"We'll have a ton of business," Ras agrees in reply to Rukhnis, gaining some enthusiasm as his smile returns. They seem to be having a conversation a short distance from the crates around the hearth, but he starts moving, walking purposefully over to the table and taking a seat that faces the entrance. Both elbows fold over the tabletop as he leans forward in a decisive manner, adopting a professional air. "Gonna be time soon for folk to come in," he says, half to himself and half to the Eurusi woman.

Dom, an unassuming assistant, Saymore, the parrot that just won't stop arrive, following Austen.

Ras has joined the a set of spindle-backed blackwood chairs and matching table.

Rukhnis nods to Ras in decisive agreement, then frowns faintly and says, "Oh. Yes. I suppose it has gotten to be near that time." The Eurusi woman takes up a spot to one side of the table nearest the pot of ginger tea, evidently prepared to offer this bit of flavourful hospitality to anyone that comes in.

Rukhnis has joined the a set of spindle-backed blackwood chairs and matching table.

Amantha walks in, she takes a moment offer a smile and a nod to everyone in the room before walking in further. She pulls her braid idly over her shoulder, walking towards where Ras and ruhknis are now seated. "Hey Ras, Rukhnis. So It's finally officially open?"

Sir Floppington the Soulful Hound arrives, following Rowenova.

Samira sidles in through the door, taking a slow circuitous stroll around the room to admire the newly opened office. A hand lifts, fingers running through her untidy curls as she turns to face Ras and Rukhnis. "Congratulations on the opening. It looks really nice. Always good to see ideas coming to fruition."

After Samira comes Sir Floppington and Scout Rowenova, taking advantage of the previously-opened door before it can close all the way.

Ras smiles at Rukhnis again, then nods at Amantha from where he sits at the table. There's a slight shuffle, as if he's about to stand, and then decides to stay in the chair for whatever reason (maybe he thinks that sitting in chairs is what professional people do). "Hey Amantha," he says. "Yep, sure is." There's an amiable nod past the guardswoman to Samira. "Check out the carpet," he suggests, unprofessionally. "Real nice, right?"

Austen strides into the offices, the knight clearly coming to have a look see about the place, offering a dip of his head to those already present. He gives Ras and Rukhnis a small bow of greeting. "Congratulations, both," he offers with a smile. "An impressive looking place."

Korka steps inside with the many other people coming for the opening, glancing around the room and stopping to read the plaque, "Exactly what sort of business will you be taking on?" She asks mildly, looking over to Ras, "Anything from lost dogs to missing husbands to who is stealing the extra rolls down by the soup kitchen?"

Revell slips quietly into the newly opened offices and takes a cursory look around before her gaze lads on Ras, who gets a small, encouraging smile and an approving nod of the head. She heads over towards one of the crates around the hearth and takes a seat, then rummages through her pockets till she finds her notebook and a piece of charcoal to write with. Her focus is mainly on her writing, but when people she recognizes enter she does look up to offer a lazy wave to each of them. Austen, in particular, gets a wide, toothy smile.

Rowenova gets Commons Investigators Voucher from a golden book tote.

Rukhnis pours a mug of tea with a vaguely ceremonious air and offers it to Amantha with a small bow, then repeats the same offer with Samira and each other person that comes over to the table. She nods to the sentiment Samira expresses, agreeing, "Is it not? Ras has worked very hard to arrive at this point, and to fix up the building nicely as well." When Revell comes in a look of caution enters her eyes, but the flower girl receives the same sincerely courteous bow as everyone else. To Rowenova, the Eurusi woman says, "Scout Rowenova, it is good to see you here as well. Sir Floppington is recovering swiftly, I hope?"

Sir Floppington wags up to Rukhnis, doing so with bright eyes. He looks to be stitch-and-bandage free. The wolf scout smiles brightly. "Good to see you." Then, she claims a voucher before moving to where Rukhnis is. "He is, indeed, and all thanks to you. I appreciate what you did for him. Very much so."

