SEDATIVE SNATCH
Nanith was starting to get distressed at the dwarf's unyielding heartiness. The drug should have started to take affect by now! Nanith disregarded the thought though, blaming the dwarf's strong constitution. He trusted that the sedative would take affect soon. Silently Nanith promised himself that if this did not work, he would hunt down the scoundrel that sold it to him and unleash his own justice.
11 PM: Nanith gave a mock yawn and stretched out. Almost an hour had passed and he was becoming tired himself. His legs swung off the couch as he rose up shakily. He intentionally spilled some of the ale from his tankard onto the hardwood floor. " Wow, think I got up too fast there." he said as he pretended to steady himself. "I better clean this up."
The dwarf turned around in his chair slowly; his eyes half-lidded " Wha' wuz that?"
Nanith deliberately plopped his foot in the puddle "Damn it!" With mock disgust, he slowly walked over to the table and patted the cleric on the shoulder.
" I'm glad you stayed Oktavianus. My meal would just not have been the same without some company."
The dwarf nodded sleepily and muttered something incomprehensible as the rogue passed his sticky foot beneath the wooden chair in a telling sweep. His toe tacked the paper and he deftly fed his hand with it as the dwarf started talking about some relative of his.
Nanith regarded his wet, furry toes " Well, there was no need for THAT now was there!" He smiled and opened the folded paper. It read:
He watched the dwarf drink down two whole tankards and belch thunderously.
It was then that the hobbit noticed the folded piece of paper on the floor beneath the cleric's chair.
Nanith knew instantly that it had to be the note the elf gave Oktavianus. It concerned him, however, as to why the dwarf would just throw it away. The way Gailwind was talking, it seemed quite important. Did the dwarf just not care or was it some sort of trick? Was he supposed to find the note and go look for this magic item? Would an ambush be waiting for him?
Slowly, however, the dwarf's head fell to the table until he was out cold and snoring quite loudly.
The third jasmine bush next to the courthouse steps keeps the ring hidden. Go at once as the little one sleeps. I'll meet you back here at dawn.
Nanith was both intrigued and wary at this information. As he decided what to do, he dragged the dwarf to a back bedroom and lay him beneath the covers with the toughest effort. Dwarves, though small, were no light matter for a miniscule halfling to lug about.
He searched through the cleric's backpack finding a torch, flint & steel, a bedroll, trail rations and a scrollcase.
Nanith opened the scrollcase and unrolled a parchment that was carefully tied with gold thread ribbon. He nodded with satisfaction as his eyes darted over the magically scriptured words covering the letter.
" That must be the shard the dwarf mentioned." he whispered softly. The hobbit carefully searched the cleric's backpack and clothing to see if he might have overlooked the valuable object. He soon realized it was fruitless; this starpoint had yet to be discovered.
For fifteen minutes, the rogue studied the scroll as the dwarf snored in the distance.
" Mmm, if I understand this correctly, this part over here..." Nanith brushed over the indiscernible part of the scroll"...one will only be able to learn something at the appointed destination." He contemplated the words for a while before realizing he had to move quickly. Nanith had the feeling that he was getting involved in a scheme far greater then a simple theft warranted by a secret warcouncil. If he was correct, the Pinedroi officials might be seeking the knowledge contained in this scroll.
Thinking efficiently, he cleanly ripped a page from a cookbook and rolled it up to replace the scroll he planned to keep.
He returned the case into the backpack and walked over to the bedroom window peering out into the calm night. He decided to leave and gently pushed the pane open. If he was being followed, he suspected his assailants would expect him to leave via the front door. He planned on finding this "magic ring", but in a way that would outwit any who might have lain a trap for him.
MIDNIGHT: Nanith entered the poorer section of town with his hood lowered. This veilment, he figured, would not attract much attention in an atmosphere abundant with guarded behavior. He shook his head in sympathy while watching the older orphans of Henaford huddling around a barrelfire.
Nanith walked over to this group of street urchins and quickly assessed any person about his height that would replace him as a thief stealing the magic ring at the courthouse.