Eight Intertwined

48 - Barham

Surprisingly, Therion was not the only one who wound up gathering some information about Barham during the group's time in the tavern. They had all split up to try and learn what they could, and while Therion had found the most success, the location of Barham's home still eluded him. Luckily, Tressa was able to swoop in when Therion was getting ready to ask around, and she said that she heard someone mention him offhand, saying that he lived on the south side of town in the residential district. She was beyond relieved to know that they were getting on with business properly without needing to do any more research into what they were trying to find, and with that, the group set off for the home Tressa had heard about. 

It took a short while for them to find Barham's residence specifically given just how many elaborate homes were in Noblecourt's residential district. Therion eventually resorted to reading the names on the mailboxes, and in the end, he was able to come back positive. As it turned out, Tressa wasn't kidding when she said that Barham lived on the south side of town; his house was the farthest one out from the town square. At least it was easy enough to identify if they had to come back for any reason in the future. 

Therion looked up at the house before he braced himself to enter with a grounding breath. "Let's see if he's home..." he murmured, reaching out to knock with one hand. He stepped back in preparation for the door to swing open, and the other travelers all shuffled back along with him. 

It didn't take long for the door to open, and a man appeared in the entryway to the building along with the sudden motion. He had dark hair that was mostly combed back cleanly, though a few strands were left to fly free. His robes were white with orange highlights, a sign that he was no doubt just as rich as the rumors had claimed. In other words, this had to be the man Therion was looking for, and the thief resisted the urge to smirk into his scarf at the knowledge that they had found their target. 

"Who's there?" Barham questioned, glancing around at the group gathered in front of his home. The paranoia in his voice quickly gave way to confusion, no doubt because he hadn't been expecting so many visitors. Given the location of his home and how out of the way it was, Therion wouldn't have been surprised if Barham hadn't been expecting anyone to come and see him at all. It was certainly the sort of place Therion would have never visited if he hadn't been given no other choice. 

"Someone looking for a man named Barham," Therion said simply, not bothering to elaborate beyond that. He could already tell that this had to be the man in question just based off appearances. Nobody who wasn't a scholar dressed that way, and nobody but the owner of the house would have had a reason to answer the door. 

Therion's theory was confirmed a moment later. "I'm Barham," the man replied, and Therion could hear just how strong the accent in his voice was. It was impossible to place, seemingly having influences from countless towns and cities across Orsterra. Therion ultimately gave up on trying to figure out where the man came from when Barham continued to speak. "What business do you have with me?"

"I heard you used to be Orlick's research partner. Is that true?" Therion questioned. He crossed his arms as he spoke, hoping that Barham didn't press him for information as to why he was searching for Orlick in the first place. He knew that conversation was bound to end poorly, and as far as Therion was concerned, he had more than enough troubles than explaining to Barham why he was trying to break open all the locks in Orlick's house. Or, to be more accurate, Therion didn't want to come up with some fabricated tale so that he wouldn't have to tell the truth. He didn't have time for it when the dragonstones were still out there waiting for him. 

Barham hesitated before he shook his head. "That was long, long ago. I have nothing to do with the man now, and all the better for it," he replied. "If that's all you came here for, you can leave now. Goodbye!"