<TIAMAT> *It is...early evening, and The Rustling Ghost is jumping (it's a pretty popular place); the latest talk is of the assassination of Colin Farrar, a bishop of the Arena temple, who was found dead two nights earlier. Kender and Whisper are sitting near the very back of the tavern, probably not wanting to socialize too terribly much.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper is jumpy; ever since the assassination, she's been extremely nervous, and tonight isn't any different.

<TIAMAT> *If Kender's noticed and asked about Whisper's sudden paranoia, he's probably gotten a "It's nothing, I just haven't been feeling well" or somesuch type of answer.

<JETMODE> *Kender has, but Kender has been a little spacey himself. He's currently debating how he's going to tell his dad about this.

<JETMODE> *Cinno, in typical feline fashion, is ignoring the entire mess and lounging lazily on the table.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper's stroking Cinno's back absentmindedly; she keeps glancing around the bar, as if expecting someone, though she's watching Kender as well. She feels pretty horrible about the whole thing, but she doesn't know how to tell him that she's been working for people who've been having her shadow and steal from one of his friends.

<JETMODE> *Kender pokes at his drink and heaves a sigh. "Everything's gray since that dragon came."

<TIAMAT> *Whisper's staring off somewhere. "Eh? *she turns back to him. "Oh. Yeah. *pause* I wish they'd let us go visit Genoa. I wonder how she's doing..

<JETMODE> *What with the repairs and deaths, I suspect life's been a bit subdued. And then this assassination.

<JETMODE> <Kender> *weak laugh* Probably really cranky.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper: Yeah... *she downs the rest of her drink suddenly and waves for another.

<JETMODE> <Kender> *unhappily* I really wish you'd tell me what was the matter.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper waits for the bartender to come around with her drink before answering, obviously avoiding Kender's eye. "I told you, it's nothing...it's just been a rough couple of weeks, with the Dragon and...and everything.

<JETMODE> <Kender> *leans his elbows on the table* I may be a country boy, but I'm not completely stupid.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper glances up at him. "...No one ever said you were.

<JETMODE> <Kender> *grins* I know that. But you're not feeling well, and it's more than just the dragon.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper swirls her drink around for a while, looking unhappy. "It's... *she pauses, contemplating. "It's nothing, really. I mean, you've already got enough to worry about... *she trails off.

<JETMODE> <Kender> Well, one of the things I worry about is you! *smile* I want to help, if I can.

<TIAMAT> *Whisper: I... *sigh* I really appreciate it, Kender, but you can't-- *she cuts off abruptly as the front of the bar suddenly goes quiet; a sort of hush seems to have fallen over the whole place, just like that. Whisper turns, looking tense.

<JETMODE> *Kender looks up, curious, and Cinno winds slowly to his feet, tail switching.

<TIAMAT> *A troop of Arena soliders and guards suddenly appears through the crowd, lead by a certain Baron Teal, who most people would know and recognize as the commander of the guards; it's fairly unusual for him to appear in a place like this, and lo! he and his squad just happen to be marching right toward our little lovebirds. Whisper's looking panicky.

<JETMODE> <Kender> *a little pale* What... do they want?

<JETMODE> *Cinno bristles.

<TIAMAT> *The soldiers march right up to the table; everyone else in the tavern has gone exceptionally quiet to watch the scene. Teal takes a step toward Whisper and looks down at her with a slight sneer. "*ahem* Whisper, I presume. *he doesn't wait for a response. "You are under arrest for the murder of Bishop Colin Farrar. *he gestures to the guards. "Take her!

<JETMODE> <Kender> *jumps to his feet* WHA-AT?

<TIAMAT> *Whisper yells as the guards come toward her, trying to make a run for it, but te guards had pretty much circled around their table and are able to catch and hold her fast, albeit her efforts. They bind her hands behind her back and drag her toward the exit as she yells protests. "It wasn't me--! *she looks at Kender. "Kender! I...I didn't do it...! *and then she's gone.

<TIAMAT> *The bar, BTW, is in an uproar.

<JETMODE> *Kender is, naturally, staring after Whisper with his mouth hanging open, totally stunned.

<JETMODE> *Cinno is howling.

<TIAMAT> *After a bit, the bar starts to settle down again, though a loud buzz of what just happened is still ringing in the air. A lone figure makes his way through the crowd and toward Kender and plunks down where Whisper was sitting before; it's Jarod. "Well.

<JETMODE> *Kender is still standing and staring, but at the sound of Jarod's voice he sits down with a thud. Cinno hisses genially at Jarod and ambles over to have his ears scratched.

<TIAMAT> *Jarod more or less ignores Cinno; he's staring hard at Kender.

<JETMODE> *Cinno bats at him.

<JETMODE> <Kender> What.. what just..

<TIAMAT> *Jarod pats at Cinno's head a bit. "When I saw the guards marching down the hall with Teal in the lead, I thought there'd be trouble somewhere, so I decided to follow and see what was up. I was just as surprised when I saw them dragging Whisper out of here. *he looks like he wants to say something else, but he hesitates.

<JETMODE> <Kender> But Whisper wouldn't -- I mean..

<JETMODE> *He scrubs at his face with his hands. Kender's had a rough week.

<JETMODE> *Cinno mrrs. Someone is petting him, and all is right with the world.

<TIAMAT> *Jarod frowns. "Kender ... I'm sorry. *he pauses for a bit* It's getting late. We should probably go.

<TIAMAT> *People are staring, too, mostly at Kender.

<JETMODE> <Kender> *shaky* I.. I guess..

<TIAMAT> *Jarod gets up and hauls Kender up, leading him back to their room. Does Kender wanna talk, or is he gonna collapse in bed?

<JETMODE> *Kender is curiously silent, and he doesn't shake loose from Jarod's grip. Which is probably a good thing, come to think of it. Cinno leaps off the table with a yowl and follows them, incidentally.

<TIAMAT> *Jarod's looking worried, but he doesn't say anything just now. Once he gets them back to their room, he closes the door quietly and turns back to Kender. "A good night's sleep should help. Do you need anything?

<JETMODE> <Kender> No.. I'm okay. *though he's clearly not*

<JETMODE> *Cinno pads over to his food and water and proceeds to eat.

<TIAMAT> *And Jarod clearly knows Kender isn't, but he's not gonna push him now. "Try to get some rest, then. It's been a long day.

<JETMODE> *Kender nods and shambles toward his bed, which he is going to collapse on without even changing clothes.