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Martin swallows hard, shakes his head, then clambers up the ladder like a monkey up a tree, and steps through the hatch into the warehouse attic without hesitating. He only pauses once inside, to let his eyes adjust to the gloom.
Too close in here for the rapier. He pulls his long dagger from its sheath with his right hand, and his plush duck with his left, dangling it by its neck.

"So, are you going to come out right now and show yourself, or do we get to shoot at you a little bit first?"

Pausing, Reller looks at the plushie for a brief second and blinks in mild suprise.

The two men would have to cling to one beam of the ladder each, but can do so safely.

After adjusting to the relative darkness, Reller's elven eyes make out the source of both the white guano and the bones and hair. A bat colony has taken residence on the roof beams. The sneeze in the corner came from a large owl huddled there. It looks somewhat ruffled and a little ill or injured.

"Not a wizards pet, I hope." Reller muses and looks around. "It appears to be injured."

The owl gives a soft hoot.

[OOC] Just a reminder - Martin is half-elf, so should be able to see as well as Reller can.[/OOC]

Martin will continue to advance until he is inside the structure, standing on the beams rather than the boards, so as not to push through. "Who? You, that's who. And I'll ask the questions, here. Now raise your hands -er, wings - raise your wings, and come out where I can see you."

The owl gives another soft hoot and hops a little further into the corner, dragging a wing.

At Martin's voice, and the creak of the boards on the beams, some of the bats overhead unfold their wings and turn their heads to see/hear what the disturbance is, but make no further moves as yet.

The boards appear quite sturdy, the whole structure looks in good repair. Only on the right, a little daylight shines through. Some bundles of reed straw seem to be missing. The hole is big enough to have allowed access to the owl. The bats will probably have used the small aeration holes in the planks of the gable side.

Martin looks at the bats and gives a little grunt of displeasure. Vile things. Then he backs closer to the hatch. "So, have you much experience with owls, chief?"
Martin stands, pondering, then says: "Owls mostly eat mice and voles, neh? And what is a bat if not a vole with wings? Seems to me this should be like setting out a buffet banquet for Master Hootie. I wonder why doesn't eat them, if he lives here. It'd be much less work than flying out to hunt.
"Or maybe he does? And maybe they ganged up and jumped him and that's why he's injured. Can't trust a vole with wings."

"Injured, we should get the owl some attention to say the least." Reller manages to keep a straight face while not laughing. He suggests. "I can try to tend to it, but I suspect that we would be wise to seek help before grabbing an injured animal."

"Assuming that the bats do not get us, of course." Reller adds with a grin on his face.

The bats have settled after seeing that the men are neither threat nor food. The owl follows the men with its eyes. When they get down the ladder again, it hoots once more, sounding somehow sad and forlorn.

"It occurs to me that bats, being bats, will most likely be leaving the nest at sundown. Master Hootie, on the other hand, what with his bum wing and all, will most likely be not leaving the nest at sundown. You can gather him up then."

Reller suggests. "I will get a cage for the own and see what I can manage, perhaps." He asks Martin. "Do you know any users of natural magic?"

"Dozens. Oh. You mean here in Saltmarsh. No, not a one." Martin looks at the bird for a moment, then looks around the attic.
"If you get something to keep him in, and a big towel, and a pair of work gloves, I can get him. Unless you just want to, you know, hhhhhhhkkkk," Martin draws his hand crosswise, beneath his chin.

"I would prefer not to kill the poor thing." Reller muses. "It might even be a good companion for your show, perhaps. It would be a hoot to have around."

Martin winces and gives a little twitch at Reller's joke, as if it actually pained him, then replies: "Let it live, you say, but you're not hungry right now, are you? Owls is practically chickens, you know.
"Anyway, one of my mentors once said: 'Never share a stage with children or animals.' Good advice, that."