We Met at the Inn of the Last Home
Disclaimer: I do not own DRAGONLANCE or any character created by another author for the DRAGONLANCE world. I only own the characters that I created myself. DRAGONLANCE was created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman and originally owned by TSR. It is now owned by Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary or Hasbro. Some of the other characters are owned by people that frequent the Inn of the Last Home thread at the DRAGONLANCE Movie Site Forums.
Author's Note: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Life can really be a pain in the posterior sometimes. I'll try to get these chapters out more quickly, but I can't make any promises. I hope that you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 3: Guards and Barmaids
Grail yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he walked beside the wagon. This was going to be a boring trip and he knew it. He almost wished that he had a hat to eat so that he could face down a goblin or twelve just so it wouldn't be so damned boring. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Lucius practically dancing on the other side of the wagon. Grail chuckled and shook his head. "Kids."
For as late as Lucius stayed up last night, he should be a walking zombie, only not the walking part. He had stayed at the common room of the inn until well after closing helping Arial with the dishes and setting up for the morning shift. He had even done it without Gems paying him a bent copper piece.
Grail called over the wagon. "Will you quit yer durned smilin', ye fool elf?!"
Lucius just beamed back at the taciturn dwarf. "Of course, my dear sir! How thoughtless of me to ruin your dreary day with happiness." The blonde elf laughed and seemed to make the flowers bloom even brighter.
Grail hated that. That elf could make an ogre with a tusk-ache look at the silver lining just by smiling at him. It just wasn't natural to be so damned happy before the sun was up. What's worse, he didn't even have a reason to be happy. He only washed dishes with the lass. He didn't even get a kiss!
Grail just shook his head and scanned the bushes. There had to be a goblin around here somewhere or at least a rabid fox or something!
"Isn't she something else, Grail?"
Grail grunted. "She'll be the death of you. They all are. Did I ever tell you about that tavern wench in Thorbardin that nearly got me killed?"
Lucius laughed. "You nearly got yourself killed. You got so drunk that the clerics had to heal you to get rid of the alcohol poisoning."
Grail nearly fell over. "Alcohol poisoning! That's blasphemy, you take it back! Alcohol was a gift from Reorx! It could never be considered POISONING!"
Lucius laughed and tossed Grail a biscuit over the wagon. "Of course, I apologize to you, Reorx and to every dwarf that ever walked on or under the surface of Krynn. Please forgive me. HAHAHA!"
Grail completely missed the sarcasm in Lucius' voice and forgave him that most egregious of sins. "Anyway, I would never have been in the predicament if she hadn't put me in it."
"Grail, you challenged a dwarf twice your girth to a drinking contest. How was it her fault?"
Grail smiled and put one finger on the side of his nose. "She smiled at me." That was apparently reason enough and Grail took a bite of the biscuit. Gems could really make a great biscuit. He just wished he had some of that cured ham.
"Will you two knock it off?! Are you trying to call those goblin raiders to us?!" The merchant was sweating bullets and was wringing out his hat.
Lucius raised an eyebrow at Grail and silently mouthed, "Goblin raiders?"
Grail waved him off and yelled back at the merchant. "Of course we are! There isn't a goblin within 100 leagues of Solace that hasn't heard of Grail's hammer and Lucius' sword. We are talking loudly to give 'em a chance to reconsider attacking. We'd hate to make 'em think that we were just some lowly merchant's guards and were ripe for the taking. It wouldn't be sporting!"
Lucius snickered but added in. "And we already know where they are hiding. Right over behind those bushes. The one's beside that oak sapling."
About that time, 10 goblins rushed out of the same area that Lucius had pointed at. Grail gave Lucius a look. "How in the Abyss did you know…"
Lucius just shrugged and drew his sword.
Grail laughed and rushed to the other side of the wagon. As he got there, Lucius intercepted six that were angling for the horses pulling the wagon.
The first swung wildly at the elven swordsman and found his arm cut off at the elbow. He was so stunned out how painless the severed limb was that he never even knew that the sword was being withdrawn from his gut. He toppled over and Lucius went to the next one.
