The next morning, I awoke with a headache and a woman sitting in the room.

I glanced around as I rubbed my eyes. Not my bed. Where in the hell was I?

“What the…”

I sat up and regretted it. I laid back down and regretted that. My stomach roiled, and it felt like a possum had taken a crap in my mouth last night.

“Good morning,” the woman said brightly. She sat in a rocking chair in the corner of the room with a book opened on her lap.

“Mira.”

“Varix.”

“I’m gonna hurl!" I leaped up and spotted a bucket near the side of the bed. As much as I wished Mira would have left for a minute while my body finished betraying me, that simply wasn't in the cards today.

“I’ll get you some water.”

“And a couple of ... um. What do you take for a massive headache? You don’t have that here.”

Mira squatted in front of me and looked me over. She touched my forehead and then felt my cheek. “You’ll live,” she said.

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“I didn’t think you’d had that much summer ale last night. At one point, you were singing the oddest songs."

"I sing when I drink. Sorry about that."

Mira chuckled.

I got up with Mira’s help and staggered back to the bed, then sat on the edge. “Where are we? And more importantly, did we…?”

“Did we? Did we what?”

“You know.” I nodded at the mattress.

She curled her lips. “No, we did not, Varix. I was worried about you. I awoke before you. We're work friends, right?"

"Right," I said but didn't mention how much more miserable that made me feel. “Thank you for making sure I didn’t drown in my own vomit. I’ve come a long way only to go out like that.” I blanched, realizing how gross that sounded. Inner voice Vince. Inner voice.

“Caden insisted we stay. We're in the bedroom that was occupied by his grandfather, who sadly passed away while he was on campaign.”

“That’s terrible. Poor Caden.”

"I believe he is at peace with it. His grandfather was over a hundred years old. Caden spoke highly of him, but the man also seemed to possess a temper. I suppose if I make it to a hundred, I'll be a bit grumpy as well."

The room wavered before my eyes. “I don’t suppose there’s a cure for this god-awful hangover?”

“A curative? Certainly. Wait here,” Mira said.

“Wait! You’re not about to go get Caden and have him bang on his shield, are you?”

Mira sat back down.

“Really?“

She laughed.

Moments later, there were footsteps on the stairs. I groaned as I sat up, my head pounding—stomach tossing. Caden walked in with a small glass vial in his hand.

"Here," he said, offering it to me. "This should help."

I eyed the vial suspiciously. The liquid inside was a vibrant green, almost glowing. "What is it?"

"A restorative. Trust me, it works wonders. I used to keep a few on hand, just in case."

"And this will make me feel better?"

"Oh, much." Caden nodded.

Hesitantly, I took the vial, popped the cork, and sniffed. It smelled like mint and something else I couldn't quite place. With a shrug, I took a tentative sip and found it a little oily. The taste was just as pleasant as it smelled. It seemed to coat the back of my throat and was something like winterfresh mint in its flavor. I drank half of it.

The effect was almost immediate. The fog in my head cleared, and the nausea disappeared. I blinked in surprise. "Wow. That's... incredible."

Mira, who'd been watching curiously, took the vial from my hand. "Let me try some."

"Where'd you get this miracle cure?" I asked Caden.

He grinned. "The village herbalist makes them. Comes in handy after a night of celebrating."

The herbalist's shop was definitely on my to-visit list now.

Mira laughed after she'd chugged the other half. "That's one way to put it. Now, how about some breakfast?"

Mira followed him downstairs while I used the upstairs bathroom. I was thrilled to see that the Ashfall household possessed indoor plumbing. Being on the road had meant taking care of business behind trees or in various holes, which had been a real drag.

I found Caden downstairs. He bustled around the kitchen, whipping up a simple but delicious meal of fried eggs and hearty bread with some kind of savory herb spread to go on both.

As we ate, I couldn't help but admire how normal it all felt. Here I was, in a medieval fantasy world, eating breakfast with my new friends like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"This is great, Caden," I said between bites. "Thanks for cooking."

He waved off my thanks. "It's the least I could do. You kept us well-fed on the road, after all."

As we finished up, Caden mentioned his parents were out. "Mom's probably at the market, picking up some new fabrics. She's a seamstress, you know. And Dad's likely fixing something around village. He's got quite a reputation as a handyman."

