56. Reconstruction
"I think it is time for us to talk," said Zhjaeve. Kail nodded, and turned to address her friends.
"Everyone... make yourselves at home, I guess. Find a place to dump your packs, then see if you can find yourselves something to eat."
Everybody dispersed, in ones and twos, each going their separate ways wherever their whims took them. Kail took Zhjaeve up the steep ascent to the front door of the Keep, where she could better survey her land and her people.
Her land and people! It was crazy. Nasher must be crazy. Maybe he had the Wailing Death again.
"Look, even now shadows fall upon this plane - yet still its beauty persists," said Zhjaeve. Kail followed her gaze past the courtyard and out into the surrounding fields. Low hills graced the horizon as the sun sank inexorably down to touch them. "It is not surprising to me that our enemies wish to mar this place with their blades and their war."
"I need to know what you know about this threat," she replied.
"Know this. The glimpses of this conflict you have seen are not the first. They are but glimpses of things that travel well into the past and the present. It is all part of a greater war, a war almost as great as the one that split my people on the sword of Gith long ago, and the tragedy is tied to such a blade. These shadows you see, there is a lord who dwells in darkness with them. And he has fought on this Plane before against those who have embraced Gith's hatred - the githyanki."
"Gith is the leader of the githyanki?"
"She was, before she went missing. This lord and the githyanki - it is difficult to know the true hatred between them. He attacked them long ago, attempted to cast his shadow upon their fortress in the planes beyond. The fighting was terrible, fierce, and it was only through the deaths of thousands of githyanki that this King of Shadows was driven back. But no matter how many countless thousands of their people they lost, they were only capable of severing the portal through which he could attack them... and so the githyanki were denied a victory, and forestalled their war for a time. But know that the githyanki do not forget their enemies. And though the King of Shadows had been driven back, still they sought a way to reach him... to kill him. And as terrible as knowing the followers of Gith hunt for you, even more dangerous is this Lord, this King of Shadows."
"Where is this King of Shadows? What is he, and how do we stop him?"
"Know that I will aid you if I can, but it may already be too late. The King of Shadows was not always tied to darkness, and that is part of the tragedy. His will was once devoted to an ancient empire, to the protection of his people. He was once the light of Illefarn, empowered with the strength to protect them from their enemies... and he was bound to the natural magic of the plane, the Weave. But as much as a ritual created the guardian that was to be Shadow, there is a ritual that will unmake him. It is a Ritual of Purification, designed to allow him peace when his days of sacrifice are done and the empire needs him no longer."
"Or a fail-safe, in case something went wrong..." she mused. If she was going to create somebody or something powerful enough to protect an empire, she would have built a safeguard into it.
"If the ritual does exist, it lies within the ruined Illefarn city of Arvahn. It is there you must go to purify yourself and gain the strength for the battle ahead. I can show you the way."
"If that's what it takes, that's what I must do," she sighed.
"Know that this path is a dangerous one. Even the people of Illefarn, as powerful as they were, were unable to defeat the King of Shadows. But know that this Ritual of Purification... and the blade of our enemies... are the only chance of success in this."
"But what if I accidentally let him loose from wherever he is? I could make things even worse."
"He can already make his presence felt beyond his chains. The advantage is his. If you cannot strike at an enemy, know that your battle is already lost. You doubt me, and that is because you do now know me. You need allies Kalach-Cha, not more enemies and doubt to divide you. For in dividing the mind, you divide the battlefield, and you cut your strength in half."
"How can I know you? I don't even know myself," she said, only half in jest and not expecting a real answer.
"That is something I may be able to aid you with."
"Aid me? How?"
"I can teach you the ways of my people, the ways of the githzerai. I can help you to know yourself, to realise your strengths, and to strengthen your weaknesses. Know that I am a Zerth, and I swear upon the Circle of Zerthimon that what I speak to you I know to be true. And know that your life is as precious to me as it is the followers of Gith to end it. And this King of Shadows... know that he threatens us all. This title of Kalach-Cha, do you know it? You wear that title because the name knows you, even if you do not know it yourself. But let my speak my thought plainly, without circles of meaning. They call you the shard-bearer, this Kalach-Cha, because you carry a piece of Gith's blade within you, near the heart. And you have always born it close to you. It was once said that Gith's blade, once drawn, would never find a scabbard again... and now it is sheathed within you. It sings, and they can hear it as I hear it, whispering all the hate of Gith and the war she sought to bring to the planes... a war that would have ended us all, if Zerthimon had not met her blade with his at the Pronouncement of Two Skies."
