Anna picked up her pack and slung it over her shoulders before looking around the room one last time.

And that’s everything.

She walked out of her room and into the hallway, closing the door behind her, and then waited for the others.

I wonder what’s taking them all so long?

She started to pace back and forth until Barika’s door opened, and the older woman walked out.

“Ready and Raring to go as usual I see,” she said.

“Yeah, I can’t wait to get on the road again,” Anna replied.

“I feel the same, child. There’s something about this city that makes me uneasy,” Barika said.

“I think it’s all the people. It feels more crowded here than anywhere else I’ve ever been,” Anna replied.

“You’re right. Even the dwarven mountain didn’t feel as closed in as this place,” Barika said.

“That’s because you can see over everyone’s head there,” Voekeer said as he walked out of his room.

Barika laughed.

“Could be,” she replied.

The rest of the party walked out of their respective rooms one by one with Elaine being the last of them to exit her room. She looked like she’d slept in her dress once again and yawned as she walked over to join the others.

“Are we eating here or getting something on the way out of the city?” Elaine asked.

“We can eat on the way. I’d like to get as far away from the city as possible before nightfall,” Voekeer replied.

“Works for me,” Elaine said.

They walked down the stairs and then found the innkeeper who was busy getting ready for the day. They gave him their keys and said their goodbyes before leaving the inn.

It was just after sunrise, and while it was still on the cool side, it was definitely warmer than it had been a few weeks before hand.

It’s hard to believe it’s already spring, although, it’s not like they really have winter around here.

She trotted along after her friends as they headed to the city’s northern gate. The fastest route to Therondale was to take the great road north until they reached the city of light, and from there, headed to the east to the wastelands and then to the border. From there, the plan was to travel to Therondale’s capital where they’d take some contracts to replenish their funds before finally heading back to Oldforge.

At least, that’s the plan.

As they neared the northern gate, they stopped at one of the many food shops that could be found on the main street. The imperial capital was like most other human cities when it came to food. It had everything from a lowly street vender selling meat roasted on a portable grill to the finest dining establishments one could image, all open and ready to serve, so long as a person had the right amount of coin that is.

The food shop they were currently patronizing was known as a thermopolium. It was a loan word from old imperial that means a place that sells something hot. The thermopolium had an open front with a large counter that contained huge pots of steaming food.

Behind the counter were a dozen or so young women wearing plain dresses and collars around their necks. The lead tags indicated that the women were slaves, owned by this particular thermopolium, and their sole responsibility was to dish up food for the customers.

The food that the slave women served varied with everything from bread and soup to fruits and even seafood. The party opted for chopped meats and vegetables with a yogurt sauce served on flatbread so they could eat it on the move.

Anna walked up to the counter, handed the slave woman a copper, and told her what she wanted. The woman nodded and then tossed the copper into a large jar that sat behind the counter. She then took one of the large pieces of flat bread from a stack and began to pile generous amounts of meat and vegetables onto it before slathering the yogurt sauce on and handing it over.

“Here you are, miss,” the woman said.

She had a smile on her face, but it was clear that it wasn’t genuine.

Her eyes look empty like Rose’s did when we first met.

Anna took the flatbread.

“Thank you,” she replied.

Once the rest of the party got their food, they left the thermopolium and continued on to the gate. She took a bite of her food as she walked, savoring the wonderful flavor as she chewed.

This would be even better if they didn’t force those poor women to make it. The slaves have got to be the worst part about this city. I mean, I know they have slaves in Therondale, but at least there they work at farms so I don’t have to see them. Here, everyone seems to own a slave or two, they make them do everything, and they’re really mean to them, even in public.

She gobbled down her food before licking her fingers clean and wiping them off on her dress. They reached the northern gate an hour later and paused at a shrine to the traveling god that had been set up nearby. After making an offering and saying a prayer, they made their way through the gate and onto the huge road that lay on the other side.

You know, after visiting Boulderfist Mountain and the great trade city, walls and gates built by humans don’t seem all that impressive to me anymore.

She glanced around at the scenery outside of the walls. This was the first time she’d been outside of the city, and while the others had described the landscape as best as they could, nothing compared to her own eyes.

The area surrounding the city had been cleared for what looked to be at least half a mile in every direction. Beyond that were fields that had been recently plowed and most likely been sown with the seeds that would yield this year’s harvest.

You know, this place kind of looks like the grasslands, sort of. I mean, it will, when the crops go in, it will.

She glanced over her shoulder for a moment, looking at the city behind her, before turning back to the road.

Though the imperial capital doesn’t look anything like the trade city, and the road is way nicer here than the one there, and there are more rivers and streams and… you know what? I guess it’s not really like the grasslands after all.

As they made their way north, the city slowly faded into the distance. By the time the sun had reached its zenith, it was little more than a vague blur on the horizon. They stepped off the road, and she took off her pack, opening it.

