The Hollowed Gourd was a kindly enough inn. The same atmosphere you'd find in many taverns across the kingdom. The portly barkeep was friendly and welcoming to any newcomer, but even more so the pair of jongleurs that had arrived early that morning. "Only been here a few hours" The barkeep thought as he wiped down the counter, "And already they've increased our normal business for this time of day." He smiled to himself and continued about his work, listening to the lively tunes of the two newcomers. He noted to himself that he should offer them a room for the night.

Across the tavern the pair of entertainers was keeping the attention of the crowds patrons. The mandolin player sat on a stool near the hearth, his jaunty tunes echoing across the room, vivid brown eyes seemed focus on his partner and their performance but were actively scanning the room for anything out of place. His female counterpart danced around the room, singing along with her partner and encouraging patrons to join in on the more well known tunes. Lively blue eyes seemingly glued to the audience she captivated, kept a close watch on the door and taking notice of anyone who entered.

~

The night before Halt had given them a briefing of the plan. "I want you two," He gestured to Will and Lea "to ride ahead of us as jongleurs. You know the drill, leave Tug and Petal in the tree line out of sight once you reach the end of the forest and go into town on foot. Horace and I will follow you the next day. Jongleurs have a certain talent for getting people to talk. See if you can find out what has been going on around here, and keep your eyes peeled for anything or anyone suspicious."

~

Already Will and Lea had noticed the patrons letting their guard down around them. They were speaking more openly now that the two had been performing most of the day. From his spot at the hearth Will over heard some old men at a table in the corner.

"Now I tell ya," one of the old men said, "I don't like it one bit" He had a pipe between his teeth as he talked and he threw a card from his hand into the middle of the table. Will assumed they were playing spades.

"You don't like anything new that sweeps through this town you old coot!" The one across from the man with the pipe, Will dubbed him Hat Man, spoke up as he threw down his own card. The other man Will had decided to call Shark because he was obviously cheating. Will wasn't sure how you could cheat at spades, but he was sure that Shark was doing just that.

"Don't lecture me right now Jeb! I'm telling you! I knows trouble when I sees it" the man with the pipe said pointedly.

"You said that last time when that group of rabble-rousers came through but Geldon ran them off right quick" Shark said, throwing down a card Will saw him pull from his sleeve and took the pile of three laying in the middle of the table.

"I know what I said!" The man with the pipe said, starting another round of the game. "But this is different"

"Get to the point then Marty!" Hat Man, or Jeb, said throwing his card down rather fast.

"They're speaking treason! I know you old codgers aren't deaf!" The man with pipe, Marty, finally said. "And they've been preaching it to the young folks!"

"We all heard them." Shark said. "They're hard to ignore. Kinda like you, when you won't shut up and play the damn game."

"I'm telling ya!" Marty said again. "This keeps up things are gonna get real stirred up around here!"

"You outta keep your voice down" Jeb said. "Maybe start listening for once. Word is they don't take to kindly to people speaking ill of them. Isn't that right Olly?" Shark nodded and Will noted all their names.

"Ol' Rodney's boy done up and vanished what I heard." Olly said.

"The boy prolly ran off with the barkeeps daughter!" Marty said. "Lord everyone knows they've been seeing each other!"

"You're not listening!" Jeb said "Both those kids took a pretty solid stand, defending the King and all that. Then they both just up and vanish? Somethin ain't right round here. We best keep our mouth shut. Geldon'll handle it. Always does."

"Yea yea sure I suppose" Marty waved his hands in defeat, they were all out of cards. "Damn it Olly! How the hell you keep winning!"

Across the tavern Lea was striking up a conversation with a group of teenagers that were seated in the back corner while Will kept the music going. They had given her some tips on which of the patrons usually tip the best, the oldest girl among them worked here in the tavern but was on her break. It didn't take a lot of prodding from Lea to get the teenagers to start gossiping.

