Entering the Melodic Bard Tavern, it wouldn't be hard to see the two women in the back wearing cloaks. Had the two of them been in the desert with their hoods up, one might not have seen them at all; the cloaks matched the color of sand perfectly. Being of Gerudo make, it came as no surprise to those familiar with the Gerudos. The coloration was probably further enhanced by actual grains of sand embedded within the cloak from years of use. For these cloaks weren't used to keep in body heat; they were used to keep sand out when the Mireks Ako, the Wind of Death, kicked up in the Haunted Wasteland. Of course, the most feared wind of the Gerudos was a distant memory of their old homeland. Sandstorms in Parapa Desert, while still dangerous, were no where close to the damage the Mireks Ako could do. The most use a Gerudo cloak saw these days were to keep their owner warm in the cold desert nights. Or to stop grown men from staring at them when they made rare visits to Rauru Town.

But in the stifling heat of the tavern--caused by the two fireplaces, several torches, and the heat of around a hundred or so people (nearly the capacity of the tavern; the only room left is the booth occupied by the cloaked women, enough to fit another six or seven people)-- wearing such cloaks would certainly be too unbearable for even a Gerudo, a race of women used to the harsh heat that was inevitable in their lives. But these were no ordinary Gerudo. The one with red hair could run a marathon in any temperature, and her blue-haired twin could be mistaken for dead if she didn't breathe deeply in her sleep. Any man who glanced back there would turn back with a disappointed face, their hopes of seeing more skin than they were used to in public dashed.

Icerova and Firerova sat in their corner booth, mostly hidden away at the back, each eating a bowl of soup. After slurping a spoonful of the hot substance, Firerova said in Gerudic, “You have a crush on her.”

Icerova’s hand froze for a moment, and then she slowly lowered her spoon back into her bowl while she replied, “Don’t be ridiculous. Rose is a friend.”

“You try to hide things from me, but you keep on forgetting that we’re twins. I know you just as well as you know me, Sheena. And right now, I’d say I know you more than you know yourself.”

Icerova sighed. “Suppose you’re right?”

Firerova smirked. “I’d rub it in your face. And I’d encourage you to see how Rose feels.” The Gerudo’s smirk turned into a genuine smile. “What’s there to lose, right?”

“Respect. A good friendship.”

“Oh, stop being so negative. That’s my job.”

Icerova laughed. “You’re lucky I need you to get rid of all this heat my body absorbs, Haru. If I didn’t, I might have to get rid of you.”

“Ha, you love me too much. You wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t what?” Rose asked as she approached the table, speaking flawless Gerudic. Once at the booth, she took off her cloak, her skin beginning to glisten from the sweat that was now forming. She tossed the cloak to the chair next to Sheena and rolled up her sleeves.

“Nothing,” Icerova answered. “Where were you all day?”

“At the Shooting Gallery, practicing my archery. Damn, I forgot how annoying it is to use a bow with a cloak on. I wish autumn will skip over to spring. Anyway, have either of you seen Dogura, Blank, or Pyre yet?”

“No,” Firerova replied, not sounding happy at all. She still wasn’t thrilled to be teaming up with them, but she had no choice, and it would be of no use to her to complain about it.

Icerova glared at her sister before turning back to Rose, gesturing her to take a seat next to her. As Rose took a seat, the Gerudo said, “No, but it’s getting close to evening. They should be coming in soon.”

OOC: And cue Blank, ZV, and Pabru!

Oh, and before I forget, yes, I have "tavern" in the name. No, that does not imply anyone can come in and order something. So don't have your character and/or multitude of NPCs come in and order something. If you do, I will ignore it and ask RG to delete it. And I will then most likely not allow you to join in the story, seeing as how you didn't read and follow a simple direction. As of right now, only Blank, ZV, and Pabru can post. Later on, I will open it so others can join, but only if they followed my direction of not ordering food and can introduce their character to Rose et al. without bringing in their own storyline. And even then, I'll only take the first three to jump in, providing I know that their posts will be of decent or above quality.

