The day had finally come for Hugh Tathel. Today, a little over two weeks after his twenty-first birthday, he was on his way to claim his inheritance, accompanied by his younger sister, Jesslyn. The two grew up in Waterdeep with their parents, who originally lived farther north as count and countess. Hugh was delighted by the stories that his father told him of when the Tathels lived as nobles in Corlinn Hill, located outside of Neverwinter. However, disaster struck when a volcano erupted, destroying much of the region and wiping Corlinn Hill off of any maps, with Hugh's parents escaping with only enough gold to buy their home in Waterdeep. Still, his parents always did say that they would return one day to claim their land and titles.

Their father was killed when they were young, killed in battle after joining Waterdeep's military to fight in a conflict against a horde of orcs. Their mother passed away from illness only three years ago. Hugh took on various odd jobs throughout the city along with his apprenticeship to a blacksmith to keep making money, both to fund Jesslyn's education in the ways of magic and to save up to return to his family's holdings in the north. Jesslyn always laughed at the idea of returning home, saying that they had nothing worth returning to. Hugh wasn't ready to give up on his dream so quickly. He even wrote to officials in Neverwinter, which was rebuilding over the course of years, about claiming his title. It was just a matter of returning to the city to make it official.

With enough money raised, Hugh made preparations for the journey with Jesslyn agreeing to come with him. The Tathels traveled by a cart pulled by a horse toward Neverwinter as part of a larger caravan. A teamster handled the reins with two men serving as guards. Of course, Hugh was more than capable of serving as a protector. He had experience working as a fighter before and trained with different weapons under the tutelage of his father's friends. With his warpick and shield in hand, a light crossbow and quiver holstered over his back, and his bulky frame covered in chain mail, he was ready for battle.

At first glance, it was hard to tell that Hugh and Jesslyn were siblings with how different they looked. Hugh stood a foot and a half taller over his younger sister, who was slim, wore plain traveling clothes with a blue cloak over her back and head, and a dagger on her belt, which contained her spellbook, arcane focus, and component pouches. Her skin was more pale to her brother, as she stayed indoors to study the arcane. Yet, when her cloak's hood is lowered, some similarities are revealed. They both have green eyes and long brown hair, although Jesslyn's was longer while Hugh had grown a small beard. The differences hardly mattered to Hugh, who always looked out for his family.

It was midday when the city of Neverwinter was finally in sight. Hugh pointed out the upcoming walls to Jesslyn, who shrugged and continued reading one of the books she brought along with her from Waterdeep. Soon, the cart stopped in front of Neverwinter's south gate, where Hugh paid the teamster and the guards the gold for services required. Getting through into the city was simple enough for the siblings, with Jesslyn putting her book away.

"We've arrived," she stated neutrally, giving the street a quick glance. "Where to now?"

"There's a courthouse in the Protector's Enclave," Hugh said, reaching into his backpack to pull out a letter. "A judge there can recognize our claim and handle the paperwork and other business."

"Surely, you don't think about going in… that," Jesslyn motioned to his armor before settling her gaze on his weapons on his back.

"What's wrong with my armor and weapons?" Hugh asked. "It's not like we ever cared about people who had those on in Waterdeep."

"We're in Neverwinter, not Waterdeep," Jesslyn sighed. "I'm just saying now might be a good time to change into the clothes you carry. We can get an inn room and then head to the judge. No bandits will try to attack us."

"Or we can go to the judge now, get the paperwork, and then head to the inn."

"If you're insistent on it, I suppose."

Hugh gave Jesslyn a quick nod and led the way to the Protector's Enclave, asking for directions from a nearby guard. Jesslyn was right about Neverwinter and Waterdeep being two different cities. The buildings looked newer and the people gave Hugh odd glances. Still, when remembering that Neverwinter was ravaged by a volcano eruption, it made sense. All that mattered to Hugh was getting to the courthouse.

The courthouse did remind the siblings of those within Waterdeep, and securing a meeting with a judge was easy enough. Judge Buresti was an elderly elven man who wore dark green robes with wide oval glasses resting on his crooked nose. He looked over the letters that Hugh sent while the two siblings sat in front of his desk in his office. Hugh sat awkwardly, his weapons pressed against the seat's back while Jesslyn kept her hands on her lap and remained stoic. The judge pressed his glasses to his head as he took out a quill.

