Zero Hour

[Brian]

The lorekeepers have nothing else for you, other than Eske calling out that he wished you luck.  The alcove is the same way when you get there; abandoned, and without any visible observers.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn removes the note, replacing it with the coin, and then stands, crumpling the paper in his fist.  Studying the hallway one last time, he makes his way out of the keep proper, heading in the general direction of the forge.  Along the way, he keeps an eye out for Durant and Liandral -- but at this point, his mind is primarily on the upcoming (he hopes) meeting with Lindsey.

[Brian]

No sign of Durant; he's probably back in the main hall.  You only see a pair of servants and some guards the entire time, until you exit through the kitchens and come into the courtyard where you see Nathan and Phil speaking with Ekim.

Bjorn now joins Nothing Out of the Ordinary.

[Brian]

The two vassals lead you around the corner of the keep, and then relax a bit.  "Good job," one of them (a skinny looking man with short, dark hair) says.

The other, a slightly taller, and more filled-out man with curly brown hair, nods.  "Ill tidings from the south; they said you betrayed us all.  But we don't believe that."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn looks at them, raising an eyebrow, as if to say, You need to explain more than that.

[Brian]

"Most of us don't believe that," the second man corrects himself.  "Head-warden Donovan wants to speak with you ... mostly about...."  He hesitates, and sighs.  "About those who didn't make it."

"For what it's worth, you've given us a lot to work with here, too," the other man adds.  "If anyone's going to be in trouble, it'll be Mirallia, not you."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn grunts.  "This is about the Archonae lies, then?"

[Brian]

Both of them miss a step, and wince.  "Ah, bold as they said," the skinny one says.  "Well, that may be the case ... we fight who we fight, and as long as it's not Hammar, then all is well."

"Didn't really expect them to betray us, though," the taller one muses, as you round another corner of the keep, now approaching the great door that leads to the branching corridors before the great hall.

[Bjorn]

"Sir Shuker has seen it with his own eyes," Bjorn says grimly, "even if you choose to ignore that little performance at the start of the siege.  They've done enough damage already.  I won't see anyone suffer more by cause of them."

He eyes them again, consideringly.  "But I doubt you came looking for me to hear my thoughts on that," he says.  "So where are we headed?  Is the Head-warden here?"

[Brian]

"He is," the taller affirms.  "And that's where we're going.  He has some questions for you."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn nods.  "When did you get to the Keep?" he asks, casually.

[Brian]

"Night before last," the skinny one says.  "Or something like that, anyway.  We came through with the Storm-riders, using Gatemaster Eske's door."

[Bjorn]

"Ah," Bjorn says, "right.  Didn't put two and two together there."  

He falls silent as he keeps pace with the vassals, fighting back exhaustion and hunger as he tries to plan for the meeting ahead.

[Brian]

The vassals lead you through the door of the keep, up to the second floor, and to a room relatively near Breke's room.  Which is, coincidentally, a floor below where you left the copper coin for 'Fletcher'.

"Here ya go," the tall vassal says, rapping at the door.

Two more vassals of hammar stand on either side of the door, eyeing you with unreadable gazes, but saying nothing.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn stares back at them impassively.