~Shortly after the three had entered the tavern, Pyre made his enterance. He wore his casual red clothing, but also had a cloak on. It made a sharp contrast to the sandy gerudo cloaks however, as it was a velvet black color, instead of a dusty brown. The material was light, and breathed, so he wasn't too warm, plus it was both attention drawing and inconspicious. An interesting paradox that the hylian found appealing. Though he was a ranger, and often found it useful to remain hidden, he was flamboyant by nature, and maybe a little bit of that personality was shining through.

He walked towards the three sitting at the table, and threw down his cloak on the chair, revealing the scarlet color of the other side of his cloak. He had approached from their back while they spoke, and interupted while claiming his spot at the table.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. The main characters always arrive late."

A slight smile crossed his face. His words were more aimed to irk the twins than to actually portray his self-confidence, but in the end, his tone produced more of a dual meaning to the words, which fit both purposes.

"So, how do we get started?"~

(((OOC: Oh and by the way HNS, I'm currently working on a BlankXHNS sig due to yesterdays little incident.... XD)))

Amoung the many hylians, sheikahs, and deku in the crowd of the trading quarter, one large figure loomed over the rest, followed by one smaller figure. "So are you certain that this is the right place to sell your wares?" Dogura asked the large Goron that lead him through the town. He stood taller than most Gorons, and carried a giant pack about 2/3 his size on his back, along with a hat that slung over his eyes. It was a bit chilly, and the sun was but a light source. Dogura was dressed in usual garb, but didn't seem to thrilled to be where he was.

The Goron smiled. "Have I ever steered you wrong? I'm a traveling Merchant, you think I don't know a thing or two about hot-spots for merchant's like me?" Norog stopped, and smiled a large Goron smile. "This is it! Hrrmmm Haarrr... THIS IS THE SPOT!!" The large Goron pulled the pack off his back, and whipped out a colorful carpet, and spread it out on the ground beneath them. Some people were already stopping to see what he would have in stock. Most merchants would have an opening sale, with rare items, and such, for only a limited time. Norog began unpacking his things, as Dogura stared with a grimmace. It was going to be an all-day thing, and Dogura didn't want to stick around that long.

Dogura needed an oppertunity to escape the bore-fest, but didn't want to desert Norog. Thinking hard, the samurai was dissapointed with what he had spit out. "I have to go to the bathroom!..." Norog stood up, and turned around. "Umm... I think there is an outhouse that way." His finger lead Dogura's gaze in a westward direction. It was apparent that Norog had no idea where the bathrooms were. That aside, Dogura's eye caught a small structure. Upon closer inspection, Dogura decided it was a tavern! Anything that could get him out of the all day selling spree. While Norog wasn't looking, he slipped inside the establishment.

Dogura opened the doors to the Tavern, and looked around. "This is... adequate." Dogura said, clearly unimpressed. As he walked across the Tavern, he noticed somebody he hadn't seen in a long time. Rose Hillmound. Dogura slightly smiled. It was the closest to a smile he had formed in a week anyways. Dogura pushed past a few people, and raised a finger to tap Rose on the shoulder, but stopped for a moment thinking hard about what he was about to do. Rose was quite the unpredictable one... Dogura walked up to the table, and rested a hand on it. "Long time no see Ms.Hillmound!" The samurai exlclaimed.

Blank stepped into the Melodic Bard Tavern and looked at his surroundings, trying his best to gather his bearings. It was the first time he had set foot in the establishment, and he felt oddly attuned to the surrounding men and women. One man in particular caught his eye - Dogura Shadowclaw, one of Blank's dearest friends in Hyrule, and second only to Denning the cleric in order of meeting. With a smile slapped on his face, Blank approached the samurai.

