"Indeed – the festival of the winter solstice. That Elder of yours is meant to be conducting a ceremony on the outskirts of the village to welcome winter in. The Vice-Captain and I have been asked to attend. It will be a good opportunity for you, no? I imagine you have not spoken much with your fellow villagers in the last couple of days," Lombard said. "That merchant in particular has been asking after you. Though, he is currently bearing the weight of a likely involvement in murder. Three men seem to have been slain by his underlings. As soon as the prostitutes were barred from the campgrounds, the slaying stopped. Odd, is it not?"
Lombard said that testingly, as though to evoke a reaction from Beam. Tolsey noted that the Captain was looking towards him carefully as he played with one of the wooden board pieces in his hand.