Seeing their comrade dispatched so easily, the other five slowed and surrounded the laughing elf. They slowly closed the circle tighter around Lucius as he balanced on the balls of his feet and followed the leader's movements.
The goblin directly behind Lucius charged at him. He may have had a chance but he yelled before he ran. Lucius easily sidestepped the attack without ever looking back. As the goblin passed him, Lucius buried his sword in his back and let the goblin's own momentum pull the sword out. With a severed spine, that goblin wouldn't bother another traveler. Two more rushed in trying to take advantage of a perceived weakness. Lucius kicked the first in the head and stabbed the second through the chest. Twisting the blade, he retracted the sword and brought it full circle and cleaved through the first one's skull.
Following the brave tradition of goblins everywhere, the leader and the other survivor took off back into the brush at full speed, never looking back.
"You were a little high with that last one."
Lucius spun around and saw Grail leaning against the wagon, cleaning his nails with his dagger. Three goblins were dead at his feet. "I thought he was taller."
They both shared a laugh.
The merchant burst out. "What the hell are you doing? They're getting away!"
Grail and Lucius looked at the merchant as if he had grown a second head. "Are ye daft, man? If we did that, we would be leaving you to defend yourself."
Lucius added. "There is no way to tell how many of them there are in these woods. We would be leaving you to be slaughtered."
The merchant swallowed hard. "Ahhh, right. Very good. We will proceed as you recommend."
Grail chuckled and Lucius walked up to the front of the wagon to soothe the horses. Unlike with women, he could calm almost animal with his soft words. He was totally in his element.
While Lucius worked with the animals, Grail searched the bodies. He found a few coppers and one very nice dagger. The other weapons weren't worth being salvaged except for the steel, which no blacksmith would touch due to the goblin smell that had permeated the metal.
When all was well with the animals, they continued on down the road. Lucius walked over to Grail's side of the wagon and asked softly, "How did you know that there were goblins so close to Solace?"
Grail chuckled. "I didn't. I thought warning him of some 'goblin raiders' would earn us a few more steel. I didn't realize they were actually there. But it does increase my credibility for the future. HAHAHA!"
The merchant looked back at them but just assumed that the two mercenaries were discussing fighting tactics.
Grail leaned over to Lucius. "How did YOU know where they were? You pointed at them."
Lucius smiled. "I'm that good of a tracker."
Grail didn't doubt the boast. He had seen Lucius track down a mountain cat that had taken a child from a village without a single print along the way. Grail grunted noncommittally and motioned towards the front of the wagon. "You better get up front, Great Tracker. As much as I like crushing goblins skulls, I don't like to be caught unawares."
Lucius laughed and jogged up to the front. Halfway there, Arial's beautiful face entered his mind for the first time since the fight started. He tripped over the only rock within a hundred yards and nearly got a face fun of dirt. Grail laughed and wondered how a pretty girl could make one of Krynn's most dangerous swordsmen seem like a boy with his first wooden sword.
Arial dropped off the wrong food for the third time of the evening. Gems shook her head as she retrieved the uneaten food from the customers who had yet to even order. The food made it to where it needed to go, but this just wasn't like Gems' best waitress. As the door to the kitchen closed, Arial sighed. "I know Gems. I messed up again. I'm sorry. You can take it out of my wages for the night."
Gems laughed heartily. "How about you just tell me what is going on? We'll talk about fines and penalties later."
Arial lowered her eyes and blushed. "Could we just go with the fine? It's embarrassing."
Gems grinned an evil grin. "In that case, no, spit it out or go home."
Arial gave Gems a pleading look, but knew she had to acquiesce. "It's Lucius. I can't get him out of my mind. He is so gorgeous!" Arial blushed when she realized what she had just said out loud.
Gems snickered. "He is easy on the eyes. I've considered inviting him to my bed once or twice."
Arial sputtered and Gems nearly chocked she laughed so hard. "Girl, you know I'm joking. I'm almost a hundred years older than that boy. I'd break him in half."
Arial blushed both at being jealous and of what Gems had said. "I like him a lot."
Gems smiled and smoothed Arial's hair. "That is so sweet. Now, go back out there and take care of business. We'll talk over a bottle of wine tonight."
