Outside darkness descends and the snow continues to fall.

She gratefully takes one of the bottles & downs a good swig, & gives a happy sigh as she wiggles down more comfortably into Bowmans lap & rests her head on his chest.

'My life.....well it's plain bl**dy boring compared to yours! Well, at-least I think it is. I'm beginning to wonder what with a long lost sister I never knew about, my mother obviously knew something of Dragon Knights as it was her dying wish that sent me to find Althea saying that it was imperative we find each other, & then you have me knowing Elvish!'

'Anyway as far as I've always known I am just a traders daughter. We obviously traveled a lot, & Da seemed to have a nose for the right bargain & did quite well for us. That's how I learnt to fight at an early age as it's part & parcel of the profession to get attacked, esp once I was a bit older the thieves seemed to think if they grabbed me first Da would give up everything without a fight to save me.....instead he taught me to fight & catch them unawares!' she says with a laugh.

'Mother didn't like it, & argued with him over it constantly.....in fact virtually all their arguments were about me. I know he favoured my younger brother, but when ever they started arguing Mother sent me on chores or something so I dont know why I was such a disappointment to Da! I always tried my best to please him, but it never seemed to help. He died a few years ago peacefully in his sleep....they think his heart gave way. My brother took over the business, & Mother & I settled in a small village, as she lost the will to travel after loosing Da. We were happy, until she got ill & eventually died of consumption.....it was on her deathbed that she told me about Althea & made me promise to find her, & that it was extremely important & would bring great changes!. She only told Altheas name, a vague description including the matching birthmark & that she thought she was hiring her sword this way......she then got too ill to speak, but the desperation & importance of what she had told me was evident!'

'That's what makes me wonder how much she really knew about Dragon Knights, as it seemed to be far more important to her that we find each other than just re-uniting long lost sisters.'
Yanna suddenly sits up & says 'maybe Im not even Da's daughter!!!! It only just occurred to me, but would make sense with all the arguments between him & Mother, & how he favoured my brother.....I wonder who my real father could be if so! I dont suppose I will ever find out.' she finishes with sigh
Again a thought suddenly occurs to her & says 'Ooohhhh could my real father be an elf? Would that explain why I seem to know the language? Would he be a Knight too, or doesn't it work like that? I wonder if Althea knows more than me!..... & why & how she wasnt in my life!' All of this comes out in a complete rush as her brain makes connections that had never occurred to her before, & she sits there chewing her lip, deep in thought....then takes a HUGE swig of the mead & looks to Bowman to see his response to all her questions.

Feeling the warmth of Yanna's body against his own he relaxes as he listens to her revel her self to him. All the while gently stroking her head with the lightest of touches. When she had finished he nudged her to take another swing from the bottle. Then he thought for a second. He replied to her with
"I am sure that both your parents loved you deeply. I also would like to find the reason why you and your sister were separated. I think that will be an interesting quest for us all. I do think with your slender looks you have some elf heritage in you. "
Pausing to take a mouthful of mead.
"As for Althea, well I met her in a bar room brawl. That I seem to remember she started. I was sitting in the corner just enjoying a quiet drink when this wildcat set upon four large males. All because she was beating them all in a game of chance and they didn’t like it, they all got rather angry. It was interesting put it this was. They didn’t last long and that is when I noticed her Dragon Mark. So I managed to drag her out of the place before she tore it down."
"Several times after that I had to intercede to prevent the locals from taking action against her for her overreactions. Yet I had to try and guide her. Well that’s if you call having to knock her out just so she doesn’t get herself killed" He laughs at the last sentence.
"She never mentioned anything at all about a family. In fact coming to think about it she never mentioned her past at all. I didn’t feel safe pushing the matter. I just spent my time keeping me and her alive."
Turning her head he leans down and quickly kiss's her on her luscious lips.
"Thank you for opening up to me, I feel honoured now where was I Oh yes kissing you if you don’t mind”
He leans down waiting for her to answer him.

She responds to his question by kissing him back, & decides to dismiss all the questions floating round her head & enjoy the moment while they are safe, fed & warm, as she doubts the future will hold many more such moments.

Keep looks around eyes flashing and seemingly on edge. As other relax she seems to divert her attention within and her eyes shut for a moment, then she smiles and re-opens them and simply nods.

Overhearing the youngsters talking between them Keep moves closer to them while letting her senses settle on the conversation going on between Bowman and Yanna. Her ears prick at the mention of Dragon Knights and the rage, stretching her sences and allowing long dorment skills to awaken she touches briefly on the minds of all within the building, a gentle brush *so there are five here,* she thinks, *no six! but that one is,.... conflicted hmmm*

Turning to wench she lowers her voice, "wench if he does indeed carry the mark of the dragon then he can help your injury, I sense a great conflict within him, I beleive he could be a great danger but currently I do not think so. The knights have been lost for many years," she pauses, her mind reliving many ancient memories, "if they are now reforming this bodes both good and bad for your world for it means that great horrors are descending upon it, horrors few will have witnessed before, we must hope that they can find a way to unite and prevail." She thinks back and thinks *By the dragons I hope this time all can find unity, for all sakes.*

*and so the time comes once more* she thinks to herself..stretches her senses once more before locking them away.

(plot pm to all knights within the tavern before posts)

As Yanna & Bowman are 'busy' in the corner a slight tickle & then shiver runs down the back of Yanna's neck (where her Dragon birthmark is). She presumed Bowman had run a finger gently down her neck & giggles quietly as she rubs the area.

Bowman feels a strange presence. His spine tingles. He looks around. Yet he is lost in the moment and continues to enjoy Yanna's company.

Having sensed that his presence would be in the way between what was to follow between Yanna and Bowman, Chadda retreated to an empty corner, sat down and looked around the tavern. Various small groups dotted around but his eye didn't linger on any for long and then withdrew into himself a little more, removed his wineskin from his shoulder which he retrieved earlier and examined it more closely 'looks normal' he says to himself and smiles 'if it is as robey says, it is a rare gift, one that I am not worthy to receive, but one I will cherish' and laughs silently to himself. He opens the wineskin and takes the last few mouthfuls, re-seals it and waits to see what happens.

Chadda's eyes widen as the wineskin very slowly starts to rise, the grin that spreads across his face is much much quicker. He pats the wineskin and places it back over his shoulder 'welcome home' and notices Yanna and Bowman retreat to a corner with some mead. He then closes his eyes and relaxes taking in as much as he can.

Suddenly an odd feeling passes over Chadda, a very light tingle originates on his left shoulder and sends a slight shiver over his whole body and mutters 'now I know why I drink, the odd sensations and feelings I've felt since being here' he removes his wineskin and hopes it has some in it to drink....

shravani for one moment forgets grimwrinle and rubs the lower part of her right arm (where her dragon mark is) then rembering grimwrinkle she says "by the dragons what was that! grim did you fel that?"

"keep i do NOT know him and you dont trust him neither do i and i have just seen what he done i do NOT want him to heal my wound also there is something i dont like about him" she says to keep then looking at the preist she says "so do you wish to follow us to the mound?"