Robbed!

SPACE It is still dark when Tharg begins to awaken the group.
SPACE Poking a huge finger into Conner’s ribs, he wakes his sleeping playmate and they begin to wrestle one another to the ground. Eventually, Conner pins Tharg to the floor. The laughing wakes Alasdair, rolling over sleepily in his blankets on the bed.
SPACE “It’s still dark, you two,” he yawns. “Go back to sleep.”
SPACE Conner and Tharg look at each other and laugh even harder.
SPACE “You wake now!” Tharg yells. He and Conner, still laughing, yank the blankets off of Alasdair’s body. The bard immediately curls up into the fetal position and buries his face in the pillow. The sight makes the two barbarians laugh even louder. They are nearly rolling on the ground laughing when Tharg decides he wasn’t finished playing and, catching Conner unawares, pounces on his buddy again. They roll about the floor for a few seconds, each of them trying to get the upper hand, when Cyrdan enters the room.
SPACE Standing like a scolding parent, he waits for the two barbarians to notice him and then stop wrestling before he speaks. “If you two are quite finished waking the entire inn, I need your help outside.”
SPACE The two barbarians look at one another and then, still pushing and poking at one another, follow Cyrdan out the door. At the bottom of the stairs, he halts over the carcass of some animal.
SPACE “What that?” Tharg asks.
SPACE “Breakfast,” Cyrdan shrugs.
SPACE “Look like deer,” Conner says. His brow furrowed, the expression on his face is one of deep thought. “But too small.”
SPACE “It’s a kanchil,” Cyrdan clarifies. “Mouse-deer.”
SPACE “Oh,” Tharg answers, though the enthusiasm of his response does not sound like comprehension. Looking at Conner, he says, “Puny deer. Not like deer at home.”
SPACE Conner agrees with a grunt, takes the dagger Cyrdan holds outstretched to him, and begins cleaning the carcass for consumption.
SPACE Tharg follows Cyrdan back up the stairs, saying, “Me wake others.”

SPACE Back upstairs, Tharg awakens Garn and Grant enthusiastically. “You wake now! We go buy new sticks and stones.”
SPACE Grant jumps up, wide awake.
SPACE “Ah, my bones are rested,” he says, stretching. “My shoulder feels good as new!” To emphasize this, he does a few arm circles with his left arm.
SPACE He agrees with Tharg. "We should pool what meager wealth we have together and try to get equipment for all."
SPACE Looking about the room, he notices a lack of bodies. So does Tharg. “Eh? Where’s the girl?”
SPACE “Where Alliandra?” Tharg echoes.
SPACE Garn, just waking up, has no idea where the cleric may be.

SPACE Cyrdan, patting his pockets and looking about the couch and floor, tells them he saw Alliandra praying in the jungle early this morning. “Has anyone seen my belt and backpack?”
SPACE “Here in the corner,” Alasdair says, pointing to a spot next to the fireplace in front of Cain’s door.
SPACE “Strange,” he says, walking over and opening his pack, “I don’t remember leaving it over--” the elf’s mouth drops wide open. “We’ve been robbed!” he states.

SPACE “Wha?!” the rest of the group reacts.
SPACE Looking about the room, Cyrdan searches for quick clues. The stranger from last night’s encounter is no where to be found. Striding to Cain’s room, Cyrdan throws open the unlocked door. “Cain, we’ve been— ”
SPACE The sight of an empty bed knocks the wind from his lungs. “Damn.” Putting two and two together, a look of contempt holds Cyrdan’s face steady. “Get everybody up who isn’t up,” he commands.

SPACE Once roused from their morning wake-up routines of slapping faces and stretching sea-beaten bones, Cyrdan instructs the group to check their equipment for any and all missing items.
SPACE Blaming Cain, Grant verbally accuses himself of neglect. “Should’ve smashed that flower-sniffer when I had the chance,” he says. Realizing his prejudice, he acknowledges Cyrdan’s heritage with an apology. “No offense to you, of course.”
SPACE Cyrdan dismisses him with a shrug, then adds, “I saw some tracks running into the jungle on my way back from hunting. I should have checked them out earlier, but I wanted to get the meat back. He’s long gone by now.”
SPACE “Light-fingered bastard,” Grant adds.
SPACE Cyrdan is equally displeased with his former partner, but shrugs his shoulders once more. “I should have seen that coming.”

SPACE Just then, a new face enters the common room. Standing nearly as tall as Tharg, this black-haired man looks like he weighs about a buck-and-a-half soaking wet. His features are highly pronounced, almost skeletal, though he wears a pleasant smile on his face.
SPACE “Morning, boys,” the man says.
SPACE “Morning, Slim,” Cyrdan is the only one to reply.
SPACE “You know,” the man goes on, “I’ll have to charge you for the extra guests.” He focuses his statement on Cyrdan.
SPACE “I expect so,” the elf replies. Cyrdan thinks for a moment. “I’ve brought kanchil to share,” he adds.
SPACE “Kanchil?” the man raises an eyebrow.
SPACE “Take it in payment?” Cyrdan asks.
SPACE Slim seems to ponder this for a moment. A smile gradually stretches his already thin cheeks across his visage. “Why not?” he laughs. “It’s not often we have mouse-deer for breakfast around here, and, besides, you fellas paid me in advance last month. Who’d I be to complain?”
SPACE Cyrdan’s expression does not lighten. “Us ‘fellas’ is just me now, Slim. It appears my former associate has robbed us.”
SPACE Slim’s expression now turns to shock. “What?!”
SPACE “Sorry, Slim,” apologizes Cyrdan.
SPACE “Sheela!” he yells at the top of his lungs. “Check the cashbox! We been robbed!” Slim storms off down the stairs, pausing only to look sidelong at Conner, who is bloody up to his elbows in deer guts.

SPACE “Deer clean,” Conner informs them. “Eat now?”
SPACE After telling Conner what happened, the barbarian loses his temper and begins stomping up and down around the common area. Tharg, seeing an opportunity to have some fun, joins the stomping parade.
SPACE “No sense throwing a fit,” Alasdair says, making his way out the door to downstairs. “Let’s just get some food and figure out what we’re going to do next.”
SPACE Agreeing, the rest of the group gathers up what’s left of their things and heads down the stairs. Cyrdan offers to lend some of his clothing to whomever needs fresh apparel.

SPACE The sun has peeked its head above the horizon. The sky turns a beautiful palette of colors. Somewhere not too far off, a rooster crows.