Arial smiled and took out the next order. Gems smiled as she left. "This is going to bite me in the ass."
Gems laughed and went back into the common room just in time to see the gully dwarf start a fight with Nelly over a dropped bone. This was going to be a fun night.
Grail and Lucius sat at the fire while the merchant snored in the wagon. "So, when are you going to ask her out?"
Grail looked confused and asked Lucius, "Ask who out?"
With the straightest face, Lucius answered. "Gems."
Grail almost fell into the fire. "Oh, ye're a funny one, boy. That woman would rather spit and roast me over a fire for an ogre family than let me sneak a kiss under the romantical glow of Lunitari. That is a good joke."
Lucius smiled. "Suit yourself, but I see you sneaking glances at her when she isn't looking."
Grail laughed. "That's self-preservation, boy. She can throw a frying pan across the room faster and more accurately than you can throw a dart into a bullseye. I'm just trying not to get killed."
Lucius prodded further. "You could always go to the Trough. A strapping dwarf like yourself should be able to take care of himself in a dive like that."
Grail nodded, missing the sarcasm. "That I can, but Gems don't water down the dwarf spirits and no one can make a better pan of spiced potatoes."
Lucius smiled at the old dwarf. "Whatever lets you sleep better at night, my friend. HAHAHA."
Grail started to growl back at Lucius when they heard a rustle in the bushes. They both stood and gripped their weapons.
Just outside of the firelight, two hulking figures stepped out of the brush. The two friends could tell that neither had drawn a weapon, but one had a large greataxe strapped to his back and the other had a two handed sword across his. Both figures had horns. If it came to a fight, they were going to have a tough time of it.
One of the figures bellowed, "You got any grub? I'm starving!"
Grail and Lucius both put down their weapons and laughed. Lucius called. "There isn't enough food in this camp to even curb your appetite, Khurn."
As the two figures entered the firelight, it was plain that they were minotaurs. The older minotaur brother chuckled as he said, "Then I guess we'll have to have roast dwarf. HAHAHA!"
Before Grail could snap back at Kalas, Lucius added to the jest. "You wouldn't want to try it. He'd fight so hard, you'd have indigestion for a month. And when he finally passed, he'd kick your ass on the way out!"
Everyone, even Grail laughed at that. The merchant picked that moment to wake up. He saw the hulking figures of the minotaur brothers and yelped. He dove over the side of the wagon and screamed. "Save me Master Dwarf and Master Elf!"
They all laughed. "Get back to yer bed, merchant. They're our friends."
"You're friends with minotaurs?" The merchant took a look at Khurn and immediately apologized. "I mean no offense, Master Minotaur. It's just that I've never actually met one of your race. I've only heard about the raids on the coast."
Khurn smiled, showing enormous teeth. "I take no offense. We aren't like the majority of our race. We follow Kiri-Jolith, like the Knight's of Solamnia. We respect Sargas as well, but our loyalty lies with the god of light."
The merchant wasn't convinced, but didn't want to anger his new 'friends.' He excused himself so that he could go to sleep. As the adrenaline wore down, he fell asleep. His dreams were so troubled by visions of being in a minotaur cookpot that he felt as if he had run a marathon that night instead of sleeping 8 full hours uninterrupted.
The brothers sat at the campfire with Grail and Lucius and Khurn passed his flask around the circle. Grail took sips, because he was the eldest. Lucius told the brothers about the goblins and they traded barbs about how they could have killed all of the goblins and in a much faster time than they had taken.
Khurn and Kalas had seen no goblins or signs of them, so they could have just been a lone band out to cause some havoc on the road to Haven. That seemed a reasonable enough explanation for everyone.
They went to bed and each took a shift watching over the wagons.
A/N: I was thinking of making this chapter longer, but I decided that it would be best just to get this chapter out there and then start on the next one. Maybe this will tide over you ravenous hounds from the DLMS Forum. LOL. As always, please review! I'll make you famous! Thank you, Moon Crazed, Jemma, Fizban Who and Aprentis for reviewing Chapter 2 for me!
