It took a day to complete all of the necessary work regarding my new tavern. Roland had a number of official documents for me to sign. I was informed of the kingdom's taxes and when I was expected to pay, something I hadn't even considered. Twenty percent of my profits would go straight to the king.

I paid him the sixty platinum sovereigns I had collected from Seraphina as a down payment. It was easy come, easy go. I'd been rich for all of half an hour. I would collect the rest from Doan, Caden, and Mira later in the day and return with the funds.

I spent most of the day looking over documents and then presenting the good news to Doan, Caden, and Mira. We stayed up late at the Ashfall home, consuming ale and talking about future plans.

I made the four of us a light meal of scrambled eggs with some of Shellen's sausage, a pile of goat cheese, and a handful of diced scallions.

Caden kept an eye on me as I used his mother's favorite cast iron pan. I explained that I knew what I was doing, even though I knew what I was doing in theory. I had watched enough Food Network shows to know you had to keep these greased and never scrub off the natural coating.

I built up a base of oil to cook the scallions in by first adding a chunk of pig fat. They loved this as a starter, and I was there for it. Getting the temperature right on the wood-fired stove took a little practice. Once water danced across the oil and didn't disappear in a flash, I added the chopped sausage and the scallion whites.

"That smells good already. Pile my plate with that!" Doan exclaimed.

"Good things come to those who wait, my friend."

After the sausage had browned, I added the eggs and the cheese. The resulting bubbling mass cooked quickly, so I tossed in the green parts of the scallion and a generous dash of salt and pepper.

I plated the food, splitting it four ways. Every eye in the room was glued to my dish.

The pan was still hot, so I quickly tossed in a little more fat, waited until it had melted, and put some crusty bread in face down and pressed so it would brown up quickly.

I presented the late dinner to my friends with a flourish.

Caden took a bite and sighed contentedly. "Can't say I've had breakfast for dinner all that often."

"I could get used to this." Mira nodded.

"I call it brinner. Breakfast for dinner."

Doan burst into laughter.

I whisked the cast iron pan off the heat, wiped it clean, and then used a little water and a dry cloth to finish cleaning. It was still hot, so I added a light coat of oil.

Caden nodded at my actions. "Good job, my friend."

"No worries. Now. Let's eat!"

The next day, Mira and Caden met me at Doan’s blacksmith and we put their investments together. The four of us went to Roland’s office and paid the balance. The sale needed to be approved by the king’s steward, but Roland assured me it was a formality. Tomorrow I would sign the final documents, and take possession of The Shadow's Respite.

I was giddy when we left his office.

With a day to kill before officially taking ownership of the tavern, I decided to get out of town and explore the nearby woods. I wanted to get the lay of the land and see about harvesting items I might need for the kitchen, peppers being one of my chief concerns.

The rear of the tavern had a large space that would be perfect for installing planters. I planned to start growing my own peppers and other herbs and spices as needed.

I had another reason to visit the woods. I was hoping Lady Churl was around, since she felt the need to follow me everywhere. Her advice on a certain matter was one of the number one things on my mind.

Before setting out, I decided to stop by the bowyer and pick up a new short bow. I'd been thinking about Mira's archery lessons and decided it was time to invest in my own weapon.

The bowyer assured me the bow would be perfect for a beginner like me, and he set me up with a quiver and a dozen and a half arrows. The store owner told me about a local fletcher a few streets over who could provide me with more arrows if I needed them. The fletcher also offered classes on making your own, which had carried over from the war. It made sense that the town would have pitched in and created as many arrows as possible to fend off raiders.

Before I set off to explore the woods, I needed to make another stop.

The same kid was behind the counter at The Whistling Kettle when I returned.

"Good morning." He greeted me with a smile, a far cry from yesterday's surly attitude. "Coffee?"

"You know it." I nodded, because a cup of the world's strongest coffee would see me through the day.

As he prepared my drink, I noticed a mug on the counter with a small wooden placard hanging off the lip that read: Tips!

"How's that working out?" I asked.

I pulled out two extra coppers and dropped them into his tip mug.

"Thank you! You're the only person who left a tip."

"Maybe others will once they get used to it."

"Maybe. Most people look mad when I tell them what it's for."

"Oh, dear," I muttered, the said, "I was thinking. My coffee would taste a lot better if it were poured into another mug after it was strained, so there were fewer coffee pieces. Do you happen to have something that would work as a strainer?"

The kid looked around under the counter and found a small slotted spoon.

"Will this work?"

