They found the Driftwood tavern without much trouble and were glad it seemed to serve lunch. The interior was poorly lit, and while waiting for someone to take their order, Thad rubbed a finger over the top of the table and looked at it, frowning at the result.

"It's not too late to go to a...well, real restaurant."

"I need to talk to someone here," Uzca said.

"Who?" Thad made a show of looking around the empty tap room.

"I was told I could get information here."

"By that kid?" Bezben said. "He would have told you he knows a guy who shits solid gold if you had let go of his arm."

"No, Bez, he wasn't lying about this place. I don't know if the guy works here or just frequents it, but I intend to find out."

"What information are you looking for?" Thad asked.

"I figured since we were in a city, it was time to start seeing if I can't track my family down."

"Ahh, yes. I had forgotten. I suppose that's a good idea, though I feel like we might have been able to do a little better than this particular establishment when it comes to both informants and food."

"You don't know that."

"No, I'm quite sure we'll get food poisoning if we eat here."

Bezben frowned and put down the small menu that described the daily specials.

"I meant the informant, Thad."

"Sure, sure, he might be great. But I'm not sure why you need to talk to someone who clearly focuses on...ahh, darker aspects of society."

Uzca shrugged. "I had a hunch."

"What?" Bezben asked.

"You know, a hunch, intuition, something felt right about coming here."

"Who are you, and what have you done with my cousin? The Uzca I know doesn't deal in hunches."

"Yeah, sure. You're not wrong, but I don't know. Since I got my gift, I feel like I've been guided to where we are right now, somehow. I don't know if it's Rethkam, my gift, or something else, but I decided to start leaning into it to see what happens."

A waitress finally walked in from the kitchens and headed to their table, straightening out her apron on the way over.

"Sorry, gents. We don't usually get anyone in so early, and I was elbow-deep in a fresh batch of bread."

"Fresh bread?" Thad asked, surprised. "You bake it in-house?"

"Everything is fresh and homemade by my husband and yours truly. He's in the back getting stew ready for this evening."

"Oh," Thad said, confused by the incongruity of people who seemed to actually care about their food and the condition of the tap room.

"What can I get for you three? Did you look over the daily lunch specials? We also have bread and cheese plates, a meat pie, and some sandwiches available for lunch. Let me see..."

She scampered over to the bar and reached behind it, grabbing a well-used paper. It was covered with water spots and had a few questionable stains, but it listed several sandwich options.

Thad ordered the bread and cheese board with a selection of sauces, Uzca, a corned beef sandwich, and Bezben, the "Catch of the Day" pasta.

Some time later, the waitress brought out their food, and Thad begrudgingly admitted that he may have jumped to conclusions.

"The cheese variety is, frankly, surprising. This bread is top notch too. But these sauces? I think I could drink this one."

Uzca's sandwich was delicious, and Bezben offered Thad a bite of the fish pasta.

"Oh, that's good."

They were holding their stomachs and feeling satisfied when the waitress returned.

"How was everything? If I do say so myself, I think I see the look of three satisfied faces."

"It was really good!" Bezben said, and Uzca agreed.

"Dear lady, I have to know. How is it that you're serving up food this good from a humble and, quite honestly, grimy tavern? I don't mean to disparage your establishment, but it seems like you could run a fine restaurant."

She laughed. "I appreciate you seeing to the heart of it. Please, just call me Shell. My husband and I own this place. Honestly, it's mostly because we love what we do, and we want to keep doing it. It's hard for a regular restaurant to survive here in Brightwater Crossing. People want a simple tavern to drink and have a good time. They want it to feel a little like home—it's just a bonus if the food is good.

"It does seem like I've gone a little too far down the 'grimy' scale, now that you mention it," Shell said, wiping the grime from the table. "Yeah, sorry about that. Still, the best paying customers will disappear if we get too fancy. It's a little strange, but there you are."

"Huh," Thad said. "I would have never guessed."

Shell just gave him a nod. "Now, is there anything else I can get for the three of you?"

Uzca leaned forward. "Actually, I had a question. I was told I could find someone here who might be able to give me some information about some people."

"Sure. We have a regular who sets up shop for information exchange every night. He's not exactly quiet about it, and he usually takes appointments. Seeing as the three of you were so nice with your compliments if you stop back in tonight, I can get you in to see him. He'll probably be in an hour past sunset. Would you mind me asking who you want information about? I might be able to get word to him early so he can look for you."

"Oh, that would be great. Alocain Rossenal and his family."

