“What do you want?” Elaine asked as she stood up. She glared at the man.

“I wanted to see my baby sister, that’s all. It has been five years since you ran off without so much as a word,” Richard replied. Elaine’s face flashed with anger.

“I ran away because of you!” she said.

“It wasn’t my choice!” Richard replied.

“So, where’s this wife of yours?” Elaine asked. Richard sighed.

“I didn’t get married,” he replied.

“What do you mean you didn’t get married?!” Elaine demanded.

“When her family found out how much debt we were in, they called it off,” Richard said. Elaine just looked at him as tears started to stream down her face.

“You mean everything I went though was for nothing!” Elaine said.

Richard swept around the table and pulled her into a hug. He made shushing sounds, and he hugged her.

“We never stopped looking for you,” he said.

Bruno walked over to the table and dropped a huge bag of coins right in the middle.

“Here’s the pay for the crossroads,” he said. He paused and looked at Elaine and her brother expectantly.

“Thanks, lad,” Thokri said. Bruno shrugged and walked away.

Must want to know what’s going on.

Anna wasn’t sure what was going on or why Elaine was crying. She was going to toss the man over the wall until he hugged Elaine and comforted her.

I’ll ask Barika about it later.

She didn’t want to get yelled at for being weird again. She reached over, opened the bag of coins, and fished out five full rounds. Richard nearly fell over when he saw them.

Elaine smiled at him. “Five of those are mine for fighting a goblin army at the crossroads,” she said.

“That was you?” he asked.

“It was all of us,” Elaine replied.

“It was mostly her, child,” Barika said.

“Aye, them zombies she raised made quick work of the goblins,” Thokri replied.

“I’ll have to tell mother she was wrong,” Richard said.

“Why?” Elaine asked.

“She was certain you’d come back with a baby in your arms and a sad story about a man who swept you off your feet only to disappear one night,” Richard replied. Elaine laughed.

“Oh gods, she knows me so well. There was a man, and I was smitten, but I’m a necromancer, so no babies for me. He just robbed me blind and ran off one night just like mother said,” Elaine said.

They both sat down.

“So, tell me what happened to you the last five years?” Richard asked.

“We’re going to need a few drinks for that,” Elaine replied. She waved the barmaid over and got a few ales for everyone.

Elaine told her bother about the wild adventure she’d been on since running away. The only part he seemed upset about was the incident with Lord Ender. He took a drink of his third ale and looked off into the distance for a moment.

“I think we’ll leave out the part about you almost getting executed when we tell mother,” he said.

“That’s for the best,” Elaine replied.

“You’re not coming home, are you?” he asked.

“No,” Elaine replied. Richard sighed.

“I didn’t think so after hearing what happened,” Richard said.

“After everything I’ve done, I’d just bring shame to our family,” Elaine replied. Richard looked at her.

“No, you wouldn’t,” he said. Elaine smiled.

“Trust me. I’m not a lady anymore,” she replied. Richard laughed.

“You were never much of one to begin with,” Richard said. Elaine laughed.

“I guess you’re right,” she replied.

“You can’t imagine how happy mother and father were when you went off to the academy. Mother was worried about finding a husband for you,” Richard said.

“Really? I didn’t think I was that bad,” Elaine replied.

“Not that bad you say? What about that boy you lit on fire when you were thirteen?” Richard asked.

“He had it coming,” Elaine replied.

“Did he now?” Richard asked.

“Yes, he did. The little shit told me I’d be pretty if I put a bag on my head,” Elaine replied.

“I’d have lit him on fire, too,” Lyreen said. Richard shook his head.

“That damned fool went off to join the army. He’s a lieutenant now,” he said. Elaine sighed.

“Everything’s different now, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Not everything,” Richard replied.

“So, how did you find me? I mean, you didn’t know about the crossroads,” Elaine said.

“Your name popped up on the licensed necromancer rolls a few months ago. The closest city was Oldforge, so I paid the guilds to keep an eye out for your name. As soon as you joined up, I knew. I used the excuse of going to the duke’s ball to come here,” Richard replied.

“Why would you need an excuse to see your sister?” Anna asked.

