"Apart from the occasional woodcutting injury, Garados is a rather safe and healthy village.  I don't know of any individuals who are in need of healing, but it is good to know we have a skilled Cleric among us now."<br/><br/>Crassus then turned his attention to Melody once he waited her to finish giving her input.  "That is indeed a good idea.  Though trading such things as furs won't leave much of a ripple on the Viemeran market.  Until we have enough people to produce goods on a larger scale, one of the best methods I could think of to put Garados on the map is through actions that would draw attention."<br/><br/>The elder man was about to voice his approval of Rose's skill at a forge when Naruni suddenly pounced on the table, throwing him completely off guard.  Crassus just sat there, his expression both appalled and dumbfounded that such an individual had truly been born of his late friend's seed.  If there was any argument that stated personality traits were hereditary, the display before him would have been all the proof needed to debunk that theory.  Or at the very least show that the primal characteristics of catfolk overwhelm even the most civilized of personas.  His expression only became more stricken as she voiced her intended contribution to the Talonius name and wealth of the village.<em>Is she... serious?  It is no secret that most of the other noble houses hold little respect for her family name, but to do that would ruin what credibility Gaius had achieved through his selfless actions.  Profitable or not, how would anybody be able to take a noble family seriously when their names are tied to... sex toys...</em><br/><br/>A dull<em>thunk</em>drew his wide eyed gaze away from Naruni to look upon the sword buried several inches into the hardwood flooring of the library.  Though its make was far from being as ornate as those found in larger cities, he had known the effort the villagers had taken in picking out the finest pieces of lumber and worked to make them as elegant as possible before setting them into the manor's composition.  Crassus closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, and took a deep calming breath to keep his temper in check.<em>Divines, give me the strength I need to see me through this trial of patience.</em>He had to remind himself that these women before him were not raised by his deceased friend and that it would be unfair to hold them to their father's standards.  More to the point, Gaius would have scolded him for doing so; he had wanted his children to find their own way in life and become their own people before being pulled into the politics of nobility.  The facts remained that these were his heirs and whatever course they wished to lead their family name down was entirely in their hands.  His job was little more than pointing out the major rocks along the way in hopes they would avoid careening into them.<br/><br/>After a moment to solidify his composure, Crassus assumed his professional demeanor.  "I believe you misinterpreted my words."  He said towards Rose's inquiries.  "This<em>is</em>the council of which I spoke, save for Ehren of course.  As members of House Talonius, it is up to you to make the major decisions for Garados.  Your collective word is law in this village while I am here to offer whatever assistance I can in helping you to your decisions as well as seeing that your orders are carried out.  Though we are located on the outer edges of Averil's borders, Garados is considered-"<br/><br/>The sound of the library door being shoved open interrupted Crassus mid-sentence as a man in simple clothing stood in the doorway sweeping his gaze around the group until it finally landed on Ehren.<em>"Sir Ehren!  The lookout said he spotted red smoke above the forest canopy about six miles out!"</em>With that news, Ehren shot up from his seat so quick that it nearly toppled to its back.  "Any sight of Brian yet?"<br/><br/><em>"Not yet, but it's too soon to tell if he managed to get away once the ambush began."</em><br/><br/>"Right.  Ready the horses, we're going to catch these bastards now that we know where to find them!"<br/><br/><em>"All three of our warhorses are outside, armored and ready for you."</em><br/><br/>"Excellent work!"  Ehren turned his attention to the four women in the room.  "It would seem the bandits have fallen for my little trick.  One of the trinkets I've stashed in a decoy wagon team releases a smoke signal that only becomes visible in direct sunlight.  They're likely unaware they're giving away their position, but it won't last long so we need to make our move now.  If you want to help me deal with this bandit problem, we're leaving immediately.  Our warhorses may be few, but they are strong and can easily carry two riders if need be."<br/><br/>Without waiting or looking back to see if any would join him, Ehren made his way out of the manor and climbed upon one of the three armored horses.  He could make out the wisps of colored smoke in the distance and was able to get an approximate location.  There would be no telling for sure how long it would last, but at least now he had a reliable starting point to begin the hunt that was making the ranger giddy with anticipation.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">If you are interested in joining the fight, pick who's the rider and who's the passenger (if any).  Somebody can be Ehren's passenger if they so wish.<br/><br/>@ Zaer:  If Tolbar wishes to be involved with this encounter you're going to need to be creative on how he is aware of what is happening from the tavern and either try to sweet talk one of the heirs into a ride or rent a horse from the local stable (10gp with a 65gp security deposit).<br/></div></div>