Just when you were giving up hope of those two men moving they shake themselves awake and after a short conversation gather themselves up to leave. They head out through the door and shortly you hear the pounding of their horses hooves as they head north-east (you think) and at a rapid pace even for couriers (in your opinion).

They only garnered a brief glance from all but you....which was mildly surprising in such a small town. Glancing around you don't see anything else out of the ordinary.

Unless you need to state anything else...what was a fairly fun evening slowly winds down and you feel the need to sleep pressing apon you. It also seems you may have done yourself a great favour carving that swan...she liked it...a lot.

Pots curls up in the stable hayloft and drifts off to sleep... well aware that he'll be up at the crack of dawn facing a tub full of dirty dishes.

OOC: Good opening scene!

You have just about caught Tuleen as you chase her laughing through a field of wheat, when you're awakened by a loud thumping down below.
Peering down you see Twip (equiped with a quickly lit lantern), making his way to the stable doors which are being bashed repeatedly.

"Open the bloody door, you fool. I require help!! (another voice is heard) Romi, sir...I believe they've heard you, please. (the pounding stops)"

Twip opens the door and two knights (in full gear mind you) make their way into the stable along with two men-at-arms. One knight is holding a lantern himself and leading his horse with his free hand (the others ride in). He speaks to Twip.

"Fool, my bloody horse has thrown a shoe, get the blacksmith here and deal with this at once." - This knight looks much older than the other (who looks quite young) His helmet is hanging from his saddle, but he turns and his shield which is strapped to his back is white with a red border and a red axe set in the middle.

Twip stammers taken aback by the knight rudeness. "Sir, I don't believe the Smith is in town till at least this afternoon. He's the only one within two days ride and he's in Duncter, doing some kind of work on site on one of the larger farms..."

Sir Romi cuts him off, "Shut-up, this is important we don't have the time to lose. We fall further and further behind. Two scruffy cloaked idiots must of passed this way within the last day?? My duty is clear when it comes to spies!!! They are to dealt is the harshest manner as quickly as possible!!!!"

(the younger knight who stands slightly behind Sir Romi shakes his head and speaks)

"We're not sure what's going on. We didn't even get to talk to them, granted they ignored our hail, but don't spies spy??? They were going too fast to be doing much looking..."

Romi turns and glares, "Dammit Healand, you don't know how these things start do you?? You're fresh of your mother's teat!!! (Turns to Twip) So you've seen them, well boy have you!!!"

Twip looks ready to crawl into a hole, "Yes Sir, they left about 5-6 hours ago on fresh horses (points to the spent horses they road in on), paid for them in gold, didn't even haggle with Murtwood. They seemed..."

"Shut up boy!! (Romi turns to Sir Healand) The gods weep we'll never catch them if they've found fresh horses...(turns back to Twip and slaps him across the mouth and he goes down like a felled tree, Healand rushes over and helps him to his feet) You don't bloody help traitors!!! Gods Blood!!!! Dammit!!!" (Healand ignores Romi's ranting as Sir Romi has turned to his horse and tenderly looks to its bum hoof treating it better than any of the other people below you. (the two men-at arms have said nothing and make themselves look very busy unloading all the gear)

Sir Healand's shield which is now unloaded in a green with three bundles of wheat in gold...it goes in a growning pile of gear at the four horses are dealt with.

Pots watches the ruckus from the hayloft, scowling deeply as Sir Romi belts Twip. The traveler felt wary after the irrational man's speech about spies, but it wouldn't do to be discovered watching them.

Kneeling at the edge of the loft, the canyonlander calls out, "Oy! What's the trouble down there? Is somebody hurt?"

In a flash Romi has drawn a bright red ax from somewhere on his horse. "Show yourself coward!", he yells toward the sound of your voice.

Sir Healand has sat Twip down on a sack of grain and has turned and stood up. The two men-at-arms have stabled the two horses they were riding and stand uncertain of what to do. The pile of equipment they've unloaded from the horses sits in between the two knights and they looked to be just about to move it into the inn.

Pots grinned a little to himself. This guy was crazy and maybe a touch dangerous. He glanced around, locating the empty bottle near his bedroll (it had of course been full prior to falling asleep).

"I AM SLEEPING!" he bellowed, nudging the bottle over the edge to the dirt floor below. "If you're that drunk, find your own damned hay pile! This one's MINE!"

From where you're looking down from you see Twip whisper something to Sir Healand, who stands and walks over to Romi. "I've been informed a traveller has been sleeping off his night in the tavern...so his words ring true. If you'd like Sir Romi you can return Red Answer to her resting place and I'll deal with this rudeness."

Romi snorts, "Likely isn't worth the effort, you hear that you begger!!! Not worth it!!" he tosses his ax to one of the men-at-arms who's caught completely off guard and takes the flat of the ax right in the gut, but does amazingly catch it before it drops to the stable floor. Romi has turned and left following the other man-at-arms who is lugging the gear towards the inn.

Sir Healand walks to the ladder and climbs up into the loft. "I'm coming up...try not to cut my head off. (he laughs)"
Now looking at you he nods his head and says. "Sorry about that...Sir Romi is...troubled...more so than normal...if you value your safety deal with me, he's very unpredictable lately." Sir Healand is even younger than you first thought maybe 20 and has a kind face ringed with a mop of curly blond hair.

At the 'unpredictable' comment, Pots arches a thick black eyebrow. "Aye, what with his punchin' stable boys and spookin' horses, I had gathered that my own self," the Southerner smiled ruefully. Then more seriously, he began, "The men you're chasing stopped in the tavern. Cloaked in green and heavily armed. Tired as hell and long from the road. A quick beer and a quicker nap, and then they were off with fresh horses. They rode northeast, I judge, and they were whipping those mounts faster than simple messengers."

Gilgamesh cast a glance over his shoulder, out the open stable door towards the tavern. "You'd best keep an eye on your friend," he said evenly. "Hate for him to rough up a tavern maid and then fall off his horse."

Sir Healand shakes his head, "I'm his man, and pledged to ride with him at the will of my father. The tournament season didn't go as Sir Romi had planned and we've been going all over at his whim.
I thought something might be up when those two rode by about a bowshot in front of us and didn't do anything when Sir Romi challenged them about their reasons for being in lands he views as his own. (notices you arch your brow at that) Don't ask, it's a nasty long story I'll not be telling.
We tried to run them down, but that thrown shoe and our gear slowed us greatly, plus they rode like men escaping the mouth of Hell. I'm curious myself as to what they were up to...were coming up from the south on one of those older roads I'm not sure about. I'm from much farther north and have only been down here for six months, in any case please avoid Sir Romi if you can. I however am pleased to meet you...??? (he offers you his hand)

The canyonlander siezed the young man's hand in a firm grip. "Gilgamesh of Clan Portentis," he smiled, "but everybody calls me Pots."

"So," he asked with a friendly grin, "Mr. Red Axe must be quite the fighter. Usually people who challenge all comers are quickly quit of the habit, else the world is quickly quit of them."