3: No, She doesn't

"I'm sorry. No." Ryia said as she bowed her head, "I haven't heard anything about Fipps. He doesn't come to my inn anymore and most my regulars want nothing to do with him."

Zaya figured it was a long shot. It was a small town but that didn't mean everyone knew everyone else. There were probably little districts or cliques within town anyway besides the split between the main town and the holdout wall further inside. She pressed a palm to her head as she grumbled.

"Why not ask the Sentinels?"

"Few reasons, but the main one Ryia, is that I can't trust them." She paused to take an offered drink, "Here's my thinking. The guild sends out a scout to check to see if the work is done. Even IF they don't care about the Sprites, I would think they should know the result. But Ellyn admitted she knew nothing when I pushed her on it."

"I wasn't expecting you to use your..., **** like that." Ryia said, a looking passing over her face as her eyebrows scrunched, "How many am I going to have to share with you?"

"You... might want to get used to the idea Zaya's basically a Lion, and gets all the Lionesses." Krea sighed as she shook her head a bit, "Thinking it that way has helped me. But getting back on topic; we can't trust the guild due to that."

"Either," Zaya help up one hand a bit, gesturing with it, "Ellyn wasn't told because someone's keeping her in the dark. And I can't tell why someone would do that. Or...," she raised up her other hand, a little higher and did the same thing, "The scout is most likely in on it and lied about how bloody the problem had been 'solved'. And if Fipp and this Scout are on the take, I don't know who else in the group might be."

"According to Ellyn, those Scouts that double check the work of others tend to be kept hidden from the general members. So they don't get bribed or threatened. If that's the case, I honestly think this Scout might be the 'bandit' contact in town and Fipps is just..."

"A Patsy?" Zaya nodded as Ryia continued, "Figures. He's not openly violent but he's always been loud and hot headed. He's been to the local jail a few times due to his drinking from what I heard and he even broke a couple mugs here before I banned him. He grumbles when he sees me at market but he's never challenged me about it."

"Sounds like a bully that finally had someone to back him so he could be more violent." Zaya leaned in her chair, her gaze going towards the ceiling, "Might be able to find some other instances of the guy being more brazen if we look around. But he's probably laying low or got told to. After all, someone took out some of their friends so they probably want to withdraw for a bit."

"So!" She leaned back forward, slamming her hands on the table. More for herself than getting attention, "Primary Goal is getting Justice for Dalila and the Sprites. Secondary is removing whatever influence the bandits have. Which could lead to the third goal; finding some more allies that aren't the Sentinels."

"Wouldn't bandits being here help destabilize the town and make it easier for you to do your thing?" Ryia slightly raised a hand to ask.

"If I was going for the whole, '****, Kill, Pillage' route then yes. But that's not the way I want to do this. Besides." She grinned, "If the bandits keep doing whatever the hell they want, they might kill some cute gal I have a thing for."

The other two women looked at each other. Ryia grumbled but Krea was accepting of the comment, begrudgingly though. While that was a joking worry, Zaya didn't want the bandits acting up and attracting more attention or acting in ways she couldn't predict. They had already done that, and Dalila paid the price. A monster yes, but she didn't want other coming to harm from her actions like that.

So the problem was..., did they have any leads what so ever? That was when something snapped back into her mind, which made Zaya start digging through her backpack.

"I have this. But I'm not... familiar with the language that well so maybe you two can tell me."

She produced a notebook and explained she picked it up from the bandit's base..., or well maybe calling it an 'outpost' would be better. A place for them to hide and rest before going off to their main stronghold was the guess she was working with right now. Ryia picked up the book and started flipping through it's pages while Krea shot her a look.

"How much of that is 'real' considering you used it to trick me." Her eyes narrowed but the small grin didn't leave her lips.

"I'd say the first half of it? I've been writing in the back and working my way forward."

"The only thing of note in here are repeated plans against the Valar. Most of them were just written off as 'bad. stupid. insane.' ..., oh there's one that says 'jumping off a cliff to fly would work better'. This group at least wasn't smart or someone didn't have much faith in them." Ryia said as she closed the book, "I'm sorry I can't say anything more but maybe there's some sort of code they use...."

"That might take awhile to crack even with the Pool..., but I don't think it knows how to crack a cypher." Zaya said, "Are the Valar that important?"

"They are the best equipped group in the area." Krea, "That alone can put them ahead of most the guards and a good portion of the Sentinels. Skill wise, I'm unsure, I've only seen them fight once and it was..., a sledgehammer against a rotten wall."

"But if the Bandits were able to get their hands on Valar equipment, or worse, had some sort of leverage on them that **** an alliance; these bandits could become stronger than the town guard. And if they have someone in the Sentinels, they could try to lure out some of the stronger members. Either to ambush them away from help, or just make sure they aren't able to help when the killing blow comes."

