I have SOOOOO many questions...

So I awake one morning in fair Glennhaven and what do I find? Wanted Posters!?!? Wanted Posters of my previous little crew of thieves, Wanted Posters depicting a family of a Hal-Elf (Beatricks), our new human friend (Kayden, still keeping an eye out for him), a very obvious picture of Norixius (why did I choose the only dragonborn in town to accompany us) and an older, blind and deaf High Elf (I really do need a better disguise). Now what to do... I could disassociate myself from the trio, not actually being blind or deaf would be a great cover...but truly they are the only ones seemingly skilled enough to pull off the right kind of capers around here if I be so motivated, so it would behoove me to assist in absconding them. As it were, all I must to do was to wait long enough, for along came a sparrow and spirited the posters away, leaving behind crumbs to follow.
 
Those crumbs led to O-do, the half-orc with the strange demeanor and the right amount of coin for our...goods. Our little troupe gathered once more and made our way to O-do, who was as odd as ever but spoke my language just fine. He pointed me in the direction of a fine looking stagecoach, a swift one indeed, one that comes with guards. Once our benefactor allowed us to enter her wonderfully furnished wagon, she made herself known to us as Nidora Nightingale of the House bearing the same name. She claims she has been playing the role of Mother hen, protecting her budding hatchlings, taking down each poster that surfaced. Truly this family of her has either intense pull with the authorities or deep pockets, either way, I would not mind enjoying more of those benefits.
 
In order for us to join her little "family", we would need to accomplish a small trial: we must reach a fortress that currently housed two colleagues of her families, one must likely dead by the hand of the other, we are to enter and steal a signet ring from the more than likely deceased fellow who entered the fortress to battle the other colleague, ALL WITHOUT BEING SEEN by this esteemed and presumably the victorious colleague who went by the moniker, Numier.
 
I had soooo many questions, first why did these two colleagues to battle,, second what would happen if we WERE seen (we were lead to believe there would be conflict should this occur), why did she refer to this Numier as both a singular individual but also plural. Finally, what sort of family is she apart of to show little sadness for a fallen comrade or for compatriots to battle one another with little haste to stop them. Unfortunately, she was rather vague on answers, but she made it clear that all she wanted was the ring, whatever other treasures we found were ours to take, and killing this Numier may not mean we've failed. Marvelous!!! I truly prefer not to shed blood, however should it come to my life or Numier's...well, you understand.
 
It took roughly six days to travel to the the Meadowglades near Arlington where we found an abandoned fortress, well mostly abandoned, there were four bugbear attempting to take down the sturdy iron door. More accurately, one bugbear was attempting force the door, the other three watched...until they grew tired and decided to give a different Bugbear a chance. Could these bugbears be the Numier we were warned of? Thank goodness for Amaia, without her celestial grace, we would surely be lost, she was able to scout the entire fortress and surrounding landscape. I honestly don't know where I would be without her.
 
An interesting plan began to form in my head; perhaps I could use the visage of the Fat Merchant to lure the bugbears away from the fortress. The disguise will prevent Numier from discovering us or keep suspicion away from me at least as well as enticing the bugbears to chase a slow fat merchant. I let my compatriots position themselves in case the ruse goes south, move to their opposite end, and transform my sleek frame into a fat grotesque bastard....perfection.
 
I step out and give the performance of my life. It was perfect, too perfect. They immediately began to give chase and I immediately regretted my decision. I'm not quite sure what my thought process was at this moment, but now I have this issue to deal with. I had a few flasks of oil on my persons, so I periodically stopped to throw them, one shattered on the floor, they other two hit two bugbears. As I kept up the chase, I pulled a torch, lit it with some small magic and tossed it between that. Glorious, they both caught fire, giving me an ample distraction to hide and pass the four of them. The smell was atrocious but they managed to pat the flames out, killing both flaming bugbears....they used their maces to put out the fire, hehe bugbears!
 
When I arrive at the Fortress, I found Beatricks waiting at the door for me, she's so sweet, and really very talented. We entered the hall, I notice white X's placed on several tiles, Beatricks informs me that they are traps, what a clever girl, I bet she found all of these. I lightly step past them, suddenly there is a click and 3 quick thwips behind me, two of which sounded as if hitting metal. I turned to see Beatricks had stepped on one of the X's she marked off causing darts to shoot from the wall, 2 hitting her armor and one in her NECK.....DEAR GOD THERE A DART IN YOUR NECK!
 
We make our way to the room Norixius and Kayden discovered, mostly empty but found a chest hidden behind the wall..finally a pay day. Thanks to Beatricks and her magics, she was able to track the item we were searching for, it is below us deep in the fortress. We manage to work our way down into the lower levels, a long hall way lead to a large set of double doors with only a small off shoot into what looks like a pond. We approach the doors and I use my third hand to push a mirror past the door to see within....
 
Sweet mother's bosoms'!!!!
 
So..... Numier is a Black Dragon sitting atop a small hoard of gold. Why did we take this quest again? Oh dear what to do, apparently, the ring is located on the half eaten charred corpse left to the side of the room. Luckily for me, my third hand stretches quite far, I am able to secure the ring and a few other items on the corpse, including a bag full of potions of water breathing, bringing them to me without entering the room, Huzzah!. Didn't even have to step inside.......Kayden snuck inside to pickpocket gems....we are all going to die.
 
Once he secure a few gems without waking the slumbering beast, we all decide now would be a go, unfortunately as we began to leave and exit through the above door, only to hear louder smacking against it, the bugbears have returned! AND THEY WOKE NUMIER!!!!
 
I have never moved so swiftly before, I begged my compatriots to down these potions and that we hide in the waters and left Numier pass us and deal with the bugbears. We did just that and while down in the waters, we discovered a possible exit within the pond. Did we immediately leave, of course not, instead I stayed by the pool while Norixius and Kayden pilfered what they could from the dragons hoard. I use Amaia's sight once more, my lovely partner in crime showed me the carnage that Numier wrought upon the poor unsuspecting bugbears, it was over as quick as it had begun and just before Numier begun to descend to their hoard, we dove and swam out of the fortress and to safety.
 
We returned to Glennhaven and found Mother Sparrow's Coach right where we left it, she granted us audience and we handed over the ring. divulged the means of our success and due to our spectacular victory, were granted emittance to her "family". Apparently, her family offers a bonus payment for joining, I have even more questions now, but know enough never to look a gift horse in the mouth.