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Aaltos wanders into the tavern in the late afternoon, a time when the place is not yet overcrowded with drunken men tired from a hard days work and seeking a comforting glass of ale, but not so deserted that there is only himself and another lone man or two. At the time he comes, the tavern is not quite half full, and the smells of food permeate the air. At this time, men are not yet drunk, but there are enough of them he may hear an interesting story from one of them. His dress - considering how he usually is, is decidedly appropriate for the setting. He dresses in the manner of a common man from Sunderland, and no foreign and outlandish costumes grace any part of him. His clothes are decent without being too nice and despite his dark skin he feels as if he has done a good job in being inconspicuous.

This is not a tavern he has been to before, and as such the people here have no idea who he is. Which is precisely what he is after. Not to say he has not found a good many things at some of his more local taverns, however he has become known there and he has begun to see more and more that many who bring him stories or rumours are simply pulling fabrications from their heads. He started out doing what he is doing here, simply seeking interesting information that might aid his research. Stories of the Wardwood, or the north, or the increased amount of those wandering the streets with deer...However his policy of buying his storyteller a drink for their knowledge - an ale for a tale - as it has become known, has spread and instead of quality products, many of the men who come to him only want a free drink for some cheap sensationalized news. Thus, it was time for a change and so he had come to this place, with no familiar faces.

As he wanders in, he takes in the surroundings with an experienced but subtle eye. He chooses a seat at a table by one of the windows that is close, but not too close to the door. it is a good spot as it allows him to immediately hear anything interesting that comes through the door, but he can also stare out the window as he eavesdrops on some of the conversations around the room so that it is not evident he is doing so. He is not a drinker, in fact he hates anything that dulls his mental abilities in any way, and thankfully as it is not yet night he is not expected by societal norms to order one. As such, he waves the tavern girl over and places several coins on the table.

"A soup and bread please miss." He calls all of the tavern girls miss, not because it is required by any stretch, but because he is respectful to everyone unless they prove they deserve otherwise. Not to mention, tavern girls that he befriends are often the best at helping him find the type of stories he is after, by pointing out a trader in from the north, or a man in a corner telling a tale of the supernatural in hushed tones.

"That sounds as if it will fill the belly quite nicely," he starts to say, as the commotion in the kitchen stalls them both. Raising his eyebrow in amusement he looks towards the source of the crash, but given he can't see into the kitchen nd he turns his attention back to the girl.

"A vegetable thief is it?" Aaltos asks, eyes twinkling at the girl's eye-rolling. This is obviously a frequent enough occurance that she doesn't see any need to react to it. From her easy tone and the clumsiness of the crashes and bangs it is obvious this thief is either an animal or a child, however his mind roves for any child or animal that would choose to take vegetables of all things. Dogs and rooks would go for the meat, other than that he hopes there isn't a loose horse wandering around the kitchen. Though he can see how that would could a problem with the vegetables. "Must be some fine vegetables you keep back there for a thief to be poaching those."

He notices her turn in mood and can only assume it has something to do with the look she shot one of the men in the back. Likely she will be responsible for cleaning what had happened, or something of the sort. The old man's brows knit slightly, he can't help but feel a little bad for her, the work she does is hard, and certainly not glamorous.

As she leaves to retrieve his food, Aaltos takes the opportunity to look around inconspicuously, taking in the conversations at various tables. So far, nothing of interest appears. He hears talk of a demanding wife, a son's accomplishments, news of the recent vegetable crop, but nothing of the sort he is looking for. He is only mildly disappointed, as he finds this to be the situation often. After all, the tales he seeks are far and few between, and it is not uncommon for him to turn up empty many nights. However, as the girl comes back, he hears a word on her lips and raises his head.

In an instant, his eyes brighten with unmistaken excitement, and his back straightens to give him a better look. What had just appeared in the doorway for that one instant is the best thing he has seen in several weeks. A guardian, standing not 5 meters from him. For many, the deer may seem out of place but not anything to generate excitement over. But for Aaltos, he knows far too well this is no common deer. Despite the oddity of having a true deer in a tavern, the unmistakable markings on her legs, and her bright eyes give her away instantly. She is stunning.

Distracted, he almost doesn't hear the girl's words, so caught up in the fleeting image of the deer. But he turns, processes for a moment and then answers.

"Ah, of course. She is incredible! Is she...and you...you must be! Mustn't you?" His speech is rapid and nearly nonsensical, the words coming out almost more as thoughts than conversation. Frowning, he spends another moments murmuring to himself before seeming to realize the girl may not understand what he is going on about. Not everyone knows, after all. And even some who are chosen do not believe. He is not sure which category she falls under but now that he has found the pair he will do all he can to find out. Such a find as this is rare, to be treasured and studied and remembered. Added to the notes he gathers in his head, it will make a fascinating addition.