"That's what I'm guessing but I wasn't sure. Good to know I'm not the only one with that thought." Zaya leaned over and gave Krea a kiss on the check, earning a blush from the Druid, "I'm not sure what their end game is. 'Take over the town' might be the worst along with razing it, but a gang of well equipped bandits won't help anyone."

"Best case is that you'd have a bunch of stronger bandits, running around out in the woods and hills, with Sentinals trying to engage them, or others coming in from outside to help. And if both are too active, that raises the chances of them finding you sooner than you'd probably want." Krea leactured with a wave of her finger.

"Maybe. The Sentianls probably have other branches they could call up, and the local Lord might call for aid too if it's too much of a problem. Now if they get that help or not is just a guess. But that's all we have at this stage, guesses." Zaya rubbed her scalp, "Let's pull it back cause we going in circles if we try to predict too far. First goal is to just try to get some more info. So." She lightly tapped the table to focus attention, "Ryia, try to keep tabs in town about Fipps. Don't make it too obvious though. Last thing I need is someone doing something simliar to you."

"Awwww, of course Mistress." She walked around the table and sat on Zaya's lap, her arms wrapping around her neck, "I knew you cared. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

She wasn't in the mood for anything, lewd, but having Ryia on her lap had a soothing presence to it anyway. She wrapped her arms around her, pulling the woman into an embrace. Their heads tilted as they moved to kiss..., only for something soft but firm to press into her back. Well, two somethings as another pair of arms wrapped around Zaya's body and pulled her backwards in the chair.

"And." Krea glared at Ryia, "We shall look into the Valar. Perhaps they have better info on the bandits. At the very least we can attempt to warn them of our fears. You'll stay here, be a good girl, and watch the home base right?"

A normal person would be trapped between their bickering and positioning. But Zaya wasn't a normal woman, was she?

She freed her arms from Ryia and with a flick, her limbs extended. Stretching out she gripped the back of each of their heads and shoved them forward. The end result was the bickering pair found their lips slammed together right over Zaya's head. Ryia, the more eager of the two, chose to clamp her lips over the druid and pressed inward, trying to take control. At least that was the idea. Krea had her tongue eagerly dart into Ryia's mouth, completely exploring her opening as the inn-keep squirmed in place, the two swapping saliva as they treated the kiss as a battle, one that neither one wanted to forfeit.

It was different from kissing Zaya. Ryia was eagerly trying to keep up while Krea fought to keep dominance. Each one drinking in the flavor of the other; Ryia enjoying the mildly fruity taste that seemed to come from the druid and..., well Krea could still taste the beer that no doubt the inn-keep had been nursing most the day. And there was the slight familiar taste of Zaya's own fluid coming from Krea; not as intense, but if all her 'converts' would taste like this, Ryia wouldn't mind them being in the group.

The pair gave a slight moan when their lips were forcefully separated and Zaya stood up, pulling each one into a deep kiss that made their legs weak. A firm steady hand on their backs kept them upright as it moved in small circles to sooth them.

"Are you two done?" They both gave a weak nod. "Good." Zaya gave each one a light slap on the ass which earned a moan from both of them.

"Now I don't mind you trying to compete. I don't mind you fighting either. But I want to stress something to both of you." She gave a hard squeeze on each of their butts, "Keep this clashing in the bedroom, or in private. I do not want you trying to backstab or betray each other, thinking 'oh if I just remove this person, Mistress will love me more' or something. So you can fight for my attention and praise; but if you try something that could get in the way of whatever goal I have, I am PUTTING your ass into the pit."

"Am. I. CLEAR?" Her eyes flared gold as she glared at them, a snarl on her lips.

"Yes.... Mistress..." the two women mewled out.

"Good girls." She gave them another spank.

"Mmm so forceful Mistress...."

"C..., Chill. Ryia." Krea breathed out as she composed herself, "That was a little over the top Zaya."

"I know. But I'm not in a very good mood." She sat back down and waved the girls to move back, "I just wanted to get that rule down, NOW, while it's on my mind and I only have to worry about two of you. I don't want to have infighting have an affect on what we're actively doing. This goes for you, and any one else that joins up. So I'd rather get this settled and put into practice before it becomes a problem. I expect info to be shared, aid to be given, and for you to both do your work like adults."

"If you want to surprise me by having a troublesome 'rival' tied up in my bed though...," a smirk crossed her lips, "That's just fine."

The women blushed as they shot each other a look.

Encounter Table(d20)

• 1-4: See who ties up who?
• 5-8: Zaya leaves them to hash things out for a bit.
• 9-12: Zaya and Krea leave to see about those Valar workers.
• 13-16: Before anything fun happens, someone knocks on the front of the inn.
• 17-20: Something else happens