"It’s not ideal, but it might work," I said and took the spoon.

I carefully stirred my boiling hot water with the coffee grounds until the liquid was good and dark. The kid put another mug out for me. I showed him what I meant by slowly pouring the coffee into the other mug and holding the spoon against the lip to prevent most coffee grounds from flowing in. It was slow going, but the kid got the idea.

"What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Milo Swiftbrew, and please don't make fun of my last name. I didn't pick this job; my mom made me take it."

I stifled a chuckle. No sense in embarrassing the kid. I'm sure he got that from enough customers. No wonder he had a surly attitude. Hopefully, the introduction of tips into his life would help.

Stolen story; please report.

"Milo Swiftbrew," I held out my hand, “it’s a pleasure to meet you. I'm Varix. Varix Vel'Naris."

Milo clasped my hand and shook it once.

"Okay."

"I'll probably be coming by every morning while I'm in town. Tell you what. I'll give you a silver if you find a better way to strain the coffee for me."

"Stop by tomorrow. Maybe I can figure something out."

"Perfect. Thanks!"

I put another copper in his tip mug and went to take a seat and relax for a few minutes.

There was a hop in my step as I made my way out of Everspring. The town was vibrant and active, with residents doing their daily business. I walked past a few shops and homes that had been damaged in the war, but many of them had already been repaired. Still, a number of walls needed to be replaced as they’d been partially, or fully, burned. Quite a few fences had been knocked down.

I stopped to assist a man and his son in putting a new section up. They'd already built the long fence section but were having trouble wrestling it into place. With my back thrown into the operation, we soon had the heavy part in place. Thanks to Doan's lessons yesterday, I even managed to bang in a few nails without smashing a finger.

After assisting them, I moved on, greeting people and being greeted by others. My new clothes made me feel more confident, and I hoped I cut a fine figure. The dagger Doan had given me rested comfortably on my hip, and was a reassuring presence, especially after seeing the strange dead man in black leathers the day before. Thankfully, the ring remained inert on my finger, and I didn't see anyone else with a white glow.

There was quite a bit of vibrant greenery surrounding the town. Shrubs with small, delicate flowers blooming added a splash of color near most of the homes.

A variety of birds flitted about, and their cheerful songs filled the air. I spotted a few sparrows darting between tree branches, and a pair of bluebirds with bright blue plumage also darted between the green leaves.

A large shape zipped by, casting a shadow across the ground. At first, I thought it might be a hawk or an eagle, but as it zipped by, closer this time, I realized it was an enormous insect. Its wings were nearly as wide as my hand, and its body was long and slender. It buzzed past me, its iridescent wings catching the sunlight as it disappeared into the trees.

"I hope those things don't bite," I muttered.

I continued up the path out of town, breathing in the fresh, clean air and admiring the beauty of nature surrounding Everspring. The town had faced hardships, but the wilderness around it had carried on.

I walked for what felt like an hour, enjoying the peace and tranquility of the woods surrounding Everspring. The sun peeked through the leaves, casting a warm glow on the forest floor. I decided to take a break and practice with my new bow.

With Mira's patient lessons in mind, I nocked an arrow, drew back the string, and took aim at a nearby tree. The arrow flew wide, missing the trunk by a good foot. I tried again, and the arrow sailed to the other side, disappearing into the undergrowth.

"Come on, Varix," I muttered to myself. "You can do this."

I spent the next few minutes firing arrow after arrow and finally hit the tree. The next shot landed right next to the last one. I shot again, and that made three in the tree trunk. Not bad!

A rabbit hopped into view, and I quickly took aim. The arrow whizzed past its ear, sending the creature scurrying for cover.

"Well, at least I'm getting closer." I sighed, lowering the bow.

I decided to take a break from target practice, so I collected my arrows, cleaned the tips, and turned my focus to foraging. I scanned the ground and nearby plants, using the skills Caden had taught me while relying on my own experience.

As I searched, a flash of red caught my eye. I moved closer and found a cluster of long, thin peppers growing near the base of a tree. The bright color and distinct shape told me these were the hot peppers I'd hoped to find.

I carefully harvested a handful, leaving some behind for future growth. As I examined the plant, I contemplated how to transplant a few to grow behind the tavern. I'd need to find a way to carefully dig them up and ensure they had the right soil and sunlight to thrive in their new home.

Lost in thought, I almost didn't hear the hiss from behind me. I spun around, my hand instinctively reaching for my dagger. To my surprise, I found Lady Churl crouched in the shadows, her eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Lady Churl? How are you doing?" I asked, relaxing my grip on the dagger.