It was then that he remembered exactly why he was there. Dogura, Pyralin, and Rose... Only one of them did he know well, and this was Dogura. Rose... she had served as a general in the Tarm army, that much he was aware of. Although he knew little of how such a power could be possible in such a seemingly simple human, he was also aware of her shape-shifting abilities. Often he would consider the oddities of the adventurers in Hyrule - Alpha's Void, Victor's harp, Alex's ancestral summoning, Dogura's telepathy. Right up there with all of these was Rose's shape-shifting. Never in his wildest dreams could he achieve enlightenment as to how she managed to pick up such a power. And Blank Fireside had seen some wild dreams in his day (for example, the dream of the Highlands meeting. He knew not what he had been drinking to conjure sniper squirrels in his midnight fantasies.).

He then noticed the Veilmist twins. “Oh, good!” he said aloud as he spotted Icerova. She was the nicer of the two, of that he was sure. “Oh great...” he muttered upon sight of Firerova, in a sarcastic tone. This hotheaded woman was not his favourite Gerudo in the world - in fact, he had been robbed by nicer Gerudos. The worst thing he could ever do was make Fireova angry with him, but despite the necessity to keep on her good side, Blank would rather show that her temper would go ignored.

Appraoching the group, Blank leaned up against the table and smiled that simpleton smile, while extracting that simpleton flask of his. He unscrewed the cap, and before taking a merry swig he offered the beverage to Firerova. Was Blank intending to be persistently rude, or was he simply trying to mend the severed bond between the two after that awful first impression by the lake? Whatever the case, onlookers could be sure that Blank Fireside was not a thinker.

Rose, Icerova, and Firerova all looked at each other confused when Pyre came in and said, "The main characters always arrive late." Instead of directly replying to that, Icerova responded with, "We start once Dogura and Blank gets here. And I said to meet here around evening, so you're not late."

And not long after she said that did Dogura come in and greet Rose. "Well, you keep on running off," Rose said with a slight smile. "Of course it's going to be a long time between seeing each other."

"We're pleased to see you again as well," Icerova said, sounding slightly hurt that the samurai had not said anything to her or her sister.

"Speak for yourself," Firerova muttered in Gerudic, earning a kick underneath the table from her twin.

And finally, Blank entered the tavern. Upon his "Oh great" directed at Firerova, the red-haired Gerudo scowled slightly, again earning a kick from her sister. Upon Blank's offer, Firerova clenched her fists, but wasn't able to say anything before Icerova said, "I highly doubt you are helping the situation, Blank. Haru does not like drunks for a good reason; perhaps one of these days you'll earn her trust to learn why. So I suggest you try to stay as sober as possible. And now that we're all here, take a seat." She gestured to the chairs around the booth's table. "I sat here all day while you were all out doing whatever it was you were doing in Rauru so that we would have a good table. Let's not let my boredom go to waste. And excellent, here comes tonight's entertainment to keep unwanted ears busy."

Two men and a woman in bright colors walked onto a stage near the tavern's bar. One of the men carried a flute and the other a harp. The woman carried nothing; obviously her instrument was her voice. The woman tapped her right foot three times, and upon the third time, the two men began to play their instruments, prancing back and forth near the back of the stage. The woman stayed in one place, continuing to tap her foot in beat with the music, as well as clapping her hands against her thighs. And then she began to sing. Her voice made it obvious why the tavern was called the Melodic Bard; Rose certainly had never heard a voice like that before.

A man in the crowd shouted out an obscene remark, and the bartender, a Goron, immediately took him by his collar and tossed him out of the tavern. "Trrreat women with rrrespect, you bastarrrd!" can be heard before he came back in. He is followed by another man of medium size and muscular built. No one seemed to notice that he wasn't wearing a cloak as he took the recently vacated seat. Nor did anyone notice that while he was watching the trio of musicians, he didn't look interested in the music, treating it as background music.

Of the following incident, Firerova muttered to her sister, "Remind me to pay that Goron later for his good deed."

"Don't ask him what the man looked like," Icerova replied. "Remember, we're here for a different business." She looked over the assembled group. "The Draconic General, who we now believe to be named Onox...Left? Left is your maiden name, right, Rose?" She glanced over at the human.

