The Grand Tribunal and the Hiberian invasion

Some of the dockworkers believe you to be an English spy, and suggest you should move along if you want to avoid a beating...

"You're right, if you give me some more time, I can keep listening at ground level and find out which inns have Norse speaking owners. I'll report back as soon as possible, maybe you should remain in human form and sit back here for a while, in case I find it quickly. That way I can come, inform you right away and then you head off." With that, he heads back into the city in fox form to listen in and try to discern which innkeepers can speak Norse.

Unwelcome at the docks, Bran decides to look around other areas of town and outside of it for any other young wizards he might have met.

Out on a hill, outside of town Bran begins loudly singing Gaelic tunes he learned at Qui Sonant Pro Quieto.

[I'm thinking even if you don't know the language, the tunes are recognizable if you've ever visited Qui Sonant since the singing never stops there.]

Amar finds several innkeepers who speak Icelandic, unfortunately they are not innkeepers where the invading mages are staying- they are at a common inn owned and operated by an English nationalist- an injured soldier who has retired here with his Gaelic wife.

That would be Sionnach, who asked Arnar to stay behind.

BTW. Do we hear the strange song from Qui Sonant Pro Quieto? (From the camp? From going to and fro?)

yes, you do hear the song.

The fox left so quickly, that Arnar did not get the time to think it through, nor even ask how long he should expect to wait. Thinking about this, he hears a strange sound in the distance, and decides to check it out, in human form though. Wanting to see before he is seen, he tries to sneak in first, with little successÂč, and the Bard will hear someone approaching through the shrubs.

Âč Rolled 4.

As Arnar nears the hilltop where the singing is coming from a branch under foot snaps loudly and the singing stops. "Hello?" is said in Gaelic by the male voice of the singer, a slight pause then in Latin this time, "Hello?"

[Gonna have to cut this off here. Need to get to an appointment. May be able to respond in transit on my phone.]

Arnar answers, in Gaelic, but slow enough to be interrupted by Bran's Latin greeting.
He clears some shrubs away, to step out and see clearly.

Hugh, wandering around town, hears something faintly musical in the distance. Curious about what it might be, he follows the sound. He is not quiet as he moves through the bushes, going up the hill.

[assuming he'll arrive a little after Arnar.]

"Arnar! Good to see you here." Bran says to the Bjornaer while attempting to hide his response to the other's gift. "I would love to give the English a proper Irish welcome... unfortunately my attempts to recruit dockworkers to help me steal their crates and luggage failed miserably. Perhaps if we put our heads together we could come up with another plan and if we're lucky something worthy of a Cathach would be among our takings."

At the sound of Hugh in the bushes Bran gets quiet. Hoping it is someone else he's met who is also on their Macgnimartha.

Having had no luck in finding a suitable inn to infiltrate, figures the English would mingle amongst themselves, Sionnach decided to head back to the base camp to rethink his strategy. As he approaches, he notices Bran striking up a conversation with Arnar. Unsure if he's seen him before, he approaches stealthily, from the opposite direction as the rustling bush.

[Messed up the name, sorry! I meant Bran not Hugh.]

Hugh comes out into the open. He's wearing a midnight blue robe, he has long black hair and violet eyes. But the song having ended, he looks around, confused, and he says something questioning in an unknown language [Normand French]. The big red squirrel on his shoulder looks expectantly at the two people who aren't hidden.

Seeing a second person approach, Sionnach sped up, foregoing stealth in favor of being there as fast as possible. If noticed, and assuming neither Bran (in case he can recognize him in fox form) nor Arnar give any obvious indication that they know who he is, he'll rush as close to Arnar as possible while keeping his eyes on Hugh's red squirrel companion, trying to play it off as if he's just a regular fox trying to catch his next meal. If the others call attention to him however, he's going to cast The Voice of the Bjornaer Magus.

Ronan had been traveling for sometime towards the city on foot. He had no affinity for beasts and rare was it that one could hold his massive frame anyway. While he wasn't exactly sure what he could do personally, the tales of foreign mages had reached the ears of even him and his parens in their wandering. As it was no time for him to take his year and discover himself a bit before taking his oath, Ronan had taken upon himself the goal of investigating these rumors as part of his Macgnimartha.

As he grew closer he could hear in the distance a familiar song, not that he could recall the words exactly, but the ton was very familiar. While not recently, Ronan had spent some time at Qui Sonant and that song was in his ears the whole time he had been there. Knowing better than to assume it was a coincidence, Ronan turned himself towards the sounds, making sure to keep his hood up should he encounter others along the road, his large frame enough to scar some, his gift more than enough to make it worse. At least someone who knew this song would be familiar enough not to let his Gift overwhelm them completely, it would be up to him to do the rest.

After a few minutes he found himself coming across the hill where Bran had set himself up to sing, though the song itself had recently stopped, as did Ronan who took a moment to lower his hood and approach slowly as he watch Bran turn towards another who also seemed to be have drawn by the bard's song.

With so many people coming into the improptu gathering, Sionnach is unsure of what's going on anymore. He looks at Arnar, hoping to get some explanation, even if indirectly, but will soon resume trying to keep up the ruse of being an ordinary fox searching for its next meal.

«Oh, Bran,» exclaims Arnar, «what an odd place to meet.» Then he stops short, hearing the others approach. «Have you called a gathering?»

Arnar only glances briefly at the fox, raising his shoulder and nodding his head, looking as uncertain of the situation as the fox itself.

Bran does not respond to Arnar’s question Or pay the fox much mind as he is focused on the new arrival in a blue robe. Switching to Gaelic Bran says with a welcoming gesture, “Welcome, and who might you be dressed as one of the three wise men?” Fully expecting to not be understood by him.

The squirrel whispers in the man's ear, and he smiles. He says something again, and the squirrel suddenly speaks - in Gaelic, with the same accent as Bran. "His name is Hugh. He was curious about the music, so he came up here to see for himself. We're not from here. What are the three wise men?"