I awoke in a good mood and lay in bed for at least half an hour, just going over the date I'd had with Seraphina last night. I couldn't help but smile as I thought about her gentle laugh and the way she looked at me from the corner of her remarkable eyes. Best of all, she was like me! Okay, mostly like me.

Note to self: Invent showers because I needed a cold one.

I wouldn't be able to see her during the day. Seraphina had a big job that required her to spend most of her morning and afternoon researching a new gem technique. I didn’t understand exactly what was involved, and didn’t need to. She and I made a date to hit the market the day after. I needed to shop for a few more pots and pans and at least one more baking sheet. The kitchen had come stocked with some items, but a few were so old, they were barely usable.

I came downstairs, stretched, and thought about heading out for my morning coffee. Note to self: Invent instant coffee.

Lady Churl must have heard me. The trap door banged open, and she stuck her head out.

“Eh, boss. Late one, eh?”

“I had a date.”

“That one with the funny eyes?”

“You think she has funny eyes?”

“Them colors is peculiar, is all.”

“I think they’re beautiful. Suits her creamy skin. Did you notice how perfect her hair looks? Her eyes can be so animated. It’s like when you look at a…”

Lady Churl waved me off. “Yer smitten. Well, tha’s great, boss. But wossit matter? We need to open this place. Time for all that later.”

I had to hand it to Lady Churl for smacking me upside the head with a little dose of cold hard reality. She was right. There was a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it. I was losing my shirt with this place. There was so much to do before the funds ran out. Luckily, a few plans should come together today. A way to begin making money while renovating this place was within reach.

"I hope you're not jealous."

"What's there to be jealous of? Yer not a lot to look at, no offense, and all."

I barked a laugh at that.

"Anyways. I got a fire goin' in the stove so's you can make us some food.”

I thanked Lady Churl for her initiative in getting the fire going in the stove so early. She waved off my gratitude, stating bluntly, "I don't need initiative when I'm hungry, boss."

Fair enough. I placed a cast iron pan on the stove to heat, began rummaging through the fridge for breakfast ingredients, and grabbed five eggs while I was at it.

Cracking them in a bowl, I hit them with a fork and whipped them for a few seconds before adding a pinch of salt. Returning to the fridge, I pulled out a chunk of sausage and a couple of mushrooms that needed to be cooked soon. As I reached for a half onion, Lady Churl coughed pointedly behind me.

"Right. No onions."

"Save 'em for the customers. They seems to like 'em."

I also removed a few scallions and laid them on the cutting block. "Don't worry; I'm only using the green parts for color," I assured her.

She shrugged. "Suit yerself, boss. Don't see why color's needed."

"It's like a garnish. It makes the meal look more inviting."

"Yeah? I'm gonna invite it to my stomach!" Lady Churl slapped her midsection.

I chuckled and returned my attention to the heating pan. Holding my hand over the cast iron, I deemed it hot enough and poured in a little oil. Using a rag to hold the handle, I tilted it back and forth and side to side to spread the oil evenly. As an afterthought, I tossed some rolls on the stovetop next to the burner to warm.

I chopped the sausage and mushrooms into small pieces and threw them into the hot oil to heat through, and the diced mushrooms were next. The smell of sizzling sausage soon permeated the kitchen. I then cut up the half tomato, glancing at Lady Churl for approval. She shrugged again, seemingly indifferent; at least she didn't gag like when she’d spotted the onion.

I had some fresh spinach. After chopping off the stems, I put a generous handful in with the sausage and tossed the tomatoes on top.

While the spinach wilted and cooked down, I pulled out a hunk of white cheese, placed it on the board, and shaved off a few long pieces.

Suddenly, I realized there was something missing, but it wasn't an ingredient. I glanced at my finger. The ring. No wonder it had been so quiet in the kitchen!

I quickly retrieved the ring from my pocket and slipped it back on. The ghostly figures of Lady Ophelia, Garin, and Zyn appeared on their usual barstools, and none of them looked pleased. Even Zyn, with his impassive face, might have worn a frown.

"Why have you been ignoring us so blatantly?" Lady Ophelia demanded, her ethereal voice tinged with irritation. "And where were you last night?"

"I was at this new place called Nonya. Have you heard of it?" I asked Ophelia.

"I have not heard of this place.”

"Nonya business."

Garin laughed and slapped the bar top, but his hand passed through. "That's a good one, lad."

"Is that supposed to be amusing?" Ophelia asked.

"I thought it was pretty funny."

"Thanks. I learned all my dad jokes from the master."

"Pardon?"

"Dad jokes. They're the goofy jokes your dad makes up on the fly."

