By the time the rest of the group got to the inn, Echo and Jana had procured four rooms for them and managed to move Lasiar to one of the old beds. Lounging on Puddlejumper's back while the others tended to their shenaningans in Marlen's house had done little for the Silverstar's health, but he seemed to be resting comfortably now--at least as comfortably as one could rest in the Hound and Tails.
The inn's stables had been gutted by the fire three nights ago. Repairs had been started, but the place was in no shape for boarders yet. This necessitated a trip to the only other stables in town, outside of Will's little blacksmith shop.
Once all the pressing business had been attended to, Echo and Jana choked down a mug of Weismar's Famous Paint Thinner before going to their room to rest. The other members of the group went about their various business for the afternoon as well, studying, practicing, meditating, or just getting into trouble.
Arachne first spent time at the stable with Puddlejumper. And then a look at Dammit. After that, she went to visit Lasiar in whatever room he was sacked out in. Then, she stopped at Jana and Echo's room to see if they would tolerate being disturbed. Finally, she sought out Blacky. In each case, assuming the patient tolerated it, Arachne laid a hand very lightly on or over the wound (or worst wound if there were several) and simply stood or sat very still. After a while, the patient probably failing to sense any improvement at all, she stirred again, thanked the patients for their patience, and moved on.
Echo let Arachne into the room. She tolerated being looked at quite happily, although she gave Arachne an odd look when she went to leave, "Thanks," she mumbled, after failing to sense any improvement at all.
Jana was also more than happy to have her wounds at least bandaged properly. She'd chugged down a mug of rotgut in an attempt to dull the pain, but it obviously wasn't working all that well. "Thanks, Arachne."
At dinner time, the seven conscious members of the group assembled for their meal. The inn was less busy than usual, with only a couple of rivermen in one corner. Even so, Gloris looked haggard, plopping the mutton pie and watery beer in front of each of them without asking what they wanted. A young girl, painted in a tight dress that showed a body on the verge of womanhood and bearing a suspicious resemblance to Gloris, waited on the other patrons in the common room.
Aloysius retreated to his room, not stopping to determine who might share it with him. He returned at dinner time. His eyes lit up when he saw Gloris, and he went over to talk with her.
"Good evening, Gloris. Uh.......thou art.......uh....." the mage's face turned red (as it had prone to do lately) as he searched for the right words. "Well, how art thou?" His eyebrow twitched wildly as he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
"Tireder than a bitch in heat," Gloris told him without pause. "Too much ta do 'round here." She stepped around him and went back to work.
Rumer looked at her meager funds and then at her companions. "Er, would anyone like to split a room? I'm not that wealthy and I have a feeling you folks would prefer I not go looking for funds here." She grinned.
"Yes -- absolutely," Arachne said quickly. "We can share." She fished out some coins from her purse, looking at them in puzzlement. "What's _that_ one? -- Anyway, um, excellent idea, Steve...?" She went to pay for a room, then turned to look at Rumer. "You ever get bit by a dead dog?" she asked. "No, that doesn't quite fit. But you _did_ manage to keep from getting chomped by the mutts, didn't you?"
"Were you?" replied Rumer. "I was lucky. Kaileer kept the dog off me and let me get a lucky blow in. I'm not much of a fighter." she added.
"Puddlejumper protected me," the gnome confided. "And as a fighter, I think I'm even worse than you. I think I bounced one stone off a dog's nose. He was unimpressed."
"Worse than me? I'm impressed." exclaimed Rumer. "I would think that bouncing a stone off a dog's nose a laudable feat indeed!"
Echo leaned over to glance at the coin Arachne was exclaiming over. She looked around for whoever Steve was and shook her head. She studied Etienne for a moment, interested in the blue cast to his ears. "Moon?" she asked in a quiet voice.
Etienne smiled, "Yes, on my mother's side."
Jana came down after resting for a little while. She'd not been around when Etienne made his offer of a healing spell. If it was still good, she directed him first to Echo and if not needed there, to her horse. Only if the spell could not help either of those two first would she consent to allow it or any other healing spell be cast on her. "I heal pretty fast," was her reasoning.
Arachne had been kind enough to bandage the three wounds, but the mug of rotgut she'd chugged to try to dull the pain had either worn off or not been overly effective in the first place. Nonetheless, she sat stoically, pushing food around but not really eating anything. "I think I'll be okay in two or three days on my own," she said, when the topic of how long to stay arose. "Assuming I don't get rabies or something." She grimaced, not really amused by her own attempt at humor. She did not seem angry any longer, although she did occasionally throw an ominous glare in Aloysious' direction.
Aloysius began to formulate a reply, but was too slow as Gloris moved off. "Well......." he said to no one in particular.
