04:56 AM

Halyard Tavern: Main Room
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Halyard Tavern ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Warmly lit by torches along the walls and lanterns set upon the many tables
scattered around the room, the main room of the Halyard Tavern is an often-
populated area. One corner of the tavern is taken up by a stage, about a
foot or two higher than the rest of the floor, where live entertainment
performs, while circular tables, both large and small, are set up in front
of the stage, spreading out into the center of the room. Meanwhile, around
the perimeter of the tavern, booths are set, and, of course, the obligatory
bar rests against the far wall, a bartender or barmaid always on duty.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
                                Visible Exits:
[K]itchen                       [O]ut to [E]ntrance

Keita looks around at the mess and then, having located a chair that's still intact, she drops into it. Reclining so that Zeraph's within her sight line, she peers at him. "Was mad at that'un, anyway. What's goin' on, mate?"

Zeraph's jaw tightens at the joke, however a nod is given. "It was either the chair..or Rothal. I think I made the right decision." His paw tightens in the fist he has made, arms still crossed.

"I'm... inclined t'agree with ya." The doe frowns, then, studying the other. And it is just that - studying. Looking for any signs or clues. "What'd he do?"

Zeraph sighs, eyes opening up a little. "He acted...like he was the only beast in the world. As if I don't care about him, too, or almost like..I wasn't even /there/ to bother to deal with. Or talk to." The hare shakes his head. "He's my friend, K. I don't get what's wrong with him. He's been odd for a while." Now that his eyes are opened, he glances about at the destruction of that unfortunate chair.

And who should open the door ajar and peek through the crack is none other than Jarril himself.  Blinking at what he can see, he pauses and enters the tavern properly but slowly, in one of his paws, he's carrying a small bag but he keeps quiet and closes the door behind him before moving to the side and leans on the wall silently.

Keita sits forward, then, resting forearms on thighs, fingers clasping together between knee and absent-knee. She doesn't stare at him, not while his eyes are open, anyway. "He - both o' you - 've been through a lot this season. It's bound t'take its toll. Drinkin' more, fightin' more... closin' yerself up. T'be expected."

Zeraph pulls his leg towards himself, bent at the knee, while the other remains in front of him. "I'm tired, K. I don't want to fight with him, though." He grunts and rests his chin on that knee as his eyes close again. Jarril goes unnoticed for the time being.

Keita's paws work against each other, one rubbing on the knuckles of the other. "Then don't fight. If somethin's happenin' with him... mayhaps you've just got t'let it happen. Ride it out."

Jarril coughs and mutters slightly.  "Well, she is right there, don't fight him."  He goes quiet again and looks away from them both.

Sitting up straight quickly causes Zeraph to smack the top of his head on the bottom of the table. He grimaces and rubs his paw in between his ears, before going to crawl out. "I don't. I'm not." The buck sighs. "But it's gotten worse now that he's quit the Patrol."

Keita blinks in surprise, her paws going still for a moment. "Quit?" She shakes her head slightly. "I would've expected you, mayhaps, but not Roth." Then again, Roth doesn't exactly talk to her that much.

Jarril blinks slightly. "So he's actually done it then?"

Zeraph begins to stand, pulling the letter out of his pocket and holding it out at arms length. "Gave this to me the other day." However, Keita easily distracts him. "Why?" Is all he questions as he turns to her.

"Why not Roth? Dunno. He seemed..." She was going to say 'together', but that would imply that Zeraph /isn't/, so she holds her tongue. "Fine, considerin' what happened."

Jarril takes the note and scans it for a moment and nods quickly to himself.

Zeraph goes back to rubbing his head as he sighs. "Well, alright." He glances at Jarril, then moves to begin picking up the pieces of the broken chair.

Keita lets him do it. After all, she's missing a leg. Comes in handy as an excuse at times like these. "He say why he's quittin'?"

Jarril folds the piece of paper up and walks more into the tavern before putting the bag onto the bar itself and turns around to lean on it, silently.

Zeraph nods. "Something about it not working out." He goes silent after this as he collects all the chair pieces. The bigger ones that is. He'll get a broom later.

Keita frowns, but instead of saying anything in reply to this, she just 'hms'. Then glances at Jarril, eyebrows raised. "You're obviously here for somethin', or ya wouldn't be here. What's up?" After all, he's not the sort that 'visits'.

Jarril blinks and doesn't reply at first.  "I er..."  He gives a rub at the back of his neck with a paw.  "Came ta apologies in the way that I acted.  I brought ya some food as a peace offering..."