"Wait a second. The shard of the blade that is inside me... that was from Gith's sword? From the actual first ever githyanki blade, forged and carried by the leader of the githyanki people?"
"Yes."
"No wonder they spent so much effort on trying to reclaim the shards," she said.
"Know that you are the only one who can reforge Gith's blade and use it, once more, in a battle. A battle that will free your lands and people from an evil even greater than the evil the Illithid sought to bring upon my people. There is no other. And if the title of Kalach-Cha displeases you, the know that you must make another title. And perhaps your name shall be the battle-cry by which this ancient enemy, this King of Shadows, shall be defeated."
"And you will travel with me, throughout all of this?"
"I make this pronouncement to you. Greater than the bond of Two Deaths As One, with a strength that echoes the Pronouncement of Two Skies. I make the Pronouncement of Three in Darkness, Two in Light. As the two of us shall meet this King of Shadows in his fortress, it shall become a battle of three. And when it is over, the two of us shall walk in the light, and you will taste true freedom - just as Gith and Zerthimon did when they broke the will of the Illithid at Sargrassa's End. It is my life I am giving you, Kalach-Cha, and I ask that you let me share your path with you."
"I don't know what most of that means, but it sounds deep. Like swearing upon the name of your God, or something."
"It is more than that. I swear to you upon my people, and their freedom."
"Thank you. Sometimes, it feels like everybody around me has their own agenda, their own reasons for wanting to travel with me. To have an ally who wants only to see my enemy destroyed... it is a precious gift that you offer me."
"Then we shall speak no more of it, now that my vow is spoken," said Zhjaeve, bowing her head. "Now we must travel to the ruins of the culture of Illefarn, and there, undergo the rituals you will need to arm your spirit against the King of Shadows."
"By 'now', you mean, 'as soon as I've had a decent meal, a good night's sleep, and spoken to my officers about rebuilding this Keep'... right?"
"Yes, Kalach-Cha. The ritual can wait for a day, or even several. But know that the longer you wait before making your move, the stronger the King of Shadows grows."
"I know. And I promise that we'll go soon to these ruins, this... Arvahn. I just need to set wheels in motion here first, I think."
o - o - o - o - o
Zhjaeve left her, with the excuse of 'wanting to get to know this place and its people better', and Kail decided to inspect her new Keep. She only hoped that all the Luskan bodies had been removed.
The inside of the building was much cleaner than she remembered. The main entrance hall seemed to have been restored somewhat; the cobwebs had been swept from the walls and tapestries hung in their place, the floor had been swept free of all the dust, the broken furniture and empty crates had been piled to one side for firewood, and a large wooden throne-like chair had been placed at the far end of the room, with a length of thin carpet running upto it. I hope I'm not expected to sit in that thing, she thought as two people approached her. One of them, the woman, bowed.
"Officer Kana reporting for duty, Captain," she said. "Lord Nasher has given you a great honour. But rebuilding these grounds will be a considerable undertaking."
"And one I look forward to," said the man. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Captain. I am Master Veedle. I won't lie to you, this Keep is in a sad state of affair. We will need all the resources you can bring to bear to fix her up. With the help of my crew, we can turn this place into a true masterpiece of engineering.
"Master Veedle is excellent at his craft and capable of what he claims. If somewhat eccentric," said Kana, glancing sideways at the man. He ignored her comment.
"We've cleared the grounds, and I've given them a thorough inspection. As you can see there is much work to do. Work requires a certain amount of coin. My men and I need to be fed, after all. And the amount of material... it will not be cheap. There is good news, though. Sir Nevalle formally commissioned me to work on the project and Lord Nasher will fund part of it. But the other part is up to you. I will need gold to rebuild, but Nasher's coin will cover expenses... for a time. I live for my work, you see, but others don't."
"How much money did Lord Nasher give me?" Kail asked.
"I do not know the exact figure. Hmph, but not enough. People just don't appreciate how much good masonry costs. The missive," he said, handing her a piece of paper, "details how much gold Neverwinter has allocated for Crossroad Keep. You can use those funds, or your own, to work on several things - the Keep, the courtyard, the fortifications and the surrounding lands."