Amantha turns her attention to the carpet, looking at a moment before accepting the mug of tea from Rukhnis, carefully taking a small sip, probably because it's likely hot. "It's a nice carpet." she affirms. "I hope the business is still doing good?" she turns to look at the rest having come in overing them each a nod in turn.

Samira stares down at the carpet, a small grin spreading across her features. "Yeah, real nice. Where'd you get it?" The words are directed at Ras, but her dark eyes remain hooked upon the hues and textures of the carpet, studying the design with utmost interest. She looks to be on the verge of kneeling to admire it more closely when Rukhnis's voice pulls her attention back to the present, her head snapping up to offer her a faint smile. "I bet it was a lot of work, but it'll be worth it. Sounds like it'll be an interesting job too, seeing what sorts of things the people of the Lowers need help investigating."

Ras lifts a hand to wave a greeting to Rowenova, and to Austen. "Yeah, the shop was shut down, but it was a pretty awesome building in the first place." His eyes brighten about something, but it goes specifically unsaid. Seeing Revell, he offers her a quick smile, then turns focus to Korka. "Yeah, all that sorta business," he explains, demeanor turning businesslike and solemn again. "Except for the extra rolls, I already know who's doin that." After this, which may or may not be a joke, his gaze tracks back to the wolf scout and his brow knits at Sir Floppington. "Don't piss on the carpet," he warns the dog, unnecessarily.

Rukhnis tells Rowenova, "From what I can tell he fought as bravely as anyone, and with less understanding of what was at stake, and so mostly for the sake of his friends. Such behaviour surely made him as worthy of the best care as any of the human warriors he fought alongside. Besides," she adds, reaching out to pet him gently on his soft head, "he is my friend." For some reason she seems to be trying to ignore the conversation around the carpet, except to snort softly at Ras when he gives poor Flops that warning.

"Goodwoman Revell," greets Austen to the flower girl, dipping his head to her with a smile. His attention returns thoughtfully to Ras. "Well, you have done an astounding job of fixing it up," he says with a smile. "I can imagine that you will be kept rather busy."

Korka gives Ras a very brief, blink and you miss it, smile, then she's back to examining the room and the people that have decided to come to the opening, "That window is going to be an issue when you find the people that don't want to be found," she inclines her head towards it, "You might want to keep a fund for replacements."

Samira belatedly realizes tea has been offered. She steps forward to accept the mug with mumbles thanks, blowing on the drink before taking a few small sips. She sweeps a gaze over the gathering as she lapses into a silence, noting a few familiar faces among the crowd. Revell is greeted with a casual upnod and there's a tentative smile for Rowenova as well, a polite nod for any others whose eyes she happens to meet. "How many investigators you got on the team?"

The question is asked while Samira is busy scanning the crowd, but it's clearly meant for Ras and Rukhnis.

Understanding that he is being addressed, Sir Floppington looks up at Ras, doing so with those soulful eyes which tend toward the mournful as hounds are wont to do. Though, no somberness can remain when Rukhnis touches him, and the good boy looks up at her as he swishes his tail.
Meanwhile, Rowenova grunts lowly after what Ras says. "He is a good boy." Then, she nods to Rukhnis. "Aye, he did. He went after the worst of them, or so I was told." Though, she sounds uncertain about her memory on the subject and soon looks to Samira with a nod back as well as a reciprocated smile.

Ras must have missed Rukhnis' recalcitrance to talk about the carpet, because he says cheerfully to Samira, "Stormbird got it!" He nods at her. "We got her, me, Syd, Rinel, and Urain." There's a small shrug and his gaze briefly drops, then rises again. "Yeah," he tells Austen. "We got some clients already, but it's good to have a set up where folk can come in anytime." It's Korka's comment that makes him pause and think for a moment, not in consideration of what she says, but about something else -- if the way his pupils track aside is any indication. Finally he makes a gesture to the stamp in the outside of the door, which has been left open. "Don't reckon a lot of folk around here'll cross Raymesin Ulbran." Maybe that's some kind of Lowers custom, but it doesn't get explained any further than that.

