The Duke looked at the diamond dog and Power as they entered. "Ah, more to your group than I thought. Well, since I got word from our Princess of the Night that you needed guides, I chose the best in the area to pick from." Pickpear sheepishly returned to her seat at the table, quietly looking down and away as her mane almost completely hid her short horn. Red Scroll was standing more off to the side of the table. "Yeah, looks like these three boys want me and 'Pear here to go with you. Just too much to choose only one of us, right Speedy?" Her eyes rolled towards Arc with a smirk. Spike silently kept to the background, not too far from Texas, (not the state.)
Arc titters under his breath, returning the smirk with his own. "Uh huh. Just keep in sight and bring your best maps, all right Giggles?" He steps down from the table, "You and Courage over there oughta go and pick up your stuff but remember to pack light. We'll get goin' soon." He returns to the members only just arriving. "Where did you get to?"
"Got held up," Rex replied. "They think me and Power Surge here are dangerous." Channeling his player for a moment, he added, "In any case, I don't want to spend more time here than necessary. Frustrations and such." He wrung his paws on his spear at his mention of 'frustrations'.
Both Tyro and Arc thought on that for a second. Arc smirks: "You can't blame them. Lollypop looks like he'll either bite you or hug you without warning, no offence. I guess we're the most normal looking? Some how..."
Power regarded Arc quizzically. "Who hugs iron rods? You are a confusing pony." He trotted up to the table hugging his rod close to his body and sat down heavily in one of the chairs. "Let's get whatever's happening over with already. The faster we get out of here, the better."
Legion sighed, though he didn't really, physically sigh. That would have been Tex's doing, and Tex wasn't really an outward expresser of emotion. To be sure, nor was Legion, but Tex was even less so. In any case, legion was getting impatient with all the chit-chat, and Tex was as well. Tex because he was an "actions not words" sort of pony, and Legion just because he disliked talking. Tex raised an eyebrow at Arc, not sure what he was saying, and then decided to brush it aside as unimportant. "Did all you latecomers hear about the decision and decide whether you agree with it?" he asked Power and Rexar.
"I heard that we're taking a pair of ponies with us," Rexar replied. "A pair of ponies with specialized skills, no less." He tapped the butt of his spear on the ground. "I'm not opposed. The more the merrier."
Red Scroll beams brightly and laughs. "Alright everypony, I'll go out and get the supplies ready. Meet me at the East City Gates, alright?" She waves a hoof and trots on past everyone, happily leaving the Grand Hall. The Duke sighs and nods. "Right then, I wish you the best on your journey... and if something happens, feel free to return for rest and supplies." Pickpear seemed less enthusiastic. Now with more ponies there, she seemed to ball up tighter, only looking at the group with one eye.
Tex nodded at the Duke, and then saw Pickpear. He looked inquisitively at her for several moments, attempting to make eye contact, but she would only look at him for a second at a time. He walked over to her. "......Something wrong?" he asked, a little more gently than he usually did.
Pickpear shook her head lightly. "I'm just... not used to so many people." She admits, hoping that it would be enough to sedate his curiosity. To pour her energy out on Rifter, only to learn that they had already been chosen. Did what she say really matter, then? The unicorn crept out from around the table, a runt for her age, with that strangely short horn. Her chestnut tail was curled around her flank a little. Those observing her could see that she had a set of small pouches strapped around her mid-section.
"Pho, if we're taking any of them-" Power stopped as his rod fell from his mouth and clattered loudly to the floor. "Woops!" He said as he picked it up and replaced it into its respective leather strap. "So, if we're taking any of them," he continued, "we have way too many people to feed now. Who will carry all our supplies?"
Arc turns, hearing Power's concerns. He stares at the ground for a second to think before his neck pulls it back with a strangely slow rate. It was like he had added a long, exacerbated sigh and the word "Right..." in his head as he looked up. Tyro, being inside Arc's head, knew this to be true. "We'll need some place to sleep but we'll also have to find somewhere to store supplies. If we can't use the train, then maybe we can find a hotel room. From there, we take what we need and return when we run out. Everypony ought to pack light. Understood?"
"..." Tex stared at Pickpear, a little confused, but then shrugged. He had things he didn't particularly like, and he had no good reason for disliking them. He could let this go without interrogating her. In response to Power and Arc, he turned to them and said, "Didn't Red Scroll say she'd have a wagon for all the supplies?"
"Who's Red Scroll?" Power inquired. "It sounds like a brand of wire I used to use. I stopped when I found a new type that used less plastic. Looking back on it, Red Foal wires tasted like nothing but plastic..."
Rifter face-clawed. Inside Dark wanted to do the same. "Red Scroll is the one who just mentioned they are getting the stuff. Red is also coming with us." He looked to Tex. "If I recall."
The Duke nods slowly. "That she did. Now, there is an un-used room in the barracks if you want to leave things there, but you'll have to talk to the quartermaster about that. I'll let him know you may be by. You can also use that as a place to rest if you don't want to spend the bits on one of our inns." Honestly? I was rooting for Chainmail. You made a fair choice though.
Rexar nodded. "Maybe I'll do that. I just don't trust you ponies to not go rootin' through our stuff."
Rifter looked to his empty claws and the lack of gear. "I dont have much, so I'll probably carry it with me. I dont know." He chuckled a bit.
