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  [colpse]Chapter Fifty-Seven - Pomf

  Green Hold’s gate was guarded by a single renoil with wrinkly skin and a quarterstaff by his side. When he saw us ing from within his tower he turned on a magical light and brought it around so that it illumihe pair of us.

  Amaryllis had to shout up to him that we were with the Exploration Guild and that we were returning from a mission before he opehe gates a crad let us in.

  “I wouldn’t normally let folks in at zese sorts ‘a hours, but it ain’t right to keep two young dies out when it’s dark out,” the guard grenoil said.

  “Thank you, sir,” I said.

  I was a little disappoihat I didn’t get to see Green Hold during the day when it was no doubt bustling with activity, but I still got to admire the pretty stone and mud homes. Some of the buildings were a little strange, big rouhings that reminded me of the Roman colosseum but way, way smaller, with the words ‘Tadpole House’ on a few signs above the doors. Others were simple enough, shops and homes and, of course, a rge inn.

  We made our way to the st of these, the tallest building in town - apart from some of the guard towers - all stone and wood with a blue-shingled roof. The sound of gentle chatter drifted out of the building, mingling with an instrument that sounded a bit like a bagpipe but higher in pitch.

  “Let’s find that bastard,” Amaryllis said as she kicked the door open and stomped into the inn.

  I was caught ft-footed for a moment. I knew Amaryllis was a little miffed, but I didn’t expect her to suddenly turn as angry as she did.

  The crowd in the inn hushed up, dozens y faces turning towards the entrance where Amaryllis stood, hands on hips and face set in a furious scowl. She sed the room and I could pinpoint the exaent she spotted Gabriel because her arm shot up and she poio the man.

  Gabriel was sitting by the bar, a few empty cups before him and his big fbby cheeks tinted a nice rosey colour. The patrons around him edged away from him as Amaryllis spoke up. “You! You toad-skinned, no good bastard!”

  I walked in behind her and waved at all the nice grenoil sitting around and watg the show.

  “e here you slimy jerk!” Amaryllis said as she stomped across the entire flrabbed Gabriel by the scruff of his jacket and dragged him off to the back of the inn. There were little booths to the side, but she walked right past those and straight up the stairs, presumably to reach the rooms upstairs. Gabriel started to fuss and fight a bit, but his swings were all wild and not very strong, and Amaryllis had a lot of pent up rage fueling her.

  “Ah,” I said the moment they disappeared at the top of the stairs. Every eye turo me. “I’m sorry about my friend,” I said. “We had a bit of a day, you know? So, um, I heard some nice musi outside, who ying that?” I smiled at them all.

  No one answered, but they did return to their meals and beers and I heard more than one persoing on what Gabriel had doo earn a young girl’s wrath.

  In the er, a rge grenoil man started to blow into a strange sort of bagpipe while another pulled up an accordion and a third started plug the strings of what sounded like a stand-up bass but looked like a very rge fiddle.

  I wao stare some more, but I heard a bang from upstairs and decided not to dilly dally too much.

  “Oi!” the grenoil behind the ter said. “If she breaks anything you’re paying for it!”

  “Yes sir!” I said before taking the steps two at a time.

  The top of the stairs opened into a cozy lounging area, though it was empty save for one grenoil that looked to be knocked out on a couch. One of the bedroom doors was wide open and I could see Amaryllis shaking Gabriel within.

  “Tell me! Tell me who paid you off you slimegoblin, you lily-livered amphibastard bug-eating... mudlicker!”

  I blinked as I tried to parse what she was saying. I was quite certain that at least half of those had been hideously speciest. “Um,” I said as I walked into the room and pced a hand on Amaryllis shoulder. “It’s okay? Maybe don’t kill him? Please?”

  Amaryllis puffed up. Literally. Her feathers poofed upwards and even her hair stood on end a little. She suddenly looked twice as big as she had, but it was all fluff. “He betrayed me!” she squawked.

  I spped a hand over my mouth, but it was too te, a giggle had already escaped.

  She turned her gre onto me. “What are you ughing about?” she asked.

  I couldn’t keep it in. Maybe because I was tired, or because of the long day, but wheurowards me all I could think of was the little ‘pomf’ sound her feathers made.

  I bent over double, hands clutg at the sides of my tummy.

  Amaryllis puffed up even more. “Why are you ughing?” she demanded.

  Gabriel started to croak too. “Ya look like a rooster,” he said.

  “I do not!” Amaryllis said.

  But she did.

  Gabriel and I looked at each other ah started ughing together. It took Amaryllis stomping her foot and calling us both all sorts of foul things for aire minute for the two of us to calm down.

  “Now,” Gabriel began as he wiped an eye clear of tears. “What’s zis about a betrayal? I haven’t drunk enough to deal wiz your snitty attitude.”

  “Someoried to kidnap Amaryllis,” I said.

  “Oh. Well zey didn’t succeed,” Gabriel said.

  “Not just someone,” Amaryllis said. “Cervid meraries. They were after me specifically.”