“Alright, I got smoked sausage, jerky, and dried fruit. So, who wants what?” she asked.

“I’ll take a sausage!” Lyreen replied.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Yeah, I know,” Anna said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lyreen asked.

“You always want the smoked sausages when I have them. So does everyone else. That’s why I filled my pack with them. Honestly, the only reason I brought the other stuff is because I know we all like to change things up every once in a while,” Anna replied.

“Oh,” Lyreen said.

Anna handed her one of the sausages. The elf took it with a sheepish look on her face.

“What did you think I meant?” Anna asked.

“Nothing. I was just asking,” Lyreen replied.

“Bah! She thought you were giving her shit for liking cock so much,” Thokri added.

“No, that’s not it! I don’t like cocks any more than normal or anything! I just thought you were being rude!” Lyreen said.

“Why would you think I was being rude?” Anna asked.

“Because you’re always making nasty sex jokes!” Lyreen replied.

“Sorry,” Anna said.

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” Lyreen asked.

“What else is there? It’s not like I can change what happened. All I can do is tell you I’m sorry and that I won’t tease you anymore,” Anna replied.

“You do that!” Lyreen said.

She turned and walked away a few steps before she began devouring the sausage she’d received. Voekeer walked up next with an apologetic look on his face.

“I’d like a sausage too, please,” he said.

She handed him one.

“Here you go,” she replied.

“Thanks,” he said.

He went to join Lyreen. Elaine walked up to her, glaring at the elves for a moment before turning her attention to Anna.

“You don’t have to put up with her shit,” she said.

“I don’t mind,” Anna replied.

“Are you feeling alright?” Elaine asked.

“I feel the same as I always do,” Anna replied.

“You seem kind of off,” Elaine said.

“How so?” Anna asked.

“You’ve been quiet lately, and, I don’t know, agreeable I guess,” Elaine replied.

“Really?” Anna asked.

“Yeah,” Elaine replied.

“I guess I’ve just had a lot on my mind,” Anna said.

“Want to talk about it?” Elaine asked.

“Not particularly,” Anna replied.

“Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know,” Elaine said.

“I will,” Anna replied.

She handed Elaine a sausage, and the necromancer stepped to the side allowing Thokri to walk up.

“I’ll have some jerky, lass,” he said.

“Sure thing,” Anna replied.

Anna opened the jerky bag and a pungent smell wafted out.

“What kind of jerky is that?” Barika asked.

“It’s beef, but it’s been seasoned with dwarven spices,” Anna replied.

“Well that explains the smell,” Elaine added.

“I’d like a piece of that as well, child,” Barika said.

“Okay,” Anna replied.

She passed Thokri and Barika some of the jerky. Rose walked up and pointed at the sausage Elaine was eating.

“You want one?” Anna asked.

Rose nodded. Anna handed her a sausage which she took and held up in thanks.

Once her friends had their lunch, she took a few pieces of dried fruit from her pack before closing it up and putting it back over her shoulders. She ate the dried fruit and watched as other travelers passed by.

I wonder where they’re going, and what they’ll do when they get there?

She finished her makeshift lunch and then took a drink from her canteen, one of the few pieces of gear she’d decided to replace. It was warm and had a vaguely metallic taste to it.

Gross! I wish normal people didn’t have to drink so much of this stuff.

She took another sip and then put the canteen back in its pouch. The others finished soon after, and they got back on the road.

They continued walking until nightfall before they stopped at one of the many roadside inns along the route. This one was different than most, looking as if it had been built right along with the road with the path leading to it being made from the same stone.

The inn was clearly ancient, at least part of it was. Numerous additions had been made to the structure over the centuries with at least a few of them being within the last few years. The front door was made from thick planks of weathered wood, she assumed it was oak, that was held together by broad iron strips. The handle was made from iron as well and had been worn smooth from decades of use.

Voekeer put his hand on the polished metal and turned it. The mechanism was so worn that that handle wiggled up and down as it rotated though it didn’t stop the bar on the other side of the door from lifting out of the way allowing Voekeer to pull it open.

The smell of smoke and unwashed bodies rolled past them as they walked into the inn. The inside was plain and undecorated with bare stone floors, white plaster walls, and simple iron lamps hanging from the roughly hewn beams that held up the ceiling. Despite the humbleness of the place, it was filled with travelers, though there wasn’t anywhere else to stay for miles so that probably had something to do with it.

Servers of both genders wearing brown clothing made from a cloth that looked as if it had been intended for use in vegetable sacks were rushing around the room carrying trays filled with food and drink to the many tables. One of the servers noticed the party and gestured to an empty table. They walked to the table and sat down.

