Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms are not mine but everything else is! All mine! Go find your own!
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"So you're staying to watch the tavern?" Gorbsen asked.
"I am. Tall, dark and clunky will probably stick around to make sure no one wrecks the place," Teilla told him.
"It's good that you'll have the extra set of hands then," Gorbsen grinned. " I better go and meet that wizard now. Good luck!" He ducked inside the tavern and returned with a backpack. "Most of the staff will be on hand so you don't have to worry so much about stirring the kettle. You will have to man the bar though."
Ricardt solemnly said, "I believe we can manage."
Teilla waved at Gorbsen and said, "We'll make sure the place doesn't burn down."
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The next day started quietly. Teilla and Ricardt considered it their good fortune that the tavern did not rent rooms and so were able to sleep without interruptions. When Teilla woke up and went to the kitchen, she found the blacksmith's wife putting bread in the oven. The slight half-elf felt dwarfed next to the woman's ample frame but said good morning just the same.
"Good mornin' dearie, a bit of tea for you?" The woman's voice was brisk and cheery as she indicated a kettle warming at the fire. "M'name's Skapti Bellows and you must be ol' Gorbsen's niece."
Teilla nodded and tentatively asked, "You're married to... um... er..."
"Yup, married to Chonar. He's a half-orc even though he doesn't look it."
Relieved that her curiosity was not seen as rude, Teilla ventured, "Wouldn't you be helping him at the smithy then?" Ricardt, looking slightly sleep rumpled and yawning, came into the kitchen and sat down with the two women.
"Nah," Skapti said as she retrieved a pair of mugs and poured tea for the younger bard and paladin. "Our sons are visiting and agreed to help their father this year. They don't really need another set of hands. You, on the other hand, need a few reliable people who know the crowd to help out. Lannlia will be here later to help with the evening crowd."
The large, fair woman noticed the confusion on Teilla's face and added, "Lannlia is Farnier's wife. He's the weaponsmith. Mind helping with the deliveries after breakfast?"
Ricardt and Teilla nodded and polished off a breakfast of hot porridge, honey and walnuts before starting to haul in the foodstuffs that had to be laid in for the day. Skapti told them that the first group of the day was likely to be a group of children from the temple for their early meal before going to wander around for the first day of the festival. "Today is when the conjurers and sleight of hand artists preform," Skapti informed them as they put away supplies, "The little ones really enjoy it."
The children and their minder, a monk from the temple, tromped in and sat down at tables closest to the tavern's front windows. The kids were laughing and annoying each other in equal measure as they sat down to fried potatoes, onions and peppers. The monk sat a little apart and sipped at some tea.
One of the little ones was building a pile of potatoes that bore a slight resemblance to a keep. one of the other children saw this and came up with the bright idea of laying siege to his classmate's potato keep with a potato catapult made from a spoon.
Ricardt noticed the first exchanges of flying potatoes and peppers between the rowdy children and nudged the monk supervising. The monk looked over at their table just as the other kids took notice of the infant food fight. The two offenders were promptly sent outside for pushups before coming back in to finish off breakfast.
Noticing Ricardt's confusion at the monk's choice of punishment, Skapti grinned and whispered, "That's the exercise instructor. He always gives pushups as a punishment for small infractions."
"Sounds like a paladin's page service without the reward," Ricardt muttered back.
Skapti shook her head. "They do get a reward. After their punishment they'll stop flinging potatoes and still get to wander the festival with everyone else. And they get to be introduced to all sorts of people who might later take them on as apprentices. Lots of opportunity for them."
Ricardt looked thoughtful, nodded and went into the kitchen to chop vegetables for the thick stew that would be simmering all day for later customers.
Teilla and Ricardt found out that Skapti had not been lying when she said that business would pick up later in the day. If anything, she had understated the reality.
Lannlia arrived just before midday and had barely enough time for introductions or greetings before she started carrying trays. Ricardt wondered how a pretty, married half elf could wait tables without her husband objecting until Lannlia decked the first drunkard to make an attempt to pat her rear end. After that, no one bothered her and Ricardt stopped wondering about any objections her husband may have had.
The later it got, the busier the tavern became. Teilla, Ricardt, Lannlia and Skapti kept up a virtually endless flow of food and drink going to the guests. There was a wide variety of them as well. A group of planetouched all representing different elements or planes, had seated themselves at one of the larger tables and seemed to be having a reunion. Teilla had caught someone swiping random silverware, mugs, coin and anything else that happened to come their way.
The only quiet point in the evening Teilla and Ricardt had was when a nymph (fully clothed) walked in and ordered some elven liqueur. At that point, everyone in the tavern simply did nothing but look at the fey creature until she finished her drink and told Ricardt what a sweet boy he was. Ricardt responded by turning beet red and offer his arm to escort her to the door. The previous level of boisterousness reinstated itself soon after Ricardt left the nymph at the door.
They closed a few hours after midnight after chasing the last customer out and depositing the sleeping ones out in one of Whizban's communal guest barns. Exhausted, Teilla wondered out loud, "Uncle Gorbsen said he'd be back tomorrow, right?"
Ricardt nodded as they hauled themselves to their rooms and fell into sleep.
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