she speaks in a low voice, "Been a while hasn't friend."

Duhnen Seamel manages to keep a surprised expression from crossing his face. Instead, his expression turns more grim, and he reaches to grasp at the woman's arm. "If you insist on saying things like that, madam, I insist we go someplace where you won't offend people with more gentle ears," he says to her, his voice loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.

Someone finally taking pity on him, the bartender makes his way over to Ravensteed and asks him, "What're you having?". Thomas responds too quietly to hear, and the bartender frowns at him, "What's that?". A little louder this time, Ravensteed makes himself heard, "Ale please." Nodding, the bartender moves away to get what was ordered.

Ester glances down at the hand around her wrist. The accent returns along with a sly grin, "Well if yah insist 'ord. Dough I te'l yah I ain't come cheap."

"I'll have you know, that I'm married," replies Duhnen with a rolling of his eyes, beginning to tug Ester along with him towards the stairway at the back of the tavern, leaning to the rooms upstairs. "And, besides..once you had a taste you'd want it for free."

Returning with the drink, the bartender places it in front of Ravensteed, who puts possibly the right amount of money down and waits expectantly. The bartender looks at it and nods. Silently Tom turns away and looks over the tavern for an empty table. Seeing one, he makes a move towards it.

Ester glances at Thomas as she allows herself to be dragged along in a sort of hopping shuffle. "Dat doesn't seem ta stop most of you nob'es," she smirks and flashes Duhnen a wink.

Duhnen Seamel shakes his head slightly as he leads Ester along, climbing the stairs swiftly.

Sprouting Keg Tavern - Private Room

A fairly cramped, windowless chamber with a bed that has a single pillow, a thin white linen coverlet and a woolen blanket, a small wooden clothing chest, a battered wooden chair and a scuffed metal chamberpot. The floor is composed of bare wood planks that creak underfoot.

Duhnen Seamel leads Ester up the stairs, and fishes out a key from his pocket, opening a door and tugging her into the room. He promptly closes it and locks it, before turning about to laugh and wrap her in a tight embrace.

Ester straightens from her stooped position as soon as the door is shut. She returns the hug with vigor. "Had you going there for a moment didn't I?" She laughs and grins.

"Yes..I didn't know who the heck you were. And what your problem with me was," Duhnen laughs, rocking Ester a bit as he hugs her. "How've you been? I've missed you terribly."

"Oh yah know. Been keeping out of harms way. Getting into different sorts of trouble. Same old, same old," she replies, not seeming to want to let the hug end. Her manner grows a little more serious, "It's been different you know. Though I'm surviving. Been working on things and such." She pulls back a little to look him over, "And you? Gabriella. The children?"

"I'm well," Duhnen replies with a gentle smile, not seeming too eager to break the hug either. "As is Gabriella. And the children." He rubs at her back soothingly, looking her over almost in disbelief. "I imagine it's been different..your disguise is one of the best I've seen, though."

Ester glances down at her clothes, "Well I've had lots of time to work on it. I'm so used to it now I hardly think about it. It's like another me almost." She gives him a lopsided, "I've traveled by here many times. I hope you understand...I just haven't come and said hello. Time has passed so quickly, been so busy, that I've hardly noticed how long I've been out of contact." She pauses, "Though to be truthful most of my time has been spent far from here."

"I understand why you didn't," Duhnen nods his head at that, chuckling as he plucks at her clothing with a pair of fingers. "I know you do what you must, and I don't grudge you that, Ester. I never have." He shrugs a bit and gestures with a hand towards the bed, the only decent seat, and begins leading her through the crowded room. "I use this room mostly for storage, to be honest. I haven't cleaned it out after I moved into Jade Gardens."

Ester grins, "It's no problem," she answers as she makes her way through the piles objects. "I have to admit though. I'm here for more then just saying hello." She flashes him a serious smile, "What is the possibility of you getting away for a few days. I would like to show you something."

Duhnen Seamel lowers himself into a seat on the bed, and looks up to Ester, unable to hide the curious expression on his face. "I could get away easily. What is it you want to show me? Would we be traveling far?"

Ester rubs the back of her neck, "Yah it's far. Well fairly far. We'd have to take a bit of a round about route." She grins slyly, "And I'd advise wearing old clothes and good walking shoes."

"Not going to tell me, are you?" Duhnen asks with an arched eyebrow, quirking an amused smile. He slides over on the bed and pats the empty spot, room for her to sit. "Well. I have old clothes. And decent boots," he shrugs, glancing down to what he currently wears.