Revell has joined the crates set in a half-circle around the hearth.

Rukhnis makes a quietly grumbling noise at Ras but concedes, "I did have it made, but I only sketched up a rough design and gave it to a woman who had been a weaver back in Eurus, and she elaborated upon the theme beautifully. So all credit is truly due to her." Her gaze passes thoughtfully across the room and the small crowd assembled there, before coming back to rest upon Austen. "I believe you must be the only one here whom I have not met," she tells the man. "If you would offer me your name, it would be an honour. For myself, I am Rukhnis al-Katibi, a physician more than an investigator."

Austen tilts his head at Ras, grinning just a little . "I very much doubt that anyone will," he agrees cheerfully before his attention turns to Rukhnis at her words. The big knight gives her an apologetic smile. "I am sorry, Goodwoman," he says, bowing to her. "Sir Austen Ferron, at your service," he introduces himself. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Goodwoman Rukhnis," the Oathlander greets.

Amantha finishes her tea, perhaps a bit quicker than most people would and puts downb the cup nearby. she offers a parting nod to Ras before she starts heading for the door.

"Good. Seems like you'll manage to take on a lot of business between the lot of you." Samira's gaze leaves Ras to turn to Rukhnis, a nod offered. "It's beautifully done." Mug of tea cradled between her cupped hands, she drops unceremoniously into a kneeling position to study the intricacies of the carpet more closely, oblivious to the crowds around her.

Ras nods a solemn farewell back to Amantha, settling into a cross-armed hunch over the tabletop.

Korka takes a moment to study the rates board, tilting her head just a bit, "Who decides what level these fall into, you or the client?" She asks, gesturing to the board, "And is it life and death for you or for the client or object of the client's desire?"

Rukhnis's brow lifts slightly at Austen's introduction, though she finishes her courtesies before saying anything else. "Sir Austen Ferron, I greet you. It honours me to make your acquaintance. Indeed," she adds then, her dark eyes brightening slightly, "Tanith has spoken of you, and I am very glad to be able to meet you." To Samira she says, "I will let the weaver herself know. I am sure it will warm her heart to hear such praise from one who is a fellow artist."

Rowenova asides to Austen, "Good seeing you. It has been quite some time."

"Me," says Ras to Korka, lifting his chin to reply to her across the space. "Or whoever of my partners the client's talkin to." There's a moment where he chews his lip thoughtfully, studying the board past the inquisitor's gesture. It might be a little strange that he's not totally put off by her presence, or that of Amantha before, but he seems acquainted with them both, and his attitude isn't hostile at all. "The life or death means you could die for nosin around shit too hard." His voice lowers. "That ain't a case like the bakery's missing rolls."

Rukhnis slants a look towards Ras as he answers Korka, commenting wryly to the latter, "Through careful deliberation and detailed calculation Ras has concluded that the life of each one of us is valued at precisely five thousand silver." She snorts softly and finally pours out a mug of tea for herself.

Austen gives Rowenova a small smile. "It has indeed," he nods. "I am glad to see that you are well," he says softly, dipping his head to her before his attention returns to Rukhnis. "She has?" he asks, sounding perhaps a little surprised, his tone warm. "Well. Then I am likewise hnoured to meet you."

After a few moments lost in thought, Samira seems to realize she might be in the way of the milling crowd and rises hastily back to her feet. "Please do," she answers to Rukhnis with a nod. Ras's explanation captures her attention, mug lifted for another series of sips before she steps up. "Is payment due upfront? What if it starts out seeming pretty straight-forward but, through the course of invesetigating, it turns into something potentially life or death - I guess you'd give the client a heads-up that the price is gonna change and see if they still want to proceed?" She is apparently preparing for all eventualities.