As we ate, I remembered my visit to the butcher the day before. Pulling out my pack, I found the package inside and asked if anyone would care for some. I'd already eaten the better part of one sausage. Caden took the other, split it in half, and gave the rest to Mira.

"This is excellent." Mira nodded as she broke off a sausage piece and ate it.

"It's going to be great in gumbo," I said and then wondered if this world had shrimp. So far, this place has been a lot like Earth, but it had developed magic. I hadn't been able to wrap my head around the language. Was it merely a twist of fate that the language here mirrored my own so uncannily, or could my prior incarnation's knowledge be the key? The potential implications were staggering, leaving my head spinning worse than before.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Gumbo?"

"It's a different version of stew. It needs a little seafood."

"If it has shrimp, sign me up."

Well, that settled that.

"How far are we from the ocean?"

"Half a day's ride to Tidewater Harbor. Beautiful place. Fishing ships ply the waters night and day. That's what I hear."

"Tis true. During the war, the roads were kept clear all the way to Tidewater. It boomed during that time."

"They were able to move seafood to the frontline that quickly?" I asked.

"Sure. Salted and smoked. Fish can last if it's kept somewhat cold. I love it," Mira said and smacked her lips.

"Not me. I'll eat it in a pinch, but I've had enough salted fish to last me a lifetime."

----------------------------------------

We ate, and I wished like hell that I had a huge mug of steaming coffee. I'd often wondered if coffee existed in this world, but hadn't asked yet.

"I'm still having problems recalling a few simple things," I told Mira later after I'd slept off the god-awful hangover. "And it's not just from the ale last night. Er, maybe that's some of it."

The three of us had moved outside to sit near the edge of Everspring on a bench facing the village's north side. Just as Caden had promised, waves of purple lavender swayed with the breeze off to the right.

"Money. I don't know how much we collected from the orcs. I need help with a little accounting. There is a tavern I wish to buy, but it's quite expensive."

"How much?" Caden asked.

I told them the price of the two properties. Mira blew out a long, slow whistle. "We did good, but nowhere near that good."

I leaned back on the bench, the warm sun on my face. I needed to understand this world's currency if I was going to make it here. Turning to Mira and Caden, I swallowed my pride and asked.

Caden pulled out a few coins from his pouch. "Right, so the basic unit is the copper penny. It's not worth much on its own, maybe enough to buy a loaf of bread or a mug of ale."

He held up a silver coin, glinting in the sunlight. "This is a silver shilling. One of these is worth ten copper pennies. It's what most folks use for everyday purchases."

Mira chimed in, "A decent meal at an inn might cost you a half dozen silver, give or take."

"I paid four for the sausage."

"A bargain," Mira said.

"What's the name of the butcher's shop?" Caden asked.

"The Jolly Cleaver. A nice young woman named Shellen runs the place. She knows you, Caden, and she asked after you. That place makes some of the best sausage I've ever tried."

"Shellen?" Caden perked up. "Shell? Curly reddish hair?"

"That's her."

"She…er. How was she?"

I glanced up at Caden. Was he blushing?

"Like I said. She asked about you." I told Caden. "You should go say hello."

Mira grinned and mock punched Caden's shoulder. "You told us about her. I remember now. What did you say? The face of an angel with locks of hair to get lost in."

"I said no such thing," Caden blustered. "Eyes to get lost in."

"Ah. We have a romantic here," I said with a laugh.

"I have to go see her. Should I go see her? What if she found someone while I was gone? What if she's married and has a child or two? No. Best to leave off."

"Caden. Buddy," I said in surprise. "I thought you had the hots for a girl named Nyssa."

"Ah, Nyssa. Sadly, she stopped responding to my letters a year ago."

"Sorry, bud. So, how do you know, Shell?" I asked Caden.

"We were in primary together. I haven't seen her in, oh, five or six years."

"You should go visit her," I suggested.

"Yeah. Caden. I bet she will be happy to see you. Oh, and when you do, bring back more of that sausage." Mira leaned across me and poked Caden.

Caden sat back and laughed.

"Gold is next." Mira broke the silence.

"Huh?"

"We were discussing monetary conversion."

I grinned. "Sorry. I'm slow. I got caught up in Caden's love life."

"Didn't we all? A true love for the ages. They'll write songs about it, you know." Mira nodded sagely.

