Disclaimer: The forgotten Realms are not mine but nearly everything else in here is, especially Whizban. Ask before using or else I will find you and feed you slowly to rampaging dwarf hamsters of evil doom.
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Teilla and Ricardt were put to work as soon as they stepped foot into Gorbsen's tavern, the bard hauling dishes and the paladin washing them. The major ruckus of the evening occurred when a visiting gold elf made the supreme mistake of insulting the top two archers on the field within Lannlia's hearing. The local half-elf took it upon herself to defend her sister-in-law's good name and dumped a full mug of ale on the speaker's head, without keeping hold of the mug. He took umbrage and the resulting row between them took Ricardt, Constable Zorac, Josie Kitten, Mirandaline, Gorbsen and Lannlia's husband, Farnier to hold down or knock out the combatants. Ricardt dragged himself back to the kitchen and found a couple of small cloth wrapped parcels set aside on the end of the table. Looking at Skapti, he asked, "Where did those come from?"
"Those? Mir dropped them off for you two," The large woman looked up from the carrot she busily chopped. "She figured you two wouldn't have enough time while engaged here to go and get travel supplies on your own."
"Nice of her," Teilla opened one of the packets and took a look at the contents. While compact, it had dried peas, barley, dried mushrooms, dried carrot bits and a handful of herbs for stewing. "Looks like she raided the monastery's travel stores. It bears a striking resemblance to what they gave us at your brother's temple to Illmater."
Ricardt sniffed at one of the pouches of herbs. "Smells better though."
"Teilla!" Gorbsen called from the tavern's main room. The bard grinned at the paladin, who went back to washing mugs out, as she turned back to play the drink server.
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The pair dropped into sleep as soon as they climbed into their cots and were awoken in the early morning by Gorbsen. "Mir's here," the portly tavernkeeper told them. "She's waiting in the kitchen."
The paladin and bard stumbled, bleary eyed towards the tavern kitchen where they received a reward of hot, strong tea from Skapti their effort. Ricardt found that he had stiff and sore spots when he moved from the brawl the night before. Mirandaline handed him a small, half full flask and said, "This will take the edge off the aches." The small elf sat down at the kitchen table across from Teilla and Ricardt.
The paladin eyed the flask and the bits of leaves floating in it dubiously before tossing it down, trying not to taste the bitter taste of the liquid as it went down and grimacing as he handed the flask back to Mirandaline. "What is that stuff?" he asked.
"Something a druid I know brews," the brown skinned elf shrugged. "I have only a vague idea what's in it, but it isn't magic and it works well."
"Good porridge today, dears," Skapti said happily, as she set out bowls in front of Teilla and Ricardt. "Eat up."
Gorbsen set a bowl in front of Mirandaline and said, "You eat too. The gods know you could do to put meat on your skinny self."
The ranger rolled her eyes and accepted a spoon. "It is time to fatten up for winter. Are you two packed?"
Ricardt nodded. "I was born ready to travel," Teilla grinned.
"Then eat up and we'll get going," the dark ranger prompted. "I want to get out of here before the mercenaries track me down."
"Girl, they will eventually send their own scouts after you and pry an answer out of you," Skapti sighed.
"Only one of them would be able to hold me if they caught me and he won't be the one they send," Mirandaline shrugged and finished off her breakfast. Teilla and Ricardt followed suit and said their good byes to Gorbsen and Skapti. After promising to come back and visit, the three gathered their packs up and stepped into the brisk morning air.
Many of the merchants bustled about on the festival fields and some of the visitors started to emerge from tents, magically constructed cabins and Sandra's inn. The elven ranger led the Tyrran and bard out along a northern trail that looked little used. As they left Whizban's little valley and hiked into the rocky mountains, Mirandaline led them off the trail and into the wilderness. "Where does that path go?" Ricardt asked, curious.
"The monastery has a refurbished training place in that direction," the half drow kept walking. "They send their senior students up there now for courses in herbology and woodscraft."
"Recent development?" Teilla asked. "You said the place was refurbished."
"Marco, Sandra, Zorac, Josie and I helped clear it out years ago," the ranger answered as she led them into a straight gorge with a worn path down the middle of it. "This is Ninepin Alley. Our first hop will be a ways west of here."
"Ninepins?" asked Teilla.
"It gets crowded during games," Mirandaline smirked.
"What do you mean by 'hop'?" Ricardt asked.
"A couple of portals that will get us to the King's forest in Cormyr," the pale haired elf looked back at the paladin. "You did say you wanted to get to Suzail by the fastest road."
"Me and my big mouth," he groaned. "I was hoping to avoid those things."
"That's my line," Teilla laughed. "Go find your own!"
They continued to follow the ranger out of the gorge and along thick fir forest, skirting the tree line as they went.
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Author's note: Please leave a review if you want to, but as this has no canon characters in it as of yet and really no one reads anything here without them I will probably wait in vain (sigh and pout).