Ranging East|Cruuelka, Khelek

[Kender Bard]

Travel on the road grew slow as they headed farther east. But by now they'd reached the long stretch of the road where finding an inn would be unlikely until they found a village.

Aelwine shivered. "Forces, I didn't know this kind of cold existed." And he thought Caelium had been bad so long ago!

[Skittlebug]

Suri huddles in her cloak and nods, "At least it's not full on winter any more..."

By now she'd picked up some much warmer clothes, and made wraps of a sort for her feet. Her wings helped a little bit too, until they got cold themselves.

[Kender Bard]

"We've got to be close to something," Aelwine grumbled.

There was the distant sound of hooves growing closer. Aelwien glanced back and startled at a horse drawn carriage rumbling in their direction. He hastily got out of the way, into the deeper snow, and began to wave to the driver. "Hey!" he shouted, hoping that the the driver would stop and give them a lift.

He drove on, splashing them both with slushy snow.

[Skittlebug]

Suri curses at the carriage and scoops up a snowball to throw at it before walking back onto the path. She shakes out her wings and scowls at the snow, "wonderful."

[Kender Bard]

Aelwine was shaking and brushing the snow off himself as well, scowling. "Well, that was unpleasant to say the least. Come on."

Following the trail does eventually lead them to refuge--the village of Cruuelka.

"I'd say this is quaint if I wasn't ready to throw myself into a fire," Aelwine said, shivering. "Do you see an inn?"

[Skittlebug]

"Finally," Suri looks around, looking for larger buildings and spotting one that looks promising. "Think that's one?" She points it out.

[Kender Bard]

"Most likely place to try," Aelwine agreed, heading for it.

The warmth of the fire inside was a godsend. Sighing in bliss, Aelwine made a beeline for the fireplace in the common room and sat himself down right in front of it. "Much, much better."

The innkeeper raised a brow and looked between Aelwine and Suri. "Are you two getting a room here?"

[Skittlebug]

Suri shakes her head at Aelwine before nodding to the innkeeper, "How much for a room?"

[Kender Bard]

"Three bits a night per room," the innkeeper answered.

Aelwine winced--that was on the higher end. Still, it wasn't highway robbery. They could afford it. He walked up and laid two copper and two bits down. "Two rooms," he said. "Does that include a meal?"

"Dinner," the innkeeper agreed.

Well that's not so bad then, Aelwine thought, glancing at Suri. "Wanna huddle by the fire with me all night or do you want to look around once we warm up?"

[Skittlebug]

Suri eyes the fire for a moment, "Now that we've got a place to warm up I wouldn't mind looking around for a little while. She smirks, "Unless, of course, you don't think you can handle the cold any longer."

[Kender Bard]

Aelwine grimaced. "I can," he said. "Just let me thaw." He stayed close to the fire for several more minutes, sighing. "All right, let's go. Nighthunt's been ranging around the city long enough."

In truth, he was a bit worried about his friend. Nighthunt had his fur coat to keep him warm, but he was a creature of the hot jungles in Celentia, not this snow and ice. "I don't suppose I can bring my animal companion into my room?" he asked the innkeeper.

The innkeeper stiffened. "What is it?" he eyed Aelwine. "A cat?"

"A panther," Aelwine admitted.

"No," the innkeeper said sharply.

Aelwine sighed. "Thanks anyway. Let's go Suri."

[Skittlebug]

Once outside Suri tirns back toward the inn with a scowl, wondering just how hard it might be to sneak Nighthunt in. "Maybe we can find somewhere he can stay while we look around?" she suggests.

[Kender Bard]

"I'm trying to think of where," Aelwine said, shoving his hands in his pockets with a frown. "He can't stay in a stable; the horses would go crazy. Maybe there's a cave or something around here that we can use to make him comfortable?"

[Skittlebug]

"Maybe," Suri calls out to her companion and when the owl arrives asks her to look for any such places in the area. She grins to Aelwine as Tousle takes off again, "There, she'll let us know if she finds a place that will work."

[Kender Bard]

"Good," Aelwine said. Tousle was very useful; he was not the least bit sorry that they'd picked her up. Hands shoved deep into his pockets, he walked about the road, glancing around at what the village had to offer. "Not much," he admitted. "But it's a small place." He pointed to where several small buildings stood side by side. "I think those are shops." He glanced around and pointed to another. "And that's probably a tavern or a restaurant." The inn was behind them. The homes of people were obvious to pick out. "Not sure what everything else is. So, where to first?"