Liinken groggily awoke from his deep sleep. He was so tired he felt as if he could sleep for a week. By the time he awoke, the noonday sun was already shining. He bolted up out of his bed. It was already late in the day, and if he wanted to make it to the Capital on time, he should have left hours ago. As he stood from his bed, he noticed something was wrong. His vision began to double, and his head was swimming. He tried to shake it off, strapping on his boots and gathering his satchel. He would have to find something simple to eat on the way, as he had a lot of ground to cover. He staggered to the door. As he did, Lorrea was standing behind it, holding a plate of food.

"Oh!" she said, surprised. "Hello, sir mage. I was just coming to see if you were hungry."

He was indeed hungry, and the succulent mutton chops, fresh vegetables and bread made his mouth water. He heard his stomach audibly growl, embarrassing him. He pondered for a moment. Surely he had time to enjoy this meal. He thanked Lorrea for her generosity and sat down at his desk to eat. He glanced over in surprise as Lorrea pulled up a chair to sit next to him.

"I beg your pardon," she said. "I hope you don't mind if I enjoy my luncheon here with you?" She produced a couple of small cakes. Liinken nodded, indicating that he didn't mind, as he continued to devour his food. Silence stretched between them until it was broken by Lorrea.

"Master Liinken," she said. "Where do you hail from?"

Liinken paused, considering her question. "I have wandered all over the realm," he said evasively.

"For how long?" She asked.

"Since I was a lad of 4," he said.

Her eyes widened in surprise at this. She had a sister that was four years old. Even though she had a genius intellect, she could scarcely imagine the poor child wandering across the vast expanse of the Nine Realms. There were many horrors and dangers out there that would frighten even the bravest of men, let alone a child.

"Liinken," Said Lorrea tentatively. "Are you on your own? Where are your parents?"

Liinken did not answer, simply returning to his meal, a dark look crossing his face. Lorrea didn't need him to say anything, she had already gotten her answer. This young boy had been wandering since he was 4 years old, and most likely has been on his own since then. The very thought of it pulled at her heartstrings. Liinken finished his meal and cleared his throat.

"I thank thee again for your kindness," He said. "I'm afraid I must be on my way."

"B-but. . ." Lorrea stuttered nervously. "But where are you going?"

"The Capital," said Liinken, gathering his satchel.

Lorrea was taken aback in surprise. "That is a three day ride at full gallop from here," She said. "How will ye get there?"

"Do not worry," said Liinken, walking past her. "I have traveled much farther in . . . my. . ."

Lorrea stood in alarm as the boy began to sway, holding the frame of the door to steady himself. After a moment, he shook his head and continued on his way, walking down the stairs and out the door before she could stop him.


A short time passed since the young mage left, and Lorrea tried to get back to her chores to prepare for evening guests, but she could not focus. Her mind continued to drift to the boy, worry and guilt plaguing her. Finally, she put the broom aside and walked towards the entry door, looking in the direction the boy left. She continued to stare in conflicted thought until she was startled out of her trance when one of her younger sisters, Lanalei bumped into her while going outside. She didn't think much of it until she noticed what she was carrying: a large frog.

"Lanalei," she said. "Where did ye obtain that beast from?"

"Oh, hello, Lorrea!" Said Lanalei cheerfully. "I found him last night in the tavern whilst I came down to use the chamberpot. He is my new best friend, and I have named him 'Sir Hopps'."

Lorrea recoiled slightly upon viewing the frog, the very same frog that was regurgitated by the drunken lout that assaulted her sister the previous night. "Why would ye keep such a creature?" She asked. "Why not set it free?"

Lanalei contorted her face, confused by the question. "Because he is alone," she said simply. "And he needs me."

Her words pierced Lorrea's heart like a javelin. She looked back towards the road, the same road Liinken would be taking to get to the capital. She knew what she had to do. "Lanalei," she said. "Will ye prepare my horse for me?"


Lorrea mustered her steed and took off down the path away from the inn. If the boy was indeed traveling to the Capital, he would undoubtedly use this road. She could feel her heart race to the beat of the hooves of her horse, cursing herself internally that she let the boy go in the first place. As she rode, she prayed to the Spirits that he was safe.

As she reached the top of a hill, she came to a halt as she saw the familiar white-haired boy in his patchwork cloak. She breathed a sigh of relief, as he seemed to be fine. But she then noticed he wasn't moving, standing perfectly still. Looking around, she could see four large men approaching him, all armed with swords and cudgels. She saw that one of them was the drunken lout that struck her sister the night before.

"There 'e is, lads!" Said the drunk. "I knew 'e would come this way!"

"What have ye to do with me, my lord?" Liinken asked politely, but firmly. Lorrea was surprised. The boy was outnumbered four to one, and their demeanor strongly suggested that they meant to do him harm, but he was unafraid, speaking calmly and evenly.

"Ye be the demon boy who cursed me!" Said the drunk. "If I kill ye, the curse will be gone!"

