A couple of days after my visit from Hibbs Rootenpaw, Grimmfaith at last announced that I was permitted to leave my room.
"But don't go getting overexcited, now," he said. "You're healing, but you're not all the way there yet."
I was already out of the room and down the hall. "Thank you!" I shouted over my shoulder.
Free at last, I invoked the Spirit of the Wolf and ran as fast as I could through Misty Thicket, toward a hole in the cliff wall I assumed was the entrance to Rivervale. I'd never seen the little town of the halflings. I'd been through it, of course, but I'd been unconscious at the time.
"Hello!" I called to the tiny, masked guards as I whizzed past them. Some tea, I thought, and a muffin--those would fix me up for good, if I could find them. I ran through the tunnel that connected the forest with the town beyond.
I was almost there, when suddenly a horrible noise assaulted me. "Agh!" I clapped my hands over my ears and sank to the ground.
Then someone poked me. I looked up to see a halfling, dressed for market in a dress and cap, holding a basket covered with a checked cloth. She looked puzzled. "Are you all right?" she shouted into my face.
I removed a hand from one ear. The noise was still there. "What..." I pointed in the direction of the sound. "What is it?"
"What is..." said the halfling. Then, her face broke into a grin. "Ah, the band! It's market day, Miss!" She did a little dance. "I'm going to sell these here vegetables and buy me a pie!"
"Agh," I said, wincing as a fresh wave of noise washed over me. Struggling against the pain, I removed my other hand from my ear. "Uhm... thank you," I said, smiling in what I hoped was a polite way.
"Now go on in and enjoy yourself!" she said, "There'll be lots of folks about!" She danced away toward the din. "Goodbye!" She turned around and made a funny little wave.
"Goodbye," I said weakly. Music? I thought, staring after her. It sounded more like the time Stripetail got up on the kitchen counter and knocked over the Sunday dinner. But, determined to enjoy my freedom, I stood up and headed for the town.
The band stood in the middle of the square, surrounded by a little crowd of dancing halflings. I edged away toward a large building that looked like it might be a tavern. If there were muffins and tea to be had in Rivervale, a tavern would be a good place to look.
Ducking a little, I stepped through the door into a warm, wooden room. After more than a week of looking at the inside of a burrow, that wood looked pretty nice. Even better, I couldn't hear the music anymore. I hopped onto a stool at the bar and signaled the innkeeper.
"Tea, please, and a muffin," I said.
"Well, a wood elf!" The innkeeper grinned at me. "We don't get too many of your kind round here." He put a muffin on the bar in front of me. "Course there was that one fella--bad news, he was. Cheated at cards!" He frowned at the ceiling. "Skinny little cuss...drank all the dwarven ale in the house, too! Now, what was his name..."
"I don't play cards," I said quickly, not wanting him to know that Ninian and I were acquainted. "I'm just here for the company. I haven't been well, you see."
"Ah!" The innkeeper began wiping up a small puddle of ale on the bar. "You must be the one been at Grimmfaith's these last two weeks."
"How did you know that?"
He looked up at me and tapped his forehead. "We innkeeps know just about everything," he said. "Stand behind this bar long enough, and you'll know anything you ever wanted to know." He chuckled. "And some things you didn't want to know, too! Hee hee!" He brought me a mug of steaming tea, then moved down to the other end of the bar to help a couple of halflings who'd just walked in.
I sipped some tea and smiled. What good news I had to bring Uncle Zophia! If I could find him, and tell him what Hibbs Rootenpaw had told me, he'd surely be able to cast spells again. Then he and Tinna could go wherever they wanted, instead of cowering in their apartment all day. I didn't know the way back to Freeport, but I was sure I could find someone to take me. It would have to be soon--I didn't want the poor fellow to suffer any longer than he had to.
A tap on the shoulder interrupted me. I turned, but no one was there. Then there was a tap on my other shoulder--but no one was on that side of me either. I put my tea down and turned completely around on the stool. And then, there was a tap on my shoulder again, this time from the other side.
"All right," I said, "Who's the wise guy?"
I heard nothing--and then, a smothered giggle from near the door. "Very funny!" I said, turning back to my tea. The giggle turned into a laugh. The laugh got closer, and then someone, unseen, sat on the stool next to me.
"Okay," I said. "I heard that stool squeak. Now where--" I reached a hand out to touch whomever it was, and the stool toppled over backward onto the floor. Abruptly, a halfling appeared, tangled in the stool's legs. He was dressed in armor that looked light as a willowisp, and just as shiny.
"Ow!" he said as he tried to extract himself. He stood up and replaced the stool at the bar. "That hurt!"
