Sheppard is not that good at people. But he's generally a bit suspicious of authority so he isn't fully convinced. "I guess we'll have to just wait and see then."

"I don't think you'll be waiting long. We're not big on subtlety or plotting."

They've passed through another garden and are back at the same canal from earlier, further east. As they cross the bridge, the architecture changes again - a lot more half-timber framing and roofs more likely to be peaked and slanted than rounded and sloped.

"These gentlemen... Maybe a little moreso. Welcome to the Imperial Quarter."

"A whole quarter for your southern neighbor quite the statement that if it's literal."

"It's the biggest foreign quarter, but no, I think it's only about a twentieth of the city. About the same size as the cannoneer's district and the Elven quarter. Bigger than the Bretonnian, which we passed earlier, or the Tilean, which we didn't."

The inhabitants are basically-German like Kislev is basically-Russian and the Bretonnians were basically-French. Mostly in the extremely flamboyantly-dressed Landsknecht variety, though more are merchants and bureaucrats than actual soldiers, mercenary or otherwise.

"Is there a lot of population exchange or do people here tend to stay here?"

"Hmm. Here I think they mostly come and go after a few years, setting down roots is more for near the land border. But that's just a guess."

Sheppard nods, a good flow back and forth seems like a good sign.

"You know, there's not much else to see and we're just retracing our steps past here." He waves to a building with a large coat of arms with gold gryphons supporting a silver hammer on a red field. "Probably we should just hire a carriage back."

There haven't been many of those on the streets, but a few, and there was an unmarked one sitting idle about a block back.

"That works fine for me."

Rodney isn't going to object to less walking even if he's in fairly good shape at this point.

Then a carriage can be hired and they can get back 'home' in much less time. They still avoid the Elven Quarter, just in case.

There are still guards on the place, and they salute Teodor, but don't seem on edge and everyone goes in smoothly. It's mid-afternoon, probably, not quite a full day since they arrived on this planet.

"Unless you want to ask me anything, I think I'm going to take rooftop duty for a while."

"I think we exhausted all the topics I could think of. And I expect we'll have more time in the future if I think of more."

"Of course. I'll see you at dinner, most likely."

"Until then." Sheppard agrees. He goes to check in with Teyla and Ronon.

Rodney retrieves a larger device downloads the output of the scanner and sets himself to analyzing his scans in more depth.

The team will pass the time until dinner or any other sort of interruption with quiet conversation.

And an hour or more later, Teodor is very pleased, because he can see the Winds moving around Teisiya, as she rides up to the house.

Alone, rather than with a pair of Frost Maidens flanking her.

"My Lady's on her way, and with good news. I'll go down to meet her and send someone up."

"So, my lady?"

"Her Majesty trusts my judgment with a few lines set that I would have followed anyway. Watch the woman for necromantic corruption, be slow about any release of information into the wild where it might serve the Changer, but treat them as what they appear to be, which is extremely useful potential allies whose arrival may have been the influence of Chaos but whose actions will not be."

"Also, you're explicitly commended for your investigation and for interrupting the summoning in sufficient force and time. You'll have the respect of the Ice Court soon, at this rate."

"Well, won't that be something," he says, and briefly ducks to kiss her hand, "They'll be setting out dinner in a little while, tell them then?"

"We should tell the guards first, but yes."

If they're paying attention, the Atlantis team will notice that the guards mill around to speak quietly and then are significantly more relaxed than they were.

If they're not, then nothing of note will happen before dinner.

Sheppard and really everyone except Rodney has been keeping half an eye on the guards so the change is noticed. It seems broadly like a good sign.

Then they will meet a cheerful witch at dinner and will hopefully be less tense.

"Hello again. You're not going to be killed. Just to get the important part out of the way first. Not by us or any other part of Kislev's government, unless you do something that would get any ally killed. That is not a long list of things nor one I'd expect you'd find at all surprising. We apologize for the necessity of treating you with suspicion, but I requested to treat you as what you appear to be and believe yourselves to be, and Tzarina Katarin Bokha has given me an explicit order that I should do so."

"That's very good to hear."