"There, now," Caden protested with a laugh.

"Right. So, gold goes as you'd expect. A crown is worth ten silver shillings. These are for bigger purchases, like weapons, armor, or livestock."

I whistled slowly. "And let me guess, ten gold makes a platinum?"

Mira grinned. "Look at you, catching on quick. A platinum sovereign is the highest denomination, although I understand there is a coin that is worth a fortune, and given only by the king."

I sighed. "How in the world would I get together five thousand gold crowns?"

"Don't you mean, how are you going to get fifteen hundred gold crowns together?" Caden asked.

"Five thousand. I want The Wandering Boar, not The Shadow's Respite." I grinned, fully aware of how outlandish that sounded.

"Varix. You may want to temper your expectations a little and settle for the other tavern. It's a fraction of the price," Mira added.

I knew she made sense, but I wanted to start my new business with a bang. Not a poof of smoke that took months to culminate as I figured out how to fix up a tavern. But I really wanted that tavern even though I had no idea what I was doing. Maybe Mira was right, and I needed to ease into owning and running a business.

I stared out at the field of lavender. The breeze had shifted, and with it, the clean scent reached us.

"It needs so much work that rebuilding the location might cost as much. You didn't see it, Caden. The main room has almost no usable furniture, and one of the walls had been scorched from a fire."

"You are forgetting one thing here, my friend."

"What's that?"

"You have me." Mira smiled.

"Yes. I have my friends."

Mira shook her head. "You're not following. I want to help."

My ears perked up at that. "Help?"

Mira grinned. "Varix, I want to invest in your tavern."

"I do, as well." Caden nodded eagerly.

I couldn't believe my ears. Caden and Mira wanted to help me get my tavern up and running. It was an incredibly generous offer, and I felt a lump form in my throat.

"I'll pay you back with interest. Profit sharing, if you will. Wow, you guys, I don't know what else to say," I managed, my voice thick with emotion.

Caden clapped me on the shoulder. "You don't have to say anything, Varix. We're friends. This is what friends do. Plus, I have tasted a good bit of your cooking, and I've seen you in action. The way you handled the orcs was masterful. You, my friend, are going to go far."

Mira nodded in agreement. "Besides, we'll be helping you prep the tavern. It'll be fun!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Fun? Have you ever tried to clean out a scorched building?"

Caden laughed. "No, but I'm going to be apprenticing with my father. He's a handyman, you know. It's a pretty high calling around here. Handymen are held in high regard since they're, well, handy."

They explained that they both had savings from their time in the army. They both would contribute two hundred gold each. Caden told me I'd have to take the money to a lender to get the full value and change over some of the coins we'd collected from the Orcs.

I once again considered selling some of Morthisal's gems but was afraid to risk it. What if they had some latent power? What if they were cursed? Worse, what if they were somehow recognized?

"Who knows? Maybe there are a few coins in the bunch that are worth a fortune," Mira added.

"Now that would be amazing." I nodded with a grin. It would be like winning the lottery."

"The lottery?" Caden cocked his head.

I vigorously shook my head. "Ignore me."

"Do you have a plan to come up with the rest of the money?" Caden asked me after we'd sat for a while longer.

"Let me ask you a question." I turned to Caden. "The estate steward in the village is named Roland Hightown. How's he set for money?"

"Roland? He's practically a noble. He'd have platinum sovereigns coming out of his ears."

"I had a feeling." I nodded. I stood up, turned, and addressed my new investors. "I plan to get Roland to hand the property over to me once I make him a proposal."

"Oh, Varix." Mira laughed. "Are you going to make him a wedding proposal?"

"Something better. I'm going to seduce that man with the power of food. Once he's tried my special dish, he will fall over himself to invest in my business."

Caden's mouth dropped open.

"It's gonna work," I said confidently.

Mira crossed her arms, sat back, and cocked her head to the side. "I hope stew isn't your special dish. It's good, but no one will invest in a tavern for stew.”

"Oh, ye of little faith." I smiled.

I leaned back against the bench, soaking in the lavender-scented breeze and the warmth of friendship. Who would’ve thought that being on the brink of becoming a tavern owner would feel more like a family reunion? Sure, I had my fair share of existential crises lurking in the shadows, like Garin the ghost with a grudge, but with Mira and Caden offering their support, I felt like I could tackle the world.