_{by jaymamma.}

As I look around my room I think, well wow no bodies today no blood. Still though a very eventful day. I look over at Droops bed and his lamp is still afire. The blanket pulled up to his eyes as they keep scanning over the room. 

“Its ok Droop. The ghost means you no harm, we will find what he asks for and the house will be quiet, well maybe not quiet but normal.”

Putting down my travel journal I walk over to him and blow out the lantern he cringes.

Resting my hand on his head and as soothingly as I am capable of speaking, I whisper.

“Its ok your safe now, I am here get some sleep. The light being out will help.

I stroke his head once or twice, he sighs and it quickly turns to a snore.

I smile. poor thing he probably hadn’t slept in his two days in the cabinet.

    So the house is haunted and it seems it ties together quite a few threads from the past month or so. Ajax and I’s crazy dream, the strange guy who wanted Mystic’s flute, and the would be dragon slayers of up north. Perhaps helping the ghost would help us tie up some of those loose ends.  

     Speaking of Ajax he had not returned, I wonder if he was lost out there in mountains of Wyvern Tor. He seemed to be one for long bouts of solitary reflection. I hoped he was alright, who doesn’t want a dragon born watching their back.

     Another note of concern, Dare. My god. What a absolute moron. Every time I am convinced the absolute depth of his stupidity has been found, I am immediately shown otherwise. The tattoo bruise is not a good thing, I don’t care how lucky it makes him feel. That needed to be addressed sooner than later. Provided of course he didn’t kill himself of stupidity sooner rather than the later.  How could he kill himself in short order, you ask? Oh, golly I don’t know maybe he could just snort some magical red particles. Magical red particles on a batshit crazy strung out nobleman, that had mysteriously died probably from said particles.  No, that’s impossible no one is that stupid. Why would anyone snort some unknown material on a whim, WHY?  Because it was dare that’s why half orc, half moron, half idiot. Wait three halves how is that possible you ask? BECAUSE, it is DARE when you are that stupid anything was possible apparently. Seriously, if Mercarri needs a helmet, he needs a dam leash, and a muzzle.

    If he had a muzzle maybe less lies would have came to light today. What happened to the horses until we can make right on, definitely never needs to come to light.  We can make recompense without truth in that case. At the time of the lie I had not realized what a blow had been dealt to the town, when that bastard bugbear murdered our innocent mounts. We would make it right. Although, the gold I gave towards the girls horse was more for her well being than for us or the town. I knew what it felt like to lose such a prized companion. It was impossible to replace such a trusted friend, but the addition of another would help to ease the suffering. No girl should be without her steed if she was capable of the riding. I would not be party to or responsible for such an affront.

    My next lie well not lie so much, more murder. There was no lie in that. Just straight murder. I was going to just assassinate the dwarf swiftly and surely and just leave his body for the crows. I went more with the justice and punishment type of murder. The scary bloody and violent things I tend to do to the most horrible of offenders. Like Ilbis….cunt.  I just gave the dwarf back everything he had ever given his wife. I Do worry about the seamstress’s resolve, and hope she can keep our little arrangement a secret. Should it come to light however I can claim I was defending her. Which actually was true, I imagine the people here were aware of his transgressions, but chose to ignore it for personal economy. That offends me yes. but I understood it. It wasn’t profiteering more survival. I would have to visit her on my own and assess her mental state. It was a tad awkward, hey here we are I heard your husband is “missing” meaning “wink” “wink” I murdered your husband and now everyone is looking for him shhhh , but no worries I brought you this dwarf to replace the other one. Come to think of it it really did seem to be a perfect fit and solution. Traubon Zombie’s bane to the rescue….there’s a first.

    Traubon, I hope knew how important it was for him to succeed. This is what he wanted, and this was a great opportunity for him to get it. He had a shop to work in, his tools, and a town that wanted no needed him to succeed. I just hoped he could handle that kind of pressure, had I the extra gold I may have considered lending coin, an investment of course to his success. He had been through a lot and at the end there he showed a little promise in combat, so with time hopefully he would rise to the occasion.  

