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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 4234402" data-attributes="member: 11760">Fibber opens the door, looking lazily at Hazel."She's helping with a baby. Now go away, you always get me in trouble."And with that, he closes the door in her face.Swearing under her breath, Hazel shoves the door open, just missing Fibber's back. The teen turns around, surprise quickly turning to anger."You can't just-""Shut up, Fib. You're going to be in more trouble if you don't help me find your aunt. Constable's orders, they are, and I mean to bring her back to the jail tonight." Hazel cranes her neck around and beckons to the litorian. "C'mon in, Nargrav, this'll just take a minute."Hazel digs into her pockets and pulls out two coins, one copper and one gold, holding them up in front of Fibber. Bufer's worth the expense, and Fibber ain't like to be moved by noble sentiment."You tell me where she is, and I'll give you a copper now for your time and trouble. But," she waggles the gold coin, "You tell me where and you run and fetch her, bring her to the constable's with her healing kit, and I'll give you the gold when you get there." She eyes the scrawny teen. "Should keep you in drinks for a few days -- or maybe get your Da off your back about working a bit.""FINE!" Fibber explodes, with exasperation. "She's at the Gardner house. Their oldest daughter was having a baby a few hours ago and she's not back yet. I'll go get her."Hazel tucks the coins back into her pocket."Thank you, Hans." She gives the boy a warm, grateful smile. "I'll see you at the constable's."Hazel ducks back out the door and jogs over to The Cat & The Fiddle to look for Heda Littlelark. The litorian shadows her steps."Anythin' else you need to know, Nargrav?""You know these men. How seriously did you try to track them? As you said, they are not woodsmen.""Just to Foxton. Scoured the road for tracks, after picking up those damned caltrops, but they stayed with the wagon. Baron's men took over from there."Hazel heads for the light shining from the tavern's windows."You always work alone?""I sometimes work with a partner." Without another word or a farewell, Nargrav turns away and heads into the underbrush. Hazel waits a moment to see if he'll return, but when he doesn't, she shrugs and moves onto the tavern.The common room of The Cat & The Fiddle boasts a fair-sized crowd, and Hazel quickly scans the tables for any gnomes. Finding none, she waves to Ella and works her way past the tables toward the waitress. Ella delivers a quartet of mugs to a group of rowdy young men with a flourish before turning to the ranger."Haven't seen your friends all day, Haze. What can I get you?""Nothing for me, thanks, Ella. You seen Heda Littlelark in town today?" The longer she talks, the faster Hazel's words pour out. "Or any Wit's End folk out for Godsday observances? Any healers or religious folk in from out of town?"Ella nods downwards with her chin at Hazel. The ranger looks down to find herself standing rather closer to Swifty than she might have preferred, especially given the leer on his face."You need a gnome, do you? Whatever you need, I'm ready to offer it to you."Hazel hastily steps backward, knocking into a nearby chair and apologizing to the oblivious occupant. She looks down at the gnome, a slight blush staining her cheeks. "And in 30 seconds or less, I've heard," she retorts. "I need a favor, Swifty. For Bufer."Hazel twines her fingers in the edge of her cloak and crouches at the gnome's level."I need the best healer Wit's End has to offer, at the constable's, now. The abbey's cleansed, but Bufer won't wake up, and I don't even know what that thing did to him. Please."</blockquote>

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