"Hmm. The name sounds familiar, but I can't place it. Anyway, I'll let him know. You swing on by later, and we'll see if he doesn't have anything for you."

They thanked her again for lunch, and she left with their coin.

"Alright, I guess we have some time to burn. What's next on the agenda? Find a place to stay?" Uzca asked the group.

"I think so," Thad said. "I thought we could tour the bridge garden after we find a place. It's one of my favorite places to stop. We can spend a few hours there, and then, if you're both in agreement, we could stop back here for dinner. Sound good?"

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"I like this plan," Bezben said.

Uzca hadn't originally wanted to spend so much money in taverns and restaurants, but between the rewards they had gotten, he now had more money than when they started their journey.

He gave them a nod, and they headed out.

Finding accommodations in the city was easy enough, with the Riverside district having plenty of places to stay. Once that was done, they made their way to the keep at the heart of the city.

"I took a tour of the fort once. It was originally used to guard this part of our fledgling empire from invaders to the north. When I asked, no one seemed to know who living north of the Comise might want to invade, but with how it is built, it seems to be a defensive structure."

"If they were guarding from invaders to the north, wouldn't it make sense to have the keep on the other side of the water? Then the only point of attack would be a narrow bridge," Uzca said.

"That's actually a good point. The keep and bridge both predate the empire proper, and there's precious little knowledge of the powers of the world from before the fall of Old Livia. It might be that the people living south of the river were the invaders. Either way, it's now the home of Duke Merrin. He's lord over most of the lands in this province. The gardens we're entering are his personal gardens, and he can occasionally be seen tending to the plants himself."

The gardens led around the keep and back up onto the bridge. It was filled with flowers and climbing ivies. Thick hedges were cut low and perfectly squared, making visible patterns throughout the area between garden and flower bets. There was a calm serenity to the gardens that made Uzca relax.

The tension he always carried between his shoulders melted away, and he took a deep breath. When he exhaled, all the built-up stress and worry from his journey so far melted away. He was at peace, and if he hadn't been walking, he was pretty sure he could have fallen asleep instantly.

"It's tranquil. I feel like we haven't really been able to relax since we left. I've been so on edge about traveling and discovering the truth that I've forgotten to appreciate all the new things I'm seeing."

Bezben nodded.

"I find it's good to take time to distance yourself from stress or even the grind of daily life. Go out one night, visit a peaceful garden, or see a show. Having a few minutes to exist without any of life's external pressures is good for the soul."

"Well said, young man."

They turned to see an older gentleman standing up from where he had been tending to the hedge opposite them.

"Excuse my interruption, but it always brings me joy to see my gardens bringing a little joy or, as you say, tranquillity to visitors."

"Ah, you must be Duke Merrin," Thad said with a quick bow. Uzca and Bezben awkwardly imitated him, not sure what they were supposed to do.

"Please, please. None of that. You know, I come down here to get away from the pressures of life, too. Here in the garden, I'm just Charlie."

"A pleasure to meet you, then, Charlie. I'm Thad, and these are my companions, Uzca and Bezben. I've experienced your garden several times in my travels, and it's always one of my favorite spots."

"Splendid! And what of you two? Is this your first time?"

"It is. I've never been in a garden like this," Uzca said. "It's really amazing."

"I think I have a black thumb. I couldn't even get carrots to grow back home," Bezben added.

"That's because you dug them up every day to see how big they were."

"I was nine!"

"Aha! The follies of youth," Charlie laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. "I've never heard anyone doing something like that. But come! If this is your first time in the garden, and you have such wonderful things to say about it, then I must give you a tour myself!"

Thad was beside himself in excitement while Uzca and Bezben listened along with interest. The Duke was very proud and explained that this section of the bridge was destroyed by raiders from upriver. They had crossed the mountains to attack the empire, and Brightwater Crossing was the first spot they hit, following the Comise down.

"Now, this was around a century ago. The invaders were driven back, unaware of how well-defended the river was here. They did their damage, though. The bridge was composed of two main thoroughfares, as you can imagine."

He gestured to the other side of the bridge. The "bridge" was actually two parallel bridges, with the one they weren't on covered with carts and people making their way across the river. The bridge garden covered the entirety of the second bridge.

"This half was nearly destroyed and was not immediately reopened due to a shortage of the stone used to construct the rest of the city, particularly the roads. My great-grandfather, hoping to get this side of the bridge operational again, rebuilt what he could and filled the roadway with dirt until the stones could be procured. The problem was that the dirt was too soft, and they had a hard time trying to compact it to create a roadway.

