[i]Real had been helping to cart back the last of the chairs from the room when Alpha entered, and so was there to hear her comment just before he was about to head back into the kitchen. Turning, he gave his signature smile and approached her.[/i] "[b]Well, an old friend called in a favor, and I was loath to ignore it. Plus, it serves as a nice little vacation from the Priest for a bit. I've left Jare in charge, with Jakob there to, eh, keep the peace, so to speak. "My turn for questions now. Where have you been, and are you alright? You just kind of...disappeared. We were concerned, and we didn't know how to find or contact you.[/b]"