Chapter Sixteen
Groaning in misery, Ambermist drained her tankard in one run, wiping the foam from her mouth and ordering another. She was desperately trying to drown out her experiences from the previous evening. It wasn't working well.
She heard footsteps coming up behind her. Turning, she blinked blearily at the man who'd just entered the inn. He was tall and slender, with odd facial features: high cheekbones, finely chiseled features, and odd-looking ears. His hair was a dark red and he sported a thin mustache.
Seeing her, his eyes lit up. Walking over, he asked, "Mind if I sit down?"
She grunted noncommitally, draining another tankard. He slid into the chair, commenting, "Isn't it a little early to be drinking??"
"After what I saw last night, I need a drink." She grimaced at the memory.
"Oh?" he asked curiously. "What happened—if I may ask? I'm Guon Goldleaf, by the way."
"Ba-reau Ambermist. As for what happened…." Ambermist gave Goldleaf a summary of the previous evening's run in with her party. He shook his head in sympathy.
"Oh, you poor thing," said he, patting her hand. "However, be thankful. At least you didn't walk in on your parents…" It was his turn to shudder.
Ambermist in turn patted his hand, after which both of them had a good laugh, of course. They began chatting idly.
"So," Ambermist began, "you're part elf?"
"Yeah…only about one eighth though. My great-grandfather was an elf."
"Ah…"
They ended up talking for a while—most of the afternoon, in fact, and both ended up getting absolutely shit-faced drunk. Somehow, Ambermist managed to aquire a room of her own, and she ventured upstairs with Goldleaf to enjoy a little midnight activity of their own.
* * * * * *
The next morning, Jea rose quietly, in an attempt not to wake Laguna. Scratching Wolf behind the ears absently, she was deep in thought.
So lost was she that she barely heard Laguna wake. He came over to her, reaching down to pet Wolf. "G'morning."
She started slightly, then smiled at him. "Hey, Lover. What's up?"
Laguna shrugged. "I wanted to ask a question. It's about that sword I found. Is there someplace that would have information on it? I don't have any idea what it does, and I don't want to use it until I do know."
Jea thought for a minute. "Well, the best place would be a sages' library…The best library I can think of within 200 miles is the one in the city of Greyhawk."
"How far away is Greyhawk?"
"It'll take about a month and a half, two months to get to the Nyr Dyv. After that, it's like a week long boat ride to Greyhawk. Do you want to go?"
He thought for a moment. "Is there anything keeping us here?"
"I don't think so."
"Then I think we should go."
Jea nodded, then giggled. "Guess we'll have to break it to the troops…." She thought for a moment, then grinned. "And as for Greyhawk, I wonder if it's recovered yet…"
"Recovered?" he asked in confusion.
"From all the chaos that happened the last time I was there. We had to stop one of those 'machines of mass destruction'—big, ugly, windmill looking thing called Doomgrinder." She grimaced at that particular memory.
Their discussion was interrupted by a knock on the door. Throwing some clothes on, they answered it. A servant handed them a letter, sealed with black wax.
After shutting the door, they inspected the letter. It was on normal parchment and addressed to Jea. Flipping it over, her eyes widened at the seal.
It showed a hooded cobra about to strike pressed into the wax. Carefully, Jea broke the seal and read it.
Puffing a sigh, she turned to Laguna. "Well, I guess we're going to Greyhawk for certain. This is an urgent request for help from an old friend there." She put the letter in her bag.
Wolf looked at her sharply. He growled softly, almost querulously. Jea looked hard at him, and he snorted.
Laguna noticed the strange exchange, but said nothing. He wordlessly began to pack their stuff, pulling his armor out and putting it on. Jea was rapidly stuffing everything into her sack, frowning all the while.
Then, once the packing was finished, they hiked downstairs to find Dumbugg at a table eating. Joining him, they ordered platters for themselves as well—after all, they hadn't really left their room in two days. While they were eating, Ambermist entered the common room, nursing a hangover.
