The day was overcast, a constant gray covering the sky, the sun barely visible as a slightly brighter splotch overhead. The near constant wind had pushed the snow into piles against hillsides and into shallows in the ground, but enough remained on the roads to crunch under Mialla's boots, frozen by the stiff northeastern wind.<br/><br/>Walking into the village took the bard close to an hour, but once inside the palisade and between the buildings she had some cover from the wind and could look around a bit. Kirborg wasn't a large village, but passing by the houses on her way to the inn, it appeared to Mialla that the village had all it needed. The blacksmith's workshop was easy to identify, a tall, fat chimney a little off the main road indicated a baker, and guild signs prominently displayed near their doors made the houses of cartwright and carpenter easy to identify. There were few people on the road, winter restricting most people to indoor activities, but those Mialla met were polite, if perhaps a little guarded.<br/><br/>Rounding the chapel of Pelor Mialla could see her destination, the first house by the south gate, a wooden sign swinging gently in the wind next to the front door. The sign was in need of repainting and did not spell out the name of the place, but the depiction of sloe, white blossoms, and a tankard, needed no words.<br/><br/>Inside a fire was burning and the smell of cooking wafted from somewhere in the back, cabbage certainly, as far as Mialla could tell, but mixed with some other smells less-readily identified. The furniture was simple and well-worn, but the floors were fairly clean. For the moment it looked like Mialla was the only guest.<br/><br/>As Mialla entered, a man in his forties came around the counter at the end of the room to greet her. His brown hair was well-trimmed, his beard showing a little bit of gray and the leather waistcoat he was wearing over his woolen shirt looked like he had wiped his hands on it a few times too many.  He only gave Mialla a quick look before he smiled. "Welcome to the Blackthorn. I'm Merik. Have a seat."<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC question</div><div class="spoiler_body">What happened to the idea of Mialla perhaps asking Giles to take her to the inn? If you want to do that we can just have him join her there later, after taking care of some business in town. Your choice.</div></div>