<div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/a/a3/Teluli.jpg)</div><div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/6/65/Emils_Dad.jpg)</div>The blonde priestess was nodding politely to the peasant as he spoke at length about his wife and her health problems.<strong>"She don't get around much since she took the cholera last fall, many a day, she can't even get up out of bed."</strong>He related.<strong> "Makes things hard, with the boy and all.  She'd really pick up if she had more visitors."</strong>He hinted, though from his attention to the stunning young beauty it wasn't his wife that wanted her company.<br/><br/><strong>"Where is your son?"</strong>She asked just as Ausk stepped close.  Her voice as as lovely as she, contralto with a musical lilt.  She politely made eye contact with the man as he spoke, but her gaze slipped away from him quite often, as if she wanted to be elsewhere but was too polite to say so.   The man failed to notice, as his eyes were focused on other aspects of her person.  Quite gelid and ample aspects of her person, aspects that almost every other male in the vicinity made note of as well.<br/><br/><strong>"He's around here, somewhere, looking for that dog of his..."</strong>The man answered, his voice trailing away to nothing as he fell under a huge looming shadow and simultaneously lost what little of the girl's attention he'd been able to command.<br/><br/>Looking down from his lofty stature, Ausk had quite a magnificent view past her beautiful face down into the deep valley between those healthy mounds.<strong> "Well, hello Ausk."</strong>Teluli smiled radiantly up at his masked face.<strong>"How are you enjoying the festival?"</strong>She asked as the peasant stared around awkwardly, having lost his captive audience to the massive brute in scale mail.<br/><br/><br/><br/><hr/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/4/48/Sora.jpg)</div>When pulled , Sora leaned into Blackwell and grabbed at her waist while fighting for balance on the foot closest to the stronger woman.  After a moment of teetering, she fell back to both feet, but kept the arm where it remained loosely draped about the other girl.<strong>"Don't do that!"</strong>She giggled, giving another lurch to hip-and shoulder shove into the street tough.<strong>"I almost fell!"</strong>She complained, though it was obvious she'd been in no danger and that she didn't mind Blackwell's possessive manner in the least.<br/><br/>They were moving slower than the general flow, but the eddies of humanity broke around them without complaint and for the most part without note, leaving a small open area before them.  The few people that did brush them in passing hit Blackwell, or the arm she kept firmly about Sora, protecting the girl from any buffeting.  For her part, Sora seemed more than content with the situation, and obeyed every nuance of control relayed by Blackwell's capable arm.  The pressures of the crowd pushing past them, and perhaps Blackwell's not-overly-subtle guidance, was shifting them north out of the main press of traffic, close up along the wall of a small building flanking the square.<br/><br/><strong>"We live outside of town, on a farm about a mile southeast.</strong>"  She answered the query about the cathedral.<strong>"We don't often get into town for service.  Or for any reason except market day."</strong>She wondered if Blackwell remembered that market day last fall, when she'd rescued Pa's stand from those roughnecks?  She shot a sideways glance though dark lashes, hazel eyes flashing unspoken curiosity.<strong>"But maybe now I'll come in more often."</strong>She decided.  After a brief but meaningful pause, she added.<strong>"Now that the cathedral is up."</strong>Like that was the only reason she'd have for visiting town.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><hr/>All this jabber about braids and religion was boring the lad, as he was focused on his quest.<strong>"Jaltan run off ta chase goblins. I know it. He knew there was gonna be speechifyin' an' chas'n goblins is more fun."</strong>He snickered, and then with a sideways look to his distracted father, he added.<strong>"Goblins don't go inta the graveyard. He's prolly down by the ribber."</strong><br/><br/>He looked about the crowded square.<strong>"I see goblins down by the ribber all the time. They go through the junkpile there and take the boards that got throwed away, but ain't too bad."</strong>He told the tough gnome girl and the pretty elf boy. Of course, Pill knews this already, but the lad seemed to like the attention the pair gave when he spoke.  He wrinkled his nose as he continued.<strong>"I kin see um out da window from my room, but they don't dare come close to the house, cuz they're 'fraid'a Jaltan."</strong><br/><hr/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/4/44/Barkeep_by_Jatep.jpg)</div>The gruff bartender nodded a silent reply to the elven maid, and again set about polishing his glassware.  Most of the tankards in the tavern were fashioned of wax-sealed leather or carved from hardwood, but the White Deer boasted a full half-dozen shining glass mugs, courtesy of the local Kaijitsu glassworks.  As he worked, he kept glancing toward the door, perhaps wishing he were out with the crowds, though his interest seemed rather more expectant than wistful.<br/><br/><strong>"Ever see the swallowtails?"</strong>He asked.  The butterflies were a sight to behold, each unique and beautiful, and of course sacred to Desna the Lady of Luck.<strong>"I remember when I was a lad, fetching them for the release.  Old Father Murdkey gave a copper bit for every 10 you brought in.  Lot of money for a young lad, back then."</strong><br/><br/>With another glance toward the door, he turned to the shelf and placed the last of the now-gleaming glass tankards.  One task done, he set about polishing the bartop, giving the elf girl a glance from time to time.<strong>"Lemme know if you need a refill."</strong>He instructed as he moved out into the tavern area, cleaning and bussing the few tables that needed it.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><hr/>Jaillen finally made it into the plaza, close enough to the makeshift dais that she could see the various city and religious officials as they made their last-minute preparations for the coming ceremony.  Standing next to her was a trio of local adults, all familiar to her from her work at the Rusty Dragon.<br/><br/>Croix Eckhard was a dashing young man that frequented the tavern whenever he was in town long enough and had the money to carouse.  Mostly, he spent his time on the hunt though, as a devote follower of Erastil and one of the best bowmen in the district, he made good coin hunting vermin and game.  His sister Amy and her husband Hubert were the parents of the pair of toddlers and the babe in the woman's arms.  The oldest boy was bothering his uncle Croix for a shoulder ride, so he could "See what's going on."<br/><br/>