Moving spheres

[Ebiris]

That's her in! Lifting up her drink she saunters over to their table. "Excuse me gentlemen, I couldn't help but overhear - something about trouble south of Firewind Mines? Isn't that where all the new land is being reclaimed from the wastes?"

[Anastasia]

The bald one looks up sharply - a crooked nose, a keen gaze. "Well, well," he says, "You're that Honey Belle. What are you doing worrying your pretty little head over it?"

[Ebiris]

"The very same!" she beams, clearly thrilled to be recognised. "I'm working my way down the trade ways and was planning on visiting some of the new settlements where they're reclaiming the land further south," she answers. "But if there's dangers on the roads I like to stay a step ahead... or several steps far away, depending!"

[Anastasia]

The tall one gives you a look over and says, "Heading south, are you? Then don't go near Firewind. Bad things are happening there, bad things. No, go further west or east and travel with a good man who can protect you."

[Ebiris]

"Couldn't be worse than what I heard about the road to Victoria," Honey Belle answers with a theatrical sigh before she leans closer to them and lowers her voice. "A caravan blundered into some ruins uncovered by a sandstorm. A man of metal overseeing a labyrinth of twisting passages, roamed by titanic scorpions and lions, strange traps that would rip a man apart then heal him to do it all over again!" she shares a horrifying tale of life in the Desert Fiefdoms to provoke them into elaborating on what's so bad at those mines.

[Anastasia]

The two lean in, "Really?" The bald man says, "What's south is Sharrans. Nothing's worse than Sharrans."

[Ebiris]

"I doubt you'd find any Sharrans on the road to the United Baronies, granted," Honey Belle acknowledges with just a faint bit of civic pride showing to hint at her origin. "Though don't they always try and stay hidden? If they're making themselves visible they must have grown strong to be so bold."

[Anastasia]

The tall one scowls at that, "Fucking Sharrans."

The bald one groans and rubs his head, "Fuck. Ever heard the ballad of Kesse's Crimson Sunrise? It shows you what Sharrans do if they get in charge."

[Ebiris]

"Someone should tell the Crimson Guard then. They won't care about having to sneak into the Fiefdoms if it means putting down some Sharrans," Honey Belle says firmly. "And we'd all be better off for it."

[Anastasia]

"...yeah, maybe." The tall one grunts, "Yeah, you ever hear? They say Aziz down at the docks can get you in touch with them. Get you reward money if you earn it, too."

[Ebiris]

"Really now?" Honey Belle arches an elegant eyebrow. "I'd say they'd pay handsomely to know the details about an upsurge in Sharran activity so close to the Baronies, wouldn't they?"

[Anastasia]

"...I reckon they would," The bald one says, eyes lighting up. "I hear they pay good gold."

[Ebiris]

"Better make sure you've got all the details ready to tell them about what's going on, then," she suggests. "Is this something you've seen yourselves or heard through the grapevine?"

[Anastasia]

"We've heard, but it's reliable," The bald one says, "Trust us, it's reliable."

[Ebiris]

"Ah, something like that?" Honey Belle taps the side of her nose. "Well I'll leave you gentlemen to it, but please hurry and pass on what you know so someone can do something. We don't want to end up like Kesse over here."