“The cost. As much as we all wanted to see you again, we can’t afford to travel all the way across the kingdom. But the chance to win favor with the queen is worth it,” Richard said.

That still doesn't make any sense.

Elaine smiled at her. “Our family borrowed a lot of money from powerful people. If it looks like we are wasting it, they could take everything from us,” she said.

She said us.

“That’s right. We were going to send a letter and hope it reached you in time, but then this came up,” Richard replied.

“Well, it has been good to see you, but I’m afraid we are about to go back out soon,” Elaine said. Richard nodded.

“I understand. Before you go, would you like to join me at the ball? It would be nice to have a friendly face there. I’m sure we could get your companions in as well,” Richard said.

Elaine looked at the rest of the party.

“No thanks,” Voekeer said. Lyreen shook her head no as well.

“Not one for human parties, lass,” Thokri said.

“I’d rather not, child,” Barika said.

“I’ll go,” Anna said. Elaine grinned at her.

“Looks like we’ll need some dresses,” she said.

“Uh, can we not go back to that elf woman?” Anna asked.

“Oh, gods no. I’d never go there again,” Elaine replied.

The elf woman had hounded all of them when they returned to her shop asking if Lyreen and Voekeer had written home.

“There’s a merchant in the noble’s district that is handling anything needed for the ball. I’ll take you there if you’d like?” Richard asked.

“Yes, that would be perfect,” Elaine replied. Richard stood up.

“We’d better get going. I’m sure the dress maker is quite busy, and we only have a week before the ball,” Richard said. Elaine stood up, and so did Anna. “It may be best for you to stay with me in the noble’s district until the ball. Is that alright?” Richard asked.

“Yes,” Elaine replied. Anna just smiled.

“Get us a contract to kill something huge,” Anna said.

“I’ll find the biggest meanest monster on the board for you child,” Barika replied.

“Thanks,” Anna said.

A small carriage waited for them outside of the guild hall. It was white with silver trim and large glass windows all the way around. There were curtains blocking the view of the inside. Two black horses were harnessed to the front, and an old man in nice clothing sat on the driver seat. He smiled when he saw Elaine.

“Miss Elaine, it’s good to see you again,” the man said.

“It’s good to see you too, Edgar,” Elaine replied. Richard opened the carriage door and helped them both in before taking a seat across from them.

“How bad is it?” Elaine asked.

“Bad, father borrowed money to invest in some business ventures. None of them worked out. We’ve been selling everything we can just to pay them back,” Richard replied.

“Gods, why did mom let him do that?” Elaine asked.

“You know how he is,” Richard replied.

“How much do you owe?” Anna asked. Richard gave her a look.

“It’s alright. She did save my life. I trust her completely,” Elaine said.

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“Fifty full rounds,” Richard said.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?” Elaine replied. Richard winced.

“Please, calm down?” Richard asked.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID HE DO? BUY A WHORE HOUSE FILLED WITH MOON ELF SLAVE GIRLS?!” Elaine replied. Richard made a face.

“Please sister, try not to shout, and no. If he bought a high-end whore house, we wouldn’t be broke,” he said. Elaine took a breath and chuckled.

“I suppose mother would have killed him if he did that,” Elaine replied.

“Only if he sampled the goods,” Richard said.

“I think Victoria would kill him before mom got to him if he did that,” Elaine replied.

“Most likely,” Richard said.

I wanna see a naked moon elf, and who is Victoria, and why would she kill Elaine’s dad for sampling elf girls, and what does that mean anyway? Are they talking about sex? That must be it. That’s the only reason why she’d kill him. Unless he eats them. Do humans eat moon elves?

Anna was as confused as ever at the moment but decided not to say anything not wanting to interrupt her friend’s reunion with her brother.

Anna opened the curtain some to look outside. She wanted to let the siblings talk about their family’s woes and all the things that had happened while Elaine was gone. Anna watched as they made their way out of the merchant’s district. The nobles’ district was inside another wall. They stopped at the inner gate, and after a moment, were let inside.

Anna was glued to the window as they rode down the street. She’d never seen anything like this before. The streets were completely clean and smooth. They were made from smooth stones that were tightly fitted together. Not only that, but there were raised paths on either side of the street where people were walking.