"They tried for a few weeks and then closed down the bridge again, leaving the dirt in place. Well, weeks turned into months, and soon, plants began growing in the rich soil covering the bridge. The locals and travelers alike were soon captivated by the beautiful blooms that covered the second bridge. Traffic was easily handled by the first bridge, so my great-grandfather declared the second bridge a garden. We have been tending it ever since."

When they completed their tour, Charlie led them back to the entrance.

"Thank you for listening to an old man prattle on. I appreciate your pointed questions, Thad, and yes, Bezben, we will try converting some of the empty plots near the end into a vegetable garden to help feed the needy in the city. An inspired idea."

Bezben scratched the back of his head with his good hand and muttered a deflection.

"I'm afraid duty calls, however. If you find yourselves in need of something from your Duke, don't hesitate to call on me."

"Wow, thank you, Charlie. It's an honor."

The Duke bade them farewell, and they returned to the Driftwood Tavern as daylight faded.

"Wow, that guy was super nice for a Duke," Bezben said. "I always imagined them to be stuffy idiots or tyrants."

"Same," Uzca said. "Huh, maybe we're told stories of our own that don't paint some lowlanders in the best light."

"Things like that can often go both ways," Thad said. "Disparate groups arguing, insisting that another group is their mortal enemy, only to find when they get to know each other that they're more similar than they realized."

"I'll have to try to stop thinking like that. I mean, if I want other people to do the same, I guess I should start with myself."

Bezben threw his good arm around Uzca's neck and squeezed the shorter man. "Aww, look at my cousin, finally growing up."

"It's not too late to throw you in the river, Bez."

Bezben let him go and laughed, pushing him away.

The Driftwood Tavern was packed when they arrived. No one had come for lunch, but apparently, everyone came for dinner.

The owners hadn't had time to do any cleaning, but the taproom's energy and liveliness seemed to transform the place. It seemed less dirty and more homely. This was a place where people came to feel some belonging after a hard day of work. Uzca was impressed with how well the owners had matched how they offered the place in appearance and feeling to how the people acted inside.

Uzca hadn't been to many taverns, but the only one in their village was a quiet place where people ordered some drinks and food and had quiet conversations.

The Driftwood was noisy but not loud, and laughter regularly filled the air. People played darts near a wall, and booths and tables were filled with groups. Everyone was eating, and the food smelled delicious. They spotted the owner, Shell, behind the bar serving up drinks, and a new face greeted them at the door.

A cute girl with brown hair pulled back into a perfect braid stopped them at the entrance. Bezben turned an uncharacteristic shade of pink when she started talking to them. Uzca elbowed his cousin with a grin.

"Hey, good evening. Three? I think I have a table open in the middle if that's alright."

"That would be lovely," Thad said.

They sat down and ordered drinks and food. Uzca excused himself after the drinks arrived and went to the bar.

Shell was scrambling back and forth, but she made note of everyone that came up to the bar. "Hey, you. Sorry didn't catch your name earlier."

"Uzca."

"Pleasure, Uzca. It's a little busy right now, so he's not in yet. Likes it a little more low-key. Stop back up after you eat, and I'll get you squared away."

They enjoyed another wonderful meal. Uzca had a rich slice of roast meat, mashed potatoes, and gravy. It was pure comfort, and he didn't know if he'd eaten so well since his mother disappeared. Renza wasn't the best cook. Bezben barely looked up from his own pile of food. He had the same thing but had ordered a massive salad beside. His only problem was being unable to hold a fork in his right hand.

Thad was making the biggest spectacle, though. He was practically moaning with every bite. He had some kind of fish that had come out in a paper envelope. It smelled fresh and citrusy, with a white sauce that Thad was licking out of a small dish.

"I think if this tavern was in the same town as the Donarin Bakery, I would move there and never look back," he said.

"Mmmhmm," Bezben agreed, mouth full.

Uzca sat back from his empty plate and looked around. The tavern hadn't emptied, but the loudest people had left, and it was a more relaxed atmosphere than it had been just minutes before.

Shell wasn't as busy behind the bar and met his eyes when he looked over. She gave him a nod, then pointed at a booth directly across from him.

A man sat alone in the booth. He had a mug in front of him and a few papers on the table. He saw Shell's pointing finger, followed her eyes, and waved Uzca over.

"Looks like he's here," he said. "I'm going to go talk to him."

"Good luck, cousin. Thad, I think they said something about dessert? We're getting dessert, right?"

"Oh gods, yes."

Uzca smiled at them and shook his head. He left them to their dessert fantasies and approached the booth.

"Please, have a seat."