"How does the courtyard look? Apart from messy, I mean," she added, remembering the piles of rubble, the collection of tents, and the semi-derelic buildings.
"The courtyard itself doesn't need anything. But there are several buildings that will have to be built from scratch. You don't have to worry about rebuilding all of it - some accommodations will be built by people that come to live here. The inn, for example, is already operational. Naturally. But there are some buildings that could become shops, and those will need work."
"What needs work inside the Keep?"
"The Keep has been laid bare to the elements for decades. Many of the rooms are structurally unsound, don't you know? I've closed off many rooms until my men can work on it. Rubble will have to be cleared and stonework repaired in there. But it can be done."
"And the fortifications need...?"
"Extensive work, and it's also the most time-consuming to work on. The outer walls wouldn't hold out a kobold with a table knife right now. And the fortifications are what Lord Nasher cares most about. But when my men are working on that, we can't work on any other projects until we're done.
"Is there anything wrong with the surrounding land?"
"Nothing is wrong with it, it could just be so much more right. Crossroad Keep is atop a large hill, and the trail could be widened. Maybe even converted to cobblestone. And the roads nearby have no local lord to maintain them. Those could be improved, as well as the bridge and... well, a great deal can be done. Mostly that will help with trade, and that in turn will help with you... ahhhh... funding the rest of the projects the men and I would like to undertake. Rebuilding roads is simple but very labour intensive."
"And if I want to rebuild something, all I have to do is tell you, and you'll see to it?"
"Yes yes, of course. As long as I have enough money to purchase the raw materials and pay my men. Might I recommend doing some structural work on the Keep, first? So many of the rooms inside are closed off because they could collapse at any moment. No way for you to live, hmph."
"Yes. The Keep sounds like a good place to start."
"So many rooms closed. Technically they were standing before I got here, but they were extremely unstable, don't you know. They could fail at a moment's notice, sloppy. There are three sets f rooms that need more work. We can work on building you a personal suite, repairing and upgrading the library, or clearing out the west wing for other purposes."
"Hmm. I think the Library should be our first priority. Knowledge is power, after all. I'll live in the Suite in the state it's in now, and there's no point clearing out more space for other purposes until we actually have other purposes."
"Very well. The Library it is! You were quite lucky it didn't collapse on top of you earlier, you know. This will also make Aldanon happy - he's been begging me to let him back in there. I have to go right now. I'll be back once the men have finished construction! So much to do, so much to do."
With that, Master Veedle hurried out of the Keep, practically bouncing with excitement. Kail smiled, and Kana bowed to her again.
"It is an honour to serve, Captain Kail. You have been rewarded greatly with this stronghold. Long have I waited for my blade to be in the service of someone worthy. My waiting is over."
"I'm not as worthy as you might think," she said dismissively. And it was true. All she had done was kill Lorne, and it wasn't something she was proud of. There was nothing honourable about killing... it was just something she had to do.
"You are too modest," said Kana. "We are the ship and you are the wind that moves us."
"Are you sure you're not a bard?"
"You jest, Captain. But my analogy is accurate. Regardless, there is much yet that needs to be done. Rebuilding the Keep itself Master Veedle can handle. But training the Greycloaks to defend its battlements is very important. Training a few men can be done quickly with the right teachers, but Sir Nevalle has promised half a hundred men for you shortly. And if the Keep grows, so will your retinue and your command. So we must start with the basics and turn these farmers and shepherds into fighting men."
"I'm sure some of my friends won't mind helping with that, when we're not away doing other things," she said, thinking to ask Casavir and Khelgar, and maybe even Shandra, to help some of the Greycloaks. Yes, she would definitely ask Shandra... it would make the woman happy to know that she could be of use, and in helping to train those when she was only newly trained herself. "Besides training, what else needs to be done?"
"There are a few families of farmers that will want protection from the local Keep, as they had in years past. This section of the High Road has also been plagued with bandits since Crossroad Keep fell to the King of Shadows long ago. We have been given the right to tithe merchants that come through. But until the road is made safe, any tithe collectors will find the road empty. Merchants prefer safer, longer roads, especially if they make more profit. But all of this relies on training your Greycloaks into capable soldiers."
"Anything else I should know about?"
