Sorry I had to introduce the new character so fast. I'm introducing the plot kinda fast in this chapter too.

-Chapter 5:

Hrimfaxi, a large frilly apron tied around her waist, served up food for her three companions. Felosial, Eldon, and Cleon were all seated around a table in the cottage Rurik had rented, having freshly bough fish, a spiced potato salad, and the centaur's special vegetable soup. Felosial watched Cleon eat.

"Eat up," she said with a smile. "If anything's going to make you stronger it's Hrimfaxi's cooking." The boy could already tell that the centaur and elf wizard -even though they were so different- were best friends. The only similarities Cleon could find in them was their pointed ears, but even those were slightly different for the elf's ears had a pair of simple -but beautiful- jewels sparkling in her lobes while Hrimfaxi had thick gold hoops dangling all the way up both ears.

"The fish is delicious," he said. "May I have some more soup please?"

"You can have as much as you want," Hrimfaxi said with unusual gentleness.

"I see the boy has manners," Felosial commented.

"That's all he has," the centaur muttered. "The only thing decent that Kutter guy taught him."

"Well kid," Eldon -who was propped up in his chair so he could see over the table- said. "Make sure you never forget to be polite. I never got a real education until Rurik took me in, but many a time when I was in trouble with city guards I was able to escape jail by good manners."

"You're hardly one to give advice," Hrimfaxi said. "But speaking of education, it turns out the innkeeper I was telling you about forgot the part in Cleon's contract that says he needs to provide a proper schooling. I bought some books, but I'm not very patient with foals...er, kids. So I was wondering if you, Felosial, might teach the boy."

"Of course," Felosial agreed. "What have you learned?" she asked Cleon.

"I know how to count, do addition...and a little bit of my alphabet."

"But do you know how to multiply or read or write?" When Cleon shook his head 'no', Felosial said "Oh dear" so gravely that it frightened Cleon.

"Don't scare the boy, Felosial," Hrimfaxi said. "Not everyone is as smart as you; but the boy is still young and I'm sure that with you teaching him he'll be caught up enough that by the time he's done his indenture he can start to learn a trade." The centaur, done serving, pushed two chairs together so she could rest all four of her feet.

Eldon, finished eating already turned and asked Cleon, "Want to see a trick?" Hrimfaxi groaned but Cleon nodded. Eldon -out of one of his many pockets- took a copper coin that was dented and dirty. Hopping off his chair he went over to Cleon and showed him the copper piece. Then Cleon blinked and Eldon was standing there empty-handed. He blinked again and the halfling -grinning widely- was holding the coin -now new and clean- in his other hand.

"How'd you do that?" Cleon gasped in surprise.

"Magic," the halfling answered with a wink.

"Don't believe that," Hrimfaxi told the boy. "It's just an old rogue trick. If you want to see real magic look at what years of training have taught Felosial."

The elven wizard smiled and clapped her hands obligingly. Immediately she was surrounded by a sphere of pure white light. Lightning sparked from her hands and filled her glossy black hair; little bubbles of color spun crazy circles around her head and slender waist. She clapped her hands again and the magic vanished.

"Now that's real magic!" Hrimfaxi said admiringly.

"But watch this," Eldon said and in seconds had a piece of cloth from Cleon's pocket dangling from his fingers.

"Hey!!!"

"Didn't feel a thing, huh? Pretty impressive?" Eldon asked, grinning. He tossed the silken and embroidered cloth in the air and caught it deftly, studying it along the way. Hrimfaxi was watching it too. "That's looks expensive." Eldon tossed it up again but this time the centaur intercepted it and scanned the heavy material. It was a large square piece, torn and ripped on two edges. "This looks like the edge of a coat of arms," she said, referring to the decorated shields that belonged and identified different families and their lands. "But it's only a small part so I can't tell which badge it is." She stopped and looked at Cleon. "Where did you get this? Did you steal it...did Eldon...?" The halfling held up his hands innocently.

"It's mine, Cleon said quickly "they found it in my hands when I was found on the midwife's steps. I was about two then and was under some sleeping drug."

"I'm surprised Mr. Kutter didn't take it from you," Eldon said.

"The midwife told Mr. Kutter that it was bad luck. I kept it because I like to think it belong to wherever I came from."

"Well, you might not just be a poor woman's boy after all," said Hrimfaxi softly. "If this came from your home, then you came from a pretty wealthy family."

"I don't feel any bad magic about it," Felosial said, cupping it in her hands.

"I think I should keep this," Hrimfaxi said. "If this is the key to your true home then you don't want to lose this." Felosial saw Cleon's face drop and turned to the centaur.

"Let the boy keep it."

Hrimfaxi hesitated before relenting. "Keep it safe," she ordered. "So that another thief won't pull that trick."

"Thank you!" Cleon said gratefully and politely.