Zeraph seems unsure where to deposit the bits of furniture, so he just stands there with his arms full for a moment.

Keita's brow knits, and for a moment she just looks puzzled. Her memory eventually catches up, however, and she frowns in a fashion that's almost amused as she waves a paw at him. "Oh... ferget that, Jare. I was... in a piss of a mood, t'put it lightly."

Jarril nods.  "Same with me."  He rubs the back of his neck again and smiles.  "Supposed we both had a bad run in before we met."

Zeraph is doing much of nothing at the moment, seeming tired, and his mind may have wandered away form him for a while.

Keita inclines her head, actually managing a smile. "Aye. Seems t'be happenin' a lot 'round here, jus' lately." She glances at Zeraph, then, and notices him still holding the bits. "Raph, you c'n... jus' toss those back behind the countah or somethin'."

Jarril nods slowly.  "Aye, the whole area is in a mess.  Surprised nothing else has happened yet..."  The hare goes quiet and ponders for a moment.  "Anyways, mind me coming down here a bit more than usual?  Getting fed up of some things back at the mountain lately."

Zeraph nods, even though he seems to only half hear what Keita says to him. The buck does go behind the counter and deposit the wood pieces into an empty container back here, just for the time being so it won't make a mess.

Keita hehs, lightly. "... No, don't mind. Why would I? The more the merriah, righ'?" She stands, then, heading for the bar finally. She drops onto one of the stools, leaning her crutches against the counter. "So Rothal quit... huh."

Jarril blinks and looks at the piece of paper now folded up and nods his head.  "Apparantely so."  He lowers his voice so that Zeraph can't hear.  "Maybe I shouldn't mention that me not retiring is only a small reprieve..."  He coughs and opens the bag instead on the table.  "Oh yeah, the cook wondered if ya wouldn't mind trying some of his hotroot pasties or at least let some of ya otter customers try them out anyways.  He said there's the recipe for them as well in here somewhere..."

"Ah yeah?" Keita leans forward, peering into the bag. "Mayhaps I'll try 'em out on the new sheriff hopeful." She smirks.

Zeraph's ears flick to the side as he hears the lowering of voices, though he can't make out what is said. The buck furrows his brow, but says nothing. Alright, it's not his business anyway.

Jarril grins at Keita.  "Ah so he actually took my advice and took the job then, eh?  Good for him."  The hare leaning on the bar now.  "Hope he settles down now and keep his mind from not having a crew for his ship, poor chap."

Keita chuckles. "You talk t'everyone, doncha? Aye, he's thinkin' on the job. There's no one t'hire him, though, so that's a bit o' a problem. I told him t'just start actin' sheriff-y, 'n' assumin' no villagahs show up with pitch forks, he's safe."

Zeraph comes forward to lean on the bar, clearing his throat. "K, is the broom in the kitchen?"

Jarril grins.  "Well, I'll try and help out if I can, someone's gotta give the patrol a good name around here.  Not like some who have done some things ta make us look bad in places."  The hare frowns on that one."  He pauses to let Zeraph ask his question and then goes quiet again.

Keita's eyebrows raise at Jarril's words. A man after her own heart, as the saying goes. "Well, fer the time-bein', at least, yer one o' the hares on m'good list. So good on you, eh?" That perpetual smirk resurfaces, but it's a rather cheerful one that is only slightly dashed by Zeraph's question and the need to think. "Oh... hm. Y'know, I don't know? Mayhaps in the kitchen. Ya might check behind the door. Sometimes it's tucked back there."

Zeraph's focus on turns to Jarril for a moment as his ears flicker back, looking thoughtful again, before he nods when Keita responds. Probably not supposed to be listening to most of this anyway. The buck goes towards the kitchen without another word.

Jarril grins.  "Well, this should please ya at any rates.  Guess who's actually teaching the new lot?"  He points to himself.  "Well, I get ta teach them some things so hopefully something will rub off on them.  That reminds me as well.  Mind if some of them come in here from time ta time.  Gonna start handing out weekend passes, if they do good in their work mind."

"S'long as ya make sure they undahstand that the patrol's not Halyard's police force." The doe's eyes follow Zeraph as he heads for, and disappears into, the kitchen. "Might be their first exposure t' livin'-breathin' vermin, 'n' I don't want 'em quiverin' or quakin' just 'cause a ferret walks in."

