The Lost Locket [Sidequest: Open to 4 applicants]

The quest on the job board had been simple: go to fields near the swamp in Lochhedge and look for a silver locket. There had been a well-drawn image of it right beneath the quest's sign and it was probably worth a lot. The person was, after all, offering 500 denars for it.

Those who applied to the job would have to pay the man in The Mossy Tankard a few coins for the info and he would forward the names of the four to apply and take the post down. The four were to meet at The Mossy Tankard for more details on the quest midday of the first day of the week.

At the counter where the bartender was, a slender commoner girl with golden hair that fell into a plait was sitting patiently. She knew she could ill-afford having people to do the quest, but the locket had been important to her and was worth whatever savings she had. It was important she knew what the people she was hiring looked like and if she could trust them. The bartender looked at the girl and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Annaliese," he said. "I'm sure they'll find the locket in no time. If you looked the place up and down already, I doubt anyone else could've snatched it just like that."

"I suppose," Annaliese said frowning. "My biggest fear is that it might've fallen into the swamp water."

"I'm sure for 500 denars, hunters will dive into the murky stuff for you," he said. "Don't you sweat it. Here, have a bit of cider on me."

Maia entered The Mossy Tankard. Her braids fell forward as she kept her hood up. She wore a different variant of her normal courier attire, it was long-sleeved, and she wore a pair of black trousers underneath her leather dress. Her daggers hung around her waist, and a large bag was slung over her shoulder. To most, it would look like a young courier was delivering a message to someone by the bar. But Maia was actually here to take on a quest she had seen on a job board.

After delivering a letter, she saw the job and decided it would be wonderful to get a few extra denars for her work. So she got some information from the bartender, and was meeting up with the person today.

She approached the bar and looked at the bartender. "Hello. I'm here regarding the quest about the locket."

Aleph walked into The Mossy Tankard, adjusting his feathered hat. He wore his usual traveling clothes, with his satchel hanging from his shoulder and resting at his side. He had been traveling for a long while, and was looking forward to entering another country on his way to Eisleyn. But first, before he left Aldmerrow, he decided to take on this little quest and help a poor girl find her lost locket.

Because lockets were precious things and God help anyone that lost such precious things!

Not to mention, he could use some extra money to buy food and other supplies for his trip. So, after looking around the place, he saw that a young girl was at the bar, talking to the bartender. He assumed the bartender was the one he would have to talk to about the quest. Probably. Maybe. He didn't know.

He walked up to the bar and smiled at the bartender. "Hello." He greeted. "I'm here to search for a locket."

The bartender, a lazy-eyed man with watery blue eyes, paste-white skin and little tags on his beard looked up. He grumbled and stared at the two before saying: "Information means pay first. 50 denars or nothin'."

Meanwhile, the door to the inn opened from behind. A figure in a long blue hooded cloak came in, a white bow adoring it in the center. The figure would unhood and reveal to Maia a familiar face and to Aleph a young woman with large blue eyes shying behind two round lenses, an alabaster complexion and curling dark purple hair in a ponytail also tied with a white bow. She slowly made her way towards the bar as well, her eyes trapped open upon seeing Maia.

"Miss Maia?" she asked in. "What are you doing all the way here in Aldmerrow?"

The bartender forced a cough and raised his hand at Aleph, his fingers flexing and extending greedily as he waited for hard silver coins to enter his hand.

Maia raised an eyebrow. "Fine. Give me information." She grumbled as she placed 50 Denar on the table. She nodded at Aleph to acknowledge him, then waited for the information. But a familiar voice caused her to turn around. It was Liseran, which was only slightly surprising. She knew the woman travelled on "business" sometimes, but still, Maia was pretty sure that Liseran lived in Saoirse.

"Was here on a job, saw the paper on the message board. I thought might be a nice thing to do for someone, and possibly get some extra denars on me." Maia explained. "And it would be nice seeing how I just lost 50 denars." She shot some daggers at the bartender. It wouldn't normally be a big deal, but Pascal had once again lowered her pay, and it was getting even harder to make ends meet. She needed every denar she could get.

"Anyways, what brings you here? Business?" Maia asked. Might as well strike up a conversation as she waited.

Aleph blinked for a moment before shrugging. Then, he took 50 Denars from his pocket and gave them to the bartender. He had been trying to conserve his money since he would be travelling a long way, and he would rather spend it on food. Anyways he turned to see a purple-haired bespectacled woman in a blue hood enter the place. She and the other girl seemed to know each other, so he smiled.

"Oh, are you here to look for the locket too?" He asked the courier. "And who is your friend?"

"I'm here for the same reason you are," Liseran said to Maia before also slapping 50 denars on the table. "No harm in getting a few extra denars after taking care of work, right? Anyways, it's nice to see you've been doing okay."

The man muttered something and slid the money into his hands. He then pointed to a blonde girl over at one corner of the counter who was staring sadly to the outside.

"Go see her," he said gruffly.

Liseran turned her attention to Aleph. She stood stiffly and formally.

"Yes, that would be the case," she said with no sense of warmness in her tone. She made a small curtsy as if she were a lady or a school girl. "Liseran Dormirse. A pleasure to meet you, sir."

"I wasted 50 denars to learn that the person we're supposed to meet is literally a few metres away?" Maia grumbled. Well, that was probably the most useless piece of information she has ever received. Why did he need money for that? Some people...

She nodded at Aleph. "I'm Maia. Nice to meet you." She replied.

Aleph looked around and saw that the person who had lost the locket was literally right behind him the whole time. He frowned at this realization. Well, that was 50 Denars he was never getting back. Oh well.

Aleph turned back to the two women and smiled as they introduced themselves. "Nice to meet you too!" He said. "My name's Aleph. I actually live here in Aldmerrow, by the way."

"Info's expensive," the bartender grumbled. "Git used 't it."

Liseran merely pursed her lips. She nodded in acknowledgement at Aleph and then beckoned the two to join her in approaching the lady.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Liseran said as politely as she could.

The woman would turn around. She had a friendly face, and a pretty one at that. Her face was heart-shaped with a lovely curved forehead, a small nose, and thin but playful rosy lips. Her eyes, two large brown ones looked at the group in surprise.

"O-oh, may I help you?" she asked.

"They're here about the job thing," the bartender said.

Did she not hear us at all earlier? Liseran thought to herself.

The girl's eyes widened even more in realization.

"Ah, right! You most be job seekers," she said. "Thank you for meeting with me. My name's Anneliese. If you read the signboards, you probably already know enough of the details. May I know how you all are and what skills you have?"