Hashing out the details

JP with Lucian, Winteroak and Bandorchu

Tar looked at Alexis rasing his eyebrows in surprise. He had heard of the small trading village at the Southern edges of the desert. That could actually be a good option. Travel across the now mostly empty Odsier Winter pastures to the village and join a caravan to the Holy City. He nodded noting her own surprise and shock.
"That actually sounds like a better route that to grave Fang again." He agreed. He gave Tarmen his book back.
"How soon can we leave?" He asked his two companions.

Tarmen looked curiously at Alexis, though he shouldn’t be surprised at her quick assessment on a potential route. He was more interested in her reaction.
A conversation for another time perhaps, now that Tar had moved them along. He pondered the map and the long trail they would wander.
“Preparing supplies through the Duke might take a few days at most, plus whatever we would need to make up the slack.”

Alexis pulled back her arm and folded her hands in front of her on the table in the internal desire to keep them still.

She nodded at Tarmen’s estimation, collecting herself.

“Are you going to let the Duke know we’ll be joining you?”

“Unless you two are on killin’ terms, don’t see the harm if it comes up. He knows I like competent people, so he would need a good argument to deny you joinin’.”
He had been wondering how much he should let the Duke in on, though in the end this would be a part of the supplies required as far as he cared.

“Less than good terms as far as I’m concerned, but not quite that bad, no.”
Alexis answered, smiling slightly at his choice of words.

She looked back to Tar.

“We’ll see what supplies we can gather, as well. So when and where do we reconvene?”

"Your land is away from prying eyes." Tar suggested speaking to Alexis. "Sounds like a good place to me..."

“True enough, if that’s alright with you, Tarmen. It’s a good ways away from the city.”

She gave her friend a brief description how to get there.

Putting the path to memory, he nodded his understanding.
“I’d prefer the fresh air to that stuffy Keep. Better company too. Speakin’ of, let’s say I buy drinks tonight. A round for the Duke’s generosity and for the eventual troubles that seem to follow us?”

Despite the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach apparently being here to stay after that ‘spontaneous inspiration’ earlier, Alexis couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Why, thank you. I’ll toast to that.”

Grateful to have some company as he sought to ease the atmospheric tension, he hailed the bartender for drinks and looked to Tar.
“What about you, a free drink before the real work begins?”

Tar nodded and shrugged. "Why not?" He replied.