Etienne sat quietly during the conversations. Only when spoken to did he engage in conversation.
The mage returned to the table and spoke to whoever had arrived for dinner.
"How long do we plan on staying here afore we search for this keep? If we plan on leaving on the 'morrow, my research plans will differ than if we plan on leaving day after next. Methinks it would be best if we do not set forth until we are at our best."
Echo added her opinion. "I need to recast the armor spell on myself. If anyone else wants it on them, it will take me a day for each person who needs it. I have components to cast it three times. Three days," she said quietly. "You said you learned it, didn't you?" she asked Aloysius. "I can give you part of my components if you want to cast it, since that will get us finished faster. I also still want to look for that color spell in the woman's spellbook and try to learn it. That will take additional time. If we can't wait, then I won't even bother."
"Aye," Aloysius replied. "That 'twas a spell I found in good Pug's book. I could cast it twice on the 'morrow if need be, but I would have to use thy components. Have the strips of leather, do I, but they have not be blessed as yet to complete the spell."
"All I know is that I don't have much money for fancy digs like these," replied Rumer, "so, there's like nothing urgent about what you're doing? No one to rescue or anything?" she looked disappointed.
"It's not like we've been in any sort of hurry so far," Jana noted with a sigh. "Besides, I'm not going anywhere until my horse is better." She turned to Etienne and asked, "Would you please check on him in the morning? I don't really care what it costs."
Etienne looked at the lady, "I do not charge people for the healing I provide. Considering she's a horse, I couldn't charge her anyway. She has no money." Etienne smiled.
"So you aren't trying to rescue anyone or anything." sighed Rumer. "I thought this would be a lot more exciting that waiting for horses to heal." she muttered.
"I've had enough excitement for one day," Jana mumbled. She pushed her food around a bit more, but still didn't eat. She'd managed to get her armor off earlier, no mean feat with her injuries, both new and old. "There is someone we're trying to rescue, but I don't think if we got into trouble, I'd be much good right now. And trouble seems to be our constant companion. Anyway," she sighed, brushing her now loose hair back out of her face, "I'm too tired to tell the story. Maybe Arachne will tell you about it."
"Well, I guess the person you're tryin' to help must not be in too much danger then, huh? Or you wouldn't be able to spend days in research and stuff. So that's cool." replied Rumer.
"There's some urgency, yes," Arachne said. "There _are_ people we still hope to rescue. But we'd also like to give ourselves the best chance of surviving our next expedition. And we've robbed enough dead gnolls and brigands to be able to buy you a few days in fancy digs like this." She looked around the place. "You're pretty easy to please, aren't you?"
Rumer frowned at the gnome, not quite sure what to make of her query. "Not really. That's why my folks sent me to my grandmother. I'm good at getting into trouble if I stay in one place too long." As if to illustrate her point, Rumer's eyes wandered to a nearby townsperson, obviously eyeing the heft of his purse.
The mage had listened intently to the others as they voiced their expressions on how long to remain in Thurmaster. "'Twould seem that no one is strongly opposed to remaining until at least day after next then? Perhaps we should tentatively plan on leaving at dawn on that then. That would give Echo and I a chance to prepare the 'armor' spells, and Etienne and Arachne a chance to assist the wounded, horses included."
He turned towards Echo. "I know not of this 'color spell' that thou speakest of, but if you think it may be of assistance, by all means devote thy time to locating it and solving its riddle. You mentioned afore that one of the books had spells of a slightly more potent nature. Were you able to discern which book these spells were in?"
"I agree with Jana regarding where we should go," Arachne said. "But I also feel that we should go sooner rather than later, if we can. If the only reason for our remaining here is so that people can recover their strength through proper rest and composure.." She shrugged. "I can accelerate that process. If that would mean our leaving here and heading for wherever we head next sooner..." She looked at her stew; she'd been eating it, but without enthusiasm. "I think, for several reasons, that that would be a good thing. I should like to look again at all of you, even you, Jana, fairly frequently while we remain here."
The gnome looked at Etienne. "I don't know what other miracles besides healing ones your lady permits you to pray for," she told him. "And, obviously, the ministration of those healing miracles, _would_ help us recover more quickly here. But if you can think of any other miracles you might summon up that would aid us in knowing something about the place Jana wants us to go to -- or perhaps knowing where to find some missing people -- I think you might pray for that while we're here in Thurmaster. Or a blessing for Aloysius's leather. When we set out, though, my expectation is that you'll want to beseech your lady for healing."