"Well," I said, "The game was up anyway. Now who are you, and why are you tapping me on the shoulder?"
"Fredow," he said. "Fredow Lootlover. And I don't know why I did that. I guess I just like hiding!" He grinned beneath his curling mustache.
"Hi, Fred!" The innkeeper waved at the halfling. "Don't make me root you to the ground again, now."
Fred blushed. "Aw, I'm bored," he said. "And anyway, everyone around here already knows my tricks! It's fun to have someone new to pick on, like--" He turned to me. "What's your name?"
"Gwion," I said. "Glad I could help you."
"What are you doing here, Gwion?" Fred sat on the stool again, but I noticed he scooted it far enough away that I couldn't knock it over.
"Well, that's kind of a long story," I said. "I'm hoping to go back to Freeport in a day or two, but I need a guide."
"Oh, come on," Fred said, puffing out his chest. "That's not far at all! You don't really need a guide, do you?"
I sighed. "Trust me," I said. "I get lost easy."
"I've made that trip at least a hundred times," Fred said, accepting an ale from the innkeeper. "You just have to stick to the path, and don't--"
"I know," I said. "Don't travel at night. I'm not going to forget that one." Then I got an idea. "Say, Fred," I said, "Are you really bored? I mean, you're not doing anything right now, are you?"
"Well," Fred said, "I sort of came in here to play cards, but I don't see any games going right now."
"You wouldn't want to take me back to Freeport, would you?" Hopefully, I smiled at him.
"Why not?" Fred downed the rest of his ale and jumped to the floor. "Let's go!"
"Wait!" I didn't know how to tell Grimmfaith I was leaving. Would he even let me go? I could just hear him grumbling about how I wasn't ready yet. But I was ready. I felt fine. And yet I knew he wouldn't understand.
"What's the matter?" Fred was halfway to the door.
I put some money on the bar to cover my tea and muffin. "Well, I have to talk to someone first," I said.
"Talk to someone? Who?"
I didn't have time to answer, because at that moment, the door swung open and Grimmfaith himself stalked in, looking as annoyed as I'd ever seen him.
"Uhm..." I pointed at Grimmfaith. "Hi," I said.
"Gwion Llewellyn!" Grimmfaith marched over, took me by one ear, and began dragging me toward the door. "Where in nine hells have you been!"
"Ow!" I said. I tried to stand up straight, but his grip on my ear was too tight.
"I told you, you're not ready to leave yet!" continued Grimmfaith, letting go of my ear and grabbing my wrist instead. "You've only just left your room! And here I had to come find you, in the worst tavern in Rivervale, yet!"
"Hey, wait a minute!" said Fred. "What'd she do?" He pointed to me. "It couldn't be that bad. We were just--"
"Oh," Grimmfaith said, "And I suppose you wanted to play cards with her! I know you, Fredow Lootlover!" Grimmfaith let go of me and turned to face Fred. "You just want to take advantage of someone who's been in a sickbed for the last two weeks!"
"Now, now, folks," the innkeeper interrupted. "Let's keep this civil!" He turned to me. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," I said. I turned to Grimmfaith. "Look at me, Grimmfaith, I really am fine. I came here all on my own; I had a muffin, and some tea..."
Grimmfaith stood still. Then he sagged just a little, and sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. "You are all right; I can see that now." He looked at Fred. "And I didn't mean any disrespect, young Lootlover. It's just that..." he shrugged.
"I know," Fred said. "It's all right, Grimmfaith. You take great care of everyone. But Gwion was just telling me she needs to go back to Freeport as soon as she can, and I was just looking for something to do."
Grimmfaith looked at me, worry on his face. "You do need to go," he said. "I was selfish to keep you so long."
"Don't be ridiculous," I said. "Silly Grimmfaith. You saved my life!" I reached down and gave him a big hug. "I don't know how to thank you."
"Hum! You can start by letting me go!" The little cleric squirmed away. "No more of that, now. You'll go as soon as you can, and no arguments! Do you have your things?"
"Yes," I said, pointing to my backpack.
"Well." Grimmfaith opened the door. "What are you waiting for? You have to get to Freeport!"
Fred shot me a look that said we'd better go while we could. I picked up my pack. "Ready, Freddy?"
"Ready!" Fred ran through the door, out into the square.
"May Karana be with you, Gwion Llewellyn," Grimmfaith said.
"And with you." I gave him another hug. That time, he didn't resist. I walked out into the square to find Fred. This time, the undead would have a harder job finding me. I was on my way back to Uncle Zophia.