Liinken rolled his eyes. "There is no curse upon thee," he said. "What happened was simply a comeuppance to your oafish behavior."

"Don't confuse me, whelp!" Shouted the drunk. "Get around 'im, you lot!" He added to his colleagues. "Kill 'im!"

Liinken immediately dropped into some kind of defensive stance as the men began to advance on him. "Ye are welcome to try," he snarled at them. The men balked slightly at Liinken's bravado, afraid to make the first move, but this did not deter the ringleader. He raised his sword and brought it down upon his target, but it only hit air. Liinken had disappeared suddenly in a wisp of smoke.

"Where'd 'e go?!" Shouted the drunk, looking around. Suddenly, one of his cohorts was thrown to the ground as a flash of light hit him from behind. Liinken was standing over him, and the man was clearly unconscious.

"Get him!" Shouted one of the men, raising his cudgel. But Liinken was too fast, gesturing with his hand at the man's fallen comrade, and then pointing towards him. The unconscious man was lifted into the air and thrown at his attacker, knocking him down hard to the ground, rendering him unconscious.

"Don' just stand there!" Shouted the drunk to his last friend, who simply stood shaking in his boots. The drunk growled in anger and lunged at Liinken, bringing his sword down upon him. To Lorrea's shock, he was able to catch the sword in his bare palm. His attacker stood in shocked silence, mouth agape, as Liinken seized his chance, gesturing with his other hand and bringing it to the drunk's face, blasting him with a large flash of light, as he did the first man. The drunk was thrown backwards and hit the ground hard, his face charred and burned from the blast.

Liinken dropped the man's sword and turned to the last assailant, who was staring at him in terrified awe. Liinken simply took a step forward and the man screamed in fear and ran off into the forest. Liinken sighed, looking at his hand, seeing it began to bleed. "Was too slow," he muttered to himself. "I must put up the shield charm faster next. . . time. . ." he began to feel his head swim again, and he stumbled as he tried to steady himself, finally hitting the ground. As he began to black out, he could swear he heard someone calling his name.


"Will he be okay?"

"Worry not. He simply has a fever."

"What happened to him?"

"He was attacked by four vagabonds on the road."

"How did he get away?"

"He did not, he vanquished them."

Liinken's head was pounding as he began to regain consciousness. He could hear voices around him, but could not articulate who they belonged to. Some of them did sound familiar in his mind, but he was too groggy to be able to recall.

"He vanquished them?" Came another voice, laughing. "I did not know ye could jest, sister!"

"Tis not a jest, Luanna!" Said an older voice, irritated. "He is a powerful mage. I have never seen anything like it!"

"But the lad is so young," Said an older, masculine voice.

"I wish to see him!" Said another voice. "Perhaps he could train with me!"

"Peace, Lynne," said an older, femanine voice. "Give him room to breathe."

"Look, he has awoken!" Said a younger, child-like voice.

Liinken felt his eyes open, but his vision remained blurry. He could see that he was in a small, darkened room, lit only with candlelight. As his sight began to focus, he realized he was surrounded by several women, varying in age, all of them gathered around his bed. He was stripped of his shirt and vest, remaining only in his breeches, swaddled in a blanket with a cold rag on his forehead. He looked at his hand that he used to block his attacker's sword, and saw that it was cleaned and bandaged. He tried to sit up, but a strong hand held him down.

"Don't move, sir mage," said a voice he recognized. He looked to the source and saw the young Innkeeper, Lorrea, smiling kindly at him.

"Where am I?" Asked Liinken. "Who are these people?"

"You are back at the McCloud house," Lorrea replied. "This is my family."

"You gave us quite a scare, young lad," said the owner of the masculine voice. He was an older man, most likely early forties. He had a kind smile and wore a simple shirt, apron and b brown trousers. Most of his hair was missing, with brown tufts on the side and top. "My name is Lynne McCloud the Elder, and I am the owner of this establishment. This is my wife, Rietha."

"A pleasure," said the woman next to him. She wore a simple red dress and bodice, her long hair pulled back in a braid. She was carrying an infant with her, who stared intently at Liinken with a curious look, as if she had never seen something like him before. "This is our youngest, Lillian," she said, plopping the baby down on his bed. She crawled over and grabbed Liinken's hand tightly, giggling. Liinken couldn't help but smile at the adorable creature.

"And these are the rest of my daughters," said the man, gesturing to all the young women around him. He began introducing Liinken to all of them. Lorrea and Lenniera he had already met, being the two oldest, the latter being younger by a year. Lynne the Elder mostly worked in the kitchens of the Inn, and left the day-to-day management to his Lorrea, who served as Innkeeper. She was a wise and learned woman for her age, and served as a peacemaker and governess to her siblings, specifically the younger ones. Lenniera mostly helped as a barmaid, but also worked as a seamstress, repairing and making new clothes for her family. Due to her skill with the cloth and thread, many from the neighboring village would come to her for alterations or repairs to garments, and every once in a while she would be able to craft new clothes, if she had enough coin for the material.

