Blue raised the white brows above his storm blue eyes, set there behind his fine silver rimmed spectacles. "Exactly that,"

Gio grinned something sharpish. "Catch on quick," his voice carried with a lilt.

"You have the case then?" Blue went on, standing by the tea kettle.

Gio pawed at one of the green leaves. "Right here," he pat pat the box.

Blue gave it a moment's thought. "Well, that's something at least."

Gio laughed nervously. "Come on now Blue," Turned toward the old man and leaned himself back against the wall. Arms crossed about the chest, as he tried to play it cool. "When have I ever come up with nothing?" A vine sprung forward, and its leaf rustled over Gio's face. He spasmed, and blinked, twitch twitched, startled.

A brow raised. "You're pretty damn close right now, as is, kid." Blue's eyes shift to the young woman. "I presume you were just, dragged into all this then." he began to pour some tea. One cup, then the other, then the last. He set the one for Brighid out first. Then Gio's, and finally his own.

The aromatic bloom of the brewed leaves bloomed throughout the wagon's cabin. Flowery, with hints of honey, and touches of charred cedar there with all its stony earthiness.

"That a new blend?" Gio asked, sniff sniffing the air. Tail set to a gentle swish behind him as he prod forward.

Blue but narrowed his gaze at the younger thief. "Oolong, from Aetochi,"

"Oolong?" Gio tried it on his tongue. Found it funny how it wobbled out of his throat. Almost a song to it.

"Its a type of black tea, if you must know,"

"Well I could tell by the color," Gio added brightly.

Blue huffed. "Enough. Back to business,"

Gio sniffed at his cup with a smile and took a sip.

Blue shook his head. Motioned to a tray of tea stuffs there about the counter. "Help yourself, young lady," he said. "I can get you to Halond's Hold, further south,"

"To the Pilfering Priest?"

The stab of Blue's eyes told Gio all he need to know.

The spotted Felonin squinted a smile an sipped at his tea once more.

"The very one," his eyes went back to Brighid. "I would offer you an out, Miss, only," he shook his head. "It might be easier to get lost in a crowd proper, as there would be in the town of Halond's Hold," something about the look in the old man's eye also let her know he was still measuring her.
 
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Brighid nodded slowly to Blue's question, mainly because her inquiring mind had briefly pulled to the animated vines harassing Gio before she gave their host her full attention.

"Yes, well, I believe it had more to do with a Shroudweaver and his crony in Undergrove than Gio. Thank you." She took the tea cup and gave it an appreciative whiff before adding some honey. She blew a curl of steam away before taking a sip. It had been awhile since she'd had tea of this quality. It reminded her of home, though not in an unpleasant way.

Taking her time to enjoy the warm beverage provided not only a moment of calm, but the chance to start mentally piecing this strange puzzle together. These were smugglers, no doubt. The nature of what they were smuggling -- what fit into the case they spoke of -- was something left to the darker corners of her imagination. Weaponry? Technology? Illicit alchemy? Something valuable or dangerous enough for someone to make a very public display over.

Her heartbeat quickened in her chest as she fully realized the depths of danger she was in. To her own credit, she did an admirable job of hiding it in the quiet, thoughtful sipping of her tea.

Aetochi. Quite a journey it had made to get here. By what dark and hidden paths, she could only wonder.

"Sounds like a plan. Getting lost in a crowd is something I'm quite good at." In that, at least, she could be completely honest. She had a nearly supernatural knack for blending in, which she had always found strange about herself. She should have stuck out like a sore thumb - or like one of those flashy bards that lived for the crowds in any town square. Something about her dislike of crowds led her to instinctively become very miss-able in them. She didn't like the prospect of going into a town as large as Halond's Hold, but she could see the wisdom in it.


@Caravagio
 
Blue sipped at his tea, standing as he did, about a head and some shorter than Brighid. Nod. "Sensible, as well as collected," made a sound almost like approval. "Suppose this all could have ended up much worse than its turned out." he grumbled. Let the cup down unto its little saucer, and moved about the wagon's cabin sure stepped and stutter strided with a limp.

Gio's big eyes followed him, even as his hand lifted the cup up to his mouth and he sipped.

"Well, Gio, get the old girl's heart going, if you'd be so kind,"

A grin crept across the young man's face. "Oh, I'll be a right Mirror of Sitha's grace, Blue, just you watch," he said with a wink toward. Brighid.

Blue shook his head and went to the helm of the wagon, heavy thunk of his leg knocking against the wood with each step. The helm was in its own little cabin at the fore of the wagon's frame, with a fine wooden wheel there before a bench. Thick fingers worked slats opened at the front which let him see the outside world before him. Another slat pulled downed opened a window to his left, then another, to his right. "Muggy as a witch's ass

Gio moved toward the center of the main cabin. "Pardon me, Miss," he said with a dip of the head and smile spread. Body slunk low. Claws found a hidden latch. Pulled open a false door lined with a dull silver metal. Inside, the fine shine of copper veins and silver ribs, there amidst steel blocks, all of which encased a glowing heart. One learned in the shroud would know it on site.

A tear of the firmament. High grade shroudstone.

"Alright now, old girl," Gio said to the machine, eyes wide and full with his appreciation. "You don't go and be nice to these digits, shine?" he reached down, and finagled a dial. Flipped a switch that went click. The stone glowed to life. The machinery started to hiss and churn as it spooled up. Slow as thing that roused from a long sleep.

"Alright, go and loose the wheel blocks while she's waking up, boy, go on," Blue called back from the pilot's cabin.

Gio was already out the back door. Working the blocks free.
 
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