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"Hah, children would seem to be the greatest fear. I can only imagine the difficultly of competing with cuteness." Reller muses as he looks around.

(( Does Reller know of anywhere he can find a druid or vet in the area? ))

@ Kafen: There is an old lady selling herbs and such for minor ailments, she has a heart for every suffering creature. Actually, she's the one who reported about the odd lights from the manor.

"I know a woman that might be able to help us." Reller tells Martin. "We can talk to the woman that sells herbs, perhaps." He offers to lead the way if Martin wants to go with him.

"Fine with me, but let's be quick about it. I've got a thing this evening. And while we're at it, we need to stop at the tinsmiths."
Martin walks back to the ladder then turns away suddenly. "Perhaps it would be best you go first." he says, his voice tight with concentration.

"Right, tin smiths and herbal remedies." Reller says as he looks for the Harbormaster if he is around. If not, he heads towards the herbal shop. "We can meet up at one of the taverns at dawn if you want."

Martin watches Reller clear the foot of the ladder with mild relief, then steps onto it, climbs halfway down, and takes it for a brief walk on its feet before dropping to the ground. "This ladder's a bit squirrely. I tired it out some, but we should keep an eye on it, if we plan to use it again.
"Time enough, I think, for errands. Not even lunchtime yet."

(OOC: You would make my life easier if you stated where each of you goes. Quirky as you are, you might talk about one thing and do the other...)

(( Reller will go to get help from the lady for the owl and meet with Martin for lunch if that works. ))

"I know a one legged ladder that causes a lot of trouble." Reller nods his head in agreement. "One can only imagine the chaos a rodent hybrid ladder would cause."

Reller needs about half an hour to get to Kristina's cottage, and it takes another hour for the two of them to get back because Kristina is none too good on her feet any more. She is happy to go with him, however, still nurturing a soft spot for the good-looking elf she fancied when she was a teenager. She's kidding him with old stories all the way. "Please stay right behind me" she says as she climbs the ladder, although the ladder is so comfortable she really needs no help. The owl hoots soflty again as the two people come in. Once her eyes adjust to the semi-darkness of the attic, Kristina looks at Reller and shakes her head.
"Really, Reller, I thought you had learned more from me" she chides him, Without fear, she approaches the owl. "You are not really injured, are you?" she asks it in a friendly voice, extending her arm.
"Indeed, I am not" a soft husky voice answers. "And I'd rather not put my weight on your arm. I am perfectly able to fly." With that, the owl takes wing and soars over Reller's head.

"Right, it would seem that I have been obtuse. Forgive me, things have been confusing since I met Martin if I must admit." Reller gives Kristina a gentle look. "Thank you for coming to help in any case, Kristina."

To the owl, Reller asks. "What brings a talking owl to our city if I may ask?" He maintains a respectful tone.

[OOC] If I may be so bold as to time-warp your game a bit...[/OOC]

While Reller is off collecting the old lady, Martin will seek out the local tinsmith. "Whistles. I am looking for tin whistles, my good man. Slide whistles, actually. They are about to become quite the item in town, very popular with the children."
Martin will go into his usual schtick of being confusing and encouraging at the same time, while also displaying the item he wishes the tinsmith to build - a tin slide whistle: small simple and cheaply made. He'll turn on the charm, and use his various skills to close the deal, concluding his pitch with: "I'll create the demand, you create the supply, and we split the profits. Fair enough?"
Assuming he can get the tinsmith to buy into it, he'll offer a handshake deal and close with: "I'll need half a dozen of these things by tomorrow morning, if you can manage it. Then within a week we'll probably need five dozen more."

Once his business with the tinsmith is concluded, he'll spend some time visiting the local merchants (whoever is open) and introducing himself around, all part of his plan to become well-known, but will keep checking back on the warehouse, so as not to miss Reller's return.

[OOC] We now return to the normal time-stream. [/OOC]

[OOC: No problem with the time warp, that's the advantage of PBP, you were separated and the two timelines had to split anyway]

The tinsmith lets himself be charmed by Martin's ideas, his business had been a bit slow. He only cautions: "Don't be too quick, Sir, I am working alone, there has never been enough to do to take in an apprentice. I can give you four for tomorrow, not more, I'm afraid. And... I'm afraid I don't have enough tin foil for five dozen!"

The owl has taken perch on a step of the ladder at the elf's and humans' head hight. "Curiosity, my friend" it says, "simple curiosity. I like to watch people from time to time, yes I do. Also, they generally store good food in their barns, good food indeed, yes, yes. Though this time, I went into the wrong barn, I think, the wrong one I chose, yes. Already taken by others it was, we had quite a fight, yes, yes, we did. Oh, and you should have a look at that roof of yours, it is not the way it usually is, no. no, it's not. A very unusual hole it has."

Seeing the harbormaster arrive, the talking owl takes off in the direction of the hill behind the warehouses, taking perch in a large tree whose burgeoning foilage is not really providing any cover.

"Have you found the pest?" the Harbourmaster asks Reller, Martin and Kristina. "Good day, Mistress Kristina" he adds in an afterthought, with a little bow to compensate for his lack of politeness at first.

"Ah yes and no, there seems to be two things from the sound of it." Reller explains. "The first one appears to be an owl, and the other one appears to have taken food along with fighting the owl. And, we need to look at the hole in the roof, apparently."

Inviting the Harbormaster up the ladder, Reller leads the way and moves to the hole in the roof in order to inspect it.

The roof is thatched with reeds, which are grown in ponds fed by the river running through Saltmarsh (and provide sweetwater fish like carps as well). On this particular roof, some bundles are missing. Those adjacent to the hole show a strange mixture of black and white powdery substances on it, and a strange smell emanates from them. The same phenomenon was seen on the parts that had fallen down and laid beside the ladder. Those batches had already partly disintegrated.