"Such nice weather you have here, dear! Amazing! Step through the hedge and it's a sunny day!" Sandy marveled, wringing out the sodden sleeves of her jumper. The big floppy hat she was wearing kept her hair dry, but rivulets of water ran off it, further drenching the rest of her.

"Glad you like it! Sorry the festival got rained out over there! That's such a bummer! I know people put a bunch of work into getting everything set up."

"Not to worry, dear! We're used to it. Kind of you to let us relocate over your way!"

"Of course! I mean, we're celebrating the tripling over here, too, so it just makes sense!" It was a quadrupling if you considered the Hollow. With all the people that had traveled back with Picker and Tuuka, the Fur Folk, resident Elarans, and the original inhabitants, the Hollows had significantly more people than the three villages combined!

Amelia and Sandy moved out of the path, so others could pass through the gate. On the Eldertown side, it was a rustic green wooden door set into a hedgerow just on the outskirts of the village proper. It looked as if it had always been there. If you went through it, you found yourself in the new village in Elara, as yet unnamed. It opened right next to the gate into the cottage's yard, adding yet one more shortcut to the hollow.

A third door, blue, stood open next to the others. Its far side was set in a stone wall in one of the fields in Bury Ardith. A companion festival could be seen in the open field, bright tents and tarps pitched to shield from the sun, streamers and bunting flying from ropes and stays.

There was another new entrance, as well. Working with Bert and Elara, they'd added an arm to the canal link that ran along the road between the Hollows and Eldertown. It went under a new stone bridge, which allowed unimpeded foot traffic still. The canal passed just on the outskirts of the Hollows, following its wrought iron fence, then passing into a short tunnel. That tunnel emerged into Elara, with a few hundred-yard stretch ending in a large basin. Amelia had initially thought they'd use it to transport cargo but was happy to have it just for fun, even if it didn't get used. A floating market had set up along it, adding to the festivities. There were a handful of trading canal boats, from a floating café, handicraft vendors, and art boats, to a boat selling pizza from its onboard oven. There was even a mobile theatre troop, who used their boat as a green room. They had set up a small stage nearby, putting on raucous comedy shorts that had already drawn a sizeable crowd.

"Three towns twinned! So wonderful! And such nice folks, too!" Sandy gushed, watching as people passed back into the mortal realm to continue transporting the wet tents and stalls to Elara. It was an odd mix, with people in waterproofs and wellies being helped by goat-legged fauns, dwarves, goblins, beast-headed people, animals, and all the other inhabitants.

"I can't wait to see what the winning name turns out to be! I hope it's a good one. For some reason, they wouldn't let me contribute, but that's probably because they knew I'd win." Amelia said.

"Yes, dear, I'm sure that's the reason. Shame, I'm sure people'd love to live in Towny McTownface or Happy Fun Town or summat." Sandy winked and chuckled.

"Me too! It's unfair, that's what it is. But I don't really mind. Need any more help? Only, I gotta get my stall set up."

"Thanks, sweetie, but I'm all set. I'll just nip back and make sure everything's moving smoothly. You run along and get ready. I'm sure your candy will be popular!"

Amelia waved as Sandy saw an opening in the foot traffic and made her way back. It was nice to see everybody pitching in!

"Now remember--the candy is for other people, right? You guys have your own stash, so stay out!" she admonished Fern and Whisper, who were riding in their accustomed spots.

"Share! Share! Yummy! Yummy!" peeped the sprite.

"Yes. That means letting other people have some, too. Not just grabbing everything you can shove down your throat before Whisper gets to it, okay?"

She couldn't see the wisp riding on her head, but she guessed there was some indignant glowing going on.

"If you guys are good, I'll make an extra batch just for you two! You can be sick for days! How does that sound?"

"Deal! Deal! Sick! Sick!" responded Fern, bouncing up and down on Amelia's shoulder in happiness. The two terrors would happily gorge themselves until they could barely move, but as soon as they recovered, they were ready for more. It was impressive!

The sprite was still doing a happy wiggle as Amelia got to the stall she and Nic were sharing. Their other helpers were back in the confectionery churning out truffles and other desserts, which would be handed out with the big feast later. The candy here was the stuff Amelia and Nic had personally made, specialty fancy items just for fun and showing off.

"Alright, Nic?"

"Alright, Amelia? See you brought the destruction twins. Do I even need to unpack, or should I just get a shovel and a coupla funnels?"

"They'll behave. Won't you?" Amelia watched as Fern and Whisper wafted over to the boxes Nic was leaning against. They circled, probably just to make the ratman nervous, then raced to the next stall over.

"Here you go! Honey for my honeys!" cried Rakish, holding out two huge chunks of honeycomb, dripping and golden. These were snatched from his hands as the two flying disposals fled with their booty, returning only briefly to return one of his gloves they'd accidentally pulled off in their greedy haste.

"Friend! Friend!" called Fern as they vanished into the distance.

"Huh. I guess you can buy love, after all! Alright, Rakish? Oddny?" Amelia waved at the scarecrow.

