Emery listened as closely as she could to the conversation at hand. The barkeep and his female acquaintance continued to banter back and forth among one another, but her ears were the eyes of the world. She'd learned to pick up on things hidden between the lines, although she was not an expert in understanding the unspoken. It was more a feeling that she had, something that told her more had happened, but no on here really spoke of it. That wasn't entirely a bad thing, but it meant the city had secrets. Had she not been so focused on her current job, she might have taken the time to look into it a bit more, but as the pair ended their conversation and decided it was best to change the topic, someone new entered the picture and she watched him curiously as he inquired a bit more information from the other two.<br/><br/><b>"Aye, sir, the cloak was black as night. It's not an unusual color to have, but the material was uncommon for these parts. Suspect it was from some exotic beastkin or the like. Wouldn't be the first nor the last traveler from the far reaches that we've had visit the city. Seems to be more and more common the colder the mountains become."</b>The barkeep moved in front of the man, filling up a glass and placing it front of him - a drink on the house.<b>"As far as who perished, it was Frederick, a farmer that lived just outside the city. He was a regular of mine - often came in for an ale before heading back home to his wench and their children, the poor bastard."</b>He leaned in close, putting his hand up near his face to converse a bit more quietly.<b>"But as I was saying to the miss, I do not believe that he offed himself as they're claiming. The bastard, god rest his soul, was as happy as can be. I'mma bettin' that something foul is amidst. I think that perhaps it was the cloaked outsider that came by here."</b>The barkeep, Gar, winced as a firm, feminine hand slapped him hard.<br/><br/><b>"I told you to speak of it no more, Gar! You will end up in the stocks by morning and I will have nothing to do with you after that. I cannot be seen associating with a petty criminal full of nothing but gossip!"</b><br/><br/>Emery chuckled, a little louder than she had originally intended. It caught the eye of Gar and his lady friend, both of whom eyed her with interest. The barkeep was the first to speak up.<b>"You - what are you laughin' at? For all we know, you are the cloaked outsider that might be responsible. I've not seen the looks of you around these parts before either."</b><br/><br/>His companion eyed her and then sneered.<b>"She's harmless, Gar. I don't think she could hurt a fly let alone someone like Frederick. He was built like a bull. She could not even lift a milk crate, let alone murder someone."</b><br/><br/>Emery rolled her eyes but raised her glass in their direction.<b>"While I cannot claim that I am responsible for the demise of Frederick, the farmer - may he rest in peace - I can assure you, Miss, that I am quite a lot more capable of taking care of myself than someone of your constitution."</b>Emery turned her attention on the other man asking for more information about the cloaked figure.<b>"I'd watch out for her if I were you. I overhead her a bit earlier telling Gar, here, that she was interested in finding a husband. She's been giving you long looks for the last little bit. You might want to keep your hands to yourself with this one or you'll find yourself strapped with her ignorance for the rest of your days."</b><br/><br/>The woman looked at Emery with intense hatred, the hint of embarrassment on her face as Gar howled with laughter. He poured another glass of ale, brought it to her, and then slapped her jovially on the back.<b>"My lady, you have quite a mouth on you. You are welcome here anytime, just for those comments. Anyone that can keep Queenie on her toes is a friend of mine."</b><br/><br/>Blondie huffed and crossed her arms.<b>"Hmm. Seems as if my welcome is long overstayed. Goodbye, Gar."</b>She nodded to the barkeep, turned her eyes upon the other man next.<b>"Goodnight to you too, Sir."</b>She left without saying another word to Emery, just tossing her a look at that said that the redhead needed to keep her eyes open during her stay here. Emery just chuckled and took a drink of the ale, relaxing at the bar next to the other man.<br/><br/><b>"She's quite a character, isn't she?"</b>Emery said, striking up meaningless conversation as she waited to see if any of the mercenaries would return. Her time for relaxing was almost up - a few hours of sleep and she should be rested enough to find more information on where Kodama was and how she was going to rescue him.<br/><br/>Tag:<a class="username" data-user-id="294" data-username="@Annukai" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/294/">@Annukai</a>