The Haslanti captain continues uphill and the Icewalker sub-chief follows, eventually coming to what up-close looks almost like the walls of a fortress of truly staggering size, however the strong angle of the walls would render them almost a joke to any sufficiently determined climber. Passing through the the wagon-sized doors you come upon a tremendous open space, some distance away you see what looks like a ship wrapped in metal piping sitting in a large, wheeled wooden frame, slowly being pulled across the huge open space by a team of oxen.

Surrounding the open space you can see a vast number of buildings, some tremendous, almost barn-like others seem dainty and almost palatial, still others seem almost more like ram-shackle huts. The captain sets out with a will towards the far end of the open courtyard, seeming to make a beeline toward one of the more dainty buildings, blithely shouldering aside anyone getting in his way, despite the fact that almost everyone seems to over-top him by a head or more.

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Sergei and Harmonious Rose enter a tavern, much like the first though smaller, and take a seat in the corner.

((Please guys, if you just want to RP and/or talk to each other, you don't need me for that. Talking is a free action etc. This could have continued without me))

Tanitctuatl follows his CO into the building, snapping a salute across his chest as his gaze fell on the Admiral of the Wind Fleet and he brought his large frame to swift attention after placing himself just behind the captain's position, still keeping a watcful eye on the two opposite them.

Assumed actions taken, since posting didn't happen.
Torax: Follow Icewalker
Sergei & [Al's character]:Find suitably secluded booth in the inn.

As the somewhat fractious group enters the building, and is quickly directed into the office of the admiral, a short, fierce looking woman with flashing eyes and an overly ornate uniform.
"Oh." she said, glancing at the Haslanti captain. "It's you.
The meaning was clear. There's a hard freeze blowing in, every damn ship in the fleet's in poor repair, the idiots here wouldn't know a good piece of rigging from a mangy knot of twine, and everyone expects me to just "make it better", and now? Now there's you. Hello you.

The captain hesitates for a moment. On his own ship he wouldn't hesitate to command any king from any land to get off their mangy asses and haul rope with the rest of his crew, however here and now he hesitates before this short woman.

"Ah, Admiral, can you please just explain to this idiot that going out now is suicide?"

The Admiral looks flatly at the captain and the Icewalker, then drones out in a dull monotone voice
"All flights, for all purposes are canceled until further notice due to the severity of the storms. When it becomes safe flights shall resume with appropriate alterations to schedule." her eyes flicker back to the Icewalker.

"So. Unless someone cares to give me a just incredibly compelling reason to get one of my ships destroyed and it's crew killed in a suicide mission, I advise that you leave, find someplace to stay and sharpen your bone spears, or whatever it is you barbarians do when you're bored."

In the brief silence that follows, the Icewalker fishes out a set of papers and tosses them under the woman's nose with a sneer. Taking up the pages the womans eyes skitter back and forth for a handful of moments before she looks.

"So. I, and every other Haslanti you care to browbeat, am ordered to give you all available and appropriate aid in reaching...Crystal it seems. Well, since the sky is currently spitting frozen razor blades, I deem that an airship is neither available, nor appropriate. However I suppose I should do something for you." she said with an unmistakable acidictone to her voice. "Clerk!" she cried.

A few moments later a panting young man, swathed in gray robes stumbles in, looking at the woman in something almost approaching terror.

She smiled. "Find this man a cart and mule. Oh and a map of the Eastern League, I suppose. Nothing classified though." giving the Icewalker a wintry smile she directed one more comment at him "Do bundle up. It's chilly out there."

The Icewalker almost seems to be choking on his own tongue, and his body language suggests there would be nothing he would enjoy more than immediate and brutal violence.

"Unless anyone has any valid objections?" the admiral asks, almost coyly.

Oh and a belated idea occurs to me. If 2 characters wish to have a conversation that they are reasonably sure won't be interrupted, they can conduct it in MSN, then just one person post the whole thing in a post, rather than waiting on each other to post for each little line.

Tanitctuatl snapped another salute as the Admiral's eyes fell across him. "None whatsoever, ma'am." He stated with a concealed smirk at the Icelander and the meddler.