She beckoned me with a clawed finger, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Hey, boss. S'been a while. You look good."

I grinned from ear to ear, thrilled to see Lady Churl emerge from the shadows. "Lady Churl! You have no idea how good it is to see you."

I glanced around, ensuring no one was nearby to witness our meeting. While Everspring had been warm and welcoming to me, I wasn't sure they were ready to accept a goblin in their midst just yet.

Lady Churl and I found a fallen tree and sat together as I settled onto the rough bark.

"You're looking good, Lady Churl," I said, mirroring her earlier compliment.

She smirked, revealing her pointed teeth. "Found myself a nice cave not too far from here. Had to chase out a bear to claim it, but it's all mine now."

My eyes widened in surprise. "You kicked out a bear? By yourself?"

Lady Churl waved a dismissive hand. "Ah, it was just a small one. Not much of a challenge. Gots me a bigger roar, I do."

"That's impressive, Lady Churl!"

We fell into easy conversation, catching up on the events of the past few days. Lady Churl told me about her adventures in the woods while I shared stories of my time in Everspring. It felt good to talk with someone who knew my true identity, someone I didn't have to hide from.

As our laughter died down, I leaned forward and a grin spread across my face. "Lady Churl, you'll never guess what I did."

She raised a brow, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. "What's that, boss?"

"I bought a tavern."

"Aye. Said you was planning to, and now you've done it. Good job, boss."

"Thanks. I'll have a place for you soon, working at the tavern."

Lady Churl shook her head. "Don't see how them softies are ever gonna allow that."

"It'll happen. Have you seen any other goblins or orcs around?"

Lady Churl jerked her thumb in the opposite direction from the town. "Seen some orcs that way. They was led by your pal, Urzan. Looks like they was offering guard services for caravans. Don't know was they had any takers."

"No kidding." I guessed I shouldn't be surprised that Urzan had taken my advice to heart. "How far away?"

"'Bout a half day's walk. They set up a camp."

I filed that info away in case I ever needed to contact them.

"If you see Urzan, please send him my best."

"Best what? I'll tell 'im you send greetings."

"Oh. I had a question." I held my hand out so Lady Churl could see the cursed ring that was stuck on my finger. "Do you know what this ring does? I put it on, and now I can't get it off."

Lady Churl took my hand and pulled it close so she could inspect the ring. She turned my hand this way and that. Touched it, tried to pull, and released my hand after a few minutes of fiddling with it.

"I ain't seen that one before. Looks like it's got some kinda key. Maybe a phrase you gotta say to release it. I'll be back. Stay there," Lady Churl said and dashed away.

Was she going to get a saw? How in the world did she have something that could help me get this thing off my finger?

I sat for a few more minutes, stood, stretched my legs, and walked around the little grove while I waited. There was a small pine tree with a patch of dark bark nearby. I took the bow off my shoulder and fired a few shots for practice. I wasn't sure how it might come in handy, but knowing how to protect myself made me feel better.

Lady Churl returned with a long, thick stick over her shoulders, with her arms looped over the…it was Morthisal's staff!

"I told you I didn't want that thing."

"Yeah. Be that as it may, this damn thing's been twitching up a storm. It don't wanna be put in no ground. You take it. I covered the top so it looks like something a druid'd be hauling around."

The ornate skull on top was wrapped in leather with strips dangling down. Feathers and beads were attached to the runners.

"I thought you buried this weeks ago."

"Nah. I couldn't do it, boss. It was calling to me when I didn't take it with me. It's been groaning like it's hungry. The closer I got to you, the more it subsided."

"And you think this will help me get the ring off?"

"Can't say, boss. Mayhap. Only one way to find out. You're gonna have to figure out the old codger's magic wossits."

"I don't know how."

"You knew how to activate that ring. You'll figure it out."

I took the staff. It was as inviting as the first time I'd handled it at Morthisal's fortress. As if the wood had been sanded smooth for me, it was warm to the touch, almost inviting.

"I got's ta go, boss. I can't be seen fraternizing like with a softskin."

"Soon, Lady Churl. I'll have a place for you."

"I got my own place out here. As you say, take it easy, boss."

She waved before I could give her a hug and zipped off into the woods.

I stared at the cursed staff.

Maybe I should bury it while I was out in the woods, but then what would happen should someone dig it up?

With a sigh, I made my way back to Everspring with Morthisal's stupid staff in hand.