Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing some of the things in this story - which will probably become more obvious in later chapters. However, I've also made some of it up myself.
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After a long day's journey, we sought shelter at a local inn. Nothing in the contract had said anything about blizzards! I looked around at the faces of my companions, tinged with blues and grays from the cold. None of them looked any happier than I felt.
But as bard I knew I had the task of cheering them once we reached the inn. *Happy thoughts,* I told myself, trying to keep my teeth from knocking together. My instruments would be horribly out of tune after this - thank the Great Musicians for waterproof cases, at least.
"Here we are." Jamis, the very image of a knight-in-shining-armor, the ideal of traditional heroic ballads. Despite the cold he forced a smile.
Kirin was the first into the inn, bolting ahead of the rest of us. Only fitting, I suppose, as he is the youngest. A mere boy, and yet he does not shrink from things that might make grown men flee in terror.
Then our healer, Alasa, and our halfling friend, Hannak. After they had passed, Jamis insisted I go next - some knightly ideal of chivalry, no doubt. I did not waste time arguing with him - he would not let Valryn enter until I was inside.
Warm golden flames greeted us, dancing on the great hearth. Jamis, the last through, slammed the foor tight behind him. A skinny red-faced man came bustling out of another door. "Good afternoon. I am Griam, the innkeeper. Perhaps I can help you?"
Jamis pulled out a pouch, heavy with our hardwon gold - or part of it, anyway. "We'd like rooms. What do you have available?"
"Most rooms are available at the moment, sir. What are you looking for?"
"Four rooms. One for the ladies, one for the wizard, one for the halfling, and one for my squire and myself. Close, if possible."
"I can get you a pair of suites across the hall from each other, sitting rooms with two bedrooms a piece."
"That will be excellent. How much?"
"How long are you staying?"
"Hmm. That depends. Shall we call it three months?" Jamis glanced at us.
"I shall play, too. Perhaps that might help?" I gave the innkeeper one of my best smiles.
"Would if there weren't a blizzard. Three months, two suites - three hundred gold crowns."
Jamis handed the man the bag. "Feel free to count. There are three hundred fifty crowns."
"Meals included with that, of course," Hannak was quick to insist.
"Very well," agreed the innkeeper.
We ordered supper at that point. As we ate and chatted I noticed a figure watching us, a small figure, Hannak's size. But not a halfling - a human boy. Or at least, he seemed human - except for his eyes, which were a bright turquoise, not a color normal to humans. He was perhaps seven years old, with very pale skin juxtaposed with a mop of black curls. Who was that boy?
As I pondered this question, he met my eyes. Hesitantly, he took one step forward - then glanced behind him, looked back at me again, and scurried up the stairs to the rooms.
"Did you see that boy?" I asked my comrades.
"Boy?" Hannak looked at me like I'd gone insane.
"He had the strangest eyes - he was a young boy, maybe seven. He looked like he was going to come up to us, only then he ran up the stairs."
"Probably shy," Jamis replied. "Don't worry. If you want to find him, I'm sure we can search in the morning - I doubt anyone's going to be leaving this inn anytime soon."
So I settled down to enjoy another night at an inn with my companions, and resigned myself to wait until morning to address the issue of the child.
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After a long day's journey, we sought shelter at a local inn. Nothing in the contract had said anything about blizzards! I looked around at the faces of my companions, tinged with blues and grays from the cold. None of them looked any happier than I felt.
But as bard I knew I had the task of cheering them once we reached the inn. *Happy thoughts,* I told myself, trying to keep my teeth from knocking together. My instruments would be horribly out of tune after this - thank the Great Musicians for waterproof cases, at least.
"Here we are." Jamis, the very image of a knight-in-shining-armor, the ideal of traditional heroic ballads. Despite the cold he forced a smile.
Kirin was the first into the inn, bolting ahead of the rest of us. Only fitting, I suppose, as he is the youngest. A mere boy, and yet he does not shrink from things that might make grown men flee in terror.
Then our healer, Alasa, and our halfling friend, Hannak. After they had passed, Jamis insisted I go next - some knightly ideal of chivalry, no doubt. I did not waste time arguing with him - he would not let Valryn enter until I was inside.
Warm golden flames greeted us, dancing on the great hearth. Jamis, the last through, slammed the foor tight behind him. A skinny red-faced man came bustling out of another door. "Good afternoon. I am Griam, the innkeeper. Perhaps I can help you?"
Jamis pulled out a pouch, heavy with our hardwon gold - or part of it, anyway. "We'd like rooms. What do you have available?"
"Most rooms are available at the moment, sir. What are you looking for?"
"Four rooms. One for the ladies, one for the wizard, one for the halfling, and one for my squire and myself. Close, if possible."
"I can get you a pair of suites across the hall from each other, sitting rooms with two bedrooms a piece."
"That will be excellent. How much?"
"How long are you staying?"
"Hmm. That depends. Shall we call it three months?" Jamis glanced at us.
"I shall play, too. Perhaps that might help?" I gave the innkeeper one of my best smiles.
"Would if there weren't a blizzard. Three months, two suites - three hundred gold crowns."
Jamis handed the man the bag. "Feel free to count. There are three hundred fifty crowns."
"Meals included with that, of course," Hannak was quick to insist.
"Very well," agreed the innkeeper.
We ordered supper at that point. As we ate and chatted I noticed a figure watching us, a small figure, Hannak's size. But not a halfling - a human boy. Or at least, he seemed human - except for his eyes, which were a bright turquoise, not a color normal to humans. He was perhaps seven years old, with very pale skin juxtaposed with a mop of black curls. Who was that boy?
As I pondered this question, he met my eyes. Hesitantly, he took one step forward - then glanced behind him, looked back at me again, and scurried up the stairs to the rooms.
"Did you see that boy?" I asked my comrades.
"Boy?" Hannak looked at me like I'd gone insane.
"He had the strangest eyes - he was a young boy, maybe seven. He looked like he was going to come up to us, only then he ran up the stairs."
"Probably shy," Jamis replied. "Don't worry. If you want to find him, I'm sure we can search in the morning - I doubt anyone's going to be leaving this inn anytime soon."
So I settled down to enjoy another night at an inn with my companions, and resigned myself to wait until morning to address the issue of the child.