Oh, that’s so they don’t step in horseshit.

There weren’t many people walking on the paths. The ones that were, were dressed well, but more like Edgar than Richard. She assumed they were just servants.

The carriage stopped in front of a large building that Anna had thought was a house. A man opened the carriage door and help her and Elaine out.

It doesn’t smell like shit here.

Anna’s poor nose had been assailed ever since she stepped foot in this city. She took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. Elaine looked like she wanted to ask a question but didn’t because they were surrounded by men who Anna assumed were servants, or whatever you called people who worked at a fancy dressmaker’s shop.

They were led into the shop by the men, and she heard the carriage pull away.

Wonder where he’s going?

It didn’t really matter. She hadn’t brought anything but her belt which was around her waist, so she could always just walk home.

They entered the building through a large set of doors. These were opened by the men that led them there. When they walked inside, she noticed women in groups chatting with each other. There was one group of men as well. They were ignoring the women around them and were off to one side.

A woman dressed differently than the other women walked over and then dipped down. When she stood back up, she looked at Richard.

“How my I help you, my lord?” she asked.

“My sister and her friend need dresses suitable for the ball,” Richard replied.

The woman looked them over and then looked like she’d smelled something bad. “I’ll see what we can do,” she said.

Anna sniffed herself to make sure she didn’t stink.

I still smell like flowers and bacon. Maybe she doesn’t like bacon?

The woman looked at her oddly for a moment. Anna just smiled at her which seemed to confuse the woman.

“Please wait over there, my lord,” the woman said, pointing at the gaggle of men. Richard nodded then walked over. The men greeted him, and they all started talking like old friends.

More man stuff.

They followed the woman into another room where they took seats. A fat woman walked in. She was dressed in the prettiest dress Anna had ever seen. It was poofy and made of shiny cloth, not magic, just shiny. There were also little gems stitched to it here and there. Elaine stood up and did the dip thing like the servant had.

“My lady,” Elaine said.

Anna didn’t bother getting up. Her friends had explained classes and nobles and all of that, but she didn’t really care. The woman looked Elaine over.

“Will you be covering your tattoos?” she asked.

“No, ma’am,” Elaine replied.

“Any color preferences?” the woman asked.

“Black,” Elaine replied.

“Are you trying to look like a villain?” Anna asked.

“Shut up, you,” Elaine replied. The fat woman chuckled.

“Don’t worry dear, she’ll look mysterious, not villainous, when I’m through with her,” the woman said.

She walked over to Anna. “Let me get a look at you,” she said. Anna stood up, and the woman looked her over. She pinched Anna on the side of her ribs. “No corset, and you’re quite thin,” she said. Anna didn’t think she was really talking to her.

The woman looked right at her. “Strip,” she said. Anna started to take off her belt.

“Wait, why does she need to take off her clothes?” Elaine asked.

“Because I need to see how she’s built so I can get a good picture of how the dress will fit her,” the woman replied.

“Why didn’t you ask Elaine to get naked?” Anna asked.

“No need. There’s a hundred young ladies just like her attending the ball,” the woman replied. A look of shock and disappointment grew on Elaine’s face. “Don’t worry dear, you have other qualities that men will find intriguing,” the woman added.

Anna pulled her dress off and tossed it on the chair she’d been sitting on. The woman looked her over again, pinching her in a few places.

“Put your arms up,” the woman said. Anna did so and the woman nodded. “Put them down and then lean forward,” the woman said. She nodded again. “Get dressed,” she said. Anna put her clothes back on.

“Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but how much do you plan on spending?” The woman asked.

I guess we look poor.

Anna reached in her belt pouch and pulled out a hand full of gold coins. She’d traded her full round to the dwarves for its worth in smaller gold and silver coins. The dwarven elder had suggested it one night when they were all drinking at the dwarven tavern.

The woman’s eyes sparkled. “I’ll have the finest gown made, along with a few dresses to wear while you’re out,” she said.

“What’s wrong with the one I’m wearing?” Anna asked.

“It’s not a dress you wear around nobles,” Elaine replied.

“Oh, okay,” Anna said.