"Rose Emily Left Hillmound," she replied heavily. "Left is not a name I am proud of. Growing up, it had become a symbol of greed that could get away with anything. One of my first acts as Tarm Army General was to bring my parents and sister to justice in Labrynna. Dogura has already met my sister, Veran. Her son, Onox, was young at the time, so he was placed into an orphanage when Veran went to prison."

"We think it's Rose nephew now because of a curious dream she, Firerova, and I had," Icerova said, glancing at the crowd to make sure they were paying attention to the bards; they were. She then explained the dream the three of them had.

Firerova shook her head when her sister was done talking. "Honestly, sniper squirrels," she muttered. "Completely ridiculous. It sounds like a five year old came up with it."

"Or an aspiring play-write," Rose said. "But that's why we're in Rauru now. We think he's nearby."

Dogura was about to say something, but It was that very moment that a man in the crowd shouted something... Adulterated. Dogura stood up abruptly, his wolf-head daggar drawn. However, the Goron seemed to have taken care of buisness already. "He's lucky the Goron got to him before I did." Dogura muttered to Blank. "I would have had a long and painful talk with him." Sheathing his daggar, and inconspicuously taking his seat, Dogura sighed, and leaned back. "Would it interest you to know that I had that same dream?" The samurai looked over the people gathered at the table. "I don't know if its the result of my telepathic abilities, or rather fate as some would call it. But everything you described to me... I was there." Dogura was silent for a moment, before looked to Fireova.

"Perhaps within the dreamscape... We got off on the wrong foot. I know we have our differences... But please, allow me, as a gentleman, to apologize for anything that might have offended you." Dogura's sincere apology had hopes to settle any feud between them. He watched the woman sing. A beautiful tune, that supported the name of the tavern. "You know, when I was younger, we had a Tavern in Shadowclaw. You had to be 15 to enter, but me and my friend Darkin used to sneak in the backway. "There was a woman with a beatiful voice just like hers..." Dogura seemed to get lost in his own somber memories of his home. This was one of those many times in his life in North Hyrule where he questioned if he would ever return to his beautiful home of Shadowclaw.

Snapping back to reality, Dogura got to thinking about the task at hand. "So Veran, the woman we fought not far from my home... Now why exactly are we looking for your nephew again?" Dogura couldn't help but wonder what they would want with him. "I don't believe I've met him, but is it possible that he would carry out his mother's wishes and do something questionable?" Possibilities and thoughts re-entered the vagabond's mind. "All I'm saying is to expect the best, but prepare for the worst."

Blank furrowed his brow as the rude man made his untimely outburst. His lips twisted into an exasperated expression of annoyance; there was no need for the man to cry out like that. Blank felt very little remorse for him as he was thrown from the tavern, and hoped he had earned a painful bruise as a result of his crude shouting. Blank was hardly one to seem like a respectful person in the eyes of others, but he was, in fact, disturbed quite easily by undeserved disrespect. The woman's voice conjured an air of great melody, and very few times had he heard such a sublime sound.

Unintentionally, Blank ignored Dogura's comment and commenced one of his sporadic strings of silent thought. Coursing through his head were the words of Icerova, and her request that the nomad be more civil in these times. He looked from Ice to Fire, analyzing the Veilmist sisters carefully. Icerova... she's a little less hot-headed than her sister, probably befitting of her name. It would probably be best for me to do as she says... Firerova... She's not too nice, that's for sure. But Icerova's probably right. In fact, I know it's my fault... At that moment at Rauru's Melodic Bard Tavern, Blank made a silent vow to redeem himself in the eyes of the twins at all costs. Starting with this, he thought, staring down at the intricate flask in his hand. He fidgeted with it, and then tossed it behind him, careless of the presence of others in the tavern. A smile crept to his face and he felt a special warmth in his heart. Of course, all feelings of joy must die at some point, and when this emotion ended Blank panicked and extracted a second flask from his jerkin and sipped deep.