"Alright, Amelia?" responded Oddny, the woman busy slicing up sections of the sweet combs. She had little tubs set out along a counter, filled with honey of various flavours. The two had been getting bumper harvests from the bees, so much so that they still had excess even after supplying Tuuka's new mead project.

"G' morning, caretaker!" acknowledged Briar, busy organizing her produce as Amelia waved at her. The goblin had the stall on the other side of Nic and Amelia's, well stocked with the fruit and vegetables from the garden. It certainly was a stark contrast in food styles. The goblin also had some of her potions on display. Shampoos, bug repellents, fertilizers, and some wonderful smelling perfumes. There were also quite a few phials stored under the counter, that the gardener refused to explain to Amelia. The caretaker was wise enough not to press her on the issue, despite how popular those unadvertised brews proved to be during the festival.

"Hiya, sweet cheeks! Welcome to the neighborhood!" Pancake popped his head around the front of the stall as Amelia was waving and greeting her friends. He eyed the box of chocolates she'd just picked up, licking his lips dramatically. "Anything for your dear ol' teacher? Dyin' from hunger, sort of thing?"

Amelia bent down and gave the goat a hug, then had to jump up to keep the container in her hand out of Shock's reach as the puppy dashed in after her friend.

"Okay! Okay! You guys can have one each! These are for the villagers! You know, the ones that don't get this stuff every day?" She had to brace herself with her free hand as both the goat and puppy levered themselves upright via her knees, straining for the sweets.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Phank ooo!" Pancake managed to get out between his caramel sealed teeth moments later, trotting off with Shock in tow. The dog had jaws like a vise, easily tearing through the ultra-thick and sticky chocolate filling.

"Go find Fern and Whisper, would you? If you all stay together, it'll only be one inevitable calamity to deal with ..." She yelled after them as they hurried off. Normally she'd hope Briar and Rakish would rein the kid in a bit, but they were both busy in their respective stalls. It might get fascinating if the goat got playful later.

It was still only midmorning, and already there were throngs shuffling about. Mostly people exploring and socializing with their new 'twins'. It had only been a few days ago when Amelia had finally gotten all the villages linked to her satisfaction. Convincing everyone hadn't been a problem. Sandy, Monty, and Maisie had persuaded those in Eldertown, and the Whimsy villagers in their new home in the Elaran fields had been more than happy with the idea. Once Amelia had offered the protection of the hollow, the people of Bury Ardith had been quick to allow Elara and Bert to annex their lands. That hadn't been her idea. Rather, Donald had suggested it. Since he had kept his end of the bargain, Amelia kept hers and expanded 'her domain' when it seemed to help.

It made her brain hurt a little keeping track of the portals and realm overlaps, but it all seemed to be working. She'd been careful not to defy physics anywhere, which had been tricky, but all three cores seemed happy. They still had a considerable amount of work to get more of the Elaran dungeons ship-shape and Bristol fashioned, but the Halls of Blight were doing well. She wasn't sure how they'd worked around the tools-as-weapons issue, but it didn't seem to be a problem anymore.

The thought was just crossing her mind when she saw the gaggle of adventurers wandering past, peering at all the booths as they chomped on slices of pizza. She recognized Nidra and Larsen and their two companions as the ones who'd come back with Tuuka and Picker. She had met them but hadn't had a chance to get to know them yet, busy as she was getting the new arrivals settled in, then setting up the portals and twinning arrangements for the villages.

"My lady!" "Ma'am" "Heya!" "Caretaker!" came the various greetings from the group as she waved them over.

"Hey guys! Chocolates? Made 'em myself!" Amelia held out one of the large trays with simple spherical truffles on it. "Don't worry--the ultra-sticky toffee ones I give to Shock and Pancake are in a box back there. You can have 'em if you want, you just won't be talking for a few minutes. You also risk losing a few teeth. They're good, though!"

"She's not kidding! Those things are practically weapons! I think the only reason that hag sticks around and runs the pub is Amelia got her hooked on the things." Nic teased from the back of the booth. His candies were considerably more elaborate, covered in swirls, sprinkles, and dusting that told what the contents were. They were very fancy. The undead ratman had supernatural patience for such things, spending days at a time working out new recipes and means of decoration. Amelia, on the other hand, focused on simpler varieties of toffees and caramels, the chocolate coating mostly a delivery medium.

"Take several Sebastien! You're big, it's only fair!" Amelia cajoled, lifting the box up above her head to offer the treats to the minotaur. "These are toffee covered in dark chocolate, with sea salt sprinkles. Yum!"

"Dark chocolate. Would have expected no less from you, my lady!" rumbled the massive man as he delicately plucked a few pieces from the tray.

"Ha ha! Yeah. I mean, white chocolate is okay, but it isn't really chocolate, you know? Now if I can ever nail down the recipe for the green apple toffee kind Sandy used to get, that would be something! Even better than the magic ones Nic and I've been working on. Those taste really good, and the effects are nice, but still feels like cheating somehow, you know?"

"Excuse me? Magic candy? You're kidding, right?" asked Larsen, the big man looking slightly uncomfortable in street clothing instead of his usual armor. He stared at the piece in his hand carefully.

