The night before, we should mention, Black Barry met with Leosin to discuss becoming a Harper. He told him more about the Harpers, and their principles. Black Barry still wished to join, so they recited the Harper Oaths together, and Leosin gave Black Barry a book called The Harper Way and a pendant with the sign of a harp inside a crescent moon.

Meanwhile, a stranger appears at the Pair of Black Antlers, and introduces himself as Ashok Mob. He says a courier was sent to him (presumably from one of Ontharr's contacts) saying that somebody was looking for a guide to take them to the Coast Way north of Baldur's Gate. He is a short, stout human in his 40's, with oddly reddish eyes, wearing mostly leather, who identifies himself awkwardly as a trader - well, he says, some might say, smuggler. He offers this without prompting, like he's a little bit proud of that.

He asks for 100GP to guide them to the north road of Baldur's Gate. The adventurers pretty easily negotiate him down to 60GP, but they're unsure whether to hire him. Bilbo has some reservations about working with a smuggler, and Leosin whispers to Elbolin, "He seems twitchy".

"What other options do we have?" asks Elbolin.

"I dunno, maybe there's another guide? He's just the first to show up, maybe there's another," answers Leosin. "Anyway do you have anything that important? We should just ditch your stuff and go through Baldur's Gate."

He is a monk, so he forgets about having attachments to things, and anyway he doesn't know about the egg.

Out in the stables, Hooflepoof pushes the door slowly, as if the breeze were doing it, and slips in through the doorway to the room with the goblins. One of the goblins, grumbling, gets up and pushes the door closed again. There are six goblins in the room, seated on rough chairs around a plate of diminishing grub, eating sloppily. On the far side of the room are bunks beds, and stashed under them some greasy packs. There are no windows.

Hooflepoof listens to the goblins and tries to discern what they are talking about, but not understanding goblish, he gets little from it. The tone of their conversation sounds like small-talk around breakfast, short sentences that seem mostly like quibbling and teasing.

He fishes around in his pocket for something to throw, and finding a copper coin, throws it into the far corner of the room to distract the goblins. They all look that way, and the closest two scramble to get to the coin first, without it even occurring to them from whence it might have come. Hooflepoof takes the opportunity to slip out the door. As he makes his way back toward the outside, he hears more goblin grumbling, and the door shuts again.

He goes back into the inn, makes his way to the bathroom, where he removes his Cloak of Invisibility before going back to the dining room so that Ontharr doesn't suspect he was being followed. Then he whispers to each of his companions that there are goblins in the stables.

The next time Ontharr comes around (he often disappears to the kitchen, or his quarters, for a few minutes in between conversations), Karat asks, "So... what was that gross food for?"

"Ahh," says Ontharr, "I have some guests in the stable, the kind you don't bring into a nice place like this."

Karat looks at him quizzically. "Umm... what kind of guests would that be?"

"Oh, just some traveling goblins."

"Why would you have goblins here?" asks Karat.

"Well, I have an inn, I welcome all sorts of creatures. I have a bunkroom out in the stables for them. I know goblin cuisine pretty well, so they come and stay here now and again on their way somewhere. Whatever goblins are up to, it never makes much sense, so I don't ask too many questions."