“What colors would you prefer?” the woman asked. Anna just shrugged. The woman smiled.

“Would it be acceptable for me to choose?” the woman asked. Anna nodded. “I’ll have a dress delivered for you to wear this evening. The rest will be finished before the ball,” the woman said. Anna handed the woman the coins.

“Is that enough for Elaine?” she asked.

“More than enough,” the woman replied. She rang a bell, and the servant woman came back. The woman whispered something into the servant’s ear.

The servant nodded then led them out of the room. They went to another room and had their measurements taken before being led back out to the front. Instead of stopping and chatting with the women, they went to Richard who was in a deep conversation with an older man with a huge mustache.

“It looks like your ladies have returned, my boy. It was good talking with you. We must do it again some time,” the mustache man said.

“Oh, course my lord,” Richard replied. He bowed slightly and then turned to leave.

Edgar was back with the carriage, seeming to know when they were finished. They got in the carriage and went off to the inn Richard was staying in.

“You look happy,” Elaine said.

“He’s on the war council. Timothy is a lieutenant, and I was hoping to get him a better position in the army,” Richard said.

“Really, little Timmy’s a soldier now?” Elaine asked.

“Yes, and he’s enormous, though we all still call him little Timmy,” Richard replied.

He's only a year younger than her. Must have hit a growth spurt after she left.

Anna watched the streets as they rode to the inn. It was hard to believe this was the same city she’d been living in for the last few weeks.

“Anna, can I borrow some gold from you? I’ll pay you back when we get back to the guild,” Elaine asked. Anna handed Elaine a handful of gold coins.

“You really do trust her, don’t you?” Richard asked.

“Of course I do. I love her,” Anna replied. Richard just looked at her strangely.

“She didn’t mean it like that. Anna doesn’t have a family. She only had us,” Elaine said. Richard looked at her sadly for a moment but didn’t say anything.

They arrived at the inn. It was unlike any inn she’d ever been to before. There were no tables in the main room, nor a bar. Instead, there was a counter and Richard, who had taken some of the gold coins, got them rooms.

“We’ll wait in our rooms until our dresses arrive. Then we’ll get some dinner. Nobles like to dress up for meals, so we can’t go dressed like this,” Elaine said.

Anna nodded. Elaine was the expert here, so she wasn’t going to argue.

I miss the dwarves already.

Their rooms were in different parts of the inn. The whole district was full because of the ball, and they were lucky there were any openings.

We should have just stayed at my house.

Her room was about the size of any other inn she’d been to, but it was furnished better than any of them, with the exception of the carriage stop. She flopped on the bed and buried her face in the big fluffy pillow.

I guess it’s not all bad.

There was a knock on her door.

“You have a package, miss,” a voice said.

Anna opened the door and took the soft bundle. She opened the package and unfolded the dress. It was green and made from a velvety material that was shockingly thin in a few spots.

The waist was thicker, and there was a cord that could be tied in the back. She wasn’t sure why that was there. She undressed and put the new dress on. It was soft and fit her perfectly. She used her tentacles to tie the cord in the back into a nice little bow. She looked herself over in the mirror. The dress was beautiful. She left her room, went to Elaine’s, and knocked on the door.

“It’s me,” Anna said.

Elaine opened the door. She was wearing her underclothes. Her dress was black, of course, and it was laid out on the bed.

“Need help?” Anna asked.

“Yes!” Elaine replied. Anna chuckled and then helped Elaine into her dress. She tied the back tie and then looked at her friend in the mirror. “I guess we should get Richard now,” Elaine said.

After getting Richard, they left the inn and were back in the carriage for the third time that day.

No wonder so many nobles are fat.

They arrived at a small café. At least, that’s what Elaine had called it. It smelled wonderful, but the tables were filled with stuffy looking people. They were led to their own while getting strange looks from the other occupants.

Man, they’re giving Richard the hairy eyeball, aren’t they?

A waiter brought out menus and laid them down.

“We’d like some sweet red wine,” Richard said. Elaine had told him of Anna’s preference on the ride to the café.

“Of course, sir,” the waiter said. He left.