Groaning in misery, Ambermist drained her tankard in one run, wiping the foam from her mouth and ordering another. She was desperately trying to drown out her experiences from the previous evening. It wasn't working well.
She heard footsteps coming up behind her. Turning, she blinked blearily at the man who'd just entered the inn. He was tall and slender, with odd facial features: high cheekbones, finely chiseled features, and odd-looking ears. His hair was a dark red and he sported a thin mustache.
Seeing her, his eyes lit up. Walking over, he asked, "Mind if I sit down?"
She grunted noncommitally, draining another tankard. He slid into the chair, commenting, "Isn't it a little early to be drinking??"
"After what I saw last night, I need a drink." She grimaced at the memory.
"Oh?" he asked curiously. "What happened—if I may ask? I'm Guon Goldleaf, by the way."
"Ba-reau Ambermist. As for what happened…." Ambermist gave Goldleaf a summary of the previous evening's run in with her party. He shook his head in sympathy.
"Oh, you poor thing," said he, patting her hand. "However, be thankful. At least you didn't walk in on your parents…" It was his turn to shudder.
Ambermist in turn patted his hand, after which both of them had a good laugh, of course. They began chatting idly.
"So," Ambermist began, "you're part elf?"
"Yeah…only about one eighth though. My great-grandfather was an elf."
"Ah…"
They ended up talking for a while—most of the afternoon, in fact, and both ended up getting absolutely shit-faced drunk. Somehow, Ambermist managed to aquire a room of her own, and she ventured upstairs with Goldleaf to enjoy a little midnight activity of their own.
* * * * * *
The next morning, Jea rose quietly, in an attempt not to wake Laguna. Scratching Wolf behind the ears absently, she was deep in thought.
So lost was she that she barely heard Laguna wake. He came over to her, reaching down to pet Wolf. "G'morning."
She started slightly, then smiled at him. "Hey, Lover. What's up?"
Laguna shrugged. "I wanted to ask a question. It's about that sword I found. Is there someplace that would have information on it? I don't have any idea what it does, and I don't want to use it until I do know."
Jea thought for a minute. "Well, the best place would be a sages' library…The best library I can think of within 200 miles is the one in the city of Greyhawk."
"How far away is Greyhawk?"
"It'll take about a month and a half, two months to get to the Nyr Dyv. After that, it's like a week long boat ride to Greyhawk. Do you want to go?"
He thought for a moment. "Is there anything keeping us here?"
"I don't think so."
"Then I think we should go."
Jea nodded, then giggled. "Guess we'll have to break it to the troops…." She thought for a moment, then grinned. "And as for Greyhawk, I wonder if it's recovered yet…"
"Recovered?" he asked in confusion.
"From all the chaos that happened the last time I was there. We had to stop one of those 'machines of mass destruction'—big, ugly, windmill looking thing called Doomgrinder." She grimaced at that particular memory.
Their discussion was interrupted by a knock on the door. Throwing some clothes on, they answered it. A servant handed them a letter, sealed with black wax.
After shutting the door, they inspected the letter. It was on normal parchment and addressed to Jea. Flipping it over, her eyes widened at the seal.
It showed a hooded cobra about to strike pressed into the wax. Carefully, Jea broke the seal and read it.
Puffing a sigh, she turned to Laguna. "Well, I guess we're going to Greyhawk for certain. This is an urgent request for help from an old friend there." She put the letter in her bag.
Wolf looked at her sharply. He growled softly, almost querulously. Jea looked hard at him, and he snorted.
Laguna noticed the strange exchange, but said nothing. He wordlessly began to pack their stuff, pulling his armor out and putting it on. Jea was rapidly stuffing everything into her sack, frowning all the while.
Then, once the packing was finished, they hiked downstairs to find Dumbugg at a table eating. Joining him, they ordered platters for themselves as well—after all, they hadn't really left their room in two days. While they were eating, Ambermist entered the common room, nursing a hangover.