"That much?" Korka drawls, looking over to Rukhnis hten back to Ras, "Who are the partners here? Obviously you. And you." she looks between the two, "Do you have contractors you hire things out to so that things can't be traced back to you? Or am I already delving too far into the secrets of your trade?"

Ras checked composure + etiquette at difficulty 15, rolling 4 lower.

With a smile, Rowenova thanks Austen. "Glad you are doing well, too." Then, she tells Ras and Rukhnis, "I am so glad you are doing this. Thank you."

Ras might feel Rukhnis' gaze, because he glances towards her right before she speaks, and there's a flinch of a squint as he looks on in silence, then looks down at the surface of the table. He doesn't have a lot of time to think about it, though, because he raises his head at Samira's question, and then at Korka's. First he opens his mouth, then shuts it with a snap and scowls, as if blaming them both for his own inability to immediately deliver answers to these eventualities.

Sir Floppington the Soulful Hound leaves, following Rowenova.

Revell appears content in her anti-social little bubble, making notes of questions asked and the answers Ras and Rukhnis provide with her brows knitted and tongue pushed out between her lips in deep focus. At this point, she's leaned over her notebook with most of her face obscured by her unruly head of hair. When Ras fails to answer Samira's and Korka's questions both, however, her hand stops and the flowergirl glances up in mild concern.

Caught up in this small headspace drama, Ras neglects to render farewells to Rowenova and Sir Floppington.

Samira checked perception + empathy at difficulty 15, rolling 35 higher.

Rukhnis affirms to Austin, "She has. When she had mentioned you before I did not know whom she was speaking of, but she explained just who you were when we had tea together some days. So it is indeed a pleasure as well as an honour."

She shifts her gaze back to Korka then. "It is indeed a far higher value than has been assigned to my person on previous occasions," Rukhnis agrees with the inquisitor, looking somewhat cynically amused. "As for the other matters," she goes on, looking towards Samira too, "I expect the initial fee will be agreed upon in the first consultation, with the further agreement that additional fees may be requested if the investigation expands in scope or begins to step beyond the bounds originally agreed upon."

Samira inclines her head to Rukhnis as she accepts this answer. "That sounds fair. That way there aren't any surprise fees along the way." The Culler studies Ras briefly, brows furrowed as she notes his discomfort. Turning her gaze away, she makes a show of suddenly investing great interest into the study of the office again. "Well anyway, I didn't mean to pry, wasn't trying to get you to share all your business secrets. I'm sure it's going to be a complicated thing at times and you'll handle everything as it comes.

Tarik steps into the common investigation room and offers a quick wave to Ras, ""Congratulations, on your place!" Tarik takes a few moments to look around the place before heading towards the table with the tea.

Korka gives Ras' reaction an amused look, turning her attention more to Rukhnis at the explanations, "I'm trying to get you to share all your business secrets," she assures them, "But it seems like you have things well in hand. Except for that window, which is going to get broken regardless of Raymesin. But at least you have the skills to track down who does it each time."

Ras relaxes slightly. "Yep, business secrets," he mutters, ducking his head and then glancing towards Tarik. "Hey," he says, with a wave. "You just missed Rowenova."

Austen's ears pink a little at Rukhnis's words. "Ah. Well. Yes," he says, perhaps slightly flustered for a moment. "Anyway, I have other matters to attend to," he says, clearing his throat before he dips a bow to Ras and Rukhnis again. "Once more, congratulations. I am sure it will be an absolute success," he agrees before he steps for the door.

Rukhnis snorts quietly at Korka. "When I worked for a time as a mere parchment researcher, it was much the same, though without so much of the threat to one's continued existence. All of the true secrets of our deep investigatory methods, naturally, would require a life-or-death investigations fee to even begin to discover."

