Crystal Snows was the capital of the Snow Elf country of Despa. Because the Mage's Guild tower was outside of the walls, we hadn't gone through the city on our way to the Ice Caverns, and we had missed out on a lot of sights that made it famous.

In the dreary, cloudy gray of the far north, Crystal Snows was a cornucopia of colors. The buildings were brightly painted with greens, purples, and pinks in abundance.

It wasn’t just the architecture, either. The citizens, predominantly Elves, wore vibrant blues, reds, and yellows that would be considered garish in other cultures, but did a lot to contrast the snowy world around them.

"Did you know that paints and dyes are Despa's primary export?" I asked Ferrisdae while staring out at the city. "They learned how to make them long before the Thousand Year Blizzard started. There's a cave system you can only access from under Dyer's Guild buildings that stretches for miles that has everything they've learned to use from plants, to minerals, and especially oozes."

When Ferrisdae didn't respond, I moved away from the window and looked at her. She had her head down, staring at her twiddling thumbs. I rolled my eyes, but reached across the carriage and kicked her gently. She jerked in response.

"We don't really have to go, you know," I told her.

"You said we were going to take Koritha up on her offer," Ferrisdae quietly replied.

"Yeah, and?" I asked. When she looked confused, I shook my head. "Ferrisdae, you're a grown-ass woman. Barely one, maybe, but you've still passed the threshold. If you don't want to do something, then don't. I'm only here to do the job, not make social decisions for you."

"Then why did you decide to say it?" Ferrisdae asked.

"Because I thought it was going to be some stupid teenager problem that would be solved with time and distance," I said.

"It's deeper than that, she and I-"

I held up my hand to stop her. "It's no one's business but yours, so you don't need to explain," I said. "But you've been brooding for the past ten minutes and I never thought I'd say this but I much prefer it when you're chipper and full of rainbows."

That drew out a small smile. "Oh? You like it when I'm overly enthused about this or that, then?"

"If you tell anyone I said it, I'll vehemently deny it, and only the chief will believe you," I warned. "I've spent a lot of time cultivating this image, and I'm not going to let some young upstart dash it."

"Why?" she asked. "Why go through all that trouble to be unlikable and surly all the time."

I had given her too much slack, I realized; she was getting bold. Well, bolder. "Oh, I guess I misheard you earlier," I said. "I guess we are taking the princess up on her offer."

That just made her chortle. "What happened to me being a grown-ass woman who doesn't have to do anything I don't want to do?"

"Don't use my words against me," I said, shaking my head. "Try to cheer up my junior and this is what I get? Never again. Brood if you want to."

"Okay, okay, fine," she said with a laugh. "It's not yet time to learn about the irritable old mentor, I've got it."

The carriage started slowing down to a stop. We were in the middle of the road, but there wasn't that much traffic during this time of day. We weren't holding anyone up.

It didn't take long for Cojisto to come to the carriage and enter uninvited again. "Why have we stopped? Is everything okay?"

"Everything’s fine, Cojisto," Ferrisdae said. "We're not going to see Koritha."

"Oh, but Badger said…"

"I'm cantankerous and ornery, kid," I snapped, putting some extra bite into my words. "Expect me to change my mind a lot. So what's the best inn in town? I want something warm in my stomach."

"Yeah, he's a real mean son of a bitch," Ferrisdae said with an almost straight face. I don't think Cojisto noticed, but I could see the smile tugging at her lips.

"Oh, well," Cojisto started, thinking. He took it in stride, at least. "Me and those adventurers I worked with this morning were staying at the Frosted Froth, but they have some kind of trivia going on and those bookish types never-"

"Then it's settled. Good work, Cojisto," I said, not trying to contain my excitement. "Lead the way to the Frosted Froth."

