<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/RosaCandlemass.jpg)</div>The bouncer, a sturdy half-orc man, flicked his gaze back to Curra about once a minute as he kept the bulk of his attention on the teeming common room. His eyes tracked Curra's flexing muscles and briefly traced the outline of her body, but he seemed quite dedicated to his post. When Senna whispered to him, he sighed and rolled his eyes, then took a scrap of parchment and a stick of charcoal from his belt pouch, hastily scrawling a message and handing it off to the halfling. "Go ahead," he grumbled. "Just don't start any trouble while you're here, alright?"<br/><br/>Meanwhile, Mother Rosa had made her way through the throng and, not without difficulty, reached the long bar that described a 60° arc around the inner section of the building, mirrored by similar bars in the other five common rooms. She flagged down one of several servers and managed to arrange not one but two rooms for the night, to her surprise. "Thank you kindly," she said, with her usual beatific smile. "Now, my companion and I will be travelling southeast tomorrow morning, towards Shadowbane Plateau. We're looking to hire some mercenaries to accompany us, and I know the Wellspring is a meeting place for all sorts, so perhaps you could put the word out? Quietly, of course, we don't want to attract too much att..."<br/><br/>Her head jerked up and she twisted around as Thea stamped her spear against the floor and made her proclamation. The entire common room seemed to stop in their tracks and pay attention to her for at least a second, before most of them returned to their drinks. There were mutterings from people who would love to travel if not for their responsibilities in Lansite, and no few lewd comments about Thea's appearance and the currency in which they'd like to be paid for their service, but it didn't take long for the actually interested parties to approach Thea, and for the rest of the patrons to return to their own business.<br/><br/>"...ention. Never mind. Thank you for the room, and may the light of the Dawnflower shine upon you always."<br/><br/>Rosa took the room keys from the server and wove her way through the crowd to Thea's table. She rested her hand on Thea's shoulder for a moment before settling into a chair next to her. "Direct as ever, my dear, aren't you? Well, I can't complain, for it seems you've located our escort already. Good evening!" she said with a smile, turning to look over the women who had approached Thea. "I am Mother Rosa, of the church of Sarenrae, and this is my good friend Thea."<br/><br/>Her gaze first fell upon Senna, as most people's gazes tended to. "I... I'm sure I've seen you in here before, or somewhere else in the city, perhaps? Senna, is it? The singer? If you can hold your own on the road, then we'd welcome your company, most certainly." She turned slightly to regard Curra. "And your lovely friend seems more than capable, do you not?"<br/><br/>She watched Syndra pick her way across the room, her eyes distinctly tracking the hooded figure's deft movements. "Welcome. As Thea says, one gold per day and five upon arrival, and I would estimate five days of travel. If that suits you, we'd love to have you join us."<br/><br/>Rosa then beckoned for Kye to approach them, fixing her with her golden eyes. "Please, come and join us if you're interested," she called to her. "We have room for quite a few."<br/><br/>Finally, she met Haysel's gaze as the dwarf watched their growing party. She tilted her head towards the last empty seat at the table, silently inviting her to join them. She then peered at the mechanical cat with genuine interest, and inclined her head in a gesture of respect for Haysel's craftsmanship.<br/><br/>"Well, then!" she said brightly, looking over the women who had joined them. "This is just the size of escort I had in mind. And all women, too, it seems?" she continued, albeit with some hesitation as she regarded Syndra in her cloak and hood. "Actually, that works quite well. Our goal is to meet with the Sisterhood of Shadowbane Plateau. While they aren't forbidden to meet with men, it might have been... impolite to arrive on their doorstep with a cadre of mercenary men in tow. No doubt they will arrange accomodations for you if we arrive in the evening, and then you can go your own way."<br/><br/>She passed one of the keys to Thea. "I was lucky enough to be able to get two rooms, each with a little more space than we're used to. I thought that since we have been on the road for so long, a little bit of luxury wouldn't hurt us. Take a room for yourself and stretch out a bit, or invite a friend or two." She looked around the common room, then cast a speculative glance over their prospective mercenaries. "I could use an assistant in my room tonight, if you know anyone who's handy with a needle and thread, or other such domestic duties, and wants a few extra silver."<br/><br/>Rosa spread her hands and beamed her radiant smile again. "This promises to be a pleasant trip, especially if you can all keep us safe. What do you all bring to the table, as it were?"