  That sobbered the grenoil up a bit. “Zat’s bad news. Cervids on zis side of the border means zat zey’ve found a way to cross over wizout being spotted. Not zat ze patrols have been all that sharp tely. You sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure,” Amaryllis said. “If it wasn’t for Broccoli I’d be halfway to Manamere by now, or wherever they wao ransom me from.”

  “Our ship back to Port Royal is passing early tomorrow,” Gabriel said as he moved over to the room’s bed and sat down. “It’s meant to wait for all of us to board before heading out. We get on it first zing in ze m and move back to Port Royal. I’ll leave a missive wiz ze mayor of Green Hold. Cervids... zat’s bad news.”

  “They were here for Amaryllis,” I said. I didn’t know the whole text with the cervids and the grenoil yet, but I could guess. Fort Frogger had been built to watch for an invasion a long time ago, so obviously there was some bad blood there. “Someone had to know where we would be.”

  “Broccoli’s right,” Amaryllis said.

  “Well, I just got my mission parameters from Rai. Didn’t much care for zem since babysitting missions like zis one aren’t my sort of zing,” Gabriel said.

  “Tch. e on Broccoli, we’ll get a room a up a watch for the night,” Amaryllis said as she walked out.

  I looked after her departing back theo Gabriel. “Sorry about that, she’s a bit stressed,” I said. “By the way, drinking while on the job is very rude.”

  “Bah, piss off kid,” Gabriel said. He let himself fall backwards onto the bed and I just hoped that it was his as I walked out and shut the door behind me.

  I followed Amaryllis back downstairs. It felt that, ever since we had arrived in Green Hold, Amaryllis had taken the reins and was tugging me along. It was okay for now, but I had kind of gotteo the idea that I was the mistress of my own fate. I would o think about it some more and maybe set some boundaries with Amaryllis before she decided t me into something I didn’t want to be part of. Peer pressure was not okay, after all.

  I found Amaryllis talking to the innkeeper. She pced a handful of silver on the ter and received a pair of keys. She tossed one over to me. “We have a room ohird floor,” she said.

  “Together?” I asked.

  “I would usually prefer my own room, but seeing what happeoday, I think bunking together would be for the best,” she said.

  “Right, if something happens we’ll be two fighting it off,” I said.

  She nodded. “I’m heading up now, are you ing?”

  “I’m going to grab something to eat first,” I said.

  She shrugged her shoulders, and I noticed that at some point her feathers had unpoofed themselves and were back to ying ft across her arms. “Suit yourself. Knock twid call out your name before entering. I’m going to set a spell on the door.”

  “Zat spell of her's had better not damage my door,” the innkeeper said.

  I smiled and pulled up a chair. “I know it’s a bit te, but are you still serving supper?” I asked.

  “Aye, we are,” the innkeep said. “What’ll you have?”

  “Something filling,” I said. “Um, but no bugs.”

  “Bah, humans,” the innkeep said before he waddled off to the back. I fetched a handful of coppers out of my backpack while he was gone and had them waiting in a stack by the time he returned and pced a tray before me.

  It was simple fare. Some chi, some potatoes and gravy and a few gies to the side. Still, it smelled good and the gss of milk he set o it was chilled to the touch. Did they have magic to keep food fresh? It would make sense.

  “So, you’re wiz ze exploration guild like zat sdred Gabriel?”

  “Yup, but I’m not a sdrel,” I said as I dug in.

  The innkeep ughed. “You don’t look ze sort, no. I’m Jules, ze owner of zis fine hole in ze wall.”

  “Ah, I’m Broccoli, Broccoli Bunch. Sorry for not introdug myself earlier. I was hungry and a bit nervous. What’s the name of your inn?”

  “Zis is the Croak and Stagger,” Jules said with obvious pride. “My grandpa was a rogue with ze army for some time. Build zis inn, married my grandmozer and my family lived here ever since.”

  “That’s a sweet story,” I said. I took a sip of the milk. It was a little straasting, but maybe it was just not pasteurized, so I fired a bit of ing magito it just in case. “Hey, Jules, could you tell me anything about the cervid?”

  “Ze cervid? Zose no good horse-wannabes? Bah. ’t tell you too much. Zeir eion is bent on taking up as much space as zey . Weird folk. Not a good one i of zem.”

  I didn’t believe that, but I wasn’t about to say so aloud. “Is it true they came here once?”

  “Zey certainly tried. But we gave zem a good thrashing and zey ried again, ze cowards couldn’t handle a bit of a tussle in ze mud.”

  “Hrm, so if there were cervid around now it would be unusual, wouldn’t it?” I wondered.

  Jules looked at me long and hard. “Yes, yes it would be.”

  I fihe st of my milk ahe cup aside, then brushed the bay hand ay mouth to get rid of my milk mustache. “Thanks Jules, the meal was super good. See you in the m!”

  “Aye, I’ll make sure your breakfast is just as good,” the innkeep said as I stood off the stool and made my stairs. I had a lot to think on, and some sleep to catch up on. I hoped that half a night’s rest would be enough.

  RavensDagger

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