As Tarik heads towards the table Rukhnis is quick to pour out a mug of tea for him, which she offers him with a courteous bow. "Tarik, be welcome. I hope the evening finds you well." She bows to Austen when he announces his departure, looking quite composed, and tells him, "Our thanks for coming this evening, Sir Austen Ferron. Peace be with you this night."

Ras isn't as composed as Rukhnis, and still looks a little sullen, but nods a farewell to Austen nonetheless. "Glad you came by, king's guard," he says. "Take a voucher if you want. Maybe you'll need it someday."

"You've got a real nice set-up here. Maybe I'll come by sometime and ask for some help with somethin' that needs to be looked into," Samira remarks thoughtfully, crossing the room to take a voucher. She tucks it away for safekeeping before shoving her hands in her pockets and meandering toward the exit. "Congratulations again on the opening. See ya 'round." The last words are called over her shoulder to the pair.

Korka gets Commons Investigators Voucher from a golden book tote.

"I'll keep that in mind," Korka says with a nod to Rukhnis, then considering Ras' offer to Austen walks over to pick up a voucher, "Yes, congratulations on opening. I'd maybe make these a little less accessible before your first five thousand silver clients come in and pick one up. Otherwise, good luck. You'll likely be busy down here and navigating the family lines?" she clicks her tongue as she heads to the door, "Going to be tricky."

Samira takes Commons Investigators Voucher from a golden book tote.

Tarik dips his head to Rukhnis, "Thank you, and it does." Tarik says, "And congratulations to you as well. I didn't even know that you did investigations too."Tarik takes his mug as turns to Ras, "It is all right. I wanted to personally thank you for coming with me to the Everwinter." Tarik bites the corner of his lip a bit before taking a sip. "I am not sure if your previous discussed skills will be of use, but we might need someone to research material on the spot. So you are a valuable asset to the team."

Austen grins a little at Ras as he goes. "If I need your help, I'll pay with silver," he chuckles, and then he's out of the door.

"If your inquiries are particularly dull," Rukhnis tells Samira with wry muted amusement, "and are likely to involve long plodding research through dusty archives, and inclined to end fruitlessly, those are to be my specialty in the business." With another courteously bow to the Culler artist, she tells her, "Peace be with you." To Tarik she demurs, "Truly, I am not half so skilled at it as Ras, but I offer assistance where I may." Then one eyebrow quirks up faintly at the particular thanks he extends to Ras, and she eyes the street rat sideways.

Ras offers a nod to Samira, and one to Korka as well, as they depart. He slouches back in the chair and focuses on Tarik. "Never been to the Everwinter before," he says. "But folk've told me stuff, and it's a little related to a case I'm on, so the experience of bein there might help figure some shit out later." A small shrug. "Who knows." Then he glances back at Rukhnis. "Disarming traps," he explains, inexplicably, and wiggles the fingers of both his hands a few inches over the tabletop. "Can't be too different from pickin locks."

Sir Floppington the Soulful Hound arrives, following Rowenova.

Rukhnis's remark prompts a chuckle from Samira. "Sounds horrendously dull, but if I have any of those, I'll be sure to seek out your expertise," she promises. With a last wave, she steps through the doorway and into the streets beyond.

After having departed not long ago, Rowenova shows up once again with the soulful hound who most certainly did not piss on the carpet in here.

Revell raises a hand to offer those leaving a quick wave along with a polite bow of the head. With the crowd thinning, however, she starts to look less and less comfortable sitting on the outside of proper conversational range. So, she rises and slips her notebook back into her pocket and hesitantly approaches.

"This is different era of the Everwinter that most people visit, so I am not exactly how much help it will be to your current research." Tarik strokes his goatee. "The only people I know that visited the area were the people I led there before on expedition, and none of them never been to that area of Everwinter at all, and one has traveled a lot of places." Tarik nods his head, "We are heading to the northwest section of Everwinter that you have to get to by boat. We will travel to Brighthold to meet out ship, and travel to the Everwinter from there."