“Much better... Damnit!” he muttered to himself, capping the canteen and replacing it in his jerkin with a grimace. His self-help techniques were lost for the day; he tried t ignore the reigning alcoholism that had earned Firerova's distaste in him in the first place. Shuddering at the thought of his drinking becoming a serious problem, Blank looked back to the meeting with new thoughts. The mention of sniper squirrels caused him to scratch his head confusedly. “Hey, I had a dream about squirrels too...” The Hylian hushed himself then, coming to realize that the fact that a general consensus had been met; it seemed as though all six had dreamed of the same scene.

It also seemed as though Dogura, Pyre and himself had wriggled their way into a dangerous situation. Blank had not been present in the events of Veran's last days of life, and even now knew very little of Rose and her life. If Onox was indeed the nephew of the ex-general, there would be trouble. It wouldn't be that simple “hack-and-slash the enemy” pattern if there was family involved. Blank shook his head and awaited Rose's response to the samurai's inquiries.

~Pyre sat and turned to watch the bard perform. Though it was nice to have sometime for relaxation, he was more anxious to find out more about this general Onyx. While the ranger was mulling over what he knew about Onyx, someone in the room shouted. He barely perceived what the man had actually said, but subconsciously, a smile twitched the edges of his lips when the samurai rose, weapon drawn. When things had quited down and Dogura spoke, what he said managed to break into his thoughts. The samurai's comment was indeed true. They couldn't underestimate Onyx. The Hylian decided to throw in his own thoughts.

"Do we know what we're up against? It might be suicide to just rush ahead blindly and confront this Draconic General."

He wasn't sure what the man was capable of. Indeed, he didn't know much of anything about the general or Veran, or Rose for that matter. Pyralin didn't want to waste their time by asking for background information though. Earlier, he had met the other ranger, and chose to help her. He wasn't going to change his mind now, especially after the dream (SNIPER SQUIRELS FTW).

The Hylian had a bad feeling that he was going to find out about the things he didn't know, probably in a way he wouldn't particularly enjoy. From experience though, he knew that where evil generals were concerned, things didn't tend to proceed pleasantly.

Pyre kept these thoughts in mind when waiting for his answer. If anything came even close to suggesting that they were up against an army of darkness, which was plausible seeing as he was entitled the general, he promised to himself that he would proceed with the utmost caution. While many righteous defenders of Hyrule may say that it is best to be selfless and think of others first, the ranger knew that this was not human nature. For most living creatures, the most important thing is survival. Besides, if he was dead he wouldn't be able to help Rose out anyways. After this agreement with himself, he came to a conclusion. Unless Rose proved to be someone worth liferisking friendship, survival would come first. With those unpleasant thoughts out of the way, he returned to waiting patiently for the answer to his inquiry.~

After Dogura said his apology, Firerova opened her mouth to reply, but then he started to speak again, cutting her off. And then the men present began to wonder what Onox was capable of. Luckily for them, and especially for Blank, no one questioned what the nomad was capable of, for his flask had missed the other patrons as well as had gone unnoticed.

"Onox was a skinny kid," Rose answered. "He probably became a sorcerer."

"He is," Icerova said, not sounding very pleased at all. "He put a mind control spell on me personally."

"And it's entirely possible that he will carry out his mother's wishes," Rose said. "She wasn't pleased that I was able to escape from the mansion when I was a child. And she can't have been too pleased when I sent her to prison. She's the type to overreact, and I wouldn't be surprised if her son is as well."

OOC: Aaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnndddd.......

Now Tayro and Saber can enter! I know they've been waiting for a while. And I suppose one other can jump in as well, as long as I know you'll be good, which includes reading previous posts and reflecting that in your posts. It also includes listening to me when I point out something in your post that contradicts mine and then you going to fix it.