"It seems everything is in order," Judge Buresti said. "And just for confirmation, you do want Corlinn Hill, yes?"

"That's right," Hugh nodded.

"The Corlinn Hill that was destroyed when Mount Hotenow erupted?"

"That's the one."

"The Corlinn Hill that no one has bothered rebuilding or settling in since then?"

"Ayep."

The judge paused, then signed his name on a parchment before pushing it forward. "Sign here." Hugh signed his name quickly with the offered quill. "Congratulations, Count Tathel. That settles it. This parchment recognizes you as nobility. That is all."

"Thank you very much!"

Hugh reached over to shake hands with Judge Buresti, then stood up alongside Jesslyn to leave his office and the courthouse. Hugh couldn't help but grin as he looked over the scroll. The words were a bit fancy and long to him but it was the meaning that mattered. This document gave him everything his parents had, something that they would have passed down to him if it weren't for a volcano's eruption. If only they were around to see where he was now.

Jesslyn turned to face her brother once they were out on the street. "So, you've received your land and title. But right now, your land has not recovered from Mount Hotenow, which makes your title meaningless. So, what's your plan to amend this?"

"Well, I was hoping at this point, I'd have met with the Lord-Protector to discuss what needs to be done to get Corlinn Hill up and running."

"Seeing as how we have nothing to offer him, that's not going to work. We'll have to pay out of pocket. So, how much gold do you have left?"

"Ten gold," Hugh answered bluntly with Jesslyn's eyes going wide. "Nine and some silver once we pay for a room and food too."

"We've traveled all this way to claim our parent's land and you're telling me that we are basically stranded?"

"I wouldn't say we're stranded. We have Corlinn Hill."

"Which was destroyed!" Jesslyn snapped. "We do not have enough gold to get anything done with it. Each night we stay in Neverwinter is another night we lose coin until we have nothing left. I came with you without question because I thought you had a serious plan. This was your dream so I thought that you would put effort into it."

Hugh looked down at the ground and shuffled his feet. "I'm sorry, Jess. I didn't mean to drag you out all this way. I just thought that we could make a future here. A new home."

Jesslyn remained silent for several seconds before sighing. "I was out of line. You meant well but you have to know that Waterdeep is our home, not Neverwinter or Corlinn Hill. We have a good thing going there. With another year or two of studying, I could become a scribe at Blackstaff Tower. And you have that smithing apprenticeship to finish. You could open your own shop."

"I just never thought smithing was for me," Hugh admitted. "I'm good at it, sure, but do I want to do it for the rest of my life?"

"How about you sign up with the City Watch or a mercenary company?" Jesslyn offered. "You're good in a fight."

"I want to do more, Jess. It's just not fair that everything our parents had was taken away from them when they didn't do anything wrong. Why would that happen to good people like them?"

Jesslyn slowly shrugged. "I don't know. I just want to find a way back to Waterdeep."

Hugh slowly nodded and looked back up. "I can do that. I managed to get us here, I can find a way to get us back home."

"Thank you," Jesslyn smiled. "I'm sorry for being harsh with you again. You mean well."

"Let's just rest up for a night. I'll start thinking of what I can do."

The Driftwood Tavern was rather expensive and elite for Hugh, and Jesslyn certainly wouldn't approve of how much the rooms and meals cost if she found out. Hugh figured it was only a matter of time until she found out. Jesslyn was distracted when she found out that the Driftwood Tavern doubled as a museum for the history of Neverwinter (which, while it was costly, she paid out of her own pocket). Hugh was left to spend the rest of his gold on a single room with two beds and dinner for later tonight.

After spending most of his gold getting to Neverwinter, Hugh was now broke.

That was not enough to shake Hugh's optimism though. He never had trouble finding work in Waterdeep, so he expected to find work in Neverwinter. He had muscle for heavy lifting, the mindset to take care of menial tasks, and the experience with weapons for more dangerous jobs. It was just a matter of finding the right job, something that pays well enough to make up for the coin spent at the Driftwood Tavern so Jesslyn wouldn't get mad at him.