Ester doesn't make move to sit, "Well pack some provisions then and lets be off. No time to waste I say."

"Right now, is it?" Duhnen blinks, lifting an eyebrow. He rubs at his hair, looking about the room thoughtfully. "Well, I didn't exactly think you'd mean immediately." Turning his attention back to her, he rises to his feet. "Don't suppose there's any landmarks I can take us to now to get us there faster?"

Ester thinks for a moment and lowers her voice, "Ever been to the Fetters?" She thinks again, "If not the only other place that would do would be somewhere inside the SD." She grins, "I can't take the normal route in." She points to the ground, "Though it's funny when one becomes just like a rat where the sewers can take you."

"Never been to the fetters," Duhnen shakes his head. "..so I suppose we'll simply have to ride there, in some manner or another." He moves away from her, walking over to one of the many chests in the room, and opens it, rooting around inside. "I'll want a weapon not as distinguishable..just in case."

Ester shakes her head, "Nah we can't ride. I can't be seen going through the gate." She states bluntly, "I take the sewers. It's smelly and disgusting, but you get used to it."

Duhnen Seamel pauses at that, looking over to Ester as he works to unbuckle the sword belt he wears, tucking his longsword away into the chest. "Very well. Sewers," he chuckles quietly, nodding his head. "I'll follow where you lead, Ester." He reaches into the chest, drawing out a steel mace, and holds it up for inspection. "I made this way back.."

Ester whistles appreciatively as she examines the mace, "Nice. I should get one of those."

"You can have this one if you want," shrugs Duhnen, turning it about in his grip and holding it out to her in offering. He bends down to reach into the chest again, drawing out a silver shortsword.

Ester takes the mace grips it tightly. She gives it a couple of tentative swings from side to side. "I could really bash a few heads with this," she mutters.

Ester laughs as she heads for the door, the hand holding the mace slips under her grubby cloak. "Well those rats can be nasty I guess."

''A day or so later...

Elktail Quarter 

''Named for the incredibly rare vinefruit whose poisonous rind is said to torture a man more perfectly than a professional painmaker (and rumored to only grow out of the corpse of a woman who has committed every act the Church forbids), this was once the freelander burgh of the town, sporting stonecarvers and gemcutters that were unrivaled in Fastheld at the time.

''Stocky, sturdy two story buildings are interspersed with level upon level of newer, shoddy wooden shacks, many painted garish colors and a few graffitied with colorful insults and warnings. Dark alleyways abound here, a side effect of the irregular spaces carved out when the old city burned.

Ester lifts the grate and peeks out at the roadway before lifting it fully. She climbs out and emerges between two wagons. The lantern she's carrying casts beams of light on the large wheels. She turns and looks back down at the gaping hole, "All clear. Come out of the stink."

Duhnen gladly does just that, climbing out from the grating and between the wagons. He ducks down, moving away from the opening, and gasps in some air. "Light..there's not a smell I'd like to encounter again anytime soon."

Ester grins, "I swear. Do that enough and you do get use to it." She starts walking between the wagons towards a small alley. "Well maybe not totally used to it." You head into Tiny Alley.

Tiny Alley 

''Little more than ten feet tall at its apex, this alley is capped by a sturdy redstone wall to the east, and a reinforced shardwood wall angling over to meet with it, allowing little light save for that which spills in from the very end of the alley. Long and narrow, several locked grates and barred-up basement windows seem to have been turned into main entrances for small hovels. The stench of dead bodies and human waste abounds here, and few travel down this way.

"Perish the thought," Duhnen replies, moving along behind her, his nose still quivering. He coughs softly. "Ugh..feels like it's up my nose. Anyway.." He looks about they alley as they move in.

"Don't worry you can freshen up momentarily." Ester strides towards a small grate at the end of the ally and stoop to one knee. Quickly she removes a small metal bar from the folds of her cloak and taps out a small pattern on it's surface. After a few moments a soft click can be heard from beneath it. Ester tugs and it slowly rises, "Passion is a woman's fancy," she quips to the open hole, nods at something and beckons Duhnen forward. "Promise this doesn't smell," she states as she slips her legs down the hole. "Watch it this ladder is a bit wobbly."