"Nope. No way we were gonna be outshone by the other crafters in the hollow. They make some fantastic stuff! So we got Lark, Briar, and Tyni to pitch in and help get us going. Oh, and Pancake, too, but he just tested the things. I was afraid if we used any of his ideas, they really would be weapons!"

Nidra chewed her candy for a moment, her eyes closed as she enjoyed it. "Is this some kind of addictive potion? I feel like I need more!"

"Nope. That's just the butter and sugar. And love. The love is what grabs you by the soul and makes you want to keep eating." Amelia quipped.

The adventurer shook her head in bewilderment as she ate another one. "You know, this place is not at all what I had pictured before coming here."

"Oh? Hopefully in a good way, though, right?" Amelia looked at her, surprised.

"Of course! It's so ... domestic, I guess. Peaceful and happy." The adventurer indicated the booths nearby with all the various locally made edibles and crafts. It was smaller than any one lane of the Night Market, but you could just feel how happy and friendly everyone was, as opposed to the condensed and distilled commerce that was the essence of the Market.

"Huh. Uh, what did you expect, if you don't mind saying?" Amelia queried, looking around at the gathering. It was a pleasant mix of people from Eldertown, the Hollow, Elara, and Bury Ardith, all enjoying each other's company and the fruits of hard labor on offer. There was considerable laughter and merriment, contributed in no small part by the content of Tuuka's booth.

The four visiting adventurers all exchanged glances before Nidra answered. "Well, something, I don't know, more martial, I guess? Armies and weapons, that sort of thing?"

Amelia blinked for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Well, all right. Huh." She thought for a moment. "We don't exactly have an army. Sure, lots of us practice with spears and stuff, but mostly for self-defense and exercise, sort of thing. And spells, of course. Those are just fun! Making stuff blow up is great!" She said with a smile, then frowned as she remembered the story of the rescue squad's encounter with the elf. And Rose, the traitor. That news had shaken Alder and Amelia to their core. It was hard to imagine a friend betraying you like that, and they still found it hard to believe.

"Weapons we got, though. Armor, too. Must be a smith thing, or something, but they keep cranking out war stuff like there's no tomorrow. We have an armory packed to the brim, and that's just the stuff Bellows calls munition grade. He and Olavi've trained a bunch of folks to make that stuff, so they can focus on more specialized doodads. Like Lord Twinkles, here." She pulled back the sleeve of her jumper to show the cold iron bracelet, which as usual refused to shine or sparkle in any way whatsoever.

"Elf tongues!" swore Nidra as she jerked back at the sight of the jewelry, blood draining from her face. Larsen and the other two backed up and instinctively took up defensive stances, which looked funny since they were unarmed.

"Sorry! It's just a bangle, don't worry! They said something about protection mumbo jumbo, but I think it just looks cool. Can't have it in the sun too long, though, or he starts complaining." Amelia pulled the sleeve back down. "Gets all grumpy, you know? Who wants grumpy jewelry, amirite?"

The other adventurers smirked at the reactions. They'd been around the hollow long enough to have an idea of the types of artifacts just casually available here. The ratwoman fiddled with the ring on her left middle finger idly, while Neon's cloak gently billowed dramatically in a nonexistent breeze. These were potent magic items, but mere trifles to some of the equipment they knew the goblin and dwarf crafters had been making.

Nidra swallowed thickly, her eyes fastened on Amelia's left wrist, now covered by the jumper sleeve again. "That's ... that's a thing, all right. Please, please do not make it grumpy!" She rubbed her eyes, then chafed her hands together, the skin cold and clammy all of a sudden. "Yeah, that was kinda what we expected, My Lady."

"Hey! None of that 'my lady' guff, now! It's Amelia, or caretaker, or 'hey you', got me? I just work here, okay?" Amelia said with mock outrage, grinning to take any sting from the words.

"Yeah, she's touchy about that. Just humour her, okay?" Nic called, twirling a finger by his skull, where an ear would be if the skeleton had any. He did his over-broad imitation of a wink, as much as one could without eyelids.

Larsen coughed, then nodded. Nidra managed to pull her eyes away and forced a smile. "Sure thing, Amelia. You just work here. Got it."

"Gangway! Coming through! Watch out!" yelled Vieno, the dwarf charging through the crowd at full tilt. Blasts of water struck the ground and fixtures around her as she dodged and weaved expertly, Frisket just a step behind her. It was remarkable that no one else was struck, testament to Pancake and Amelia's drilling and 'feedback' on collateral damage.

The two teens disappeared over a hedge into the field behind the row of booths, followed moments later by Fork, Spoon, and Knife. Pasi and Lumi were right behind them, blasting away over the heads of their smaller accomplices.

"Was that ...?" started Larsen, recognizing the two girls.

"Oh, yeah, our local juvenile delinquents. I'm just glad Pancake, Shock, and the hunger twins aren't with them."

"Oooh, sorry to disappoint ya, toots. But it is on!" chortled the goat as he pranced past, Fern standing on his back and holding his horn nubbins to steady herself. The wisp zipped past in a streak of glowing green.

"Uh, that can't be good ..." mumbled Amelia, putting down the chocolate tray.