Ophelia tossed her head back. "My father was too busy keeping the order of The Clan of the Umbral Enclave in line to make jokes. His support of your former self was unwavering. I rarely saw him, and when I did, he was never one to joke."

"He sounds like a delightful dad." I rolled my eyes.

The spinach was good and wilted, and the tomatoes were sizzling. I poured in the eggs and cooked them for a few seconds before gently moving them around. Holding the pan's handle with the rag again, I tilted the pan, pushed the eggs to the side, and let the uncooked egg run onto the hot part of the pan.

When the eggs were firm but still glistening, I threw the cheese on top, opened the stove's wood box, shoved the pan next to the smoldering wood, and closed it.

Lady Churl busied herself, getting down a few clean plates and forks. She laid them out on the prep table.

After about a minute had passed, I opened the firebox and used the rag to extract the scramble.

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"Hmm. Smells good, boss."

I tilted the pan so she could get a look inside. "Look at that cheese. Yum." My mouth watered.

Lady Churl nodded enthusiastically. "A little dark and melty."

"Yep. Just like my old worse half.”

"Oh, Morth? Weren’t never seen him melt.”

“I guess it's more his general ugliness."

“Can't say as I thought he was bad to look at.”

"Really? He looks like a deflated prune."

"Eh." Lady Churl shrugged.

"I haven't mentioned to Seraphina the body I'm occupying." I changed the subject.

"Yeah? Seems like a smart move, boss. She finds out? You and her ain't gonna be no more. Reckon they'd string ya up for hiding out pretending to be some nice guy cook."

I wasn’t pretending, but they wouldn’t see it that way. "That's not a pleasant thought."

I dished up the food, giving Lady Churl the largest portion. She was a skinny goblin, but could eat like a damn orc. With the pan still hot, I tossed a chunk of butter in. As it melted, I took the mostly heated buns, split them in half, laid them on the simmering butter, and pressed down.

The pan was already so hot that it took less than two minutes for the butter to soak into the bread and crisp the edges.

"All we need is a cheap juicy steak, which would be upscale diner food."

Lady Churl took her plate and the fork and took a bite. The still steaming foot would have burned my mouth, but she savored it.

"Right, good flavor. Needs more a them shrooms. Reminds me. I'll go out foraging tonight."

"You don't want to go during the day?"

"Nah. Too many humans givin’ me funny looks. One tried to chase me away. Can't says I blame 'em."

"I'm sorry you have to put up with that, Lady Churl."

"I think you should follow suit and chase that thing away as well." Lady Ophelia sneered.

I removed the ring, and the ghosts disappeared. I muttered, "It's a Christmas miracle, and I don't even know what month we're in."

Lady Churl shoveled some of the egg scramble onto her bun and ate it in a couple of bites.

“Boss. That’s real good.”

I threw some sliced scallions and put a little homemade hot sauce on my food, and offered Lady Churl the bottle. She happily splashed a healthy dose on her breakfast.

I grabbed a fork, looked at the barstools, smiled, thanks to the silence, and dug into my food. I wouldn’t do this to them all the time, but it was nice not to see and hear them right now.

Lady Churl stayed inside while I got to work on a few things from my to-do list. She wanted to work in the kitchen and clean the pans and dishes. Who was I to argue? I would have to start paying her with more than meals, soon.

I stepped outside The Shadow's Respite, and took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. The sky was a brilliant blue, dotted with a few white fluffy clouds that drifted lazily by.

Out front, the old sign creaked gently in the breeze. I’d have to get that refinished and painted soon. While I was at it, I needed to figure out a way to put up some grand opening banners. And figure out where to obtain said banners.

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air from a nearby bakery. It nicely mingled with the earthy scent of herbs from a passing herbalist's cart. I waved at the vendor, and she waved back. I’d done a fair amount of business with her. She had an excellent selection of herbs, spices, and different teas. Seraphina seemed like she would like tea. I’d have to inquire about her preferred drink, and stock up.

Townspeople bustled about their day, some nodding politely as they passed. A group of children chased each other down the street. Their laughter echoed off the buildings as they raced past. The rhythmic clanging of Doan and/or Ragna on the blacksmith's hammer echoed almost as loud as the children’s braying laughter.

I made my leisurely way back to the tavern. A man named Paxton was supposed to stop by later in the day with some alcohol samples for me to try. Caden had spoken to Paxton about me and my new tavern. Paxton wanted to become one of my suppliers.

While I waited for him, I continued work in the back.

I moved the stones around in the fire pit that had been constructed for the massive chili meal I’d made a few nights ago.

