After a brief walk south, the motley assembly found itself in what must have been the city center. They emerged from the northernmost street into a wide, circular plaza and could see other spoke-like thoroughfares radiating outward into the city or toward the wharf. Here, the pleasant sea air dominated and the circumference of the plaza was populated by stalls, booths, and shops that offered all of the variety that a bustling trade port could offer. Even if one of the new arrivals had missed all of this though, the center of the circle would leave no doubt that they had arrived at the heart of the city.
Towering above the pedestrians and supported by an intricate amalgamation of stonework and wooden lattices stood the shattered prow of a ship. A team of shipwrights was engaged in maintaining the broken hull, preserving it from the salty air. The figurehead showed a beautiful, smiling woman with curly, flowing hair. Her right hand outstretched toward the sky and her left clutching a book. Smallish by comparison to the large merchant vessels that sat in the harbor a few blocks away, it was still large enough to be imposing. Kael approached the odd monument slowly, sensing immediately that it was a point of reverence in the city.
"Iomaitheoir." Eya said, matter-of-factly behind him. He turned to look at her questioningly and she gestured up to the wreck. "Local lore says she was an exploratory vessel that tried to take on civilians and find a new home during the Calamity."
"I take it that didn't end well?" He asked, his curiosity piqued by the unexpectedly melancholic shake of her head.
"No. The story goes that she was destroyed just behind the horizon, not even nine miles into her journey. It was tragic, but the people here held on to their memory as a rallying cry. Instead of cowering, they came together against their fate to be trampled in the gods' wars. They didn't shrink back, they kept exploring." Her eyes didn't leave the bow as she spoke solemnly about the fixture of her adopted home. "When the city was rebuilt, they found this washed up down the coast and hauled her here. She was an explorer that dared to be a symbol of hope and ended up being so much more. Despite the damage, she's still incredibly beautiful in a way."
Kael looked down at her as the story unfolded and the mixture of earnestness and veneration on her face drew him in. He cocked a half smile and nodded. "Yeah." He was jostled from behind by Liriel.
"Come on angelface, this guy's ass isn't going to kick itself." Shooting her a look, he and Eya continued east toward the wharf. When the bulk of the party followed though, the rogue lagged.
Liriel placed a silver coin at the base of the ship's stone supports. She looked up at the smiling figurehead and jerked her chin upward in recognition.
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Eya guided them directly to the Crooked Compass pub, nestled against the wall that secured the eastern end of the crescent-shaped wharf. The facade of this unsavory establishment communicated that, of the various bars that catered to visiting sailors in the city, this was probably the one that reputable captains blacklisted. They did not bother to go inside because it was obvious that this was not the sort of establishment that did most of its business during the day.
"We should find a place to stay near here." Elara commented after giving the pub a once-over. "I've a feeling we'll be around this area for a minute on this job." Kael nodded in agreement and the others took their lead. Eya spoke up.
"There's a decent place to stay near the other end of the wharf. It's only a few minutes from here and a lot less...umm..." She looked around warily their unsavory surroundings, then gestured vaguely at everything. "...this."
"Lead on then." Kael stepped out of the way and ushered her past.
The walk was brief, as promised, and passed by the port control gate which lead to the docks. Flanked by a pair of town guards in their maroon leather armor, the gate was open to foot traffic. Although they could not see much from their vantage point, the visiting party could tell that whatever was behind it was buzzing with activity.
The Ebontide Lodge loomed high over the northern edge of the wharf's wall, the timber of its walls black from tar that protected it against the salt spray. Entering its red-painted front door, Theron was happy to see that the bottom floor contained an in-house tavern. While not as nice as the Golden Lantern, its proximity would make life a little easier. Elara walked directly to the bar, where a middle-aged human woman was working to prepare for the evening rush. She had a checkered blue handkerchief covering her fading brown hair, and the kind of steadfast build and bearing that spoke of a life behind many tavern bars and kitchens. When she looked up and saw the ranger approach, she smiled broadly.
"Welcome, folks! Supper isn't ready yet but I can start you with a drink?" Despite the crows feet at her eyes and tanned skin of her cheeks, this proprietor seemed lively enough, or at least could fake it for customers.
"Rooms for now, please." Elara waved her off. "How would two fix us?"
"Ah, not a problem." She set down a mug she'd been cleaning and pulled out her ledger. "Four gold per room for a week if you want sea-facing or six silver a day. Three and five if you're okay with street side. We're one of the few places that can see over the wharf wall and-" She stopped when she looked up again and spotted Eya at the back of the group. "Sister." She said flatly. Eya gave her a short wave and a big smile.
"Hey, Cora." Her voice oddly sheepish again. "How's Bram?" The woman just squinted and returned her glance to Elara. The ranger cocked an eyebrow and shot a look to Kael.
"Sea-facing for the week on both." She calmly answered the proprietor. The woman's face immediately brightened up again and she retrieved a pair of keys. Elara signed the ledger and Kael paid her out of their group's pool.
"Up the stairs, make a right, last two at the end of the hall to your left. Supper will be available down here in an hour and goes till six." Cora, once again charming and bright, told them as she handed over the keys.