"You outta move on from here pretty quick" The oldest boy, his name was Joseph, said. "Some rough business is stirring up around here"

"Is that so?" Lea asked. "Usually stuff like that is good for business."

"Not this kind ma'am" the youngest boy Jory was Joseph's brother. He lowered his voice a tad. "Rebels been coming around here. Speaking out against the King." Joseph smacked him on the back of the head

"Not so loud!" The older brother hissed and Lea stepped in closer. "They've been say real treasonous talk miss." He kept his voice way down. "They don't take to kindly to people defending the King either."

"They've been taking them, that's what I've heard" Lorie, the oldest girl spoke now, her voice hushed. "A couple people have already up and vanished." She sounded a bit worried.

"If they've been violent why haven't they been dealt with?" Lea asked in the same hushed tone.

"Well they haven't been violent outright" Jory said. "They get angry in public but they've never gotten physical, that's anyone's seen anyway. So it's all really just hearsay. But it's a mighty big coincidence I say." Lea nodded, taking in their words.

"Well if you had some advice on who to avoid, it'd be a great help to me" Lea said, hoping to get a description of some of these 'rebels'.

"Oh you'll know them when you see them." Lorie said, the distain evident in her voice. "They usually come in here bout every other night since they been in town. Terrible tippers, and they always bring down the mood in here. Should be back in tomorrow night I suppose."

"Well I appreciate the tip." Lea smiled at them. "I better get back too it, can't let my brother show me up." She whisked herself back through the crowd. Brother and Sister jongleurs was part of the cover they used. It was a good one since they looked so much alike.

The rest of the day went over without an issue, neither Will or Lea heard anything else of note. At the end of the night the barkeep offered them a room which they gratefully accepted and turned in.

Lea plopped down gratefully on one of the beds as Will sat on the other. "You know," she said "Doing this whole jongleurs act seems more tiring than if we'd been force marching through the mountains." Will let out a small laugh as he set his mandolin carefully into it's case.

"I can't say I disagree." He said with a smile. "Did you hear anything useful today?" Lea nodded.

"If we stay and perform tomorrow night we might get to meet some of these rebels." She took off her boots and unstrapped the knives she had on each calf. "What I heard they're very hard to miss."

"A group of gossiping old men said that apparently people who speak out against these rebels go missing." Will said.

"That's what the rumor is." Lea responded. Will had a thoughtful look on his face. "What stewing in that head of yours?"

"Well," He said, tapping his chin with the hilt of one of his knives. "I was thinking we see if these rumors are true."

"Halt won't like that." Lea said with a small grin touching the corners of her mouth.

"Then let's hope we can get a good show going before he shows up." Will smiled back.

~

The next morning Halt and Horace broke down camp and set out a few hours before midday. At the pace they set they would arrive in town shortly before supper. Halt set them at a nice canter, so anyone that could of been watching wouldn't assume they were in any particular hurry. He had also stored away his cloak and told Horace to keep his shield covered.

"If these rebels are against the King," Halt had said the night before, "And they see that shield of yours, it may as well just be a big red target."

They stopped by the small grove the Tug and Petal had been waiting in and grabbed Will and Lea's gear. Halt strapping Will's to his saddle and Horace taking Lea's.

They had been riding for a few hours in silence only Halt could inspire before Horace couldn't hold himself any longer. "Halt?" He said experimentally.

"Yes Horace?" Halt said, exasperation evident already.

"Well," Horace chose his words carefully. "What are your thoughts on all this."

"My thoughts are I'd like to get more information before I make any solid judgments" Halt said.

"What about any semi-solid judgements" Horace said, he could feel he was pushing his luck.

"That if we leave those two alone for long enough they'll get some solid trouble." Halt replied "A day and a half is pushing it. They've probably run out of gossip to gather."

"Which means?" Horace asked, not knowing where this was going.

"Which means." Halt started "They'll go looking for more." Horace nodded in understanding as they kept riding. "If both of them put their heads together looking for trouble." He shook his head. "God's know they'll find it."