Next to be introduced were Lunara and Luanna, the third and fourth oldest of the siblings. Lunara was a tall, thin woman of 15. She was a minstrel, and carried a lute slung over her shoulder, wearing a dark purple vest and pantaloons. She was not only very adept at playing this instrument, but many others as well. She was responsible for using her music to entertain the guests every night. Luanna appeared to Liinken to be an odd individual, standing before him dressed as a harlequin. She explained that, along with Lunara, she helped to entertain the guests through comedic performances. The duo had apparently become quite popular with the local village, as many would come to the tavern just to see them, even if they were not spending the night.

After introducing Luanna, the next youngest daughter pushed through the crowd, tightly gripping Liinken's forearm in a firm greeting. This one did not wear a dress, instead wore a simple white shirt, vest, and tan breeches, with a wooden sword attached to her belt. "Hail and well met!" She said enthusiastically. "I am Lynne McCloud the Younger, a knight-in-training. . . or will be one day." She added, chuckling slightly. "My sister tells me ye are strong. I have always dreamed of challenging a mage. Perhaps we can train together!"

"Erm.." said Liinken, unsure what to say.

"Away with you, Lynne," said another sister, approaching Liinken. This one was younger than Lynne by a few years. She dressed rather strangely. She wore a long black cloak over a black dress. The hood of the cloak was long and covered her eyes, obstructing them. "Master Mage," She said, kneeling next to his bed, grasping his hand in reverence. "My name is Lucielle McCloud, mistress of the dark. It is an honor to meet another adherent to the magical arts. I look forward to learning at the feet of such a master."

Liinken coughed, thoroughly embarrassed. "Ye think too much of me. . ." he muttered, turning away.

"Nay, ye are but modest!" Said another child, pushing Lucielle out of the way. She was a small creature, opting for a simpler look like her older sister, wearing breeches and a white shirt. She wore a red bandanna tied over her blonde hair. Liinken thought the frog resting lazily in her arms looked vaguely familiar. "I am Lanalei," she said. "I tend the animals and help father and mother with repairing the inn. I thank thee for giving me my new best friend!"

"Thine what . . ?" Asked Liinken.

The next sister to be introduced was Loela. She carried herself differently than the rest of her siblings. While the rest of them embraced their peasant identities, this one seemed to want to present herself as some sort of nobility. She wore a fine silk dress, which was worn and patched, but well taken care of nonetheless. She introduced herself as a 'princess waiting for her prince', before curtseying and walking away.

"Peace, everyone. Make way!" Came a voice from the crowd. A small child waddled over towards Liinken, climbing onto his bed. She was carrying a vial of green liquid, stirring it slightly before passing it to him.

"Thine feverish condition has decreased significantly, sir Mage," She said in a lispy voice. "Thine body was septic when my sister found ye, but my medicines appear to be working splendidly. Take this elixir every few hours and ye should make a full recovery."

". . .are ye the doctor?" Asked Liinken, confused.

"Nay," said the child. "I am a humble scientist and alchemist. Ye may call me Liselle."

"An alchemist?" Liinken said, surprised. "I did not know there were alchemists in this part of the Realm."

"There is not, save myself," she said. "Now hush and drink." She shoved the bottle into his mouth, and Liinken drank the bitter elixir. After he did, a warm sensation spread through his chest, and a cozy feeling overcame him. He sank back down in the bed as sleep threatened to overcome him.

"He requires rest!" Stated Liselle. "Everyone, away with ye!" The parents and siblings began piling out of the room. As they left, Liinken turned to see that Lorrea had stayed behind, sitting down at the foot of his bed.

"Forgive them, Master Liinken," she said. "They are incorrigible, but they mean well."

"I do not understand," said Liinken. "How did I get here?"

"I sought after thee after ye left," Lorrea replied. "Ye had collapsed after vanquishing thine attackers."

"Why did ye seek me?" Asked Liinken. "Did I do thine house ill?"

"Nay," she said, gently stroking his hair. "Twas but an instinct. I feared you were in peril, and I sought to see thee to safety."

"I owe thee my life," said Liinken.

"Ye owe me nothing," she replied. "I only wish for thine recovery. Stay here as long as ye require. I will bring thee supper once you awaken."

"But I have naught to pay ye," Liinken protested, trying to lift himself. "And I must make it to the Capital. . ."

Lorrea gently pushed him back down. "Ye must rest," she said. "Fret not, ye owe us nothing. Ye risked thine life to come to my sister's aid, and for that I shall be forever grateful. Now, please rest." She stood, covered him with the blanket, blew out the candle on his nightstand, and left the room. Liinken stared at the ceiling as he felt his eyelids grow heavier. He only had two weeks before he had to be in the Capital. This illness drastically reduced his timetable. If he missed the Census, he would have to wait another five years before the next one, and he may lose his quarry forever in that time. Though his mind was plagued with concern, the elixir that was given to him began to take full effect, and soon he drifted into a blissful sleep.