Entering the mess of the Tavern several minutes after having left the Castle Courtyard, a quick look is all that is needed to locate where the group is supposed to go. Alpha stands in a far back corner of the Ornery Cucco by an empty table with enough room for the six people that should be meeting here. The Sheikah nods in your direction, indicating that he's expecting you already.

OOC: Okay, this thread is ONLY to be replied to by those who were in the 'Corner of the King's Council' thread. If you did not participate there, then do not post here!

But you're free to read along.

Rose takes a seat next to Alpha. Then she moves over to the next one. "I hope the others get here soon," she mutters. "This is going to feel a bit awkward." (OOC: Sorry, couldn't resist the comic relief. ) "Well, as long as we're here and waiting, how about some food?"

Dogura stood next to Alpha, awaiting the arrival of his comrades. He looked over his list, and marked off Rose as she walked through the door. "Good evening Mrs Hillmound!" Dogura smiled, and looked back at his tiny, but growing list.

Dogura's List wrote: Rose X
Tayro
Alex
Blank

"hmm..." the samurai rubbed his chin, and looked up at Alpha, who stood up higher than he. "Are you sure there are enough?" I know we're all powerful, but really. If we're outnumbered, the king wouldnt shift his weight to help us. Neither would i accept it very gracefully. Are you sure about this Alpha?"

Alpha shrugs at the Vagabond's comment. "Your guess is as good as mine, Dogura. I'm actually pleasantly surprised that Rose joined us; the other three I expected. Let's just keep that little fact in mind: we could have had five people rather than six to do this job."

He glances over as Rose sits down, a bit confused as to why she seems more timid than usual. Why would it be a bit awkward? It's not like this is the first time she's been the only woman in a group, right?

Alpha decides to ignore the fact and instead nods in response to her request. "Feel free to order whatever you want, Rose. But remember, I'm not paying for it."

Dogura looked ahead, still speaking with Alpha. "Well, thats certainly looking at the glass half full, but it would be nice if we even had a glass, IE a sturdy foundation." He leaned back on the counter, placing his note pad on top of it. "But, this is a bit new. I suppose it will take a good time before we have strength in quality and quantity."

A horrible noise was heard from the vagabond. A chyrning sound that made his facial expression change. He looked around his face turning red. "I guess I'm a little hungry!" he chuckled, and reached into his sack, pulling out a red rupee. "Say, where is the bar tender?" He added glancing around the room.

"I'm not hungry, but thirsty" said Alex out of the blue in a low voice, he was sitting just by Rose's side "At least I hope these people survive" he said in a grim tone and took a drink from his Zora wine cup.
"Alpha, what did you hear inside the Council, is it true that the King is going to use civilians to shield himself?" he lowered his head at the mere though of it.
"Lately I've been thinking... what about the piece of the triforce that is hidden in the castle? I've heard many stories about how it looks or where it lies, but they all point at the Royal Family. Where I'm trying to get is, wouldn't that power be useful against the Exiles? Using it perhaps could reduce the number of lives that have to be sacrificed..." he again took a drink from his wine, waiting for someone to follow.

Rose sighs. "There goes a decent dinner," she mutters gloomily. She only then just noticed Dogura there. She shakes her head. She was losing her touch. Or maybe the samurai was part Sheikah, and she didn't know it. She then turns her attention to Alpha. "You didn't think I would join? Surely you should know I'm for justice and protecting the innocent by now?"

"True," Alpha again agrees, this time with an accompanying sigh. "It is new...but I have some old stories that I intend to build off of. I've an idea...but I'll explain more about it when the others finally arrive."

While Dogura goes off to get some food, Alpha turns back to Rose in time to see Alex joining them. After hearing him out, the Sheikah's face begins to rock back and forth as he mentally goes between the two options. "Well, Alex..." he finally says, "We all know of the legendary power of the Triforce, and that it is rumored to be held within the Castle. But the fact of the matter is that I've heard stories saying that the opposite is true as well, that the Triforce was lost, or is in the Hero's hands, or any number of other possibilities. Fact of the matter is that we'd need to do a thorough search of the entire castle before we found it, and once word about us gets out there's no way we'll be permitted to it. And besides..." Alpha pauses for a second, then continues. "If the King of Hyrule is so worried about surviving this whole mess, then I'm sure that he'll be using it himself. And if he doesn't use it...it's either because he doesn't have it or there's some reason we don't know of as to why.

"I may not agree with Harkinian about any of his strategies, but he figured out so many ways to build shields around himself that I'm sure he's included the Triforce in his planning stages."

At Rose's comment, his grin returns. "I knew you were for protecting the people, yes; but I didn't know you were against the royalty as well."

Dogura smiled at the arrival of the Zora. "Welcome! Have a seat, the bar tender will be here shortly, im sure." He turned back to his list, and marked off Alex.

Dogura's list wrote:Rose X
Tayro
Alex X
Blank

The samurai looked at Rose. "We're all mostly for the good of the people. You see, I always look out for number one. However, the lives of others are important not only to me, but to the life of... Well, I have a debt to pay, and if saving lives is the best way, then so be it." He finished up. "However, Im neither for evil, nor justice." He banged on the counter. "Hey! Lets get some dinner out here!!"

"I could care less about politics," Rose replies to Alpha. "I would've been happy being a private in the army, but my C.O.'s in the academy insisted that I move up ranks." She turns to Dogura. "Are you paying for everyone?" she asks hopefully.

Dogura looked at Rose's hopeful eyes. She was hungry, as was the rest, and Alpha made it very clear that he wasnt paying squat. "Alright." Dogura said in a sigh. "I'm loaded from a recent mission. Found a mine of the material they use to make rupees. Gold everywhere!" He smiled.

OOC: I PMed RG a while ago. he should be here soon.

At the sole sugesion of someone else paying, Alex got hungry "He he...so are you paying for me also?" he leaned back on his seat "I wonder when are Tayro and Blank coming..."
He then leaned forward and stood up, he looked at the others, wondering...
"Now taking on more serious matters, and with exception of Rose, has anyone been in a war, not in a single fight, but in a real war?" the Zora himself had been in the middle of a war, but he wanted to know if the others had felt the same...

"Actually, Alex, I haven't been in a war. The most we ever had to do was stop nomads from destroying villages in Southern Holodrum." She frowns. "Well, I guess you can call that a war." She shrugs. "Still, I've been in battle before, so I do have some experience."

"If you can call fleeing from several tens of thousands of Sheikah assassins a war, then yes, I have been," Alpha replies as he sinks into his seat. Bringing up the Hakiems at a time like this, when he's already planning on making a few more enemies...it's obviously tough on him. Hopefully those Sheikah won't show their faces for a while.

He continues, however, with little more than a short pause. "Other than that, no, I have no true battle experience. But I think that my life more than makes up for it."

"I see... But battles last a few hours, the aftermath takes years to go back to normal, or may never fix" his hand holding the cup started shaking a little, but still his sight up.
The fresh yet wraming liquid ran down his throat, this wine was good, but dangerously dazzing if drank alone.
"I'm really getting hungry now..."