A few hours later ...

"You play the violin quite expertly!" A young woman with ashen hair and piercing moonstone colored eyes put their hands together in a cheerful manner as they look around the corner into the alleyway where the music was coming from.

The creature playing the violin was neither man nor woman, but their head lifts in surprise at the girl's voice, "I .. um, thank you!" the creature, that looked like a scarecrow of some kind, smiles warmly at the young girl, "I wasn't thinking about others hearing me, let alone seeking me out"

"Gwen, it would be hard for others not to hear when you're only in the alleyway playing," Draena smiles kindly at the scarecrow she had befriended a few days ago, "I hope we didn't disturb you any, we were just talking about ... things"

The girl's head tilts to the side, rather like a puppy, "Oh, I'm sorry if I interrupted anything important, see I'm ... kind of looking for some people to help me out. Musicians to be more precise. So, when I heard your wonderful playing I just had to see!" she bounced a bit as she came closer to them, "I'm supposed to be performing at Galora's event in a few days and well, I'd like to do a group performance, but none of the troupe I know are coming to this area, so I was hoping to ... maybe find some local performers to join me?" her expression hopeful and a bit shy, uncertain.

"I'm an alchemist, not a musician," Draena waves her hand through the air dismissively interesting though, we could get into Galora's through this child if we wanted to.

"and I don't know if you'd actually want me to perform with you," Gwen smiles and gestures to himself, "see I don't exactly fit in."

"That's okay! I can get costumes made for you! And an alchemist would be able to perhaps make some colored smoke or other effects for a performance I'm sure!" the girl smiles broadly up at them.

Rather insistant, and she seems a bit ... naive to want strangers to help her, poor girl... "My name's Draena, and this is Gwen. We have other companions back at the Bronze Carrel that might be able to help you as well."

"Really?" she clasps her hands together in front of her chest, "That would be wonderful! My name is Haaru! It's a pleasure to meet you both!"

Draena turns to walk down the alley waving a hand for the other two to follow, but doesn't wait to see if they are, "I'll take you to them now, see what we can do, and plan from there."

"Are we sure about this?" Gwen steps up beside her whispering with concern, "to have a kid in on what we're doing?"

"Alinor is a kid as well, all things considered. Something about Haaru tells me that they could use friends like us Gwen," she looks over her shoulder as she hears the sound of bells and realizes that Haaru has a couple of bells tied around her arm as well as in her hair by some decorative cat ears, "It'll be fine Gwen."

"If you say so," he commented with a light shrug and pulls out the violin to play as bit as they walked through town.

The Bronze Carrel was a large building, a double door entrance with a greek temple feel to the outside. These doors were open now, letting fresh air into the pristine entry. White marble flooring that somehow did not echo when one walked crossed it. Draena looked up to the second floor balcony that rand around the entry, books lined the walls and she hoped to find some help in those books for her dying hometown, "Welcome to tha Bronze Carrel, Haaru" the young girl had stopped just inside the doors to look around the space with a curious look that made her appear older than she had seemed when they met out on the street.

"It's lovely," Haaru ducks her head a bit, realizing that Draena was staring at her, "You study here?"

"Research, an' we have rooms upstairs here, thanks to Alinor's friendship with Lycian, she's tha owner o' this place," Draena smiles not that I trust that woman further than I can throw her ... which isn't any distance...

Gwen wanders over to the corner and makes his way up the circular staircase in the corner to the second floor, "Alinor!" he hollers down one of the hallways between books.

"Gwen?" Alinor's smooth treble voice rings out from the hall, "What are you doing back so soon? Not that I'm not happy to see you, it's just I thought you were..." his voice trails off as he comes into view and looks down to Draena and Haaru, "You found someone then?"

"You have a lovely voice!" Haaru then darts towards the stairs to go up, Draena trailing after her, "Do you sing? I bet we would harmonize quite well!" the young girl smiles shyly up at Alinor.

Alinor chuckled, "Perhaps, you are quite the energetic one aren't you?" he offers out his hand to the young girl, "Alinor, and who might you be?"

"Haaru, and I would really appreciate your help for Galora's party" she accepts the hand and twitters a bit as Alinor kisses the back of her hand.

"Flirt.." Draena muttered and rolling her eyes at Alinor as she makes it to the second floor, "She'd like our help with a performance, I'll be in my room seeing what I can concoct for special effects if you need me."

"Of course, we'll join you shortly after I get Gorthan from the bar, he went off drinking without me again!" Alinor intoned as if he was put out by the effort of having to retrieve the dragonborn, but Draena knew the dragonborn was Alinor's favorite companion, they were like two peas in a pod, as if they should have been born brothers rather than just having met a few weeks ago.

"Right, well, do take care to not start any fights" she waves at them shaking her head on the way to her room, Those two will be the death of me if I'm not careful. She sits down at her makeshift lab and starts going through the ingredients she has available, Enough to make a few smoke bombs, a few different colors, not sure what else Haaru couldn't want though. I'm not an entertainer, she sighs and leans back in the chair.

Draena pulls a locket out of her pocket and flips it open to stare at the paintings inside, the familiar smile of a man, tanned from days outside, a mop of curly tangled blonde hair, and dark green eyes stare at her 'I miss being able to hold you in my arms'

'I know Draena, and if I could change it, if I hadn't gone through that portal...'

