Opening to the most recent date signed happens to be a day or so before the mists around Mournthread were reported. Hmm. Where are all the ponies from outside staying then?
After some minutes and a few more rings of the bell Mulberry decides to give the office door a knock. No one answers, and after knocking twice more she gives the handle a turn.
Locked, unfortunately.
The smell of food is overpowering from here, and she decides to take a quick peek inside the kitchen.
There is a chef in there frantically cooking. He is a scruffy yet energetic looking earth pony with a chef’s frock. He seems to be frying some vegetables in a large wok. The flames dance high as he turns and shifts the vegeables within. He enthusiastically throws some sort of sauce and spices into it, and after a few more seconds he shouts “Ha-HA!” and turns the wok onto a plate. He does a small twirl, and then puts the plate of food on a table Behind him. The table is packed with all sorts of food, ranging from desserts, to various exotic looking rice dishes, and stir fries from foreign lands. The chef has even prepared some fish and meat dishes.
Mulberry turns back to the chef, and sees he has already started cooking something else.