Chapter 4 – Inn Trouble
Back at the home of the wizard Coralinus, his ward, Princess Unatainabelle was in a trance, watching the progress of the adventurers.
"Mabelle of the woodlands has joined them, father, and Grendo, the elvin outlaw. Night is falling and they are but a day away from the realm of Omhadawn."
"Are they going straight in? I hope they do not," said Coralinus.
"No, they are stopping at an inn," said Unatainabelle.
"Hellsway," said Coralinus.
"And beyond that is a wall, with a castle guarding the gate," said Unatainabelle.
"Aye, Gormlin Keep, the toll house on the way to Hades, with a giant ogre as its toll keeper."
Sir Orrin, Grenda/Grendo, and Mabel/Mabelle were sitting at a table in the inn, having supper.
"Innkeeper? Innkeeper, I say," called Sir Orrin.
The portly man came to their table. "At your service Sir Orin."
"How are my friends doing, down below?"
"I will look to them. I do not usually allow dragons in my cellars. But for you..."
Down below, Ford and Dipper had found the store of provisions. Their huge dragon bodies required meat, and they devoured ham after ham. Then they were thirsty.
"What's in these barrels?" asked Dipper.
"Something alcoholic, I think," said Ford.
"I shouldn't drink at my age," said Dipper.
"With our size it will only have a mild effect," said Ford.
But Ford was mistaken. After several barrels of potent drink, both were feeling the effects.
"More wine?" asked Ford.
"Wine not," said Dipper.
"This isn't wine. It's mead," said Ford.
"It's better than mead-ium. It's good. Let's sing that song again, the one we used on the sandmirks," said Dipper.
They both began to sing:
"I came from Louisiana
With a banjo on my knee.
Oh, Susanna, oh don't you cry for me,
I've gone to Alabama with a banjo on my knee.
Pluck-a, pluck-a, pluck-a,
pluck-a, pluck-a,..."
Both were passed out when the innkeeper came to check on them.
The innkeeper went rushing back upstairs to complain to Sir Orrin.
"I am ruined! Those dragons, they've devoured over 100 hams, and at least 30 barrels of my finest mead."
"Tut tut, you will be well paid, said Sir Orrin. "Dragons have gold, you know."
"They have it with them?"
"You will be paid eventually."
"My father told me, 'Never extend credit to a dragon.'"
"Too late for such caterwauling," said Sir Orrin.
"Your rooms are ready. Will you finally go to bed?"
"Aye, good innkeeper. For we may not see another night."
"I'll show you the way."
In her trance, Unatainabelle spoke to her guardian, Coralinus.
"And lo, they sleep. An all too brief surcease, well earned. And but for the watchful moon keeping her vigil o'er the slumbering countryside all is still."
A moment later, she cried out. "Aah!"
"What is it child?" asked Coralinus.
"Something looms. Huge, terrifying. The ogre. Omhadawn has sent the Ogre Of Gormli Keep!"
Loud crashing noises upstairs woke the two dragons.
"Great Uncle Ford, look!" said Dipper.
The cellar was a disaster area, with food and broken barrels everywhere.
"Um? Ach'. What a terrible mess," said Ford.
"Did we?" asked Dipper.
"Don't admit to anything," said Ford.
They crawled up the cellar stairs into the courtyard of the inn. A body lay in the center.
"Look! The Innkeeper," said Dipper, "He was murdered. It's horrible."
"I smell ogre," said Ford. "I've encountered them before."
"Help! Over here!" called Grenda the elf.
"What happened?" asked Dipper.
"A big ogre broke in through the wall. I was in the soup kettle and he didn't see me. He went after Sir Orrin and Mabel."
"Are they all right?" asked Dipper.
"Yeah, he grabbed them and was spouting off about how anyone who wanted them back would have to complete seven unworldly quests. That's when I hit him in the back of the head with a chair."
"Where are they now?" asked Ford.
"Recovering in Sir Orrin's room," said Grenda. "Mabel said she needed comforting after that close call."
"That's Mabel for you," said Dipper.
"Good thing you were hiding in the soup pot," said Ford. "You saved the day."
"I wasn't hiding. I was licking the pot from the inside. I woke up hungry," said Grenda.
Grunkle Stan/Arrgh the wolf came up. "I think you did in that ogre."
"Oh-oh," said Grenda.
"Well, there's no cops in the forest. We take this to our graves," said Stan.
"We'd better press on before any more monsters are sent to attack us," said Ford.
"I agree," said Dipper.
Grenda went back to knock on the door of Sir Orrin's room.
"Come on, guys," Grenda called. "We're getting out of here."
"Oh, all right," said Mabel in an exasperated tone.
"Give us few moments," said Sir Orrin.
Soon the party was on its way again, passing Gormli Keep and into the realm of Omhadawn.