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Tarik before departing.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Rowenova before departing.

After showing back up with Sir Flop, Rowenova meanders closer to Tarik and passes off a few notes his way. Then, she offers out a one-armed hug to him, too.

Rukhnis frowns with a faintly bemused air, but only shakes her head slightly and takes a sip from her tea. "I have heard many stories of the Everwinter, but I have not been so far north as all that. In truth, I am not sure just where the boundaries of the Everwinter are considered to begin." She shakes her head and adds a bit ruefully, "It seems very close to being ever winter even in Stormwall."

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Tarik before departing.

Ras catches sight of Rowenova's return, and then looks to Revell's approach. He gestures to a chair at the table in case the florist wants to sit down, and then returns attention to Tarik, listening. It doesn't appear that he has any objections or advice to offer on the subject, just a cautious nod. "Guess that's one way to get around the whirlpool," he says at last, and then studies Rukhnis' input with similar ignorant solemnity.

"If you need to know more about the Everwinter, I'd suggest bugging the Stahlbens. Bonespire's apparently right at the edge, so maybe they know something." Revell says with a shrug of the shoulder and nervously runs her hand up and down her arm. "I got a few jobs I might want your help with, too, so I was wondering how far you're willing to go. It's one thing digging deep and knowing stuff you shouldn't, but stepping right into the wolves' den is another, yeah?"

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Rowenova before departing.

Rukhnis sets her own tea down to pour out an additional mugful and extend it to Revell. Her forehead creases faintly at the mention of wolves, but she only agrees cautiously, "Wolves can be very ferocious when one encroaches into territory they consider their own, or if they feel they are being pursued by hunters."

Bryn, a flustered lovelorn Prodigal assistant arrives, following Svana.

"Well, a lot of the North is considered the Everwinter, and there has been people that explored the edge of the North central and North eastern parts of the Everwinter." Tarik softly taps his right foot once. "We are going to north western section of the Everwinter. The ancestral home of the Morien where I led the expedition to find the Stone Shield." Tarik clarifies, "Which for the record, really should not be confused with Caer Morien, which is completely unrelated place."

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Rowenova before departing.

"There's some dens you couldn't pay me to step into," says Ras, somewhat warily. He's sitting on the table, words spoken towards Revell. "Some shit's worse than death." After this very dour comment, he gives an all-too-casual shrug. "But you can always ask. Maybe there's a reason that'd make sense." Looking back to Tarik at the mention of Stone Shield, he tilts his head slightly. "What's that?" he asks, but his gaze slips back for a second to the florist before focusing on the other man.

Svana slinks in slowly - though she's not doing much slinking. She's really more waddling these days. She comes in and smiles at those gathered, immediately moving somewhere between Rowenova and Rukhnis. Ras gets a big wave and smile as well. "Congratulations..." though she has picked up on the word 'Everwinter' when she walked in. "Going near to my home, hmm? Be careful. It's treacherous as ever."

Rowenova silently regards each person here. She nods after Rukhnis questions where the Everwinter begins and ends, apparently agreeing. Rather than the original intention, she gives Tarik a clasp to his shoulder then lets go and turns forth to Svana to whom she offers a hug, herself.

"Indeed." Revell nods at Rukhnis and chews down on her lower lip, weight shifting from one foot to the other. "Even if you got no intention of harming the wolves, they may still lash out, yeah? Might be a matter best left to the Inquisition rather than a bunch of new investigators. Just-- I guess I trust you lot more, so I figured I'd ask."

Glancing at Ras, she smiles thinly. "I may talk to you about it later on. And if it's one of the den's you won't go into, I got a few low-risk jobs too. Personal stuff, silly bits here and there, but coin's coin yeah?"