"I will carry out your orders when you are away. Once the men are trained, there are more things they can do. As our numbers swell here I could use more able sergeants to oversee the men. I can train and assign tasks to sergeants if you find some for me. The decisions you make here may have a large impact on the 'Cloaks and the people on your land. After some time, I'm certain Lord Nasher will have direct orders for your men. But until then they are yours to command."
"Sergeants... yes. There is a woman named Katriona at Old Owl Well. I think she would make an excellent Sergeant." From what she had seen of the woman's fighting skills, back when she had met Casavir for the first time, the woman could definitely teach the Greycloaks a thing or two. In fact, she was already working with the Greycloaks under Callum, helping to secure the Well.
"I will send a messenger to ask for her in your name," said Kana.
"Good. And would you send another to Port Llast? There is a miner there named Calindra. At least, I hope she's still there. She might have set off to Amn already. But I think she could help Master Veedle with procuring materials at a good price."
"I will see to it, Captain. Is there anything else than I can do?"
"No, not at the moment. Just concentrate on training the Greycloaks. After that... we'll see."
o - o - o - o - o
Stepping out of the Keep, Kail took a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill her lungs, revitalising her body. The air here smelled and tasted different than that of the Mere, and Neverwinter. It was crisper, colder, somehow more... alive. Strange, that the King of Shadows would have chosen such a place as one of his strongholds.
The sun was already kissing the hills in the near distance, and long shadows were being cast from the walls and buildings of the Keep. But the shadows were not threatening. They were nothing more than what most shadows were; a transitional stage between light and dark.
Was that what the King of Shadows was? Not good, but not evil? Not light, but not entirely dark either? Zhjaeve had said that the King of Shadows was once the protector of Illefarn... yet Illefarn was gone, a ruined empire, its buildings, and its people, turned to dust. If the King of Shadows had been its protector, then he had failed.
Her mind flickered back to the Moonstone Mask, to the man who had killed Melia. Was he the King of Shadows? Or just another minion, as Garius had been? He obviously had power, to summon fiends and demons so easily... and wasn't it said that the King of Shadows had brought demons and devils to the battle against the Neverwinter forces at West Harbor?
But it didn't quite make sense. Garius, and the Shadow Priests, all dealt with death and undeath. They dealt with summoning shadows, raising zombies, ghouls and ghasts. If the King of Shadows dealt in the undead, why would be also deal in demons and devils? Was he branching out? Trying to create an army of undead monsters and demons? If so, why had he attacked the githyanki in their home Plane? Zhjaeve had made it quite clear that thousands of the githyanki had died trying to stop the King of Shadows. Why wouldn't he just make a deal with them, as he had with the demons and the undead?
Perhaps the githyanki had fought because, unlike undead, they had free will, the power to choose. The undead served and had no choice; they were bound by the necromantic arts to serve whomever raised them. But surely demons and devils had free will too? It was something she would have to ask Neeshka about. Everything seemed so complicated, and everywhere she turned seemed to be hidden daggers.
With a shake of her head, she walked down the path to the courtyard. There didn't seem much point in worrying over what she did not understand. In time, things would become clearer. Or not. But right now there was nothing she could do about it.
"Kail!" called a voice from nearby. She turned to see Elanee waving at her, and trotted over to the druid.
"What's up?"
"I was hoping you would grant me your permission for... for something that is important to me," said Elanee, showing the closest thing to nerves that Kail had ever seen from her.
"What is it?"
"This place," said the elf, gesturing around. Kail looked more closely at where they were stood. An arc of tall boulders stood inside the courtyard, with trees growing between them, sheltering in the spaces between the rocks. The ground was grassy, bright green despite the shadows being cast over it. "I would like to turn this area into a small grove, of sorts. A place where I can tend the plants, a place where nature will be welcome, where I can sit and meditate... and where the people who live here can come to relax, and be away from the pressure and expectations that Neverwinter heaps upon them."
"It sounds like a great idea," she replied. Elanee have her a big, grateful smile.
"I'm glad you think so. I believe that Khelgar and Neeshka were looking for you. They are in the Inn."
She left Elanee to her new grove, and made her way towards what was undoubtedly the Inn. It was the only building in the courtyard that was operational, the only one that had a sound roof and warm light spilling out from its windows. She could hear a flute playing inside, and recognised the player as Grobnar by the tune that was playing.
