Café de Nuit

A door swings open.... (Oh, how cheap and classical!)

... And Cirdan Carnesir enters the scene.

You can see the half-elf's appeareance has changed significantly:

He has changed his grey armor for another model, all in shining black,
decorated with the same skull and cross emblems, but of way better fabrication,
and donned a crimson red cloak instead of the blue one he wore when you last saw him.
A long, fresh scar goes over his left cheek, and though he still wears the bull-horn helm
and the shield he bought with Norzak's advice before he left to the north,
both items look like they lately have suffered greatly.

Yet, Cirdan's eyes shine with friendliness as he looks at his friends.

"I am back! Evangeline told me where to find you!"

...As if the fresh hickey on his neck hadn't told you that Cirdan had went to see Evangeline first...

Bennedict rounded the corner leading back to the office, trying to sift through the glut of information from Brother Willen for anything useful. Unsuccesful, he gives up as he sees Cirdan stepping in through the front door. He gives an inward sigh, Wonderful, more complications. I had hoped to be done with this business before Gallahad returned.

He steps in through the front door, leaning his walking stick against the wall and hanging his hat on a hook near to hand. "I hope your efforts were more fruitful than mine. I can tell you all the varieties of peas that the church is growing out back, but I learned very little that was of any use. Norzak? Alain? Did you fare better?"

"We finded a very locked room but near got caught, so we left. I think thas' tha place 'n' I think so does he" he points at ALain. He retells what transpired of the evening of sleuthing to Benn.

Alain whispers to Norzak as Cirdan walks in:" We also got this note about meeting someone at midnight and I think are person to meet them just walk through the door . " " Well it's so nice to finally meeting the Sir Cirdan that Evangeline raves about so . My name is Alain Smithe and joined up with your companions in finding out about some portal in the sewers. " Put out his hands to shake Sir Cirdans.

Cirdan smiles and shakes the hand of his comrades' new friend.

"I think you have a sound plan here. Though I would like to accompany you to make sure we ask the question BEFORE we mutilate, torture or kill a suspect." - Suspicious look to Norzak. - "Though I must confess that your way of handling problems worked pretty well last time, Sir Dwarf."

The half-elf laughs aloud again. A friendly and relieved laughter. Even in this short time, something seems to have changed about him...

Norzak looks at Cirdan "Yer right bub, I do get tha job done, so don't question me ways and I won't get under yer skin for bein' a knight, unnerstood?"

Cirdan laughs and hugs the stinking dwarf, pulling him up from the ground.

"Sure, my friend, sure! - In my homeland, even knights wouldn't mind using violence against lowborn..."

Dorgio looks at Benn when he enteres. "So my friend, you remember the woman you were dancing with at the party, the one who shared your, how is it said, passion for antiques? It turns out she's put a lot of gold into that library. Just a thought. The two of you, do you have plans to meet again?"

The cleric grins when he sees Cirdan walk through the door. "Ah, welcome back!" Dorgio hurridly explains the note they found. "Now, Norzak may be right, it may be a trap, but if this person already knows us and when to find us, maybe they would have already attacked. But we need to know how much they know about us." Dorgio continues, explaining his plan for Cirdan going to the meeting place while the others lie in wait nearby.

Bennedict looks at Dorgio thoughtfully. "I mostly met her in passing. If she has a controlling interest in the church then perhaps she could get me in to have a look around. I suppose, of course, I could ask. I'm not overly enthusiastic about the chances of success, though."

He taps his index finger against the desktop, weighing options. "Perhaps I could look into the possibility while the rest of you deal with the letter writer. Let me know when the actual meeting occurs, I'll come along to provide some support."

Rafael wrote:Cirdan laughs and hugs the stinking dwarf, pulling him up from the ground.

"Sure, my friend, sure! - In my homeland, even knights wouldn't mind using violence against lowborn..."

Norzak eyes Cirdan with a strange look, that of pity. "Hey elf. Lemme tell ye somethin'. In the dwarf community, it don' matter who ye is, tha King himself respects everyone and considers 'em important no matter what task they accomplish in life. 'Umans and I guess elves are tha same. I don' unnerstand it at all. My clan is close knit and ready to help one another."

He pauses, looking at everyone before continuing. "And we'd help any dwarf that needs it. I ain' seen nuthin' like it here so far. Sure, Sancerre helpeded us but he did it cuz we saved lil missy. Else would 'e of thought of us? Nah. Take a look it me. I ain't a saint, but done me job right and was respected like any other dwarf in me clan. Think about that, Cirdan, afore ye go saying degradin' words bout peasants. They's people too, like you or Benn. Jus lookit lil Anja. She be a peasant but I think o her like I do of any of ye, unnerstood? I might be uneducated an uncultured, but I's seen near a century n a half. My ways might be disturbin ye, but I knows whats I knows, ok?"

Norzak spits on the ground before wiping his mouth on his arm. Then once the guys had finished planning, he spoke. "I don' like tha elf bein' alone or Benn fer that matter. We cain't be splittin' up. Stick tagether. We should all go to that meeting, hidden from view and tha elf should go at the appointed time, us we should be leavin' aforehand. I suggest the four of us leave a few hours afore 'n scout it out. Alain 'n' I kin check it out first. On our way we kin also check fer peoples spyin' on us. What did yer thinkin' o that?

"I agree with you that we should scout out the meeting place before we meet with anyone there, and oh I judge people by their actions and not by their up bring my new friend . " Responding to Norzaks speech.

Cirdan laughs friendily - like a donkey, one might say - and sits down in the nearest chair.

"Come on, just tell me what we got to do. I am all yours. At least for now."

Another laughter, like the crushing of a waterfall... Or the mooing of an ox.

Dorgio opens his mouth to agree with Norzak about the plan, but he stops short upon hearing Cirdan's laugh.

"You're doing well, my friend?" he asks the knight. The comment about the lowborn earlier was nothing more than Dorgio would expect from one of the Eternal Order, but he seemed somehow...well, stupider than normal.

"Maybe you got bit too hard by that girl, eh?" Dorgio feigns a laugh.

Bennedict arches a quizzical eyebrow at Cirdan, but ignores his strange outburst. At least he's going along with the plan.

"I'll speak with Frau Renier's aides this afternoon to try and meet with her. You fellows can go and scout out the meeting place."

Norzak eyes Cirdan warily. In dwarvish, he says in low voice "He be acting odd, the elf. Muss' be somethin' ta do with that mark on 'is neck. He din' go and do somethin brash with lil miss evie, did 'e now? Bah!"

"Elf, what ye do with yeself while ye was gone? An' 'ave ye seen lil miss evie since ye been back?" Norzak asks Cirdan, gauging his reaction to the questions.