Roleplay

@ElphabaThropp

Garrett was vaguely surprised at her lack of a protest, but it was early in the day. He stopped the horse close to the town bulletin. Several pieces of oilskin with bounties were nailed to the board. The horse stopped, knickering softly at the kids running around it.

"Alright." Garrett softly grunted to himself, as he unhanded Gwendolyn, separated himself from her and the kitten, and dismounted. He was surrounded by a plethora of questions from the remaining children. Some adults looked up in amusement while they carried their wares or went about on their responsibilities.

"The alderman? Where is he?" Garrett asked the kids, careful to not step on any of their feet, as he set his hands on his hips and indulged them.

@ElphabaThropp

"Ackerman. You have proof, I take it?" The Alderman was a tall man of hawkish features. Mostly his nose. He had no hair, and his eyebrows were fairly bushy, giving him an austere appearance.

"Run along. Yes." Garret answered, in his element, as he shooed the prying hands away, and turned to get the griffon's head from the hook. The head had begun to rot a little, but it was proof enough.

A bag of gold went into Garrett's hand and he was thanked for his services.

"Any missing children?" Garrett asked.

"A few. They run off hither and thither, as you can see. We have at least three. We fear something is taking them-" The alderman said, raising his eyebrows at Garrett, "I trust you found that something?"

"Just wolves, I think. Miles from here is wilderness, with bacchants and the like. I doubt the children would go that far, though." Garrett said, crossing his arms as he spoke. Here he had some authority.

"One of the mothers of the missing children is a single one. A widower: her husband went to serve King Fredelle, never came back. I would talk to her first. She has not had the luck of a man searching for her capricious little 'un as the other mothers have." The Alderman said, giving Garrett a nod. He turned and looked at Gwedolyn a moment. Garrett looked over at her too.

"That is my friend. I am currently helping her." He explained vaguely, and the Alderman snorted.

"I hope I will not have to see you or your kind anytime soon, Garrett."

"Peace with you." Garrett said, understanding the Alderman's promptness to finish he conversation. A lot of small towns thought speaking too long of ill and of magic caused more to happen. It was charming. The alderman gave him another nod before walking back to his home.

Garrett tapped his boot on the dirt road a moment more, before turning to look at Gwen again.

"Did you want to go and talk to that mother? Or did you want to just find a little inn to hole up in? I have to get the tears of a nereid, which we saw the possibility of being nearby just a few miles back."

@ElphabaThropp

"I just want to include you." Garrett said, amused.

@ElphabaThropp

'No, no..." Garrett laughed, shaking his head. "That's so deprecating. I would never. You're my partner for the moment. So your opinion matters." Garrett said. He didn't want to mistreat her...she was still a living being. She had feelings and opinions of her own.

@ElphabaThropp

"I'm fine, and we have plenty of daylight. If you don't want to approach the woman we can ride out and see about getting those nereid tears." Garrett offered. Maybe Gwendolyn just didn't want to talk about children. She said she had lost her own.