The moment they’d taken their seats, a thin young man walked over. He was average-looking with short hair and was wearing the same poor-quality clothing as the other servers. He also wore a leather cord around his neck with a lead tag attached to it like the slaves in the capital often did.

Well, that explains the shitty cloth.

“The rooms are five copper a night. You get one meal and a boot in the ass first thing in the morning. So, how many do you want?” he asked.

They looked at each other for a moment before looking back at the server.

“Six,” Voekeer said.

“Great, now then, I’d suggest you get the stew, not that it’s any good. It’s just the only thing we have,” the server replied.

The party looked at each other again. She could see the growing confusion on her friends’ faces.

“I guess we’ll have the stew,” Voekeer said.

“Excellent! Now then, you have a choice of sour watered-down wine and a yellow piss-like substance that the owner claims is ale, though I’m fairly sure he’s just filling the barrels in the barn,” the server replied.

She smirked for a moment and then burst into laughter. She laughed and laughed, nearly falling out of her chair. Thokri grabbed onto her arm and pulled her upright.

“It wasn’t that funny,” the server said.

She sat up and took a breath.

“First time I’ve ever heard a place admit to serving horse piss,” she replied.

He grinned at her.

“I never said it was horse piss,” he said.

She laughed again and then took five copper coins from her coin pouch and held them out.

“I’ll take the stew and the wine,” she said.

He took the coins.

“A fine choice. Now then, what will the rest of you be having?” he asked.

“I’ll have the same thing, lad,” Thokri added.

“Me too,” Elaine said.

“Same for me,” Barika said.

The rest of the party ordered wine and stew as well, each paying the server. He pocketed the coins and turned to walk away.

“Wait!” Anna said.

He turned to face the table again.

“What’s you’re name?” she asked.

“Gregory,” he replied.

She pulled another coin from her coin pouch and flicked it to him, he caught the coin mid-air and looked down at it, clearly surprised by what he saw.

“Well Gregry, how about you make sure I get a big chunk of meat in my bowl,” she said.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re stuffed full of meat tonight,” he replied.

“You promise?” she asked.

“Anything for a lady,” he replied.

He bowed and then turned and walked away.

“Anna, what are you doing?” Lyreen asked.

“He made me laugh,” she replied.

“And that was worth a silver?” Lyreen asked.

“It’s been a long time since I really laughed, so yes, it was,” Anna replied.

“But you laugh all the time!” Lyreen said.

“You really don’t pay attention to me, do you?” Anna asked.

“Of course I do! Why would you ask that?” Lyreen replied.

“Really, so when’s the last time I laughed?” Anna asked.

“I don’t know! Not everyone can remember everything that happens like you!” Lyreen replied.

“Fine, then can you at least tell me when the last time I said something rude to you was? I mean, it was worth biting my head off at lunch over, so you have to remember that!” Anna said.

Lyreen hesitated.

“Uh, well, you do it all the time, alright?” she replied.

“The last time was when I told you your butt looked huge when you were bent over the rail of The Potent Puffin,” Anna said.

Lyreen frowned.

“No, I’m sure you said something since then,” she replied.

Anna shook her head no.

“I haven’t joked around with anyone since I got back,” she said.

A flash of confusion crossed Lyreen’s face.

“You haven’t?” she asked.

“Nope, not once. In fact, everyone else has asked me if I’m alright a few times already,” Anna replied.

“They did?” Lyreen asked.

She looked around the table, and the rest of the party nodded one by one.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” she asked.

“I thought you knew,” Voekeer replied.

“I didn’t,” Lyreen said.

She looked down at the table for a moment and then up at Anna.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“It’s fine,” Anna replied.

“No, it isn’t! I should have noticed! I’m your friend!” Lyreen said.

“Even if you did, I would have just blown you off like I did with everyone else, so don’t worry about it,” Anna replied.

Lyreen nodded and then smiled.

“So, does this mean you’re feeling better?” she asked.

“No, I mean I don’t feel bad anymore. Now, I just don’t feel anything,” Anna replied.

“What do you mean you don’t feel anything?” Elaine asked.

“Well, I used to feel happy and excited all the time, but after I got lost, I felt like everyone hated me, and then when I got back, I felt nervous and worried all the time. And now, well, I don’t feel anything. I’m just here,” Anna replied.

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner, child?” Barika asked.

“I didn’t want to worry everyone. I mean, it’s not like anyone can change the way I feel,” Anna replied.

“Perhaps, but we could have helped ease your mind, even if it was only a little,” Barika said.

“I know, but I was right. All I needed was time. I’m sure I’ll be back to my old self in a few more months,” Anna replied.

“If you find yourself feeling anxious or any other way you’re not sure about, just tell one of us,” Barika said.

“I will,” Anna replied.

Barika smiled at her, and she smiled back. After a moment, she looked away and glanced around the room, searching for Gregory.

He should have been back by now.