I had a massive list of things to accomplish before opening The Shadow's Respite. I wanted to start making money as soon as possible, but I knew my limitations. I couldn’t hope to get everything done at once. I had to pick my battles. I had to choose which areas I could prepare quickly to start returning my investment, and that area was right in front of me: the kitchen and the bar.

Caden had done an admirable job of making functional furniture out of the pieces of broken tables and chairs, but it wasn’t enough to seat more than a half dozen people. I needed barstools, and a lot of them. The L-shaped top could seat at least ten people.

I also needed more chairs and tables. I'd have to find a reliable woodworker in Everspring. I could use at least six more seats for the bar area.

I had three functional barstools, currently occupied by dead people. Luckily, I was the only one who could see them–the dead people, not the barstools. Having ghosts was potentially an excellent way to chase people away from your tavern, so I hoped I remained the only one who knew of their presence. Ophelia had finally stopped bugging me about Morthisal's staff. I guess she had gotten the message when I ignored every time she tried to bring it up, and had changed the subject to the mating habits of reverse centaurs.

I fired up the stove and dug out a half-dozen potatoes. Once the stove was good and hot, I shoved them into the oven and left them to cook.

I considered the oven. Would it be safe to leave it cooking while I ran a few errands?

"One of you come to find me if the place catches on fire," I told the three ghosts.

Ophelia waved me off, but Garin said he would be on the case.

Leaving Morthisal's staff in the tavern had seemed to work like an anchor for the ghosts. They no longer followed me everywhere I went. I picked up the coffee mug and headed out the door.

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Milo and I experimented with the cheesecloth by doing a pour-over. I needed a funnel to slow down the flow, but otherwise, we were on the right track. Milo was his typical enthusiastic self. I informed him that I still had work to do before I could bring on any more help at the tavern. He seemed satisfied, and we left it at that.

After leaving the coffee shop, I spotted the confused woman who had tried to give directions to me when I first reached Everspring but had seemed equally lost herself. I had first spotted her near The Shadow's Respite, and it wasn't until later that I put two and two together.

I called out, "Excuse me, ma'am."

She turned and looked at me, squinted, and asked, "Yes?"

"It's nice to see you again. The first time we met was outside of The Shadow's Respite. You told me about the previous owner, Heron."

She looked down, then back up again. "Heron. Yes. What a dear he was."

"I have a feeling he was. Listen. I'm the guy who purchased the property, and I intend to restore it to its former glory. I would very much like it if you would occasionally stop by. You are welcome anytime, day or night. I'll always ensure you never have to pay a dime, I mean, copper for meals, a drink, or even a room."

Her eyes widened, and a smile lit up her face. She clasped my hand in both of hers and said, "That is most generous, and entirely unnecessary."

"Be that as it may. The offer stands."

"I may take you up on that, Mr…"

"Varix. Varix Vel'Naris. Please call me Varix."

"Very well, Varix. I'm Henna."

I nodded and turned to leave, but then I had a thought. "Would you like the picture that hangs in your old room?" I asked her. "The painting of you and Heron?"

She blinked, and then a tear touched her eye. "I... Yes, I would. I appreciate your kindness, Varix. Most would have thrown it away."

"I'll have it ready. Feel free to pick it up whenever you're ready."

"I shall do just that. Now, I need to find my way back to the market. I believe it was this way." She pointed down the street, waved once, and then walked off in that direction.

When I had first seen the painting in my new bedroom, I knew the woman in it looked familiar. It wasn't until I’d spotted her again that the pieces came together. Knowing I'd reunited Henna with the portrait made me happy.

I wandered the market, looking for things I might need in the future. It was a lovely morning, with the sun peeking over a pair of mountains in the distance.

One of my first goals was to start creating hot wings for the residents of Everspring. I was sure they would be a hit, and if they weren't, I'd eat them. There were a few obstacles, though. I needed a large container to heat the oil and a basket to hold the wings while they cooked. I could bake them, but frying was my favorite way to make them.

My plans went even further. If I was going to make good hot wings, I'd need some sauces, which would mean experimenting.

As I wandered through the streets of Everspring, my eyes caught sight of a tall woman dressed in black, with a hood covering her hair. She stood at a crossroads, her posture straight, and her head swiveled left and right. I couldn't help but feel intrigued by her presence, and I found myself wanting to approach her, perhaps to ask if she was lost or needed assistance.

