[Kransha]

After considering all his surroundings and everything he’d mustered up the courage to say, Toby felt like he had a strange but stable command of what was going on. He finally had some idea of what he’d gotten himself into and felt a surge of confidence about his foul doings. All these things could be engineered to his advantage, with the help of a certain roguish human. Though Toby didn’t consider himself a true thief, he had to admit it was a pursuit of his which he shared with this man. The two of them would be able to get out of this uncomfortable tight noose with ease.

Suddenly a rather disconcerting thought crossed his mind as he looked at the faces of the others around him. They looked very skeptical, to Tobias’ great dismay. Toby knew he wasn’t the best liar and the surprise of Snaveling’s sprung ploy had caught him too off guard to fib convincingly. ‘They know.’ he thought ruefully, 'No matter, though. Even if they’ve seen through my lie, they can’t prove a thing. Besides, I’ve got family to back up my word, while all they have are their own petty beliefs and accusations. They have nothing that can connect me to this, no matter what they think they know. If they take this to the Shirriff, they're just assuring they're loss of the argument.’

There was that elf again; another displeased look on Toby’s face received her. She was the fair maid who’s nearly captured Toby’s gaze before the fire. He pretended to ignore her, though his narrowed eyes kept casting stray glances in her direction. Then the others began a discourse which Toby Hornblower couldn’t follow. Something about Numenoreans and Dunlendings and talk of lineage that Toby didn’t care to hear. The two females seemed taken aback when Snaveling said something. Bewildered but unperturbed, Toby shot a glance at Valthalion, who looked befuddled by the statement as well. After more uneasy dialogue from those three, silence returned. Toby, talking to no one in particular, spoke up.

“Oh yes, that’s all fine.” Said the gentlehobbit with a sickening amount of polite conservativeness in his icy voice, trying to maintain his obvious trickery as truth, “I’m glad we got that settled. Anyway, Shirriff Hornblower is my cousin and I’m suppose he could find the time to oversee the conclusion of this weary endeavor eventually if any of you so wished. Whenever this madness ends, you can get this sorted out with him or some other authority.” He gave a semi-unconscious nod towards Snaveling but concealed it quickly, “Then I can go through with my business deal and this whole ordeal can be forgotten.”