Stretching his arms out wide, a certain teenager, covered with deep-blue garments, which included a full suit plus a light cloak and equipped with the elementary mage weapon - a Deku Staff - is seen yawning as he lazily traverses the slow, countryside streets of Rauru town. With gigantic trees to boot, the civilization has always been peaceful, at least, as far as Tayro knew it, and always in contact with nature. And besides, the woods that covered it were excellent training places - something the junior mage had been doing all day. With some previous encounters with powerful people and creatures, he once again realized he had to keep up with his training if he wanted to be at least as good as they are. Thus, to one in the surrounding area, a few hours ago, could find a cloak-less youngster launching a flurry of Elemental Bursts and Explosions, pausing from time to time to rest a bit. Still, it was a good day worth of training, even if I still can't cast two Elemental Explosions consecutively. Now I just want to rest. - he thought, letting out another yawn as he placed his arms on the back of his head.

Looking around, his eyes met with a structure he had never seen before. A tavern. Another tavern. Good grief! This place keeps spawning taverns all of a sudden! - he mocked. Still, he wanted a place to rest a bit before heading to the Stock Pot Inn, and seeing as he hadn't tried this place yet - actually, none of the taverns, but who's checking - he decided to make this his stop. Opening the door, immediately he came to notice the soothing melody that came along his ears. Somehow, it reminded him of Emily - the youngster's best friend who had the aspirations to become a world-renowned minstrel. Tayro grinned. It would be good to see how she's doing someday... Out of the realm of thoughts, he proceeded towards the counter and asked for a cup of Lon Lon Milk. Looking at the other patrons as he waited, his eyes were suddenly stuck at a particular group. Two Gerudo woman, quite similar to one another - except for the quite contrasting hair color - were sitting, accompanied by a black-haired woman, which the boy also had never seen, and three known faces. Blank the nomad, Dogura the samurai and Pyre the ranger. Grabbing the cup of milk, he approached said table. "Hello! How might you be today?" - he asked his known partners. Turning towards the femmes, hoping not to anger any - seeing he had heard the rumour that Gerudo were quite easily irritated, or so they told him in the Orphanage - he gave out his usual greeting. "Hi there! I'm Tayro, Tayro Wind, a mage apprentice. Nice to meet you."

OOC: SWEET! Thanks HNS, finally I get to jump in...>_< Tayro posted minutes before I did, now I have to change my post a bit...

IC:Saber rubbed his arms as he walked through the crowd in the chilly air. "I...need to get....a sleeved tunic..." He said through chattering teeth, bumping into an elderly Zora and apologizing hastily. I need to find somewhere warm...He thought to himself, glancing around the street as he mentally kicked himself for coming here so late. He could have very well waited until tomorrow to refill his bomb bag...but no. He just had to do it ASAP, and in doing so came far too late in the day for this time of year.

His eyes snapped over to a wheezy voice he heard off to the side. He scanned the general area, trying to sneak a peek between the passing villagers to locate the source of the voice. Eventually a short lady ducked to pick up a rupee, and he got a good glimpse at the upper half of the man--Frayed tophat, long, greasy black hair over green eyes--"Burlo!" He said to himself in a panic as he ducked down and tried to pass by unnoticed by the drunk. He looked around the place, but he couldn't see any buildings that weren't empty enough for him to even squeeze a foot into.

He rushed to the end of the street to a new area, using the crowd for cover until he could leave them. As he got out of the throng at last, he looked around and headed for the closest building with an open door--a tavern by the name of the Melodic Bard--and started to pass through the door when he was suddenly hit with a flying body. He gazed at the man in surprise. "Umm...nice to meet you...I...I'm Saber...also, I like women...just so you know." he mumbled blankly as he stared at the stranger. The panicking sman just jumped up and ran off, screaming something about a Goron going to rip him limb from limb. Saber glanced up to see a Goron merging into the tavern's crowd again--must be the limb-tearer in question. Saber stood, brushed himself off, and entered the place himself.

"Not bad...been to worse..." He mumbled as he remembered his first meeting with Burlo at the Bendeath inn, not one of his fondest memories. Thank Din he had escaped the drunk this time...