"One more please." Eya spoke up as she stepped to the bar. "Street side is fine." The woman looked at her again but Elara interrupted.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed you were staying at your own place." Eya shook her head and gestured back the way they had come.
"Nah, I don't want to make that walk every day, plus I figure I should be nearby if you need me." She turned back to Cora. "I'll just take the daily for now." The woman turned the ledger to her and fished out another key.
"Two gold." She said brusquely. The cleric looked up at her as she was signing for the room.
"I thought it was-" She stopped short when she met the woman's eye.
"Security deposit." Cora said, again with a curt edge. Eya leaned in closer and whispered.
"Oh, come on. It was one time!" When the woman didn't budge she pouted, finished signing, and paid her. She snatched the key with a disgruntled hmph and resolutely led the way to their rooms. The uncomfortable silence was punctuated by her unsubtle clomping up the stairs until Theron turned to the bar again.
"So ya mentioned a drink then?" He said, but was cut off when Elara pulled him away by the shoulder. "Wha- Hey, no! Tha' was a long walk and I've got little legs! I'm parched!" His voiced faded up the narrow stairwell. "I'm an iceflower tha's jus' wilting in this humidity, have mercy!"
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When the sun had set that evening and the warm city returned its heat to the air, the sky answered with a light, drizzling rain. Huddled in an alley across from the Crooked Compass, five damp figures commiserated about their plan.
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Elara was the least put upon, her deep green hood had shielded her from the rain. Liriel had pulled the back of her scarf up to cover her own head, but the thin fabric didn't help much. The others dripped dejectedly while they all pressed together within an opaque magical dome created by Theron. Even though he was able to match the exterior of the Tiny Hut to the drab greyish-brown of the surrounding structures, it still did not make for an inconspicuous hunting blind. In order to not make it obvious that the alley was a stakeout point, Theron had reluctantly set it up deep in the backstreet where they couldn't be seen but also could not see the entrance to their target.
"We'll just take shifts," Kael explained, "two people, two hours each out by the street. Then come back and warm up and we'll swap." Seeing no better alternative, most of the others agreed and began deciding on a schedule.
"I can just go in there and wait for him." Eya unexpectedly offered. "I'll send a message when I see someone that looks like him." The quiet dripping of rain on the dome was only broken by a suppressed scoff from Liriel. Kael rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm...not a fan of that plan. Elara?" He looked to the ranger, who was in the process of unpacking the blanket she had brought.
"Nope." She succinctly answered. Eya huffed and crossed her arms.
"Well why the hells not?" She looked around the little shelter at her seated employers. Kael began gesturing uncomfortably, Elara looked straight at her with an expression of confusion, Theron avoided eye contact, and Liriel scoffed again, louder.
"You're precious. That's a sailor bar, Cherry." The rogue gestured toward their target and curled her lip to drive home her feelings on even having the conversation. "No, strike that, it's a bar that looks like sailor bars would be pissed off if they heard you call it a 'sailor bar'."
"And?" Eya demanded.
"And you're-" Liriel gesticulated wildly at the cleric before finding her desired word. "-you!" She looked around at the others and pointed at her own head. "Once again, stroke?" Kael interrupted her incipient tirade.
"We don't want to risk you. Plus...you, well you seem to stand out around here." Eya uncrossed her arms and slumped her shoulders. Her dejected look caused the warrior to grasp at words. "It's not a bad thing, you've been a big help so far. It's just-" Elara stood up with her blanket roll and walked across the dome, tapping the cleric's shoulder on her way.
"Come on, we'll take first watch." She exited without waiting for confirmation. Eya followed, but not before leaving another disgruntled hmph behind her.
She caught up to the ranger near the mouth of the alleyway. Elara was in the process of moving some boxes and refuse to a suitable position. With a little assistance from the eager cleric, her task was finished in just a few minutes. They then settled in behind the ad hoc blind, sitting together in the shadows against the adjacent shop's wall. Eya could see the front door of the Crooked Compass clearly from here, but anyone walking on the street would need to be exiting the pub if they stood any chance of spotting the two of them. Thankfully, they were mostly shielded from the rain by the eaves of the building, but the occasional drip still splashed coldly on the top of her head.
Elara unrolled her travel blanket and spread it over the two of them. She drew her partner in closer and tucked the light covering around their legs. She then pulled up her hood and settled in. Unused to being in such close proximity to someone else, Eya searched for something to talk about.
"This blanket is really nice, it's warmer than it looks." She offered. Without turning her head from the door, Elara nodded.
"Kelpie oil." She responded. She softened her terse response though, and looked over at the cleric. Elara offered a small smile and turned back to observing the pub. "Kelpie fat, when rendered down produces oil." She clarified and Eya nodded along. "Treating the blanket with it makes it water resistant and warm, just like how Kelpies can survive in cold water."
"Wow," Eya said with genuine interest, "aren't Kelpies dangerous? This must be an expensive blanket..." She began running the fabric between her fingers. Elara's attention was drawn away again and she watched her partner admiring the simple covering.