"Let's plan on remaining here the morrow and departing the morning after," Arachne suggested. "That gives spellcasters one day to learn and work spells they wouldn't be using in dangerous wilderness. I think that, in that much time, I could help the injured recover from their injuries. (I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing.). Etienne could bless Aloysius's leather; Aloysius might be able to armor more than one person in a day if he studies repeatedly -- Yes?" She looked at the stargazer.
"I'm told that great minds think alike," Arachne shrugged. "Not that I believe it. Minds are much to supple for any to function similarly, especially the great ones." She considered for a moment. "Whatever 'great' means."
Echo listened to the various discussions with a somewhat unhappy expression on her face. She took two strips of leather out of a pouch at her side and handed them to Aloysius. "That is all I can give you. I am keeping the other to put the spell back on myself. If you need more, maybe there is some in the spell components we took off the Zhents. I haven't found that particular spell in the book I'm studying yet, but that doesn't mean anything. I think both books have the next level of spells in them."
Echo sighed slightly, "Since we will be leaving the day after tomorrow, I will not have a chance to look for that other spell. I will have to use my spell tomorrow to put my "armor" back on. I thought taking time to prepare to face this goon of a priest would be the best way to go, but perhaps time is of the essence. What I think is usually wrong anyway," she smiled in a self-defacing manner. "Just remember if we get ourselves captured or killed, we aren't going to be helping anyone. I would like to have an area of effect spell if we are going to be facing the bandits in numbers," she shrugged. "Maybe I can learn it on the way there." She seemed to find that very funny as she started giggling. She stopped quickly and stood up, "If no one minds, I believe I will go to my room. Losing over half the blood in my body and nearly having my arm ripped off today has put me in a bad mood. I don't want to take it out on any of you."
Aloysius took the rwo strips of leather from Echo and placed them into his pouch. "Very well then, 'twould appear that we shall take our leave morning after next. I shall base my researches on that assumption. I can provide two 'armor' spells tomorrow, but one of them will be cast on myself. Perhaps Arachne or the gypsy girl would like the other?"
The mage took one last drink of what the inn represented as 'ale' and stood up. "As for this evening, I have another project that I must complete. May Morpheus greet thee all fairly." With that, Aloysius shuffled off towards his room.
"I've got to agree with Echo," Jana said wearily. "I'm getting pretty tired of getting knocked on my ass all the time. A little magical support would be nice, but we can't get that if we don't give the mages time to do what they need to do. Besides, with as much time as we've already wasted in running back and forth with no goal in sight, we can afford one more day when we know what the hell we're doing and where we're going. I for one am damned tired of being unprepared and clueless. I say we take one more day and for just once, be prepared and focused."
Jana got up and walked over to Will's to check on her horse one more time before going to bed.
At dinner Blacky ate his food and choked down what passed for beer while listening to the conversation. "Leaving the day after next seems to be the best mix of expediancy and preparedness." Blacky agreed. "Not that rescuing these people isn't urgent, Rumer, but we won't be rescuing anyone if we're in the grave."
Blacky was in a particularly melancholy mood and limped to his room to retire early in the evening.
Rumer nodded. "Ok then."
As Blacky went toward his room, she followed him and spoke to him quietly, before returning to the table.
Arachne sighed and looked around the emptying table. "I sympathise with Echo and Jana about our being clueless," she said to Rumer, when the latter came back. "We _are_ clueless. But Echo didn't present a plan for making productive use of more than one day holed up here in Thurmaster. She can't: No matter what people do tomorrow, the next day, when we go off, we'll still be clueless. We had no idea today that the pack of dogs we met today even existed, let alone might attack us. We don't scout. The reason we don't scout is because we have this idea that sticking together all the time is Very Important." She sighed. "It's important for us to stick together and trust one another, yes. But I wouldn't call it our highest ideal, even though we sometimes strategize as though it were. So, we'll take a day tomorrow to persuade ourselves that we're a little better prepared -- and at least we'll be a little more whole. And then we'll march out of here the day after -- the Clueless Couriers." She shrugged and let Rumer reply.
Rumer frowned, "That doesn't sound like a very good name. I'll try and think of a better one for us, shall I? I hope Kaileer comes back soon."
Arachne grinned. "The name? Oh, it's terrible for morale, yes. Entirely uninspiring and calculated to instill fear and terror in those who wear it. Regrettably, though, it does get points for accuracy. We did come together originally to deliver a package to Tauster -- the old wizard who didn't like you fiddling with the lock he'd set. And that package delivery might be the only task that we've accomplished with reasonably pure success." She leaned forward, plunking her chin on the table. (Chin and table had been only an inch or two apart before.) "I also hope Kaileer will get back before we leave. _He_ can scout. _I_ could try, if the others would permit it and, assuming I got into trouble that wasn't immediately fatal, I do have ways of wriggling free. A small, inoffensive gnome," she mused, "even if she did err and get herself captured, would be more likely to be kept alive for ... whatever, than just gutted right away. I hope so, anyway. It's a crowd of hostile adventurers, armed to the teeth and with murderous intent, that's more likely to get wiped out to the last gnome. Myrkul's Mutts excepted, of course. No looking for pity from something like that..." She looked up at Rumer. "Are you any good at scouting out an opposition?" she asked.
