To say that Hani was nervous, would be a wild guess, as she turned her attention to Ethirdir and planned out a nice meal with the handsome elf. She was enthusiastic as she explained. "My father has been experimenting with some new recipes, he even asked some elven diplomat what the elves like to eat and got some recipes from them. So if you see something on the menu that looks familiar, do not be afraid to try it. I have been told he is doing very well capturing the elven flavors. Of course it helps that he was able to procure some spices from Aluvia. I have to admit, some of it I am not particularly fond of, but I have tried the glazed duck and the spicy rice that the elves like to serve as a side dish. And here I always thought rice was bland!"<br/><br/>The conversation between Doryn and the Baron could only be guessed at, since they were no where close enough to hear it. Hani refused to let the Baron's presence interfere with her enjoyment of the evening. As she relaxed and chatted away with Ethirdir, her attitude seemed to help others relax as well. Still, it was with a great sigh of relief for all when he finally left. Mercedes was calmly back to her cheerful self and was encouraging all to have another drink and have some fun. She even went to the Bard and asked him to play a lively tune to bring everyone's mood back to normal. When she passed by Doryn's table she was not surprised when he pulled her aside. His request, however, seemed odd. Listening to him, she blinked in surprise. "I will pass your message, Captain. Have a good evening."<br/><br/>It was only a few minutes after he left that the delivery came, it both surprised and thrilled Mercedes. "I love flowers! Oh Doryn..." she wanted to give him a hug, but of course he was already gone. She giggled as more deliveries came, until the whole Inn seemed full of them. When she came to the table where Hani and Ethirdir were dining on the delicasies they had chosen, she remembered the message. "Ethirdir, the Captain wanted me to tell you something...now what was it?" she thought for a moment. "It was some phrase in his native tongue. I cannot remember the whole thing, but what he said was,  'Aek un ush, hi'devihr--' Ah, nevermind... I'll tell him myself. I'm not even sure if he speaks the Northern tongue."<br/><br/>After hearing the message, Hani blinked and turned to Ethirdir, "Do you have any idea what that means? I remember Doryn saying that a few times and I think it has something to do with a house. Whether it is his house or yours, I cannot recall. I think it was a saying they used when visiting someone's house. The fact he said he would tell you himself might mean he will be paying you a visit." They had almost finsihed their meal by this time, so Hani began to wonder if she should go home with Ethirdir, if for no other reason, then to hear what the Baron had said. Of course she wcould not invite herself. She had things she wanted to say to Doryn, herself, but his leaving precluded that.<br/><br/>After they discussed the implications, Hani decided to call it a night. She had it in mind to call on Quillian, to get his opinion on the reasons for the Baron visiting the Inn. It did not bode well, and she was beginning to feel like doom was approaching. "Ethirdir, I have enjoyed this evening immensely, in spite of the Baron's appearance." she smiled at him. "I do think I will have to retire for the evening. It has been a long and exhausting day. I do hope that the Captain has things in hand with the Baron, as I hate to think the sour mood that noble brought to the Dew Drop will be repeated." she leaned in to kiss Ethirdir on his cheek. It was a simple sweet gesture of affection. "I will see you at your dinner party tomorrow. I have to get some rest." With that, she left the room, heading for her quarters.<br/><br/>It was a short time later, dressed in her dark leather armor and sporting a hood and mask, that Hani appeared in the mage's entryway. Jordan was not surprised to see her. "His Lordship has been expecting you. This way, please." he gave her a brief nod, before taking her to the Mage's study.<br/><br/>Hani could not help but chuckle. When she was shown into the study, her hood was off and she thanked Jordan before turning to the Mage. "So you were expecting me? Something tells me this is not good. What is it you need me to do now?" she was quite prepared to do whatever Quillian asked of her, to prove her loyalty.<br/><br/>Quillian smiled. "I knew you would come, as I have agents telling me exactly what the Baron is doing, especially when he does something out of the ordinary. His visit to the Dew Drop was such an oddity, I had several reports! Did he say anything to you?" He looked to her with curiosity.<br/><br/>"No, I avoided talking to him, as I was eating dinner with my friend Ethirdir, the elf noble. The Baron did talk to Captain Aelland though. It seems he had some complaint that the Captain is following up on. I really do not know the details. Perhaps the Captain will tell you?" Hani felt that the reason the Baron came was to sow fear into the patrons of the Inn. She had no idea why.<br/><br/>"This does not bode well. Are you certain that the Bloodstone is out of the City? I have had some disturbing news. It seems that the Baron has some sort of device he intends on using. My worst fear is for the maid Alyssa. I told her to leave his employ and to come here, but she is nowhere to be found. I fear the worst. It pains me to think the Baron will punish her in some way, and I scarcely know if I can act to help her. Making an accusation like that to his face could be disasterous. I need you to go to the Baron's home and investigate. Do not venture inside! Try to discern if the maid is still there. Her life may be in danger, but I do not want you to risk your own. If you see anything strange going on, come back here, and we can decide on a course of action. We may need to get the Captain involved." He then handed her a simple amulet.<br/><br/>"This will protect you to a certain extent. It will allow you to move undetected in the shadows. Beware of actually getting close to the Baron himself, as he may be able to see you, due to his magic affinity. Those without magic will not see you, as long as you do not make any noise or attack someone. Observe only! Come back to me when you have something to report, even if it is that you cannot see inside the manor at all. Is that clear?" His face was stern. He felt bad about Alyssa, and did not want to lose Hani.<br/><br/>The mage's warnings were taken in stride. "He will not see me, I am better than that." she grinned confidently. She took the amulet and draped it over her head. To her surprise, she seemed to fade slightly, even to her own eyes. "I like this...can I keep it?" She teased the mage.<br/><br/>"My dear, if you want it, I am happy to gift it to you. Be sure to take care, as I warned, the Baron may still see you, andhe may in fact be setting a trap. Do not get too close, as I am sure he will be watching. Here, take this scope, it may help you to peer into windows from a distance." He handed her a very ornate high powered telescope, though it was small in size, it could bring objects as far away as a mile, into sharp focus. It collapsed into a small cylinder she could put in her pouch.<br/><br/>(http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/301989561246-0-1/s-l1000.jpg)<br/><br/>Hani nodded and put the scope away. "I will be careful. It is late enough now, I will go and try to see inside the manor. It does have a lot of windows. Though most of them are covered or dark at night. If you do not hear from me tonight, better send in the troops." she joked, but there was an underlying fear there, that she might be caught. She left right after that.<br/><br/>Ghosting over the rooftops until she came to the Baron's manor, she was surprised to see no one else about. The windows were all mostly dark, as it was about two o'clock in the morning now. Maneuvering around to a tree that overlooked the manor property without going any closer, she used the scope to peer inside the only window that had any light showing.<br/><br/>