    I find myself wondering why in most of these cases I had lied at all. Sister Garielle couldn’t have cared less about us killing the banshee. Why lie? It all mostly ended in the light of truth anyways. This presented a very important question: Should I lie at all? Should I only lie in dire situations? How long would it take me to fit every circumstance I wanted to lie about in the space of “Dire”. Honestly, not long and that’s truth. The other side of the question: why not just lie when it suited. It All worked out in the end no harm no fowl. What to do, I guess time would tell. There was one lie I could tell all day long from now until I depart this plane. Thalia, that bitch blows goats.

    Thalia, she reminded me of Ilbis for some reason I could not ascertain. Thalia, oh you goat blower you. What was in that crate of yours? More goats? Maybe you were expanding out into other members of the animal kingdom. All joking aside, whatever it was I am sure it was nothing that did us or the town any good. I am not a thief, or at least a burglar but I was very curious as to it’s contents. I knew a spell that could assist in this endeavor, So I did not have to risk myself breaking in. I would send “Them”.  My flock of familiars, I had learned the spell but never had an opportunity to take advantage of it. Now was perfect, who knows maybe I would even get lucky and actually catch that skank blowing a goat. 

   Even in the telling of my story, all had worked out  fine. Surprisingly my fears of rejection were grossly exaggerated. They barely seemed appalled by what I had done in Ely. Dare seemed more like he was just in a rush to be finished, more interested in dinner than the horrible atrocities committed by his party mate. Mystic was shook,  Mercarri, seemingly almost expected the truth of my story as if maybe she had already known. I wondered if maybe her god had told her of our failings before the sending. Out of all of them, Droop seemed the most emotionally invested in its telling. He was so my favorite.

    Truth be told I knew little of my companions lives before we met up. Perhaps maybe they were even more demented than I. I could definitely see it in Dare, as stated many a times previous he just did the craziest things. We were all a perfectly matched set of rage, and psychosis. I smiled. I think Mercarri’s god should have sent far more clerics to guide us. I think I will rest now who knows what crazyness awaits in the morn.

End Passage.

    I awoke with a start. There was a lie far deadlier than all the rest, but not a lie in the telling, a lie in omission. We never made any mention to any in town of the dragon that nested to our north.  Had we forgotten? It seemed an odd thing to not make known, why the hell had we not? 

“What’s wrong Lil?” came the little goblin voice from my closet.

“I just shot out of bed thinking we have made the most grievous of errors”

“What is it?”

“The dragon we never warned the town of the dragon”

“What dragon” He replied.

I hadn’t told droop? I told him dam near anything. That synched it. I don’t think we just forgot. Something else was happening here, or possibly my mental issues were tormenting me in my sleep now.

I began to get dressed. Despite the sudden and very powerful and almost overwhelming sense of dread and fear that literally shook me from my bed, I still couldn’t help but smile a little at Droop averting his eyes from my nudity. 

“Such a gentlemen Droop”

“Manners Yes” he said as he put on his little boots, while still looking the other way.

“What are you doing Droop”

“You are going somewhere yes? I will walk you it is late and dark. You not walk alone”

“Are you sure your not just scared to be in the room all by yourself in the dark I smiled”

“No, manners and I am being gentlemen, and yes maybe I am very scared alone in here”

“Hurry we must go see Sildar at once, thank you Droop. Have I ever told you how much I enjoy your presence droop”

He finished pulling on his last boot and stopped to look up at me and then looked away again immediately, seeing I still had a breast loose.

I snorted back the laughter “Seriously, you are my best friend. Maybe now being scared of the house you can adventure with me some”

Either way droop I love having you around, you are wonderful”

He looked up with little tears in his eyes. I held out my hand which he quickly took “Don’t get all smushy on me lets go we have not a moment to waste.”