There were boards of job offers in different parts of the city. The jobs pay well but there had to be more out there. He needed something meaningful if he was to succeed with his task. Thankfully, Hugh's patience paid off. At one quest board, he found a potential job to escort a supply wagon for gold. It did not say where or when, but if the job took them south, that would get him and his sister to Waterdeep. With this in mind, Hugh followed the address to consult with Gundren Rockseeker, who is offering the work.

Hugh arrived at the address, a small house where a man in armor was tending to two horses outside. He had short gray hair and a longsword at his side. Hugh thought that he was a knight, which made the offer all the more exciting. Leave it to a count to work with a knight. Hugh stepped up to the knight, who turned, revealing blue eyes and a slightly wrinkled face.

"Good day, sir!" Hugh greeted. "Are you Gundren Rockseeker?"

"He's inside," the man answered. "He's just had a long day of finishing his business in Neverwinter and we have a long journey ahead of us to make up for lost time."

"Is it about the supply wagon?" Hugh asked. "I'm here to apply for the position."

"You'll have to forgive me for missing that poster, wherever you found it. We have everyone we need for the job."

The door to the house opened, and stepping outside was a dwarf. He was short with an eager smile and glint in his green eyes. His face was covered with a long brown beard that fell down to his chest with his head shaved. His clothes looked well enough, as if he ran his own shop or traveled as a merchant. He looked over to Hugh and the elderly knight and gave a quick wave.

"Good day!" the dwarf greeted. "Who's the lad with you, Sildar?"

"Hugh Tathel," he introduced before the knight, Sildar, could. "Are you Gundren Rockseeker?"

"Indeed I am," the dwarf nodded. "How can I help you?"

"I saw your job offer but Sildar was telling me that it was all filled. But I can pull my own weight with this job."

"It sure looks like you can," Gundren agreed. "It's an easy job as well. Why do you want it?"

"I may have made a mistake and dragged myself and my sister far away from our home. She wants to go back. If you need your wagon to go south, we can get it there."

"Is your sister as strong as you seem to be?"

"No. She doesn't have any muscles, but she's a lot smarter than me. She studies as a wizard."

"A wizard!" Gundren exclaimed. "We could certainly use one of those on the wagon, wouldn't you agree, Sildar?"

"We have three recruits capable of casting spells as it is," Sildar reminded Gundren.

"Aye, but they're not wizards, and this lad looks like he can take and throw a hit. The others could use someone like him to keep 'em safe."

"I can keep any enemy back, and then, my sister and the others can cast spells safely," Hugh suggested.

"Perfect!" Gundren clapped his hands. "Your hired, the both of you. It's an easy job. I just need you to work with some others to deliver a cart of supplies to Phandalin. Drop it off at Barthen's Provisions. The owner's a friend and will pay you and your sister ten gold each."

"Phandalin's south, right?"

"Three days south," Sildar answered. "Two days spent on the High Road. By the third day, you'll turn east on the Triboar Trail. There'll be a sign that tells you when to turn south again."

"This is perfect," Hugh grinned. "How can I ever thank you?"

"You can thank me by getting the job done. And once you arrive in Phandalin, I'll buy you a drink. Sildar and I are heading that way today and will meet you there."

"Where do I need to go tomorrow?"

"The south gate. I'll let the man I have watching the wagon know that he has to wait for you and your sister to arrive before giving the reins over to the others. Get there early."

"I will!" Hugh nodded confidently. "Have a safe journey!"

Hugh gave a quick wave to Sildar and Gundren, then headed off to the Driftwood Tavern, leaving the two to tend to their horses. He couldn't wait to tell Jesslyn the good news. Not only was he able to find a job to double the amount of gold he had spent at the Driftwood Tavern but he was able to make progress in returning to Waterdeep. It was a simple enough job. They just had to keep finding work that took them south and they would be back to Waterdeep in no time.

Author Notes: Quite honestly, I'm surprised to have published this. It was always my intention to write Lost Mines of Phandelver as a fanfic like with Tyranny of Dragons, but it was intended to come out later. Rewriting some of my notes for my series has led me to find a way to tie in the characters of Lost Mine into the grander scheme of things. And then the next thing I knew, I spent an entire day writing this, so no going back now.

As usual, I tend to do a how the party gets together before diving into the story. That will continue next time. If you like the story, feel free to leave it with a like, and if you feel like it, you can leave a review as well.

Until next time.