"Don't know. Never tried it. I'm good at finding stuff other people conveniently...lost. Yeah, lost. Haven't done much scouting. I can be quiet when I absolutely must though. And I still think we need a better name. You talk a lot, you know? My parents would have as much trouble with you as with me." Rumer added.
"Oh, we do need a better name," Arachne agreed. "Any name, actually, if we mean to have bards and minstrels singing about our glorious exploits. Though, since I can't think of too many glorious exploits that we're as yet responsible for, I suppose there's not yet much urgency. Perhaps someone will want to work up a ballad about our getting a lord's only son into and then out of trouble. Perhaps -- and I'm not sure how much credit a ballad like that would do us. No, I think there's not yet much urgency to your thinking up a thrilling sobriquet for us -- Yes, I do talk a lot." Arachne traced a knothole on the table with her finger. "_My_ parents didn't mind. I think our whole family was pretty talkative -- if the subject was right. And then, at University, the debates could go on for hours. The coffee might practically congeal in our mugs and no-one would notice..." She smiled. "Oh yes. Talk..." The smile vanished. "Why would your parents object to your talking?"
"Well, we killed the 2-headed dogs for one. Kaileer and Lasiar rescued Anth for two. I guess I'll find out more brave things you do as I go with you." Rumer said.
"Mmmm. While brave Arachne and the noble Puddlejumper -- who accurately perceived his rider's skill in battle -- fearlessly outran the dog that was chasing them. Certes, I covered myself with glory in that fight." Arachne smiled. "But that's no different from my performance in every other fight the group's gotten into, so, if some minstrel immortalizes my portion in a ballad that gets sung at every tavern in the Realms -- I can scarcely complain, can I? Arachne's Ride -- the comic verse in an otherwise glorious and honor-soaked epic. Yes, I can see that. It'd be fun -- and there's still hope that some day I might do something useful for the group besides patch up their injuries. And you're right about Kaileer and Lasiar. That _was_ a rescue worth singing about."
Rumer smiled, "Arachne ran away. Bravely ran away away. When danger reared its ugly head Arachne turned her tail and fled...."
"I don't know. It's actually kind of catchy, don't you think?"
"Um, some people don't like it if you talk a lot and ask too many questions. There are some times when it is best just to shut up. I haven't learned that one very well yet. Other than when I'm tryin' to be sneaky, o' course." Rumer grinned.
"That's true too," Arachne agreed. "It's just a lesson I'm lousy at believing."
Then, "I wasn't quite finished looking at my patients.", Arachne wandered off.
Rumer was up and in a corner of the common room when Aloysius came down the next morning. She was busy juggling some things and playing with odd shiny bits. She looked as if she had been up for some time. She grinned at Aloysius when he appeared.
Early the next morning, Aloysius came down and chowed on some of the Hound's primo vittles. As soon as Rumer appeared, he handed her a strip of leather and found a nice, semi-private spot. He incanted a quick spell, and the leather slowly disappeared. A vague glow surrounded Rumer briefly before disappearing.
Rumer tried to stand still without fidgeting and when Aloysius started to cast his spell, held her breath rather nervously until he was finished.
"There," Aloysius said. "'Tis not much, but 'tis also better than nothing. Now, I need to go find some sheep."
"Hey, that didn't hurt at all!" exclaimed Rumer. "Can I come with you?" she asked. "Or is this a private kind of sheep-finding expedition?"
"Hmmm?" Aloysius seemed startled by her question. "Private...? Oh, uh, no, I suppose not. You want to go with Stargazer in search of sheep?" He shook his head skeptically, but didn't give the gypsy girl any indication that she couldn't come with him if she wanted to.
With that, the mage headed off into Thurmaster.
Rumer traipsed along behind him, trying to stay out of too much trouble.
Ettienne came inside to see the mage and Echo, "Morning. Aloysius, I have aquired the bless spell that you need. If you can get me the leather strips I can prepare them for you. I shall wait here for the others and see how everyone is doing. I'll probably need to use my other spells on them."
"Excellent!" the mage replied as he dug out a handful of leather strips from his pouch. His demeanor hardened slightly. "Hopes have I that the injured are feeling better today. Methinks we shall have need of all our strength for the task ahead."
