the elf spoke placidly.
"No beverages for the moment," Siegfried replied, searching the other elf's face in hopes of recognition. "Tell me, what is your name, friend?"
"I am Eldred of Numa, son of Fel-alya," he bowed his head slightly.
"Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Eldred. I am Siegfried of the Silverhart clan of D'arya and son of Helmer," Siegfried bowed. "If I am not being too forward, Eldred, permit me to ask what a Numan elf is doing so far from the shores of the Zephyrs?"
"Not forward at all, Siegfried. The Numan elves have experienced quarreling within the royal family of Rubiwind. The twin heirs of the Rubiwind dynasty have turned on King Sikahr and staged a coup in the realm of Numa. The coup was thwarted, but now the princes are at war with their father. And the only competing heir, Princess Avani, has gone missing. Many suspect one of the princes has kidnapped her for ransom, since King Sikahr is very fond of his daughter. Some of my people have fled Numa since the warring began two winters past. It is a dreadful time for the Numan elves." Eldred's shoulders drooped slightly.
"I am sorry, Eldred. I had not heard of this crisis before now, and I doubt any of the Evingrad elves know of it. D'arya be with all of our kind," Siegfried whispered something under his breath in elvish, but Lucius could not make it out.
"The Elf Queen will bring peace back to Numa, in that I place my trust. For now, we can only wait and see what the future holds."
"Indeed," Siegfried nodded. "Now I wonder, Eldred, if you would care to help us?"
"Of course, what is it you need?" Eldred clasped his hands together, eager to help.
"We are searching for the blacksmith who works across the road. An old drunken man told us he would be here in the Crimson Eagle," Siegfried said.
"Oh yes, he's here. His name is Castor. That would be him in the back." Eldred pointed to a table nearest to the fireplace where a man sat reading.
"Thank you very much, Eldred." Siegfried bowed his head again and thanked him in the elven tongue.
Eldred bowed his head in return, also speaking something in elvish to Siegfried, but it was spoken too fast for Lucius to understand.
They slowly made their way to the back table, walking past shaggy drunks who made lousy jokes at them and others who had completely past out on their tables.
Castor didn't move when they stopped in front of his table. The red-haired and bearded man continued to read a piece of parchment without so much as glancing at them. He puffed on a wood pipe every few seconds and annoyingly cleared his throat each time.
Lucius lost his patience. "Pardon me, sir. Are you Castor, the blacksmith?"
The man looked up at him with fierce eyes, biting the end of his pipe.
"Who wants to know?" he asked defiantly.
"Lucius of Evingrad and my elven brother, Siegfried Lockhart," he opened his palm in the elf's direction, who bowed.
Castor placed the parchment down on the table and puffed on his pipe again, "Well, Lucius, what is it that you want? In case you hadn't noticed, it's past sunset and my business is done for the day."
Siegfried interjected before Lucius could retort, "I have merely a question to ask, Mr. Castor."
"A question?" Castor coughed on the pipe smoke. "What would that be?"
"I have heard you know a certain individual who is familiar with the forging of magical alloys for use in weaponry," Siegfried's eyes narrowed and looked menacing by the fire.
"I might know such a person, Master Lockhart," Castor crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "However, that information comes with a price."
Lucius frowned and suddenly grew irritated at the man. "How about a drink? Will that loosen your tongue?"
Castor glared at him and looked ready to strike him, but he did not.
"Forgive my friend, Mr. Castor. I am willing to pay for whatever information you can provide," Siegfried pulled several solidi from his belt pouch and placed them on the tabletop. "Will this do?"
"Yes, that'll do,"
"No beverages for the moment," Siegfried replied, searching the other elf's face in hopes of recognition. "Tell me, what is your name, friend?"
"I am Eldred of Numa, son of Fel-alya," he bowed his head slightly.
"Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Eldred. I am Siegfried of the Silverhart clan of D'arya and son of Helmer," Siegfried bowed. "If I am not being too forward, Eldred, permit me to ask what a Numan elf is doing so far from the shores of the Zephyrs?"
"Not forward at all, Siegfried. The Numan elves have experienced quarreling within the royal family of Rubiwind. The twin heirs of the Rubiwind dynasty have turned on King Sikahr and staged a coup in the realm of Numa. The coup was thwarted, but now the princes are at war with their father. And the only competing heir, Princess Avani, has gone missing. Many suspect one of the princes has kidnapped her for ransom, since King Sikahr is very fond of his daughter. Some of my people have fled Numa since the warring began two winters past. It is a dreadful time for the Numan elves." Eldred's shoulders drooped slightly.
"I am sorry, Eldred. I had not heard of this crisis before now, and I doubt any of the Evingrad elves know of it. D'arya be with all of our kind," Siegfried whispered something under his breath in elvish, but Lucius could not make it out.
"The Elf Queen will bring peace back to Numa, in that I place my trust. For now, we can only wait and see what the future holds."
"Indeed," Siegfried nodded. "Now I wonder, Eldred, if you would care to help us?"
"Of course, what is it you need?" Eldred clasped his hands together, eager to help.
"We are searching for the blacksmith who works across the road. An old drunken man told us he would be here in the Crimson Eagle," Siegfried said.
"Oh yes, he's here. His name is Castor. That would be him in the back." Eldred pointed to a table nearest to the fireplace where a man sat reading.
"Thank you very much, Eldred." Siegfried bowed his head again and thanked him in the elven tongue.
Eldred bowed his head in return, also speaking something in elvish to Siegfried, but it was spoken too fast for Lucius to understand.
They slowly made their way to the back table, walking past shaggy drunks who made lousy jokes at them and others who had completely past out on their tables.
Castor didn't move when they stopped in front of his table. The red-haired and bearded man continued to read a piece of parchment without so much as glancing at them. He puffed on a wood pipe every few seconds and annoyingly cleared his throat each time.
Lucius lost his patience. "Pardon me, sir. Are you Castor, the blacksmith?"
The man looked up at him with fierce eyes, biting the end of his pipe.
"Who wants to know?" he asked defiantly.
"Lucius of Evingrad and my elven brother, Siegfried Lockhart," he opened his palm in the elf's direction, who bowed.
Castor placed the parchment down on the table and puffed on his pipe again, "Well, Lucius, what is it that you want? In case you hadn't noticed, it's past sunset and my business is done for the day."
Siegfried interjected before Lucius could retort, "I have merely a question to ask, Mr. Castor."
"A question?" Castor coughed on the pipe smoke. "What would that be?"
"I have heard you know a certain individual who is familiar with the forging of magical alloys for use in weaponry," Siegfried's eyes narrowed and looked menacing by the fire.
"I might know such a person, Master Lockhart," Castor crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "However, that information comes with a price."
Lucius frowned and suddenly grew irritated at the man. "How about a drink? Will that loosen your tongue?"
Castor glared at him and looked ready to strike him, but he did not.
"Forgive my friend, Mr. Castor. I am willing to pay for whatever information you can provide," Siegfried pulled several solidi from his belt pouch and placed them on the tabletop. "Will this do?"
"Yes, that'll do,"
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