There are half a hundred things you could do, not the least of them demand to see Count Hassildor who you know will be reasonable about this, but maybe, just possibly, this is one of those times that complete seriousness is required. The voices in your head seem to be agreeing with that opinion, mostly anyway.
You sling the thief back over your shoulder, where he grumbles quietly, and lay one hand on each of your protesting's friend's shoulders. Hopefully they'll get the idea that they should really be quiet and not piss of the already frazzled guards. Diana gets it several seconds before Morlia and motions for the high elf to calm down for a moment. Reluctantly Morlia shut up, mouth turning down it what's almost a pout. Not that you'd tell her that, she'd probably not take it well.
"You know," you turn to the shopkeeper attempting to take the stuff the thief nicked, "your hasty, opportunistic fraud won't pass even the lightest scrutiny. When they compare your books, your stock, the contested items and our list of stolen items the truth will come to light. Are you sure you don't want to recant your lies before the truth comes to light?" The shopkeeper doesn't look fazed in the slightest by your warning.
"The moment you prove any of the items in here are yours, missy, you're free to take them." He addresses Diana, tone cruel. "Before that unlikely event get your daedra to shut up and behave itself." Diana's face flushes red instantly. Morlia turns a similar shade of red. Both look like they are about to explode at the man. You squeeze their shoulders gently and both prevent themselves from yelling at the man. You're all trying to do this as politely as possible, you are in the right and it will be proved very, very soon.
"The daedra, sir, is mine." Morlia grits out through her teeth, bared in a polite grimace that sends shivers down your spine. "And I will thank you to not use that tone with my friend when she has done absolutely nothing to deserve it." Morlia's green gold eyes flash with anger and her elven face with it's high cheekbones and inhuman paleness is incredibly good at looking terrifyingly haughty. The shopkeeper quails a little. The thief, catching sight of that as you turn to the guards, snickers.
"Gentlemen, please, lead on." The only way this is going to be resolved is with their help checking the man's books and stock.
"Right, well, sir, ladies... daedra, if you would follow me. My partner will examine the stock and the books to determine what's missing before joining us at the castle and sorting this out properly." The guard speaking gestures for you to precede him out of the door.
"Won't that take a long time for one man?" Diana asks curiously as you leave. It is a rather well stocked shop after all. The shopkeeper grudgingly hands over the key to his stock-book before following.
"A patrol will be coming by in a few minutes, they'll provide assistance." The guard answers. The rest of the walk, short as it is, you spend mostly in silence. You talking will only irritate the shopkeeper, which you do not need right now, and neither of your friends seem particularly interested in striking up a conversation. Morlia's got a dour mood hanging over her like a particularly dedicated thunder cloud and Diana just seems nervous in the face of authority. Not that you can blame her, former-ish necromancer and all.
"By the nine you lot are boring." The thief says after several minutes of silence. "Hey, guards person, where's Freyja she's actually some fun when she tries to arrest me."
"On gate duty." The guard answers tersely. "Now shut up." You can almost imagine the smile breaking out over the thief's face.
"Aren't you supposed to tell me a bunch of crap about how what I say could be used as evidence and how it may harm my defense i-mmph!" You get him off your shoulder and cover his mouth with one giant, spiky blue crystal hand. He glares at you, eyebrows forming a deep V over a pair of dark green eyes.
"Thank you, Fast." Morlia sounds relieved. This is probably a nice, if confusing break for her, you being in a sensible mood for once.
"Right, this is the... erm, waiting area if you could all wait here for my partner to come back." The guard gestures are the plain stone room that serves as a buffer between the actual dungeons and the outside world. The door you all just came through, thief nursing a second light head injury now, is metal, almost as thick as the gate into the city and has three bars on the outside, an intimidating lock and another bar on the inside. Pretty serious business.
"Thank you, I hope this can be resolved as quickly as possible." Morlia's politeness seems much more natural when she's speaking to the guard.
"So do I miss and would you mind having your daedra lend a hand in getting our guest into a cell? He's quite the slippery one and your summon is the only person or creature to have actually caught him." The guard says a little sheepishly. The thief almost glows with pride. You shake him and he's immediately back to glaring daggers at you.
"I'm sure that will be fine. Fast?" Morlia asks, eyebrow raised. She's probably praying to every god she can name that you stay in your current, sensible mood.
[ ] Help the guard how?
-[ ] Talk to the thief? (about what?)
-[ ] Talk tot he guard? (about what?)
[ ] Don't help the guard, do something else?
[ ] Conversation topics/ideas for everyone else while waiting for the other guard of the dynamic-guard-duo?
Trying out a little more... structure/suggestions in the vote options. Please let me know what you think and, as ever, don't feel obliged to actually vote for anything I've suggested. I like being surprised