A familiar face appeared. She looked up and down the street, then scratched her head. Under one arm, she had a basket with a blanket covering whatever was inside.

I stood up and called for her.

She looked around, spotted me, smiled, and waved. Henna put her hand on the basket, turned, and walked up the road toward me.

I greeted her warmly and asked if she would like to pick up the picture of her and Heron that hung in my new bedroom.

“Oh yes. I most certainly would. Thank you so much for your consideration. As I said before, most would have thrown it away.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Won’t you come in?”

“Certainly.”

I held the door open for Henna. She stepped into The Shadow’s Respite and looked around, and smiled. “This is wonderful. You’re really whipping this place back into shape.”

“Thank you. It wasn’t all me. I’ve had help from some friends. If you'd like to wait here, I’ll go and get your picture.”

"That would be lovely. I have something for you as well."

"You do?"

"Yes." She nodded, and patted the basket.

"A gift? How thoughtful. Just a moment, and I'll bring your picture down."

I walked upstairs and went to my new bedroom. The portrait was about three feet wide. I had to wrestle it off the wall because it had been placed on a couple of long nails driven deep into the wall. I set it down and sighed. Now, there was a clean spot where it had hung. This entire room needed to be cleaned with soap and hot water, but that was a battle for another day.

The unmistakable sound of a hissing cat greeted me as I returned downstairs.

“Was that a…?”

Before I could finish my sentence, I was greeted by an interesting scene. The cat, a little demoness who couldn't be more than a couple of months old, with orange fur and big green eyes, stood with its back arched and fur standing on end. Similarly, Henna was in a state of fright. The cause? One Lady Churl.

“It’s okay. Everything’s fine. This is my friend," I told Henna.

She looked at me, then at Lady Churl. To her credit, she waved and tried to look friendly.

“That’s a…” Henna said.

“Yeah. A goblin. She’s been helping me since before I got here. Her name is Churl."

“Lady Churl, if it pleases ya,” Churl said and performed a little curtsey for Henna.

“What’s with the cat?” I asked Henna.

“Oh. She's your new rat catcher. Roland Hightown mentioned you needed one. She has no name, but she’ll keep the place clean.” Henna said, keeping one eye on Lady Churl.

"I ain't gonna bite cha," Lady Churl said. "Someone's gotta keep this one in line." She jerked her thumb at me.

Henna's eyes widened. She quietly laughed.

The cat sat down, apparently forgetting all about Lady Churl, lifted a paw, and cleaned it.

“I have never seen one this close up before,” Henna said as she stared at Lady Churl.

“I seen plenty of you lot,” Lady Churl replied in a flat tone.

Henna cracked a smile, and then uttered another laugh.

“She’s great to have around. Always cracking jokes,” I interjected, glad the tension was out of the situation.

Henna nodded and put her hand on top of the basket. I wondered how many cats she was running around and dropping off like little bombs today.

"I don't even know what to feed a cat," I said honestly, since there weren't exactly any pet stores nearby.

"You feed it rats and mice," she said, leaned over, and petted the cat. The cat ducked its head and wandered away. Hmm.

I handed Henna the picture. She thanked me and gave the tavern one last look.

"Nice ta meet cha," Lady Churl said, and went back to work in the kitchen.

“Thank you for the cat." I think, I didn't add.

"Yes, yes. No problem. Now, where is the market? I need to buy some things for my friend Mazine."

I followed her to the door, opened it, and escorted her out. After walking her to the main street, I pointed in the direction she needed and said, "Go that way. Don't take a side street. Don't go left or right. Follow it straight ahead."

"Yes. That is the way. Thank you," she said. Carrying the picture in her free hand, she nodded at me and set out.

Henna had gone about halfway down the street when she paused and took a right, because, of course, she did.

I sighed and considered following her and putting her on the right track again.

A black figure appeared at the end of the street. They lifted their head, but I couldn't see through their hood. Even bathed in shadow, I felt eyes on me.

Alright. I was tired of this stalker. The next step was to get Seraphina involved. Maybe she had a clue who was out there.

A voice in the back of my head whispered, what if it's Thalindra?

But why would she be looking for me?

The staff. It had to be the staff!

Then again, it could be the Heart of Shadows.

But that begged one question. If it was Thalindra, why hadn't she stolen the staff in the first place? She had been in the treasure room before me, so she would have had every opportunity to raid the place, unless she had been in too much of a hurry to properly raid it.

I thought back to that day. It was Lady Churl who had picked the staff off the wall and handed it to me. There had been others. Maybe Thalindra hadn't been able to figure out which one to take.

This required help. I would need to consult with my three ghostly companions.