“Wait, so you’re saying that doesn’t happen to you?” Ardmy asked Deventh, flabbergasted. “I thought it happened to everyone…”

“No, I can’t say that’s ever happened to me,” Deventh assured him. His inflection imparted a hint of concern. “Perhaps you’re just getting yourself a bit nervous?”

"Perhaps… but what if I grow another one?”

After traveling southward on Ardmy’s horse-drawn cart for a fair portion of the day, the two arrived at the Brass Tusk at dusk. Tucked away behind a thicket of evergreens, the tavern waited at the end of a cobblestone path which split eastward from the quaggy dirt road. It rested in its cozy nest at the base of a mountain, boasting its dramatic and pointed – decidedly Nelthrin – architecture. White stone walls hoisted a cerulean roof, and swirled spires poked over the treetops to entice weary travelers with a lavishness quite uncharacteristic of any structure typical to Grimros.

The two stood near the door as they conversed, earning curious and concerned stares from passersby. One such onlooker, a blond, brown-eyed Nelthrin man, took pity on Ardmy's presumed condition, and approached with intent to resolve his woes.

“Excuse me, sir, I couldn't help overhearing your… Dilemma. I might be able to help," the man said. Ardmy's eyes lit up with curiosity.

"You know how to create a protection potion without growing a strange fungus on your toes?" the Gildvar asked, hope glimmering in his eyes. The Nelthrin pursed his lips, having realized his misunderstanding.

"Oh, my apologies sir, I thought you were talking about erec–" He stopped as Deventh's amused smirk caught his eye. "Wait, you're the Dronvar from the group who rescued us, are you not? Thulreg was looking for you. I’m Jac, from the Oath."

“Thulreg?” Deventh asked, pausing in thought for a moment. “Ah, your chairman. What brings you two here? Quite a surprise you made it in one piece, given the obvious.”

“Yes, well, that is precisely why we’re here. The disappearances have stopped.”

“Well, that’s certainly a development. Where is Thulreg, then?”

“Oh, he’s gone inside. Already settled in quite comfortably, what with how accommodating the place is. We weren’t aware that you ran your business out of such a fanciful location.”

“Fanciful,” Deventh repeated, his tone rising with incredulity. “If that's what you'd like to call it. In any case, shall we get out of the cold?”

“Of course!” the Nelthrin said, and the trio proceeded inside. Spacious and grandiose as a castle hall, the Brass Tusk tavern was alive with mirth and movement. Shadows cast by patrons and workers danced across the walls as a grand fireplace warmed the room. Booze and simmering stew filled the space with their aroma while boisterous conversations echoed from the vaulted ceiling.

As the three continued inside out of the cold of Grimros, a pair of inviting women greeted them with dazzling smiles and sweet-smelling perfume. Their bodies, draped in loose ivory dresses, seemed to move in rhythm with the gentle but lively music of a flute accompanied by a lute and a drum.

A third woman swept in behind them, a tall and robust Esdathrin with a sun-kissed complexion. Golden clips adorned thick, mahogany waves atop her head, glistening in the light of the fire. She eyed the three men, her deep burgundy lips curling into a grin. Bangles jingled at her wrists as she rested her hands on each of the girls’ shoulders.

“Do you three like my girls? Even the most stoic of men can’t seem to resist a glance. That is by intent.” She nodded, noting the direction of Deventh’s gaze. “Welcome back, guildmaster. The only egg I’ve not yet managed to crack.”

“It’s good to be back,” Deventh said. “How’s business, Lucia?”

“A fount of endless demand,” Lucia said, throwing her hands up. “How difficult it’s become not to grow fat on dates, wine, and cheese.”

“That bad?”

“A rather jolting deviation from the luxuries I once enjoyed, due to these new ‘polite house’ regulations. We’re forced to censor our art, as it were… While other forms of debauchery are free to run rampant.” Lucia gave a dramatic sigh, her eyes rolling upward as she used a hand to fan herself. “But I digress. If not you – and that is fair, given our professional affiliation – then are your friends interested in my lovely ladies?”

“They’re all well and good,” Jac chimed in, “About ten years too young for my taste, however. How much for you, madam?”

Lucia threw back her head with a hearty, uninhibited burst of laughter. Her chest jumped up and down with each bellow. The two girls in front of her covered their mouths with their hands as they giggled. Her laughter continued for perhaps somewhat too long before she caught her breath.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“Oh, I do hate to judge by appearances, but I believe I might be out of your price range. I have a business to run, so my time has become too precious to spend with many clients of my own these days. Thankfully the last one only needed five minutes. I had a thought to enjoy some leisure for once if I can get these girls booked.”

“What a shame,” the Nelthrin said, nodding to Deventh and Ardmy. “Let’s move on then, shall we? Thulreg must be around here somewhere.” Before they had the opportunity to begin searching, an orc swung around a nearby column into view. He had a mug of ale and a sloppy demeanor about him, and he lost his balance as he let go of the pillar.

“Thulreg,” Jac called out to him. “What did you do in the twenty minutes I was—”

“Ah, hello, Jac,” the orc sang while stumbling over to his friend. An ear-to-ear grin adorned his face as looked up at Lucia. “Pleasure doing business with you, madam.” Jac’s eyes widened, and Ardmy and Deventh exchanged glances.

