13th day of Ransalacue, 5571A
The Corridor Inn, Samseed Wood
(about 24 miles north of Talantier)
The inn finally came into sight.
Situated on the west side of the road, the wooden, two-story structure spanned an impressive eighty feet long and perhaps thirty feet wide, although it was hard to determine the exact width as the building actually seemed to meld into the forest behind it. There had been no attempt to clear-cut any area around it to the sides and rear.
Given its apparent reputation as a resting stop for druids, this was hardly surprising, thought Illumenatta.
At the moment though, the Corridor Inn could have been a broken-down flea trap run by hobgoblins for all that the Light in the Darkness cared. It had been raining steadily since they had broken camp this morning and while the well-maintained Corridor road made travelling easier, it lacked the forest canopy cover overhead which might have sheltered them from the elements.
Just as in Dromdal Manor, there was a bit of a pile-up at the door before they all squeezed through, leaving Stubby tied to a hitching post.
The common room seemed unexceptional compared to any other inn the individual members of the group had been in, except perhaps a bit larger and bit cleaner. There were no individual tables, only long rectangular ones with benches on either side, which was actually a more common setup than not. Only the fancier establishments offered the privacy of personal tables.
It was fairly dark. The windows had been shuttered against the rain and the few oil lanterns hanging from the ceiling by chains offered a patchy kind of light that didn't quite fill the room.
Lumen spotted only three customers; two male humans together at a table and a male elf drinking alone at the far end of the bar. One barkeep and one serving girl were visible.
Qidarchios split off to speak to the elf, while Oliver and Sebastian went to the table. Illumenatta, Saito, Caffrine and Bjorn sidled up to the barkeep, a human woman of perhaps sixty, with a wiry frame and white hair framing a leathered face.
She took their drink orders and coin without comment or a second glance at any of them, even Lumen.
The quartet glanced at each other, and then three pairs of eyes went to the moon elf.
Lumen sighed, put on her best smile, and waited until their drinks arrived. When her wine was placed in front of her, she cleared her throat.
The barkeep looked at her. The woman's gray eyes showed no hint of wishing to engage in idle chatter.
"Excuse me," Illumenatta said, making a statement but in reality asking the question which she was afraid she already knew the answer to, "we wish to speak with Lathreda, the owner."
"You already are," grunted the woman.
Of course I am, thought Lumen sourly to herself, although she was accomplished at not letting her thoughts leak through to her expression. "We're looking for someone, and we were sent to speak with you."
The scowl that appeared on Lathreda's face was not encouraging.
"This isn't a messenger's guild," she said. "I'm busy."
The woman grabbed a mug from below the bar and began wiping it, even though Lumen could see it was already clean.
"It was the veiled woman from the glade south of Talantier," the moon elf said. "She said you were the only person who might be able to aid us."
Lathreda sighed, stopped wiping the mug and set it back down under the bar and then turned her attention back to Illumenatta.
"And whom am I supposed to help you find?" she asked in a tone that made it blatantly clear that, like Lumen before her, she knew what reply she was about to hear.
The bard and budding sorceress felt like she had no choice but to oblige.
"The Druid of Samseed."
A grim chuckle escaped Lathreda's throat.
"And you think I'm curt," the inn owner muttered. She could plainly read Illumenatta as well as the elf could read her. "Why are you looking for him?" she asked, matter-of-factly.
For reply, Lumen turned and gave Caffrine a wry smile.
The teenager gulped.
"You're up, kid," said Bjorn encouragingly, giving the rogue's shoulder a quick squeeze.
Caffrine stepped forward.
"You probably don't remember me," she began. But I was here about twelve years ago with my younger. We were with my father, a man- a human named Hennet Esslos."
Lathreda stared at her, saying nothing.
Caffrine had to fight an urge to keep her hand off the hilt of her dagger. Her years on the streets of Talantier had gifted her with fast reflexes, not a silver tongue.
"He have your hair?" Lathreda suddenly said.
Involuntarily, Caffrine fingered the split ends of her scarlet strands. "Yes."
"I remember," the woman said. "Good-looking man," she added softly, seemingly to herself.
Caffrine couldn't help but smile. Even in her vague and limited recollection of her father, his striking good looks, and peoples' reactions to them, still struck a chord in her memories.
"We were heading from Evistar to Three Falls," the half-elf continued. "We stopped here," and here the teenager paused and shrugged." "I think I remember that, but nothing else. I don't remember you," she added apologetically to the innkeeper, "and I certainly don't remember seeing any druids here, so I'm not sure why…." she trailed off.
"Where is your father?" asked Lathreda.
Caffrine gulped again, but Lumen answered for her, which the rogue didn't mind.
"He and his daughters were beset by enemies after leaving the Corridor," she explained. "Hennet sent Caffrine here and her sister on ahead to Talantier, since they were much closer to that city than Three Falls."
Lumen's voice grew solemn. "Hennet was cut down. We do not know the identity of his killers."
Lathreda's eyes darted back to Caffrine's face and stayed there for what the teen felt was a very awkward amount of time.
"You must have been something." Lathreda was almost whispering now. "On your own at the age of three, and with a toddler sister in tow…"
She broke off, apparently engaged in an internal debate.
The four members of the Light in the Darkness waited.
The innkeeper came back to them. Her manner was noticeably crisper and more engaged now.
"I remember Hennet mentioned his wife had disappeared," she asked, her eyebrows contracting as she eyed Caffrine critically. "Your mother?"
She nodded dumbly, impressed that this human, who wouldn't have a third of her lifespan in all likelihood, had such a remarkable memory.
"We're hoping to get a lead on either her, or Caffrine's younger sister Castine," Bjorn said.
Lathreda frowned. "I still don't see where the Druid of Samseed fits into all this."
"This child's mother was named Alexania," Saito now spoke up for the first time, the samurai's arms folded across his chest. "She was a druid as well."
The innkeeper considered. "He never mentioned that" she said at length. "Well, I can leave a message for him. He comes in now and then, but not on any regular schedule. How can he reach you?"
"We're staying at the Long Whiskers in Talantier," said Bjorn.
"Where are you bound?" asked Lathreda.
"Deepwatch," Illumenatta replied quickly enough that Caffrine guessed she did not want any mention of Sumner Prison and its inhabitants aired here. "Hennet owned a home there. It's where Caffrine and her sister were born. We may find more clues there."
"I don't remember anything about the place," Caffrine mumbled, suddenly uncomfortable.
Lathreda nodded but said nothing more. While Lumen paid for a night's lodging, the half-elf wandered over to Dark, who had just thanked the elf he had been speaking with and had been about to rejoin them.
"There's goblins about," the bard said. "No major troubles in the area, as far as he's seen."
"Bout what we came up with," added Oliver, he and Seb rejoining the group. "Are we staying the night?" the wizard asked, eyeing Lumen, who was dropping coins into Lathreda's hands.
Bjorn nodded. "Looks like it."
"You seem disappointed, my friend," Sebastian nudged his friend. "You getting taste for the outdoors?"
"Not so much for what may come in the night," Athraite replied grimly.
"Not to worry, Oliwer," Seb answered with a gravitas to match that of his friend. "If it happens again, this time, you will not be alone."