“I’d rather have a mug of ale and a huge plate of roast meat,” Anna said after looking over the menu. She heard a man chuckle behind her. She turned to find a large man wearing nice clothing.

He’s a knight if I’ve ever seen one.

He winked at her, and she smiled. She turned back around and frowned at the menu.

“Want me to order for you again?” Elaine asked.

“Yes please!” Anna replied and put the menu down. Elaine laughed.

“I think rare steaks would be perfect,” she said.

“What’s that?” Anna asked. “A big cut of meat with the outside seared and the inside still pink,” Elaine replied.

“But you got sick the last time you ate raw meat!” Anna said. Elaine shuttered.

“That was different. It’s fine like this,” she replied.

“Why did you eat raw meat?” Richard asked.

“It’s a long story,” Elaine replied.

The waiter returned with the wine and poured three glasses. They all ordered steaks, and the waiter told them they would get bread and butter to eat along with the meal.

I like bread.

To be honest, she liked most things.

The bread in question was fluffy and perfect. The butter was creamy and had salt in it. She ate a whole loaf by herself. She also drank the first bottle of wine right out of the bottle much to Richard’s dismay.

The knight behind her chuckled as she downed it. “Don’t mean to pry, but you really should slow down, miss,” he said.

“It’s fine. I can out drink a dwarf,” Anna replied.

“She really can,” Elaine added.

“Well, if that’s the case, why don’t you try some brandy?” the knight asked.

“What’s that?” Anna asked.

“Expensive,” Richard replied.

“I got plenty of gold from the duke. I can afford it,” Anna said.

“Why did the duke give you gold?” the knight asked.

“We fought off an army of goblins and saved the crossroads town on the frontier,” Anna replied.

“I heard about that. Fine work. The crown appreciates it,” the knight said. Anna grinned at him and then turned back around.

She got a small glass of brandy, it was a whole silver by itself, and she drank it slowly, enjoying the new taste.

“So, what do you think?” Elaine asked.

“I like it,” Anna replied. She didn’t get another glass, not wanting to spend that much on a single drink.

It’s going to cost a lot this week.

She had lots of coin but didn’t really want to spend it all on food.

The steaks were brought to the table on perfect glass plates. There were roast vegetables next to the steak on the plate along with some kind of mashed root.

Oh, I love mashed root!

The steak was really good. It was cooked just enough so that it was juicy without being too chewy. It was seasoned with salt and the black pepper that grew on the islands. There were other kinds of peppers, like the kind the dwarves used, but humans in this part of the world didn’t normally use them in their cooking.

Barika told me about the peppers in the empire. I hope we get to go there soon.

The mashed root was mixed with garlic, which was amazing, and the vegetables had been roasted with fat.

The whole meal was wonderful but cost way too much for what it was. She did get a cupcake for dessert though.

Soooooo good.

She looked at the crumbs on her plate and was tempted to lick it.

Elaine would be mad if I did that.

They left the café and got back into the carriage which was, of course, right where they needed it. Anna watched out the window as the sun set.

“There’s a tournament leading up to the ball. I intend to join it. Would you two care to watch?” Richard asked.

“What’s a tournament?” Anna asked.

“Where men get together and hit each other with swords and lances to see who’s best,” Elaine replied.

“Really?” Anna asked.

“You can’t participate,” Elaine replied.

“Why not?!” Anna asked.

“Only men from noble families can participate,” Elaine replied.

“That’s bullshit,” Anna said.

“We all know you’d win, so what’s the point?” Elaine replied.

“Is she that good with the sword?” Richard asked.

“No, she’s terrible, but she can move faster than you can see and can’t be hurt,” Elaine replied.

“Hey, I’m not that bad!” Anna said.

“You swing them around like some savage with a club,” Elaine replied.

“What’s wrong with that?” Anna asked. Richard just looked horrified.

“Uh, I’ll just attend on my own,” he said. Anna shrugged and looked back out the window.

Why do men get to do all of the fun stuff!

“Don’t worry, I’ll introduce you to some of the ladies staying at the inn. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time this week,” Richard added.

“Oh fun,” Elaine said. She didn’t sound like she thought it was going to be fun.

I should have stayed with the others.