Noting the mug of tea offered to her a bit too late, Revell flushes and quickly reaches out to take it from Rukhnis, muttering a quiet 'sorry' followed by a 'thank you' shortly afterwards. Seemingly having said what she wanted to say, she slides onto a chair by the table.

Revell has left the crates set in a half-circle around the hearth.

Revell has joined the a set of spindle-backed blackwood chairs and matching table.

Rukhnis, standing to one side of the table near a pot full of ginger tea, pours out another mug of it to offer to Svana. "Miss Svana," she greets the other woman with a small courteous bow. "I hope that the night finds you well." With another wry look she adds, "I am afraid you may be very tired of ginger tea by now, but at least you know that it will not upset your constitution." Tarik gets another curious look at his mention of the Stone Shield, as evidently she hasn't heard of it either.

Ras continues to sit on a chair at the table. He starts to lean forward, tilting his head towards Revell in a small nod as he listens to Tarik, but then sees Svana coming in. There's a wave in her direction, and then he gets up to pull out a chair for the pregnant woman before sitting back down in his own.

Tarik nods to Svana, "Goodwoman Svana, how are you and your little bundles."

Tarik has joined the a set of spindle-backed blackwood chairs and matching table.

Svana smiles at Tarik and nods to him. "I'm doing well. I've been told that my nervous energy is the 'nesting stage' of pregnancy, which means that my heaps will be joining us soon, but not too soon, I hope. I think they need a bit more time to grow." Svana hugs Rowenova tightly, then takes her cup of tea from Rukhnis. "I'm not at all tired of ginger tea. On the contrary, it's still my favorite - though lemon ginger is the best variety." She winks and crosses to Ras, whispers something to him, and sits down in the chair he offered her, letting out a sigh.

Tarik pulls up his own chair to take a seat. "The Stone Shield, it was one of weapons mention in the Songs of Lost Names and Blades that people searched for before I left the city. It was used in the protection of the Lodge during the attack. It was gifted to many ancestors many years ago."

All this big bad woof talk, and the wolf scout does not even open her own yap. Rowenova wraps up Svana with back pats, indeed, then she lets go afterwards.

Ras blinks at Svana, leans forward to mutter something back, and then slouches away in his chair again. Attention fixes on Tarik. "Sounds like your family could be important, like, history-wise," he realizes. "That's always interesting to learn about. The houses we got today weren't always the names everyone knew."

Rukhnis rests her hip against the table, the light lean taking some of the weight off her feet, and folds her arms loosely across her chest. Peering thoughtfully at Tarik and nodding in agreement with Ras, she asks, "Who originally held the shield, and what is its history? Did the song say, or perhaps your family's own histories? Or is it still largely a mystery?"

Tarik smiles softly, "We have always been the Morien.' Tarik laughs, 'Well, Copper gave it to us, so it belongs to my family It was created by other members of the Metallic Order, a First Children, and others." Tarik says, "It is literal called the Stone Shield of Clan Morien." Tarik puts his backpack down, "I was going to wait to talk to you about why I am going there again privately, but I guess this is your business, so here is fine too." Tarik begins to pull out folders. "Let me give you some background information." Tarik turns to Revelle. "If you are looking into the wolf attacks, you might want to stick around.

Getting her hawk quill from her alchemy belt and a wirebound notepad from her inner pocket on her direwolf cloak, Rowenova scribes down a quick note before tearing off the written words she folds over then passes along to Tarik.

Svana smiles at Ras and nods gently, winking at him. She licks her lips and listens to the others, particularly on the matter of researching one's family. Her interest is severely piqued. "Very interesting."

Revell quirks an eyebrow and tilts her head at Tarik - the tea had previously held her attention almost completely, but now, it's fixed on the man completely. She doesn't even look as she pulls out her notebook once more and starts writing down what's being said. "It's certainly one thing I'm looking into. I'm biased, the North is my home, so.. you know."

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Tarik before departing.

Ras listens somberly to the conversation, and it's likely people continue speaking long into the night.