However, before I could step in her direction, the woman turned and walked up the street, her movements graceful and purposeful. As she left, a strange, uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't quite understand why, but something about her presence left me unsettled. Lady Churl had mentioned something about a mysterious figure in black. Was she the person? Who were they?

I considered going to find Alic and asking him to investigate it, but what was the crime? Someone wearing black was in the village? We had freaking orcs hanging out at my tavern. Alic wouldn't take me seriously.

Shaking off the odd sensation, I made my way to the market. I had a few things to pick up and wanted to return to The Shadow's Respite as soon as possible.

I briefly considered stopping at Everspring Gem Emporium and saying hello to Seraphina but talked myself out of it. I thought about her a lot—our conversations, her touch, her smile. But cold, hard reality reminded me what would happen if I got too close to someone and they figured out my secret identity.

With a heavy sigh, I headed out to do more shopping.

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I picked up a bag of fresh eggs, fruits and vegetables, and other essentials at the market. As a last stop, I dropped in on Shellen at The Jolly Cleaver to pick up a couple of pounds of chicken wings. To my delight, Caden was already there, chatting with Shellen.

"Varix!" Caden exclaimed, his face lighting up as he saw me enter. "Good to see you, my friend!"

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Shellen turned to me with a warm smile. "Varix, welcome! We were talking about your chili. It was amazing—spicy but amazing."

"Thanks! I'm delighted you two enjoyed the dish."

"What brings you in?" Caden asked. "Are you going to make a huge pot of stew next? Save me a bowl. Two. One for Shellen, as well."

I grinned at both of them. "Nah. Not yet. Let me run this by you, though. If I had a wagon set up outside the tavern with quick and hot meals ready, would people stop in and buy lunch from me?"

"Just out in the open?" Caden asked.

"Yeah. Like stew, for example. I could set up some chairs for people to eat. Or some kind of meat dish on a bun. You guys tried my onion burgers."

Caden scratched the back of his head. "My friend. If you had to make onion burgers every day, I doubt you would get anything else done."

Hmmm.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," Shellen said.

"Thanks for the input. It gives me a lot to think about."

"Did you need some more ground beef?" Shellen asked me.

"Just picking up some chicken wings for the tavern," I replied.

"No problem. How many people are you cooking for, so I know how many to get?"

"Just me, for now. But I'll be experimenting with recipes. Give me about thirty."

"You got it!"

After she packed my wings, I paid for my purchase.

"It's so good to see you both. I should get back. I have a pair of orcs and a goblin hanging out in The Shadow's Respite. I should get back before they wreck the place," I said with a laugh.

"It makes me nervous seeing the green skins around, but I know it would happen eventually, with our races trying to co-exist. I don't hate them anymore, but there was a time when I was consumed with anger."

"I understand, Caden. I really do. I've spoken to Urzan at length. He and many other orcs feel like they were seduced and duped by Morthisal."

"I just hope this isn't a bad idea, letting them into Everspring. It might be hard on your business, Varix. Just some food for thought."

"You might be right, but I'd like to see Everspring come together."

"Ever the peacemaker. That's one thing I like about you, Varix."

I bid them farewell and headed back to The Shadow's Respite. Caden had given me pause for thought. I had hoped the orc's help with the bandits would have smoothed over the village's negative feelings, but there was still a lot of work to do in that regard.

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As I walked, I kept an eye out for the mysterious woman in black, but she was nowhere to be seen. The uneasy feeling lingered, but I tried to push it aside, focusing instead on my plans for the tavern and the joy of being surrounded by the wonderful people of Everspring.

I returned to the tavern, still sipping grounds-free coffee, with a few goodies tucked under my arms. I went inside and deposited most of my purchases in the cooler.

When I opened the stove, I found the potatoes were nearly done, so I took out the leftover chili that was in a large pot, put it over a burner, and cranked the heat up by tossing in a little more wood and opening the vents.

“Love what you're doing to the place,” Ophelia said as she looked around the room.

“I didn’t do anything new.”

“I know, darling. I’m trying to sound encouraging.”

“Ah, ignore her, lad. She’s been in a mood since whatever happened last night.”

Zyn stared on impassively.

“Yeah, Ophelia. Did you hear that? I’m going to ignore you.”

“Two words, Morth darling. I can show you so much if you learn a few words. Pick up the staff. Allow me to train you.”

