<div class="floatright">(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6d/5d/d0/6d5dd00bebc6deeecb71b9e6b7ba7c5e.gif)</div><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><span class="bbc_u">Nuala Oakstaff, Treehugger</span></strong></span><br/><br/>Nuala didn't much care for the city; she got by fine in the lands beyond it, for the most part. Still though, there were some comforts that couldn't easily be replicated by stone and stream such as mead. Oh, mead; Some honey, some water, and a magical stick to bring it all together. And since she had decided to help one swineherd usher his pigs into town for their inevitable fate, she might as well stop to see if the dockside tavern had any of the stuff in stock!<br/><br/>Sadly, no. Instead she had received a tankard of something foamy and brown. The bartender had assured her "it's<em>like</em>mead..." but she was more than a little skeptical of that assertion. As a result, she gave it the occasional dubious glance, when she wasn't observing the goings-on of the bar with wide blue eyes. Fortunately she was not a large woman by any means or measure, and like most of her kind, she had a way of blending in.<br/><br/>The banging and howling from the table of drunkards made her start from her slight trance though. She watched them owlishly for a moment, and finally,<em>finally</em>decided ot follow their example, and took a quaff of her beverage. her lips pulled tight and her eyes watered, and she had no issue at all with returning the mouthful<em>back</em>to the mug.<strong>"It's rotten!"</strong>She exclaimed, though whether it carried over the din is anyone's guess. She rubbed at her mouth hurriedly, coughed, and glowered at the drink. it's like mead, indeed!<br/><br/>The ruckus at the door caught her attention then. Hey. She knew that face, even if the name escaped her - Human names were all "BarkBark Fathersson" and the like, right? Still, she knew the farmer, and rise from her seat - happily leaving the mug of ale and elf-spit behind. She squeezed through the knot of people, nose crinkling at the smell of some she rubbed against, to get beside the farmer.<strong>"Maae gov'haunin,"</strong>she greeted the farmer in her people's tongue, resting a hand on his arm.<strong>"Are you alright?"</strong>Her earnest, topaz-blue eyes looked him over for injury, before turning to bare her teeth at the ruffians attempting to shove him around.<strong>"E <em>daro</em>,"</strong>she barked at them,<strong>"He is no harm to you. What is the news, field-master?"</strong>