When she opened the door, she noticed Grobnar and Shandra sitting near the bar on stools. He was playing and she was listening with a dreamy, far-away look on her face. Khelgar and Neeshka were further down the bar, discussing something quietly. Bishop was lounging in a chair in front of the fire, but of everyone else, there was no sign. Then she saw who was stood behind the bar, and blinked in surprise.
"Sal?!"
"Good evening, Captain," he grinned.
"What are you doing here? How did you get here?"
"Well, I told you that I didn't wanna work for your uncle forever. Not that I'm not grateful to Duncan for everything that he's done to me. When I heard about this place, I thought the opportunity was too good to pass up."
"Yes, but how did you get here? I only arrived a few hours ago myself."
"Ah, well, not long after you left, Sir Nevalle came by and said that there was an Inn needing tending. He'd gathered some Greycloaks who were on their way here, so me and the kids decided to tag along. We set off a couple of hours after you."
"Kids? You brought the children here?"
"They wanted to see more of the world. And I thought that the countryside might be a better place for them than the harsh life of a city. Plus, they're good kids. Said they'll run errands and messages for you as and when you need it. We -- that is to say, the Greycloaks -- brought some horses, too. Nevalle said we have to build up a bit of a cavalry. Even brought one for you, a gift from Lord Nasher. Big grey gelding, out in the stables at the back of the I... hey!"
The last comment was aimed at her back as she left the building. Lucas had taught her how to ride, and it was something they had done often together. Something she had fond memories of. And what better way to survey her land than to take a quick ride?
She found the stables at the back of the Inn, where most stables were usually located. There, she recognised the grey easily; he was the only one in the whole stable. Most of the other horses were brown, though there were two blacks, a white, and a piebald. The latter was a huge draught horse, probably more used to pulling a wagon load than carrying a rider. The blacks were obviously a matched pair, and the white had the look of a jumper about it. The other horses ranged in colour from palomino to brown, and in quality from nags to thoroughbreds. Her cavalry, it seemed, would be small and piecemeal.
Her own horse, however, was a fine specimen, no doubt from Nasher's own stable. He looked like the kind of horse that she had seen knights riding on; large, powerfully built, and eager. He snorted when he saw her, but let her enter his stable and brush him without a single threat.
"I don't know what you were called before," she said, and his ears flickered back as she spoke. "But now you're 'Wind'. And I want you to run like it."
She put down the brush and threw a blanket over the horse's back. Then she hoisted a saddle that was opposite his stall onto the blanket, and picked up his bridle from its hook.
"You can't go out now. It's almost dark, and there's probably bandits and all sorts out there," said Neeshka. She and the others had followed her out to the stables, and were stood watching her.
"My Keep, my horse, my lands. Besides, it's been too long since I last rode, and I want to get out, even if it's just for a few minutes, and see how things look out there." She lifted the bridle towards the Wind and he obligingly put his head down and took the bit. She had to hand it to Nasher; it was an extremely fine horse that he had given her.
Her fingers worked almost instinctively, fastening the throat lash and the chin strap. Then she led the horse out of the stable and into the courtyard. She lowered the stirrup, hoisted herself into the saddle, and spent a moment adjusting the stirrup lengths and tightening the girth. Then she trotted Wind towards the tall, open door in the wall.
"Don't worry about me," she called back to the others. "I'll be fine." When she had cleared the walls she kicked Wind forward, and crouched over his neck as the horse set off at a gallop.
o - o - o - o - o
Shandra watched the big grey horse set off at a gallop, and felt a twinge of worry. She didn't doubt that Kail was a good rider, and she seemed to know her way around a horse well enough, but as Neeshka had said, these lands were still wild, untamed. It was dangerous for Kail to be out there alone.
"Bah, horses," said Khelgar. "No dwarf was ever meant t' be that far off the ground. Our own legs are plenty good enough for us."
"Tell me about it," said Neeshka. "Plus, this tail does not go well with a saddle. I tried it once and was limping for days."
"I wonder if Lord Nasher has any ponies..." said Grobnar thoughtfully. "You see, I had this idea for a saddle that could mount a small projectile weapon that would..."
This was crazy! Kail had gone riding off, into the almost-darkness, and her so-called friends weren't worried about her in the slightest! They were just chatting away as if nothing were wrong! Well, Shandra Jerro was a better friend than that.
"I'm going after her," she announced, and hurried into the stable. On a whim, she picked the white horse -- it looked like the most placid animal available -- and began tacking it up.