I held my hand out and extended it so my palm faced her. “Talk to the hand, Mrs. Sith Lord.”

“Will the hand be more reasonable?”

A slab of wood striking the floor made me jump and practically crap my pants.

I spun and found Lady Churl crawling out from under the tavern. The goblin looked up, her big eyes reflecting sunlight from one of the windows on the south side. She yawned. “Hey, boss.”

“Lady Churl. I trust you slept well?”

“You gots rats down there.”

I shrugged. “Sorry?”

“S‘right. They’s tasty.” Lady Churl grinned.

"You didn't really eat them, did you?"

"Tha's a joke, boss."

“That creature is a menace.” Lady Ophelia sneered.

“I’ve been meaning to ask. What was Lady Ophelia Nightshade like?" I loudly asked Churl.

“She weren’t no friend to goblins, orcs neither. Thought she was a right bitch, meself. But you, I mean Morthisal, liked her enough to keep her around for…” She scratched her head, looked at her fingers, and counted. “Reckon ten years. Might have been more.”

“It was much longer. This creature should have a better memory.”

“She’s here, ain’t she?”

I nodded.

Lady Churl grinned.

“So what’s we gonna do today?”

“I’m going to clean up the place. Do some shopping, and try to find some furniture.”

“I can help. Point me to a bucket and some water.”

“Really?”

She waved her hand dismissively. “Yeah, boss. S’what I used to do, anyhow.”

"That's great, Lady Churl. Every bit of help I can get is appreciated."

"Don’t mention it, boss."

Speaking of help...

I walked to the back of the tavern and looked out through the window. Urzan and Moktar were slouched against the side of the wall that lined the area around the tavern. Urzan faced the street, and Moktar the opposite way. He had a long blade out and was running it over a stone in his other hand.

I banged on the window. Moktar glanced up. I lifted my hands to shoulder level in what I hoped he would see as the universal WTF shrug.

Moktar looked down, put his blade on the ground, and put away his sharpening stone.

“Swear to god,” I muttered, and laughed. "You can take the orc out of the wasteland, but you can never take the wasteland out of the orc."

I opened the back door and motioned for the orcs. “You guys want some breakfast?”

Urzan rose and lumbered toward the door. Moktar joined him, and they came inside.

Urzan looked at Lady Churl and gave her a chin-up nod.

I turned to Urzan and Moktar. "Are you guys hungry?" I asked as I lifted a heavy cast iron pot onto the stove. The pot was filled with leftover chili from the night before.

Urzan's eyes lit up. "Of course, orc hungry!" he exclaimed, his deep voice filled with enthusiasm.

"It's going to be a few minutes. Why don't you guys clear some of the broken furniture from the center of the main room while we wait?"

Urzan shrugged, and with Moktar's help, they began pushing the heavy pieces out of the way.

Soon, the rich aroma of the chili filled the tavern, wafting through the air and making my own stomach growl.

Urzan sniffed. "Good food!" he proclaimed, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

I chuckled, holding up a hand. "It's just leftovers, and there isn't a lot," I clarified, not wanting to get their hopes up too high. "But it should be enough for a hearty breakfast."

As the chili heated, I turned my attention to the baked potatoes. I pulled them out; the skins were crispy, and the insides soft and fluffy. I tossed two potatoes each onto plates and split them open, releasing a cloud of steam.

Urzan and Moktar watched me curiously, their eyes following my every move. "What Varix doing?!" Urzan asked, tilting his head to the side. He looked at me like I'd just sprouted a second head.

"Just wait," I said with a grin as I carefully scooped out a healthy amount of the reheated chili and plopped it on top of the pile of potatoes. The rich, spicy sauce soaked into the fluffy potato.

I pulled out a chunk of rich cheddar cheese, cut a few thin slices off, and laid them over the steaming food.

I slid the plates across the bar to Urzan and Moktar. "Dig in, boys," I said, handing each a fork. "Breakfast is served."

Urzan looked at the fork and pushed it aside. He picked up half a potato dripping with chili and bit into it.

"Varix kind! Varix feed orc!"

I pulled a smaller plate out and showed Lady Churl. She happily took the dish and loaded it like she'd observed me doing.

"After you're full, would you and Moktar care to help me around the tavern? Mostly moving and breaking down some of the rotted furniture parts?"

"Urzan and Moktar help! Orc like break things!"

"Thanks, guys. We'll have this place whipped into shape in no time," I said confidently.