“Indeed. I hadn’t realized you were all friends. Do come back anytime,” she replied, stepping aside. “You four take care, and should you change your mind, my girls will be happy to entertain you. Ta-ta!” Scarlet silk dress trailing behind her, she walked away, and Thulreg bade her farewell with a sloppy wave. Whether from alcohol or infatuation, a dreamy stare sparkled in his eyes.

“Thulreg,” Deventh said. “Good to see you again.” The orc’s smile faded for a moment as he snapped out of his trance, but it reappeared as he recognized the Dronvar.

“Ah, it’s you! Jac and I were worried you weren’t here.”

“Well, I wasn’t. Only just returned from some other business. Looks like we all had fortunate timing.”

“Aye, looks like it!” said the orc. “We thought we’d save you the trip back to the city and pay you a visit. Heard this place was quite the spot, and I’m certainly not disappointed!”

“You might be surprised, but this is a quiet night,” Deventh said with a nod, motioning to a nearby table which offered enough seats for all of them. “It’s usually much livelier here with merchants and others passing along the road.”

“Wow,” said Thulreg, looking around with his mouth agape. “Your guild headquarters puts the Oath to miserable shame.”

“Not quite,” Deventh said as he pulled out a chair. “The Brass Tusk is a business independent of us. Our space is in the basement, which is much less… Agreeable, unless you have an affinity for spiders. We’re simply fortunate enough to have a place like this above our heads.”

“Ah, I see. And the third tenant? You seem well acquainted with her.” Thulreg smirked, his brows tugging upward on his heavy eyelids.

“Within reasonable boundaries. She’s a member of our guild – a pair of eyes and ears, a watcher in our absence, and somewhat of an ambassador – not a bad asset at all.”

“Savvy,” said Thulreg. “Were the Oath’s code not such an encumbrance, perhaps I could learn a thing or two from you.” An opening door caught his attention from behind the bar. Anna emerged and pushed through a small group of people until Thulreg’s waving arm guided her to their table.

“Good evening,” the Helbrund greeted everyone, tautening the leather strap which held her hair in a neat bun. “What is this little gathering?”

“The disappearances have stopped, apparently,” said Deventh. “Thulreg was going to fill us in on the details.”

“Interesting,” said Anna, her attention moving to the orc. “When did this happen?”

“Well,” Thulreg shrugged, “We can’t narrow down an exact timeframe, but the last report was of the cart that you lot found on your way to Kho’gul. It’s been silent for a week.”

“You mean I didn’t need to be stuck in Quarryside this whole time?” Ardmy chimed in, exasperated.

“Wait, you’re not from the Oath yourself?” asked Anna. “Who are you?”

“Right, I’ve forgotten my manners,” said Deventh. As he spoke, he gestured to the Nelthrin first, then to the Gildvar. “Jac is here with Thulreg, and this is my friend Ardmy. He’s asked me to escort him to the Raven Gate amidst the recent troubles.”

“Pleasure to meet you both. I’m Anna. It is a pleasure to see you again, Thulreg. You’re looking much better than when we found you.”

“Feeling much better as well,” said Thulreg. “Hopefully we won’t have to deal with that sort of madness again any time in the near future.”

“If you do, it certainly won’t be from Rauleth,” said Anna. “Thank you both, by the way, for coming here to deliver the message. We’ve sent Jessa on her way home on the safe route through Quarryside to have the enchantment appraised on that necklace, but we’ll be sure to keep investigating other leads. There’s still the matter of actually finding the victims.”

“Quarryside!” Thulreg bellowed. “That little Nelthrin girl? Are you sure she’s alright?”

“What do you mean?” asked Anna. Ardmy shook his head, and Jac joined him.

“She’s fine,” Deventh said, letting out a knowing sigh. “There were a couple of… Occurrences, but I made sure to stay with her the whole time.” Soon enough, they found themselves wrapped up in Deventh’s retelling of the events which transpired at Quarryside, which left Anna perplexed.

“I wasn’t aware of their open hostility toward Nelthrin. Curious why that is."

Ardmy coughed and brought a fist to his mouth.

“Might have something to do with destroying a certain land bridge and driving the orcs back south…” he said, before adding more quietly, “And subsequently shoving the remaining orcs into these mountains. Perhaps.” Thulreg nodded with a grim, far-off stare.

“Aye. Most have forgiven and forgotten, given how old that conflict is, but there are some groups that still have that seed of hatred rooted inside them.”

“Whatever the case, I hadn’t realized the extent of it,” Deventh said. A yawn slipped past him before he could suppress it. “But I’m sure she’ll make it home without any trouble.” A long silence passed between everyone, casting a sudden drowsiness over them. The first to stand was Deventh, ready to turn in.

“I’ll be having an early night. Just in case the three of you need to rest later on, we have plenty of extra beds downstairs,” he said, drowsily adjusting the hoop at his septum. A quick glance at Anna revealed her surprise at his outward display of fatigue. “It can be expensive paying for lodging up here.”

“That is kind of you,” said Jac. Thulreg nodded in concurrence. “After some drinks we’ll likely take you up on that offer.”

“I’d like to get settled in early as well.” Ardmy let out a yawn of his own and jumped up from his chair. “Show me the place.”

“Right, let’s go then,” said Deventh, avoiding Anna’s smug gaze as his eyelids fell in a heavy blink. “I will see you all in the morning.” As the two elves took their leave, Anna sighed and shook her head.

“Maybe he’ll finally get some sleep,” the Helbrund muttered under her breath, waving for the barmaid.