"Boots, blankets, and tools Eya." She quietly said. When the cleric's eyes met hers, she nodded toward her. "Don't ever accept cheap boots, blankets, or tools. It's an expensive blanket, but it's still cheaper than buying a new one every winter or losing a foot to frostbite." Eya nodded along and smiled back, signaling her acceptance of the advice, and they both returned to their watch.
Halfway through their shift without a sign of Garven, Elara unexpectedly spoke up.
"So. I still think you don't look or act like any cleric of Sarenrae I've ever heard of." Her question was implicit and her economy of words spoke as much as the words themselves.
"I never said I was a cleric of Sarenrae, you did." Eya answered, drawing the ranger's eyes away from their target again. The confusion and questions on her brow made her watch partner smile. "I said I'm a cleric of the Everlight."
"Isn't that the same thing?" Elara shifted her position to look directly at her. As long as Eya's eyes were on the pub, she was comfortable paying close attention to this conversation. The cleric shook her head, but her words were friendly still.
"To most people, yes. If you asked Sister Althea at that temple in the Copper Bowl, she'd agree with you. We don't believe that though." She grew more animated as she spoke, her hands gesturing under the blanket. "Think about it...how does a goddess get betrayed and killed by someone as evil as Asmodeus? She doesn't, that doesn't make sense!" Eya reached up and pulled a small necklace out of her robe and began fiddling with it as she spoke. Elara could see that it was an electrum coin on a thin cord.
"It only makes sense if you realize that Sarenrae wasn't a goddess, she was an avatar of the true goddess, the Everlight." She now looked at Elara with a smirk of satisfaction. "The Everlight was never defeated, she's a much more powerful, primordial source of life. Something Asmodeus could never hope to defeat in his wildest dreams." She dropped the coin at her neck and dug around in her robe for a moment before producing her holy symbol. She held it up for Elara in the meager light that spilled into the street. Rather than the esoteric winged effigy of Sarenrae from days gone by, it was the entwined triple-blossom.
"See? One lavender, for the Everlight's grace. One white, for our order. One blue, in mourning and remembrance of Sarenrae." She pointed to each in turn and Elara recognized the colors from her robe.
"Ah," she said while turning back to face the street, "explains the fashion choices." Eya nodded and tucked the symbol away, but when she looked back Elara was watching her again.
"Doesn't explain the armor though." She narrowed her eyes, gauging Eya's reaction. "I've seen robes for the bookish types and I've seen plate armor on the clerics that are more inclined to bash heads. That looks like something an assassin might wear." She gestured at the high collar that peeked out of Eya's otherwise pious garb. "And patterning it to blend into your robes? I feel like I wasn't supposed to notice it."
Instead of shrinking back, the cleric just shrugged and met her gaze. "Where light ends, darkness begins. We also understand that the elemental chaos that the gods displaced in the Founding didn't disappear. Bits of it still poke into our world sometimes. We call them Shadows, and we need to be prepared." The foreboding tone in her voice hung there in cold dampness even after her words stopped. While Elara processed this unexpectedly dark turn in their conversation, Eya broke out an effusive smile. "Wow you're really observant!"
The ranger blinked at the second sudden reversal of tone. She nodded absently and furrowed her brow. "Yeah. It's kind of my job. So are clerics of the Everlight often in the habit of using aliases, Alia?" This question did put Eya on her back foot and she shrank back toward the wall a bit. Mulling over her answer for a minute, she didn't meet Elara's probing stare when she finally answered.
"Occupational hazard." She shrugged and drew her knees up to her chest. Another long stretch of silent observation followed. Every rough looking patron that entered or exited the pub was thoroughly examined by Elara's keen eyesight but so far, they were striking out.
Finally, and unsure why the silence was bothering her so much tonight, the ranger spoke up again. She didn't take her eyes off the Crooked Compass, but spoke to Eya anyway.
"You spend enough time out in the wilderness, you get good at spotting things that are out of place. Or you die." She felt the cleric shift and lean in again, her voice was quiet and barely made it to Elara's ears over the raucous noise coming from the pub.
"You grew up in the woods? That must have been so...free. Were your family scouts or trappers or something?" Elara shook her head.
"Merchants." She said simply, then realized that probably bore some elaboration. "They were always busy with two things. Running their shops and making more Hartwells." She turned her head and smirked. "I'm number six of seven. You don't even want to guess how many cousins I've got." Eya giggled and she continued. "Sneaking away into the woods was a way to get some peace and quiet. There were plenty of other kin to take my place, so when I was old enough I went out into the forest one day and just stayed there."
"Wow...I'm so envious." Eya's hushed admiration of her simple story was not something that Elara was used to. She was surprised at how good it felt; just a little, innocent validation like that. "Gods, you guys are all so cool."
The ranger shrugged and turned back to her watch. "That life isn't all it's cracked up to be, but its got its moments." After a beat, she continued. "Don't mind Liriel, that's just how she is." She heard a subdued chuckled come from behind.
"It's okay, I've had worse. Trust me." Elara shook her head and smirked.
"I think she actually kind of likes you, in her own way. She hasn't even threatened to kick your teeth in yet."