He glanced from side to side, trying to find any empty seat, but there were none to be had. He sighed and sunk against the wall, having to apologize again as he collided with a rather large Human. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as the glaring stranger left, then leaned back against the wall again. "Guess I can hide out here for a while..." he muttered to himself, looking up at the ceiling with another long sigh and embracing the intense warmth that replaced the bitter cold of just minutes ago.

OOC:Hmm, okay, how's that look? I didn't mess up any details did I?

Blank gasped at the sound of his flask crashing against the floor, and he listened with a grudge to the steady trickle of his drink flowing from its container and into a small puddle of hazy brown beer. He dared not look back; he didn't want the embarrassment of acknowledging that it was he who had thrown the old canteen. He tried to ignore it, and counted his blessings, glad that he had not struck a patron with the stray and thoughtless throw. This was hardly the time for a bar fight, after all.

Eying Tayro, Blank immediately recognized an ally. “Tayro Wind,” he spoke warmly. “Always a pleasure to cross your path, lad.” Blank smiled at the youth and leaned back in his seat, much more relaxed now that the allies and strangers were in equal quantities. “Ah, Tayro and I go way back, you see,” he winked at the sisters. “Why, it was with Tayro I slew the mighty fiend of Gabor Wood, and held back the Stalfos legions at the battle of Fort Nazarel. A good partner, I'd say.” He grinned widely at the mention of his past exploits with Tayro.

Of course, Tayro had never been involved in these “exploits.” It took a moment for Blank to realize this, and when had finally put two and two together, he gazed awkwardly up at the young mage. Words came to his mouth, but the man had trouble conveying them properly without making an even greater fool of himself. Who would have guessed that a simple identity miscalculation would be so difficult a situation to reverse. Perhaps it was the reputation Blank had earned himself during his stay in Hyrule that was to blame.

“Wait, Tayro? Oh...” he groaned aloud and went red in the face, embarrassment taking him over. “I must have mistaken you for a man named Tyne...” The nomad's voice softened and faded away as he disappeared into his own secure world, away from the probably exasperated expressions on his companions' faces. “Oh, but of course, I know Tayro Wind!” he shouted jubilantly, returning from the awkward silence. “Icerova, and Firerova... and Rose... we must allow Tayro to fight alongside us. The kid's got potential, not to mention trustworthiness. We'd be stupid not to allow him to follow!” Not wanting to seem too demanding, Blank added on a small, respectful phrase to escape a fiery wrath. “If it's alright with you three, of course...” He lowered his head slightly, trying to avoid eye contact with Firerova; he hadn't had the chance to redeem himself just yet, and so he preferred to avoid any real interaction with the Gerudo.

It was then that he caught sight of another man in the tavern; now, there were many people in the building, but this one seemed to stand out as useful and intriguing in the experienced eyes of the red-haired man. Without waiting for a response, Blank stood and pointed in the direction of the exhausted mercenary who had only now entered the establishment and was now leaning calmly against the wall. Blank could easily discern the stranger's profession. He had seen these types of people before; most notable in Hyrule was Grenada the Deku. Mercenaries, thought Blank with a sense of urgency. He could sense Pyralin's fear by the expression on his face - the journey would be perilous. He was not sure of the powers of the trio of females, but he knew that the combined force of a ranger, a samurai, an apprentice mage and a nomad would not hold up against a mighty armored sorcerer such as Onox. What this party needed was the brute strength and militant intensity of a mercenary. “Hey! You, mercenary! Yeah, you! C'mere for a second! Please?” The Hylian tried his best to seem cordial in intention; he knew that angering a merc was not a wise decision.

Saber enjoyed the cheery atmosphere, soaking up the sweet music and lifesaving warmth. He took a few deep breaths and calmed down, then began to think about where he would stay overnight. He still had to get his shopping done, but he had now been severely delayed and probably wouldn't make it home before dark. Should I camp overnight or find an inn? Or I could just keep going after dark and sleep when I get back...