"Er, I don't think that's such a good idea," said Neeshka.
"Why not? You think that Kail can ride in the dark, but I can't?"
"Nooo... I just think that if Kail had wanted company, she would have asked us if we wanted to go with her."
"Well... sometimes doing what's right isn't necessarily the same as doing what Kail wants."
"I'll go along too," said Bishop, entering the stall of a black horse. "After all, somebody has to keep the pair of you from breaking your necks, or being ambushed by bandits, or wolves, or trolls..."
"Gee thanks," she replied, struggling with her mare's bridle. "I feel so much safer now."
Eventually she as able to get the bit of the bridle into the horse's mouth, and in only a few minutes she and Bishop were trotting their horses out of Crossroad Keep.
"I hope you can keep up," said Bishop, sending his horse forward to a gallop without any warning. She swore to herself, and encouraged her horse to follow. Not that it needed much encouragement; it seemed more than eager to follow Bishop's horse.
Though the light was fading, there was still enough to see by, and as her horse galloped along, she tried to take in as much of the view as possible. They raced past the farmhouses, which had been recently fixed up. The first time she had seen the houses, she had almost asked Kail if she could live in one, go back to being a farmer and tending the land. It was, after all, what she knew best.
But with everything that she had discovered since the githyanki kidnapped her... with everything she had learnt about the threat represented by the King of Shadows and his minions... she couldn't just go back to farming, and let Kail and her friends risk their lives to protect hers. She wanted to be a part of it, a part of the fight. Not because she wanted to be a hero, but because she wanted the world to be a safer place. She wanted to make sure that Ember didn't happen again. Maybe when the King of Shadows was nothing but a memory, maybe then she would go back to farming. But not now.
Bishop turned his horse sharply through a gap in the fence that lined the dirt track to the Keep. Now they were running through barren fields towards the hills on the horizon. How he was following Kail's trail at this speed was beyond her; the ground was nothing but a blur, and she couldn't even make out stones, much less tracks.
She watched him more closely as her horse began to close on his. He was an attractive man, though not in the same way that Casavir was attractive. The paladin had strong chiselled features, carved from stone, and a broad body that was compact and muscular. Not quite as compact as Khelgar, of course -- for his height, Khelgar was stronger even than Casavir -- but strong enough to shatter the skull of a demon with a blow from his hammer, which she had seen him do in Tavorick's mansion.
If Casavir's features could be said to be chiselled, then Bishop was rugged. He constantly looked like he hadn't shaved in two days, and his eyes had a disturbing way of glittering gold in certain light. Although his shoulders were broad and his arms were strong -- no doubt through years of using his bow -- he was leaner than the paladin, more supple. And he rode well. Crouched low over his horse's neck, his body relaxed, he seemed completely at ease. It was too bad his personality was rotten, that he was selfish, pig-headed, arrogant, self-centred... pretty much everything she disliked in a person. Still, Kail seemed to be able to put up with him, so she would too.
It wasn't long before Bishop began to slow his horse. Ahead of them, Kail was walking her horse, allowing the animal to catch his breath. She turned in her saddle when they cantered up to her.
"I thought I heard someone following me," she said, less upset at being disturbed than Neeshka had implied she might be.
"I don't see why you should be the one to have all the fun," said Bishop, bring his horse to walk beside her. Shandra did the same on the other side, giving Bishop a curious glance as she passed. That wasn't what he had said back at the stable. Kail merely shrugged.
"I'm glad you're here, Shandra. There was something I've been meaning to speak to you about."
"Oh?" she asked in surprise. People rarely said they were glad to see her.
"I was hoping that, whilst we're here, you'd be able to help train up the Greycloaks. It is is, most of them don't know which end of their weapons to hold. I'd like you, and Casavir and Khelgar, if you're all willing, to show them the ropes. You know, which end to hold and which end to stab with?"
"Do you really think I'm ready for that? I mean, it's not like I've been doing it very long myself..."
"You've been doing it long enough, and I've seen you fight. You're coming on fast, and I think that the Cloaks could benefit from your guidance."
"Well... sure. I'd love to. I'm glad that you think I'm doing well enough for that kind of responsibility," she said, genuinely flattered that the experienced bard thought that she was doing well.
"Good. Now, why don't we have a race back to the Keep? Wind is still getting warmed up, and I think there's a glass of ale and a bed with my name on it."
