“When it rains, it pours,” Kaitlyn muttered to herself and then approached the man. He was sitting on the edge of the hearth, tuning a mandolin softly.

He looked up and if she had any previous doubts, they fled. His eye color appeared like a cut blue gem. He shifted and a fluffy tail shifted around his hip. She could already see two others as well. A three-tailed kitsune was probably magically equivalent to a journeyman mage, with tricks and an ability to shift their own shape which made them more dangerous than an average mage.

“Welcome,” Kaitlyn said, “I will be with you in just a moment.”

“Please mistress, take your time,” the kitsune’s voice was a lovely tenor which seemed almost musical even while he spoke.

Kaitlyn settled the elves at a table and said, “I will bring you each some of the stew we have, would you like ale or mead?”

“Ale all around,” the elf leader said, “My men are weary after the hunt. With thine aide we shall be well rested this night and better able to take that evil from this forest.”

Kaitlyn dipped her head and went to the kitchen. Zizila was standing on a stool and chopping vegetables with a speed which no human could hope to match. She looked up as Kaitlyn entered and said, “Ah, afternoon mistress. How are you? Titami told me about the beastie in the cellar.”

“I am….” Kaitlyn stopped and took a deep breath. The brownie turned from the table, her hands releasing the knife which continued its work without her touching it.

“Sit mistress, take a moment,” Zizilia said and bustled to put water on for tea. Kaitlyn used a magic hand to pick her herbs of choice for tea. Kaitlyn suddenly felt weary and her head was beginning to hurt.

“I can’t stay,” Kaitlyn said, “we have a full house tonight. An ogre, elves, a kitsune…. and expecting humans to show up.”

“Good that I am making more to the stew than,” Zizilia said, “Do you need help in there?”

“Not right now,” Kaitlyn said. “I think with my magic hands I can keep up, but if I start to get overwhelmed I’ll come back. Where it Tatami?”

“In the cellar weaving,” Zizilia said. “I think she wants to keep an eye on the beastie too even if she claims she trusts in the moonlight.”

“I wish she would let me give her space up here,” Kaitlyn said, “I want to find her a space up here. I swear, I’d like to find the second story.”

“I think she likes it,” Zizilia shrugged. “She is an old one who used to serve a fae king. Being hidden underground probably feels normal to her. Brownies used to live most of our lives inside fae barrows.”

“Do we have enough flour to make more bread for today?” Kaitlyn asked, deciding to change the subject back to the needs of the tavern before she got too distracted.

“Yes, but we’ll need more flour before long,” Zizilia replied, “Could you also see if we can get some more salt?”

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“I think so, the elves said they owe me,” Kaitlyn said, “I think I can ask them to make a special trip to bring us some flour and salt.”

“Thank you, I’ll get it started right away,” Zizilia snapped her fingers and hopped down to get one of the bowls.

Kaitlyn went into the cellar next and found Titami in a corner with her large loom. Kaitlyn couldn’t help but marvel at the brownie climbing the loom to work the beater and warp. The brownie didn’t stop immediately, but slowed and then finally hopped to the stool next to the loom and said, “Can I help mistress?”

“Yes, it’s going to be a very full night tonight, could you make sure there is plenty of ale upstairs and bring up that last barrel of mead?” Kaitlyn asked. She honestly had no idea how the brownies got the casks up from the cellar, since the cask was larger than Kaitlyn’s own torso and at least four times the size of the size of any brownie. All the knew, is by the time she made it back upstairs, it would be there.

Titami nodded and said, “I’ll make sure to stay here or in the kitchen so Zizilia is available if you need the help.”

Master Garthis theorized it was some kind of symbiotic magic where the brownies gained power by being asked for help. Or they were more powerful than anyone guessed and just hid as simple house fae. None of the brownies would answer and apparently would blacklist any mage who tried to find out.

“Thank you,” Kaitlyn said and then went back upstairs.

Outside, one of the trees was moved. It was finally off the house and she stared at the stack of giant logs. Kaitlyn went back inside before they cut the second tree. She didn’t want to watch the oversided horse-thing possibly hit her house again. Inside, the elves were tense and quiet. The kitsune was strumming his instrument as she approached.

“I’m sorry for the wait. Can I help you?” she said politely.

“I seek a room and a meal,” the kitsune said, “I am hoping I can bargain my skills to pay for this as my coin purse is…. light.”

Kaitlyn nodded and said, “I don’t get much coin out here to be honest, most of patrons pay in kind. The elves and dwarves tend to give me goods from their villages, what are you offering?”

“I have some skills,” the kitsune allowed his fingers to plunk on his instrument, “I am sure I could make your evening… brighter.”

He gave her a lazy wink and for a moment Kaitlyn was confused before her mind caught up. He was propositioning her! She felt her cheeks begin to burn with a blush. She clutched her skirt and said, “With your songs?”

“Oh, my singing isn’t much,” he said with a broader grin, “but I am certain I could bring a beautiful tune out of your lips Mistress.”

Kaitlyn nearly fled, but forced herself to stand her ground, “Sir, I am sure even just playing your… songs would be enough. I have too much I need to do to join your…. act.”

She almost turned away but paused and said, “You are welcome to sleep in the common room, just be warned that I have no spare bedding to give to you.”

He laughed as she finally walked away, but the fingers on his instrument never stopped moving. Kailtyn went and fetched some ale and a bowl of stew for the minstrel, trying desperately to cool the blush on her cheeks. Only after she was back in the kitchen did she consider that an illusion hiding her blush could have been very useful.

With that thought she stopped, deciding to take a few minutes and build her illusion on her arms. She wanted to hide her scars, and she liked Fapallo’s idea that making the illusion obvious might be easier than trying to make her skin look natural.

Kaitlyn built the illusion slowly, building it in layers. The first layer was a deep blue black, large swaths along her arms tapering in uneven swirls around and just above her elbow. Next was a similar layer of purple, the ends intentionally uneven to hide the strange look as it blended with her skin. The next layer was silver, matching her hair, drawing stars, dots, and lines which gave the hint of runes on her arms.

She shaped the layers liked a fingerless glove, the dark colors covering her palms in lines to rejoin with the solid color starting at her wrists. She held out each hand and examined them closely, making minute adjustments until she was happy with the end results.