Jarril looks at Keita.  "Ya should know someone else teaching them as well, on the fighting part of classes anyways.  I don't think I have ta mention names, he's not in my good books anyways right now but then I am a bit miffed about this Taye situation.  Probably reading ta much into it than what there is."  The hare sighs.  "He wasn't happy that I came up with a plan before him though, he had his paw all crunched up, thought he was going ta hit me at one point but he didn't.  Not my problem if I gave in my plan ta Zoe before he did."  He blinks and shakes his head.  "Ah, sorry.  Shouldn't bring problems about the patrol ta ya.  Got a drink handy?"

Keita's eyebrows go up, up, and up. Though she's listening close throughout, she merely... nods, to the last question. "Aye. Just a sec." She stands, moving around to the serving side of the counter to ready the drink. She sets it in front of him.

Having waited for a while in the kitchen, Zeraph finally returns with the broom. His ears are curled back tight to his head, though, as if trying the best possible to not hear what the two are talking about. He's going to be good. The buck begins to sweep around the 'disaster area'.

Jarril smiles and lifts the mug up as he continues.  "Well, can't be surprised anyways, the patrol's changing, then again what with no badger lord ta keep things in check it was about ta happen.  Not that I have anything against my cousin but..."  He pauses.  "Just seems like one disaster after another at the moment.  Not sure if my other runnah I am left with should be treated with leveret gloves or told off for disobeying ordahs and running off like that."  He tilts his head to the side and see's Zeraph cleaning but doesn't question it.  Moving his head back to Keita.  "So how are things now with ya?"

Keita smiles rather wanly at Jarril's words. Ah, the patrol. The patrol, the patrol. But if she wanted to get away from it, she should have moved more than two hours away. "How'm I? Well... Lily left me, so not s'great." Hopefully Zeraph's doing an extra good job of not listening over there, and even if he's not, she's dropped her volume anyway. No need to burden the poor buck more than he already is.

Jarril shakes his head and talks low back.  "What?  No...  That's not good news, my friend.  Anything at all I can help on the matter, ya only have ta ask..."

For a while, Zeraph wanders around the table in a disinterested fashion as he sweeps up all the saw dust and small pieces of wood. This means he has to get some off of the table top as well. All of it is collected into a pile slowly, yet surely, being a little perfectionist about it, but finally he crouches down to brush the remnants into the 'dust pan'. Keita's voice does not, in fact, carry to the hare's pinned ears, even if he knows they are talking. Just..not what about still. He begins towards the back of the bar again, to deposit this where the rest of the pieces are. "Sorry again for your chair." He mumbles as he passes Keita.

Keita gives Jarril a look as Zeraph nears, should he think to say anything within Zeraph's earshot. Only after he passes does she nod, shrug, and then shake her head. "There's nothin' for it, mate. Nothin' that you c'n do, anyway." Pause. "Thanks, though."

Jarril gives his neck another rub and nods but doesn't say anything.  He does though give Zeraph a smile.  "I take it that ya nearly fit enough ta head back ta the mountain then?"

Zeraph sets the broom off to the side for the time being as he dusts his paws off, a smile actually going to Keita. This is, in turn, given to Jarril as well as a nod. "Yes sah. Probably best. As I don't want to go around breaking more furniture than I need to."

Keita smirks at Zeraph's comment, but does she also look a little disappointed to hear that he's going? Perhaps. "Well... any time y'need t'break s'more, just warn me ahead o' time 'n' I'll give ya the stuff I was plannin' t'scrap anyway."

Jarril nods his head.  "Aye for the best..."  He finishes his drink and gets up.  "Well, I best head back there now myself before I am missed."  He blinks and takes out another piece of paper and hands it over the bar.  "Erm, Keita mind keeping an eye on anything that may attract an old battle worn out hare ta this place.  It's for a friend."  The hare lies as he looks at Zeraph before back at the doe.  "Gotta look after future interests and all, nevah know what's gonna happen."  He smiles and then fixes his uniform.  "Well, I best be off and get back onto the grind.  Zeraph, ya can take ya time heading back tomorrah as well.  No rush, I won't have ya on duty until ya checked by another healah there.  Regulations and all, ya understand."

Zeraph nods his head respectfully. "Yes sah, though I will be heading out tomorrow for sure." He smiles more and grins to Keita. "That could be good.. Actually could use that as a weapon." The buck jokes.

As Jarril announces his impending leaving, as well as puts forth the request, Keita raises a brow and nods. "Aye, sure, I'll keep 'n eye out, mate. Safe walk back, 'n' all." She glances at Zeraph, then, and smirks. "Sharpened chair legs, eh?"

Jarril nods and gives a look at Zeraph once more and then heads out quietly, leaving the two to carry on talking.