He heard somebody start shouting, and he frowned as the obnoxious call blotted out the sweet, sweet music. He looked up, irritated, and was about to chew out the rude shouter when he realized the shouter in question was looking his way. He pointed at himself as the man confirmed his question and shifted back onto the balls of his feet. Then the man had the audacity to demand his attention! How rude! Ordering me around like...His anger disappated as the man finished with a nice, polite please. He looked down and sighed, then walked over to the table. He scanned the faces and recognized Dogura. He smiled and gave a cheery wave. "Hey there, Dogura. How's it going?"

Dogura had listened to conversation, and was taking mental notes of everything said. "A mage you say? I specialize against mages." Dogura said proudly, leaning against his arm, which he placed across him on the table. "My best friend, and my arch rival are both skilled mages. I've had plenty of practice, and I know their weaknesses." Dogura stopped mid explaination. He didn't want to sound like a knowitalll, or a braggart, so he added, "...But it all depends on what kind of magics he or she uses... And I even helped save Icerova from that mind spell she mentioned!" Leaning back in the booth, and reminiscing on his adventures, he heard Blank say something, and turned to see him talking to none other than Tayro Wind! Dogura raised an eyeborw. "Such a small world it is, eh Tayro?" (OOC: Hint hint Ha2!! We need a south) Dogura was always happy to see a friend, no matter how often. At that moment, his thoughts were shattered by Blank, who had screamed something across the Tavern.
If it weren't for how quickly the recipient of the scream had sowed up, Blank would have had to afford a new shoulder. Dogura's mood was immediately uplifted, as the familiar face of Saber showed up at the table. Dogura laughed, and threw his hands in the air. "How often do you all meet here?!" Chuckling, he greeted Saber, and took a deep breath. Dogura wasn't very clostrophobic, but it was getting hotter and hotter in the room, or so it felt to the samurai. Dogura would have left, but he soon remembered how cold it was outside. He decided to stay in the Tavern without much more thought. "So when exactly are we going to begin the search? Any more leads on where he might be?"

The Goron bartender glanced over at the Veilmist sisters' table. More people had showed up there. Two of them actually looked young. A bit too young to be in a tavern, especially at this time of the day. But Icerova had said she was expecting a teenager two years from coming of age, so he had let him slip. Although, he wasn't expecting a second kid to show up. He considered throwing him out, but then he went over to the Gerudo's table. Judging by the surprised look he could barely make out, he guessed she wasn't expecting him either, but she didn't seem to telling him to go away, so he let him be as well.

Tayro had indeed caught the Gerudos and Rose by surprise. Firerova was about to growl at him to go away, but Blank had spoken up for him. "A mage, huh?" Icerova replied, smiling. "Hopefully, you can balance my sister and I out. We specialize in fire and ice only, and I have a rather weak grasp on a polymorph spell."

And then Blank shouted out to a man on the other side of the tavern, earning a scowl from Firerova. Saber the mercenary strolled over and greeted Dogura. "We all know who each other are," the fire witch said grumpily. "Now let's get going. And no, we don't have any more leads. Our only lead is shaky as it is. And we've been searching for days now, in case you forgot."

"I'm sure he meant when are we going to continue our search," Icerova said, her voice sounding somewhat strained. "Perhaps we should fill our new allies in first?"

Rose nodded, quickly explaining to Tayro and Saber about her sister, her nephew, and the current situation. "We still don't have any really solid proof that he's here."

"Perhaps I can provide proof that the Draconic General is here," a deep voice said. Rose and the Gerudos looked over at the source, seeing the man who had taken the seat of the disrespectful, and now thoroughly frightened, man from earlier; if one bothered to look, they could see that the seat had already been replaced, this time by a man paying attention intently to the woman and two man, the bag at his feet labeling him as an artist. "Mind if I take a seat?" The man didn't bother waiting for an answer before sitting down beside Rose. "Oh, and you're wrong. Onox isn't a mage. He wields a mace."