I take a drink as she offers the
platter of bread and cheese, the beer that was set out is better than
the stuff being served at the counter. The bread and cheese only
compliment it. I need to calm down, I can't see what she is trying to
get at. She looks pleased about something, though. Does she expect me
to just start telling her of every retreat now that she'd pulled that
out of me?
“Why?”
“Hm?”
“Why bother
talking to me about this? I was thinking that you were pulling me
along to tell you more, give you something to work with, tell you
some stories that you could blow out of proportion. But you haven't
asked me to tell you anything. Clearly you already know what you need
to, so why?”
“Fine, I'll give
you a little to ease your mind,” she coos in sympathy and purses
her lips, “There's something that makes a good bard a great bard,
and that would be knowing people. There's a big difference between
knowing about someone and knowing someone. Our little exchange
is letting me get to know you. That's really all I have to
tell you on the matter, I can't let you in on all the bardic secrets,
now.” Her stress on the word 'know' and her smirk at the end...
“There are
about to be a lot more stories about me circulating around, aren't
there?” I should probably get going, I don't need her getting
more out of me than she already has, whatever that might be. I begin
to stand.
“It depends, you
are very interesting, but there are also others. Knowing what to put
into verse is the other part of being a bard, and I still have a lot
to sort through when it comes to you. It'll be fun to find out where
you go from here,” she stands almost in synch with me, “While it
isn't my place to interfere much in your story, I will leave you with
a few words of advice. Take care of yourself, you aren't in The
Emerald Dragons right now, you don't have a medic around to patch up
your scratches, you do get scratches now and again, right? I would
suggest Dimner Glamerfont's Goods, right across the way from
Dartac's, he sells some fairly potent healing poultices at a fair
price. Wouldn't want your story cut short by an infected scratch in
the woods, now, that wouldn't be very heroic at all... Well now, I
will bid you good night.” She leaves the back room, patting my
shoulder as she passes. I decide to sit again and have a bit more to
drink before following.
The house is full
tonight, the innkeep doesn't have a spare room without windows. Some
merchants from the west paid extra for the ones he already had. Well
I guess I'll be staying vigilant, tonight.
He asks for that
story again, but I really have nothing to follow that up with. He
understands, and Donja is starting up a song of the ancient Bijaucian
Empire as I leave the counter.
I lock the window
and sit down holding my sword, whetting the blade to stave off sleep.
My body has other plans...
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