******

The Frosted Froth was a large inn and tavern in the center of town. The outer walls of the building were painted to look like a beer from an ale brown on bottom to a washed out white near the top. From the windows I could see that there was an almost full house, and a sign out front indicated that there was an event going on every night. There were darts, arts, and trivia, among other things. The people of Crystal Snows sure knew how to keep themselves busy.

The inside was even more vibrant than the outside. Colors from all sides of the spectrum were scattered about haphazardly, as if cans of paint had been tossed about. It wasn't just on the walls, but all over the tables, chairs, bar, and even some splatters on the ceiling.

"They hold an event to paint the interior every year," Cojisto explained as he saw me looking. "That happened two months ago and the theme was chaos."

I nodded at the large man and glanced back outside. Moose had gone to stand at the stables outside without any prompting from Cojisto. I had to admit, he was a surprisingly tame and well-trained animal.

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"Thirty minutes until we begin, folks!"

I turned my head towards the woman who stood on a platform near the bar. She was a Snow Elf, like the majority of the people here, with white hair and a pair of spectacles sitting on her nose. She had that look of aging about her, so she had to be much older than Ferrisdae.

"Once again, the Mage's Guild folks aren't here tonight, so everyone has a fair shot at winning free drinks until our next trivia night," she announced. "You need at least three to a team! We'll have ten questions tonight, entry is five gold coins, and, because I have to say it every time, no praying to the Goddess of Knowledge for answers. I'm looking at you, Cerik." The crowd collectively chuckled, but that was a serious offense that happened at bar trivia across the continent. It was always infuriating.

"I'm paying," I told the other two. "And it sounds like you're staying with us, Cojisto."

"We're not even staying here for that long," Cojisto said, bemused. "Why do you want free drinks?"

"It's not about the drinks," I answered, looking for a table. It was hard to see with all these tall people around. "It's about the trivia. That's what I care about."

"I see a free table," Ferrisdae pointed out. I started following her after telling Cojisto that our team name was The Inspectors and giving him enough coins for entry, food, and drinks. He grumbled, but went along with it.

We passed by a table occupied by three Humans and a Dwarf who weren't dressed in the vibrant colors of the locals. A dark skinned woman and the Dwarf looked back at us, and we nodded at each other. We didn't look like locals, either. Ferrisdae could pass for it, but even if I weren't a Halfling my earthy brown and green outfit would have immediately given me away as a traveler.

We sat and waited. "You know, I wasn't expecting this to be something you enjoyed," Ferrisdae said. "But now that we're here, I gotta say, it makes a lot of sense."

"I like being right," I told her honestly. "And this way, I get to win while doing it."

"Oh my. Confident, are we?" She said wryly.

"Very," I responded with confidence. "It’s my job to come up with the trivia questions for…"

A moment passed by as I suddenly shut my mouth. I could see the sparkling curiosity in her eyes. "Well? You come up with the trivia questions for what?"

"I've already said too much," I said. "And Cojisto knows some of the competition." I pointed, and she looked to see Cojisto conversing with the table of travelers we passed by earlier.

"That must be the adventuring party he attached himself to," she offered.

“Must be.”

"Do you think he does that a lot? Randomly join different adventuring parties?" Ferrisdae wondered.

“It’s more common than you might think. Though, I wouldn’t expect it on as high profile an adventure as Oristrella, but weirder things have happened.”

"Well, that's how he got in with us, so it makes sense that he’s become quite practiced at it." She glanced away from the pointed stare I gave her, pretending not to notice. "What, you forgot about how he invited himself and Moose along without being asked?"

"Sure," I said sarcastically. "That's exactly how it happened and it was certainly no fault of a Junior Inspector. Not at all."

"I'm glad we both remember this incredibly factual event exactly the same way," Ferrisdae said.

Cojisto left the other table and approached with three mugs in his hands. He set them down on the table in front of us before taking a seat. "Okay, so, bad news," Cojisto started.

"Adventurers, probably smart ones?" I asked, bringing my beer close. I looked at Ferrisdae before she had a chance to drink. "Take it slow, lightweight. I don't want to see a Tavern situation tonight."