'It's done, love. We can't go back in time to fix what was broke'

Daebru follows Alinor over to The Bar, "I need to grab something from my room there, so I might as well go with you now," he smiles at the other man, his white hair was worn in loose waves to his shoulders, but he didn't look any older than twenty.

Golden red eyes look over at Daebru, "Something for the performance? I must admit I'm rather excited about it, I'm a fighter for sure, but .. I've always loved singing," Alinor smiles at Daebru, "This will be a nice change of pace, and ... and we welcome the opportunity"

He's hiding things from me, as I hide things from him. Galora's is a mission, to see what sorts of terrible creatures she's hoarding in her basement. It is a concern for the Order... "Indeed! I am excited to perform with others again, I am usually asked for solo performances for private audiences, this is such a nice change of pace!" Daebru smiles hoping he isn't overdoing the eagerness in his voice.

"AAHHHH!" the scream came with the sound of a glass window shattering and a man sprawling out on the ground at their feet. Daebru leans forward over the downed man to look through the open window into the bar well, this'll be fun.

"Damnit! A Bar Brawl too! Come on Gorthan!" Alinor jumps through the window into the bar and punches the back of someone's head. 

Gorthan, or Daebru assumed it was Gorthan gave a big toothy grin "HEEEY BUDDY!!" and he brought two heads together sending a couple men into unconsciousness with a boastful laugh.

Daebru shook his head as he watched from outside Crazy people ... I've thrown my lot in with crazy people! Gorthan and Alinor turned back to back and kicking out at a couple of oncomers that stumbled back before one grabbed a bottle and smashed it open on the bar to swing at Gorthan. The other man pushed back picked up a stool and brought it over his head towards Alinor at the same time. Both men dodged but the glass cut Alinor's back a bit and he winced spinning away and giving Gorthan a playful shove towards the guy with the stool.

At least they seem to be having fun. Though they are not fighting to kill. So different from me ... I'd be a murder if I stepped in there to help right now ... Calm Daebru... be calm, you don't need to draw blood today... he felt that he was shaking with the effort of staying out of the fight, his bloodlust on the verge of taking control as he watched the brawl. Fists and teeth flying through the air, another man went through the window, his arm cutting on the glass and sending blood spraying out crossed Daebru's face. Blood... the world seemed to slow as he brought a hand up to his face to touch the blood. He looked down at his fingers.

Next thing he knew he was being pulled off a man, "Haaru! Fight's over! He's down Haaru!" Alinor's voice rang out as he was picked up.

"Right .. yeah.. sorry I ... I get a little carried away. I'm good, we're good" he caught sight of Sune out of the corner of his eye I'm sorry Sune, I tried to stay out of it...

"Ha! You're a fierce little one!" Gorthan slaps his back sending him stumbling forward, "Fight with us anytime!"

"I don't think that's a good idea Gorthan..." Alinor commented though Gorthan didn't seem to hear. The man gave Daebru a concerned, if sympathetic look.

"I'm good, I usually try to stay out of fights though" Daebru rubs the back of his neck looking between Gorthan and Alinor and then shaking his head, "we should head back to the Bronze Carrel, I'll be right back," and he darts off taking the stairs two at a time to get to his room.

"Haaru..."

"Sune! I'm sorry ... I didn't mean..."

"No one died, so it's fine, but someone could have" Sune wrapped his arms around his chest, his expression full of concern for Daebru.

Daebru went over and hugged his Keeper, "I know, which is why I'm sorry. I don't want to kill those that are undeserving of death," Sune let his wings come out and wrapping around the young man protectively. He only did this when they were alone and Daebru loved him for it, he felt secure and safe wrapped up like this, "Thank you" father. Though Sune was not his father, Daebru often thought of him in that way, though he'd never told Sune this.

"Of course," Sune smiles down at Daebru, "are you recruiting those two men for your Galora mission?"

"Yeah... though I don't know how well the dragonborn will help, the other man has a nice voice and they have a friend that plays violin. They'll aid in the performance, I'm just not sure how yet. Perhaps a sort of play, and then have a bit of music after that. I'm looking forward to harmonizing with Alinor"

Sune's smile widened a bit, "good, I'm glad to see you happy about a performance again, even if there is an ulterior motive for getting you into the party. I know how much you love singing."

"It's the only thing I can love and not fear it never loving me"

"Haaru..." the avariel's shoulders dropped a bit in sadness for Daebru.

"I know, I know, I just need to find the right person," Daebru sighs, "but, what if I already let the right person for me go? Why would I want someone I can't share half of my life with because of the Order?" he shakes his head a bit in disgust at this small detail about the Order.

"It will get better, and your brawlers will be of great help for this mission"

"My brawlers?" Daebru raises an eyebrow at Sune, his voice squeaking a bit.

"Yes your brawlers, once they saw you start fighting they guarded you like a precious treasure, but I could also see awe on their faces at how graceful you are when fighting. I think Alinor might have blushed a bit"

Daebru pushed Sune away, "Let's not try to set me up with someone alright?" he shakes his head and grabs a letter off the nearby table, "We have a performance to plan so I'll be off now, stay safe Sune."

Sune nodded and Daebru knew that Sune would watch him from the balcony, as he walked away from the Bar in the night to go make plans, that could potentially doom his mission. Gorthan, though, he knew he'd need to form a friendship with to get information out of him about the killer. I might be here a while ... I hope you're okay with that Sune...