The sun was setting in the clear summer sky. A few ducks and ducklings lingered around the bank of the river a few miles south of Mason. The wet grass led up the water's edge toward a neat and cobbled garden area adjoined to grey stone cottage.

A small whisp of smoke flumed from the outdoor fire pit. Harlie Tealeaf, an older halfling woman, was preparing a marinade on a wooden table nearby. She took off her steamed glasses and wiped them dry on her half apron. Her greying chestnut hair was tied back in a kerchief, the sound of an opening gate caught her attention, before she returned to her worktop.

'Well hello handsome.' Harlie greeted her husband, a fellow elderly Halfling, Gideon Tealeaf his grey hair tied up in it's usual pony tail, with a few stands falling either side of his face.

'They had the chicken thighs and oranges, but no basil.' He walked over to his wife and placed a burlap sack on the table, before turning to his wife and pecking her on the cheek, she smiled.

'See if we have some over by the window.' Harlie she muttered a loud, grabbing and orange and spirally peeling it with surgical precision.

'I'll check, we defiantly had some a few weeks back.' Gideon walked over to the long flower pot below the window, he walked with a limb, not bad enough to hinder walking speed, but bad enough to not go unnoticed. He quickly spotted a couple of the leaves he was looking for and plucked them from the stem, before returning to his wife.

'I don't usually collect things for free.' He said dropping the leafs into the bowl, the orange peel soon followed and the couple shared a quick kiss.

'I think you're a little too old for the kind of fetching that you used to do.' Halrie remarked as she grabbed the two chicken thighs and quickly dunked them into the sauce she held them for a good few seconds before tossing them on the grill.

They ate their food at the quaint table on the back porch as the sun set. Harlie tossed some of her leftovers to the gathered plump of ducks. Gideon shot her a leer, she responded by sticking her tongue out.

Gideon rose from the table, grabbing the mostly empty plates and dropped them into the kitchen sink. Before he could make a start on cleaning them, a coo from behind grabbed his attention. A pigeon sat in the small window just next to the front door of the cottage, a note attached to it's talon. Gideon made his way over, he mentally narrowed down the list of people who could have sent this message. He untied the note an unravelled it, the writing familiar, his eyes widened.

'Gid, what's up?' Harlie asked concerned, walking over to her husband.

'It's from Penn.' He replied. 'It's something big.'

Harlie tutted, 'That's all very well but does he not understand the concept of retirement?'

'He does.' Gideon replied. 'But it's a job from Julian, and I do owe him a favour.'

Harlie sighed, 'No offence hon, but you've been retired for a few years, is there not a more youthful person for the job?'

'I'm guessing they need someone with experience over eagerness. Besides I only owe him one, after this, I'm settled up.' He replied, walking around the living room grabbing what he'd need for the journey ahead, tossing them into his bag.

'Fine, I'll allow it.' Harlie said as she grabbed his shortsword, Hornblade, from the cupboard under the stairs. 'Just try not to too cocky, you're not as nimble as you used to be.'

'When have I ever been too cocky?' Gideon asked, hoisting his pack onto his shoulders.

'Let me think.' She said sarcastically. 'When you tried to take on a marilith by yourself.'

Gideon thought for a moment. 'I don't remember that.' He took his shortsword from her outstretched hand.

'Cause you got knocked out.' Harlie said flatly.

'I seem to recall coming around having been rescued by a chestnut haired angel.' He opened the front door preparing to leave.

'Your welcome.' She kissed him on the cheek. 'Be safe love.'

'I will.' he smiled and turned up the path, through the gate and on the road North to Morgrush.