"It was one time," Ferrisdae mumbled before taking a sip, froth clinging to her upper lip when she set the mug down.

Cojisto nodded when I returned my attention to him. "Krylie, the Human woman, is a member of the Mage's Guild out of Crurak. She's smart as a whip and likes to talk circles around people and show off how smart she is, but has a mean streak," he explained. "The Dwarf is Gatzi, he's a priest of Mjrestar."

"God of Magic, brother of Chuelda, Goddess of Knowledge," I stated. "So there could be some favoritism because of the relationship between the two."

Cojisto nodded. "This trivia night stuff, it's kind of your thing, isn't it?" he asked.

"You could say that," I said. "What about the other two?"

"Dalsar and Dalvar, they're brothers," Cojisto said. "I don't expect them to know anything Krylie and Gatzi don't, unless it's about frogs."

"Frogs?" Ferrisdae asked.

"It's weird, right?" Cojisto exclaimed. "But Dalsar is obsessed with them for some reason."

"Couldn't you answer any questions pertaining to moose?" Ferrisdae asked. I watched her, frowning. She sure was sipping at her beer faster than I would have liked.

"Yes, definitely. Why do you ask?" Cojisto asked. He was already halfway in his mug, but I wasn't expecting much out of him, honestly. His self awareness could use some work, too.

"Just curious," Ferrisdae claimed before giving me an amused look.

"How are we doing here, The Inspectors?" Like a ghost, the woman making announcements was next to us, causing Ferrisdae to jump slightly. I admit I may have been ready to reach for my pocket; I hadn't heard her coming at all, and I wasn't going to blame that on the ambient noise. I was alert.

Only Cojisto seemed unperturbed by her sudden appearance. "Forstra!" Cojisto said loudly. "This is the new team I was telling you about. Badger and Ferrisdae, they're Dungeon Inspectors. Team, this is Forstra, she owns the Frosted Froth."

"Dungeon Inspectors on business, I have to add," I said to Cojisto as a warning. I turned to Forstra and held out my hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Forstra."

She shook my hand and did the same with Ferrisdae. "Don't you worry about it, I'm not one to talk, even if young Cojisto here speaks before his mind has a chance to get a say in the matter."

"What can I say?" Cojisto said with a grin and a shrug. "Action is my first instinct and talking is free."

"Sure," I told him before leaning my elbows on the table. "So, Forstra, who do you think has it tonight?"

"Well…" she started, lowering her voice and leaning into the table. "You didn't hear it from me, but between the locals it's a toss up between the Dyers and the church of Chuelda, divine cheating or not." Forstra pointed out a group of Elves wearing even tackier colors than most and a group in blue robes.

I nodded as she spoke. The groups made sense to me. The Dyers had the money to throw around on education while Chuelda acolytes were a staple group at the Bottom's Up Tavern I frequented as well.

"But those adventurers Cojisto came with gave the Mage's Guild a run for their money last time,” she continued. “If I was allowed to bet on my own games, I'd put money on them."

"Thanks a lot, Ms. Forstra," I said, slipping a gold piece across the table to where she was leaning.

It disappeared into her palm and, when she opened her hand again, it was gone. "Mrs. Forstra," she corrected with a smile. "I appreciate it. If you need anything, let Ramanelle know. She's the serving girl, and we'll get it out for you right quick."

With that, Forstra left our table and easily made her way through the crowded tavern towards the bar. "Fifteen minute warning, everyone!" she yelled. "Fifteen minutes until we start, we're still taking in teams, so jump on it, folks!"

I nodded, looking around the room at the groups of people huddled together over their tables like they had some great secret.

"Still feeling confident, Badger?" Ferrisdae asked between sips.

I took my first pull of my own beer before nodding, wiping the foam from my lips. "Always, Ferrisdae," I said. "Always."