Hood jolts awake to see Hy-Jinx standing, leaning against the door frame munching on an apple. The room is a lot dimmer than it was before and evening is clearly approaching.

“Hello sleepy head.” she says, or at least attempts to say, as she half spits and dribbles chewed apple from her mouth, wiping her chin with the back of her hand. “I think we need to get out of here,” before finishing with a whisper “This Weevil woman’s a nightmare!”

Hood looks silently at Hy-Jinx.

“Oh! Madeleine's next door. She woke up about an hour ago. Seems good. Anyways, it’s getting late, so now might be a good time to consider getting ready to go, otherwise we’ll be here another full day and that might not be conducive to…err…societal harmony…or costs incurred…”

Hood slips his hand into his robe and pulls out a gold bar about the size and length of his index finger, stamped with the city sigil of Meradon.

“Oo! Look at you! Mr Money Bags!” Hy-Jinx mocks, catching it with her free hand after Hood flicks it across the room. “I’ll go settle up then. Better not confuse the two” she says, gesturing between apple and gold bar before pulling her lips into the cavity of her mouth “else I ooz me teep!” She turns and momentarily wanders off down the corridor, before returning to peep her head around the door with a tinkle and an afterthought that she clearly can’t contain: “Mind you, I’ve always wanted to shit gold!” Hood closes his eyes and shakes his head, leaning back into the comfort of the bed as Hy-Jinx’s tinkles slowly fade into silence, along with the sound of her voice:

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Now the Merchant of Mencil was vastly renowned

For pooping out nuggets of gold on the ground

It was rumoured, you see, that his skills knew no limit

That he could flog anything given a minute.

Now his wealth it grew to such a degree

That the king at the time put forth a decree…

Hood breathes deeply, centres his mind and slowly opens his eyes, swings his legs down from the bed and checks through his belongings. Making sure that all is in place and ready for the road ahead, he shoulders his satchel and wanders out of his room to find Madeleine. Just as Hy-Jinx has said she is next door, sitting on the edge of her bed, tugging at her leather sleeves, smoothing out the arms of her tunic. As Hood stands in the doorway, Madeleine looks up smiling, Madeleine is always smiling, her mask showing no signs of the previous evening’s affray.

“What say you Hood? Are we ready?”

Hood nods silently.

“Then let us depart.”