The door to the cottage opened and Rurik stomped in. He took off his cloak and threw it in the closet before going over to the table and sitting down. Hrimfaxi, after setting down a food-laden, went over to the closet.

"Hey!" said the dwarf taking a sip of his soup. "This soup has gone cold!"

"It wouldn't be if you had gotten back from your meeting earlier." Hrimfaxi called back from where she was impatiently hanging up Rurik's cloak. "But I'll heat it up for you." Cleon watched the cleric eat while Hrimfaxi took the bowl back into the kitchen. Cleon himself had been very hungry but the young boy had never seen anyone eat so much so quickly. The dwarf devoured fish, salad, and bread alike. He only stopped when he nearly chocked on the liquid in his mug.

"What's this?" he asked, looking into his cup. "Where the ale?"

"I'm not going to have that drink in a house with a young boy and a thief." Hrimfaxi replied.

"Just because you don't like a good drink doesn't mean I can't have some."

Hrimfaxi, banging pots and pans angrily, answered. "The Medical Guild just announced research that shows too much ale can be bad for your health."

"I'm a dwarf," the dwarf replied, uncorking a flask by his belt and taking a sip. "I was raised on ale." He watched Hrimfaxi heating up his soup on a small burner. "What's that new-fangled invention you're using?"

"It's a burner," the centaur replied. "It runs on lantern oil and you can control the temperature. It's also very efficient."

Rurik snorted and muttered while gulping down more ale. "That's probably why my soup got cold so fast. Nothing can beat a good fire."

"How did your meeting with the King go?" Felosial asked, trying to divert the conversation.

"You got to meet the King?" Cleon asked, awed.

"You'd be surprised at how many royal persons I've had audiences with."

"I'd hardly call Lord Swill and king," Hrimfaxi said contemptuously as she brought back Rurik's soup. "The only place -now that the little prince is gone- the only real place he rules is this town; these surrounding lands are only his in name. I'm sure he's aware that he doesn't have enough soldiers to quell the rebellions starting in those cities."

"Is Lord Swill a bad king?" Cleon asked.

"A bit extravagant in spending," she said. "But the reason the Lords of the land won't pledge their allegiance is because they suspect him of killing the little prince...who they already pledged their allegiance to though he was only a young child."

"But nothing's ever been proven," Eldon cut in.

"The only one who could prove if he is innocent or not was the Captain of Calvary -who was the prince's steward and bodyguard- and he also disappeared. That seems very suspicious to me."

"What did the king tell you?" Felosial asked.

"It wasn't what I expected," Rurik said after taking several spoonfuls of soup. "It started with the usual formalities, bowing, offering of a drink, which -by the way- was not like this stuff you tried to give me..."

"Water?"

"...but after that we got down to business and he told me that the real reason he had asked for a cleric to come down was one of his manservants had gotten sick and none of his healers could diagnose the disease. He was afraid it was a new one and would start an epidemic. But the man had gotten well one day before we arrived. But of course I offered to do anything else needed and my lord said something had arisen. He seemed like a nice guy; dressed in all sorts of finery." Rurik paused to take a sip of ale. "Now it's kinda funny you should mention the little prince because he told me -in perfectly clandestine conditions- that some orcs had been blackmailing him, telling him that they had little prince and were demanding a ransom. Lord Swill swore innocence to me of the disappearance of the boy and said he had been receiving these letters for years, telling him to leave the money in a certain place...of course he never did it -can't trust orcs- and the letters kept on coming. But finally he has traced their blackmail letters to the source and it leads to an orc tribe on the outskirts of town. He said if I agreed to do this I would need to bring you guys along because it's a rather large tribe."

"He knows we are here?" Eldon asked, startled.

"Don't worry," said Rurik with a chuckle. "He doesn't know about your prison record and I doubt he'd care since he's hiring us to rescue the prince. Just think of it," Rurik continued, louder this time. "We have the chance to save these lands! Once we find this prince the barons of the land will pledge their allegiance, the rebellions will stop, and we will have united a whole kingdom!" Rurik stopped while regaining his breath; in his good intentions he had lost all of his gruffness. "Maybe Moradin had a part in this and this is my chance to serve his goodness." Hrimfaxi -who had no need of religion- snorted.

"Well...I'll come along," Felosial said.

"These orcs might have a bit of treasure," Eldon added.

Hrimfaxi was the only one who protested. "We were supposed to be here to talk and catch up on news! Not to go off and hunt orcs!"

"You're no fun anymore, Hrim," Rurik said disappointedly. "We used to do this all the time."

"I know," she replied. "But we're here on a break from work."

"Come on, Hrim," Felosial said. "It'll be just like old times." She could see the centaur weakening.

"What about the boy?" Hrimfaxi asked.

"What about the boy?" Eldon replied. "I was his age when you took me into that giant's lair...let him come along."

"Fine," the centaur said, giving in.