Foyer: Yeast Cellar

''More than 500 years ago, this was the wine cellar of one Pellan Yeast, a middle-of-the-road brewer who prided himself on fair prices and a large freelander clientèle, to whom he supplied thousands of gallons of the brew he invented, Yeast's pale ale, later renamed the oakknot pale ale when his secret ingredient was discovered. To achieve this result, however, required the production of gigantic amounts of liquid, which needed to be fermented somewhere. This is that place.

''During the fifty or so years that the Fetters ruled the town, a rival group called Wabban's Boys used this as their hideout, building many of the partitions now seen, and sleeping over two hundred members at their peak. Since then, the space has passed from gang to gang, most using its massive space to house their entire operations.

''The size of several homes put together, this cavernous riverstone cellar has been divided into sections via large, rotting wood partitions. One section, however, is partition-free, and features two of the massive original beer barrels mounted in stone scaffolding. These have been drilled out with entrance holes, and used for storage. What was once a staircase leading to the main level of the home has been filled in with very large redstone bricks, and a short ladder towards the western side leads to the grate that opens to the outdoors.

Duhnen Seamel follows behind Ester, descending down the ladder. He reaches the bottom and pauses, looking about the cellar, blinking at that. "..well."

As the pair descend a large room comes into view and it's bustling. Several dozen men and women mill about it's interior working at various tasks, sharpening blades, carving, weaving, playing cards and generally hanging out. A bearded man waits at the bottom of the ladder for them, greeting Ester with a gruff smile and eyeing Duhnen warily as he speaks, "Allo Mistress. Glad yah made it back it one piece." Ester nods at him and thumbs a finger at Duhnen, "He's good. Pay him no mind." The man nods though still eyes the nobleman with some suspicion. A few of the other look over and nod at Ester as well before going back to their business.

Duhnen returns the gaze of the man, before stepping away from the ladder, looking about the surroundings appraisingly. "Ester..you've been busy," he chuckles quietly, turning to regard his friend.

"Yes very," Ester returns in a nonchalant manner. She starts across the expansive room and gestures for Duhnen to follow. "Mad-dog," she says with a glance at the man as she leaves, "Let anyone know that I'll deal with any business in the morning. Emergencies only please." The man nods, "Alrighty. I knows that Stone needs to talk about his deal. It fell though or something." Ester grimaces, nods but otherwise doesn't respond as she continues to walk.

Duhnen Seamel follows Ester, regarding the various people about as he walks. Of particular attention is the various weapons the individuals carry and sharpen, almost appearing critical in the manner of which he regards them.

A women steps through the door that Ester is heading towards. "Yer water's in yer room," she states and walks over to a table where a group is playing a rather boisterous game of cards. Ester nods and heads through the door.

Lesser Barracks: Yeast Cellar

''By far the largest 'room' in the cellar, this area is dominated by an eight by eight grid of sturdy (if uncomfortable) bunk beds, each bunk sporting several hooks for the storage of clothing. Old, foot-worn rugs run the gamut between the bunks, giving the room a slightly musty smell. A pair of grime-riddled washing basins have been placed in one corner, and three skinny sewer grates provide for the relief of bodily functions.

Duhnen Seamel moves into the even larger room, following close behind Ester and looking about. "How long've you been down here? Or had things running, Ester? Who'd have thought there was something like this hidden away."

"It's not much," Ester comments as she heads across the even larger room towards another door. The room reverberates with the snores of several sleeping people. She thinks, "Four months or so I guess maybe a little longer. I however "acquired" it a while before things happened. Figured it might be useful someday." She pauses as she opens the next door, "Funny how things work out I guess."

Greater Barracks: Yeast Cellar

''Set off in a separate partition than the larger barracks 'room', this area sports four nicer beds, each separated from each other with their own partition to create personalized nooks. The stone floor has been adorned with several large rugs, and two bureaus sit against the far wall for personal effects. A singular sewer grate and a granite bathtub stand in the far corner. A hole in the partitioning leads to the larger barracks. Duhnen Seamel moves into the smaller barracks, nodding his head. "Go figure..I'm sure you never imagined you'd put it to use like this. Who are the men and women about, though?"

Ester shrugs a little, "Oh you know just a mottly band of merry men and women who generally aren't pleased with things going on in the realm. They're an interesting group. Some are old friends, some we picked up along the way and of course we have a good smattering of general lowlifes that just needed some direction in their lives." She walks to sit on one of the beds and grins wryly, "We survive though and have some fun along the way. Perhaps if I feel so inclined I will tell you all about it."