4 On to Phandalin

To Carp Alderleaf: sweet memories come to half orc remembering his secrets from his own mother and he has no problem to swear everything he thing boy would take serious: Your secret safe with me. Trakomak tell no secrets. Never.

"That’ll be 5 gold for the hooded lantern, and 25 sliver for the rations." Barthen retrieves the required items, hands them to Tatiana, then collects the coin owed. "We don’t have a jeweler here in Phandalin, to get fancy crafted things we have go got to Neverwinter." Barthen watches Tatiana give Alex, Raven, and Decklan their gold. When he overhears Decklan saying ‘tuffs’, that locals ‘scurried’ from Barthen frowns. "They were probably a couple Redbrands on their way to get sloshed and Sleeping Giant Tap house. I don’t know that I’d go messing with them. Townmaster Harbin’s been mostly letting them run rampant for fear of retaliation of a worse sort."

---

Trakomak the young halfling nods, "When me and Pip were playing kill the hydra over in the hollow, we found a secret tunnel in the woods, but bad guys almost caught us. We had to run all the way home." Both boys watch your reaction to their adventure carefully.

"Carp told you our secret," Pip speaks up, "now you tell us who’s your favorite."

Tatiana secures her purchase, then engages in the time-honored tradition of extending the conversation by asking a clarifying question. "Redbrands?"

Trakomak's reaction is mostly none. He says So the question - my favorite person? My favorite person is me! ... he makes a dramatic pause then laughs Haha, just kidding. I like Tatiana and Ammos, they are both reasonable. Tatiana better if I have to pick one. The rest are... interesting. becoming more serious Trakomak adds the bad boys you run away - need help with them?
It appears not half orc interpret "bad guys" to be other boys of the town - the most reasonable explanation to the Alderleaf's words.

Barthen sighs, "Well… the Redbrands are a group of thugs that have been pests for a few years but about a month back they got organized. Now days they are making it hard on everyone, shaking down local businesses and flouting the townmaster's authority. Not that he does much to stop is." Barthen mumbles the last.

---

Trakomak you see both their eyes widen a bit. "No you can’t," the dark haired one says, "Papa says we just get away from them if we see them. They’re not nice, they could hurt you." After a pause he adds, "What’s your name?"

"Phandalin has no constabulary?" asks Tatiana. "The townmaster is the sole authority here?"

Pip Stonehill: Could hurt me? Now that's interesting. How could I know I met the bad guys and need to run? And yes my name is Trakomak, you can call me Tra. Thanks for asking.

"No, not yet. Harbin can call up volunteers if he wants, and has for something’s but the Redbrands have him scared. Don’t get me wrong, Harbin’s been good for something’s, getting trade thriving, organization, even crop rotations, he’s just a little soft to deal with… threats from more than a rogue bear or pack of wolves. We actually had a Lords Alliance rep show up but he only stayed a week before he was just gone."

---

"I’m Pip," the small human grins, then elbows his friend softly, "this is Carp. You’ll know um by the red bandanas they wear, and they’re always looking mean at people. They think they’re the boss all the time."

"I understand," says Tatiana, briefly distracted by a consideration of silent thoughts. "This representative, did he have a name?"

Raven looked at some wares as he listened to Tatiana speak with the owner. He was doing a very bad job at looking like he was shopping, when he was really just listening to the discussion.

Decklan wanders over to Tatiana and the proprietor. "So how many of these bastards are there? In total, I mean. And where's their home?"

"I couldn't tell you the Lord's Alliance representative's name. I don't remember, I'm better with faces than names, but he was staying at the Inn." Barthen turns at Decklan's qustion, "I don't think anyone knows where the Redbrands are hold up, but they spend an awful lot of time at the Sleeping Giant tap house, getting drunk and starting fights."

"Heh. Looks like I know where I'm going to go spend my time," Decklan replies with a harsh laugh and a smile that can only be described as malicious. With that, he saunters out the door a ways heading towards the inn, but remembers about needing a cleric.

He plants his heel and pivots in a facing movement that would make the hardest drill sergeant smile (inside) and heads towards the shrine he observed earlier.

"Thank you, Master Barthen," says Tatiana. "I shall inform Master Rockseeker of your intent to visit, and I look forward to returning to your establishment." Offering a curtsy, she turns to depart the store and proceed to the Shrine of Tymora to visit Sister Garaele.

Before she leaves, Tatiana appraises the young man seemingly lost in thought. "Raven," she says, hoping to provide direction now that his main focus was taken away. "Come along. There are other matters to address."

Alex, upon receiving his share of the payment from Tatiana, loses himself in reverie. Gold, sweet, precious, luscious, glittering, shiny gold. Oh, of thee how I long to sing. But ten pieces is not the fortune I need to restore our name and honor. Alas, I am beholden to continue a life of privation until I have amassed enough of thee, lovely gold.

Hearing Lady Tatiana's voice take a turn to the acerbic as she questions the storekeep shakes Alex out of his dawdling. He remains uncharacteristically silent as he takes in this information [OOC - because his player was busy :)].

Toughs in Phandalin and possibly impotent Lords Alliance representative? Opportunity for both wealth and disaster. Which will it be?

Turning to the storekeep, Alex asks Master Elmar, was it? Do you have standard arrows amongst your many wares? If so, may I have a brace of 20, please? he says as he flips one of the gold pieces from hand to hand. And if I may prevail upon your loquaciousness, these Redbrands, would you say their mischief is more of the subtle kind or are they more akin to bugbears with less facial hair?

Raven put down the random thing he had been looking at but not really interested in. He followed Tatiana out the door and asked quietly, "Did you want to go searching for a healer now? Hopefully we will find someone who can help."

As they leave, he tries to get one last look at the oxen who he had walked with for several days. He gives a little sigh to himself thinking they were good company.

Tatiana nods, maintaining a brisk and determined pace to conclude as much of the day's business as she can. "Yes. We will first inquire at the Shrine to Tymora and speak to the sister. If she cannot help, we can find directions to Umbrage Hill and the apothecary."

Glancing over her shoulder, she pauses. "You've heard our conversation about these 'Redbrands'? Probably just some local hooligans," she says, quietly so as to not declare herself to everyone in Phandalin. "Still, just in case, walk with a little more confidence." Tatiana's eyes flit to Raven's shoulders and the penchant for his chin to turn towards the stables. "Straighten your back and look ahead like you know what you are doing and where you are going. Small-town thugs will only bother you if you appear lost and weak, so don't give them that opportunity."

The farmer looks at Tatiana as she suggests various changes to him. He shrugs, "I get it. I live in a small town. People always messed with me growing up. Might be because of the witch. Mostly just ignore me these days." he seems to have drifted off the topic. "I'll give it a try."

Raven attempts to stand straighter and look more confident, but at only 5'5" tall and 120 pounds, Raven is anything but intimidating. After a few steps, he is slumped back into his normal posture and stopped to scratch the stray cat which walked by them in the street.

Having returned to her purpose, Tatiana is unaware of Raven's distraction as she continues to the shrine.

Decklan you head down the street toward the green where the oxen turned around. Tatiana and Raven you head south in the direction Toblen had indicated Tymora’s shrine was. Decklan and Tatiana you are shadowing each other, is it coincidence or is some one following the other. Raven you notice the situation too.

---

Alex Barthen shakes his head, "I don’t sell weapons and the like, for that you want Linene over at the Lionshield Coster. Big building south of the Green, look for the shield with a blue lion on it. As for the Redbrands, they do both. Sneak around stealing things and, if rumors are to be believed, people. They’ll also bash things to bits when things don’t go their way."