_{by jaymamma.}

The day had started out with such promise. I must have had a hard time sleeping the night before, waking in the middle of the night Droop and I took a nightly walk. I felt like there was something I wanted to do on this walk. I just couldn’t remember what it was. Droop just said he didn’t want me to walk alone. Odd. 

    Anyway, back to the day showing so much promise, when I awoke it was to the sound of a lyre. It was Annette playing in the front garden. She had become quite the player during our adventuring absence. Droop ran to her and threw his arms around her. She picked him up and swung him in a circle. They giggled as they spun.

“You have been practicing, your tones are much longer and well pronounced. Sorry for our absence.

“It’s ok” She said. Town wouldn’t be safe if you weren’t out there, how long you back for?”

We are setting out after breakfast”

“Oh”

“Sorry sweetie we have to find Cragmaw Castle and continue our search for the dwarf”

I summoned my Lyre. “I do however have time for a duet if your interested” I said with a smile.

Her frown turned up and her face was instantly alight

“Yes, Lil yes, please”

    We began to play and I really was astounded by her learning and progress. Most impressive was her confidence as she played. Droop laid on the ground stomach down, chin resting in his hands as he kicked his feet behind him much like a small child smiling and moving his head with the sound of the music.

    Primarily I had always been a solitary act other than playing with my mother. I had forgotten how much fuller a sound multiple instruments provided. Then a new tone weaved into our song. A flute. Mystic sat on the steps to the manor. She winked as she played. As before the Fey’s music complemented my own quite well, and was further augmented by the second lyre. 

Droop pointed to the porch and covered his toothy laugh with his hand. 

    I smirked but kept playing. Dare had woken and was dragging himself out onto the porch. He tumbled down the steps past Mystic. Who just rolled her eyes as he rolled on by. He just laid there covering his ears. I bet the music was a shock to his probably fried mind. For that reason I think we all wanted to keep playing all the more. Then Mercarri came out and tried to join in, tapping on the bell to the side of the door. The rhythm ruined we stopped. 

“Why did we stop” she asked.

It was Annette who replied first. “Cause your rhythm sucks, and who puts a bell in with lyres and a flute.”

“Oh” she said. 

“its ok Mercarri Mystic said Not everyone has musical talent, your an excellent cleric that’s certainly your calling.”

“Oh, so there’s no chance of me taking up some bardic abilities?”

In unison we all replied “NO”

“You guys are cruel”

“Or honest” I replied

“anyway are we ready to head out, maybe get some breakfast before retrieving my armor?”

“Will you join us Annette I asked”

“Nah, I’m gonna run on home, good luck on your adventure, let me know when your back we can play, you to Mystic? she asked

“Sure I’d like that” 

With that Annette hugged Droop and bounded off towards town.

Dare stood up as if he was perfectly fine.

“Breakfast, I am ready”

“Not surprising good thing your still alive idiot” I said, as I sneered at him.

Mercarri swatted him in the back of the head. “Moron”

Mystic then hauled off and full force slapped the taste out of his mouth.

He growled.

“Stupid. now I’m ready for breakfast.

Dare rubbed his cheek.

“OWW seriously”

Droop laughed and stopped immediately and cowered behind my leg when dare locked his eyes on him.

“At least you now know we care”

He just grumbled and started walking towards town. 

“Ok droop we are heading out, don’t worry about the ghost ok?” If you do get scared I packed some rations and water, and your little beaver pillow in the cabinet, at least if you get scared you will be comfortable. Ok, but seriously the spirit means no harm.

He hugged my leg extra tight then let go. 

“Droop be brave” He then hugged Mystic and brushed by Mercarri”

“I think he hates me”

“Nah he just doesn’t know you as wel,l try harder when we are back.”

    We then followed Dare to breakfast. Sister Gariel brought us vials to collect ogre blood, in an attempt to decipher the mystery of the red sand. She too admonished Dare’s stupidity. 

    Then things took an odd turn. I swear I was just going to take my meals at the manner, I just could not seem to finish a meal at the tavern ever. Last time it was a drug addled noble this time rats, and sadly I think I preferred the rats. I also had to secretly hope Dare wouldn’t snort rat droppings afterwards. We squished the rats and found that someone had sabotaged the inn. Lots of weird happenings around town. Unnerving to say the least. 

    We then went to retrieve Mercarri’s armor, and wow it was beautiful. The work had been well done, and my opinion of Traubon went up a few notches. This meant great things for him and increasing prosperity for the town. Oh yea and Mercarri wouldn’t get killed when her clumsiness gave us all away. Win, win. 

    I also got pulled away into a panicked discussion with Freda. Normal routine investigative questions were making her nervous, and this worried me. All she had to do was play the part of grieving widow, and in time it would go away. I told her to leave the body and I would come up with a plan when I returned from Cragmaw. I had a plan that I mentioned to her but for some reason I can not remember it now. I would need to think on it.

    We travelled north into the forest, and I wondered if the castle was relatively close how come hardly anyone knew of its presence.  No cartograher’s here that was for sure. I also casually mentioned that I may need assistance in moving Fred’s husband’s body, which oddly enough they just agreed too. Finally, a place where my sometimes murder for a good result  way of doing things fit in. Although, as I said before maybe it was possible they were even more messed up in the head than I. I considered the thought, worked for me.

    Before long the pin led us to a pair of ogres. I could get used to the nifty magical tools the harpers came up with, this could get interesting. Honestly, the ogres basically threw themselves onto our attacks it seemed. The nearby deer herd that our conflict stirred up proved to be more dangerous. Mystic took a horrid hit but with her new staff in hand she brushed herself off and quickly brought her star power to the fight. In an impressive display our cleric felled both beasts. I would call her ogre slayer but she tripped and had fits of anger more often than she slew ogres. Mercarri the angry dual left foot wielding ogre slayer just didn’t have that special ring to it. I did applaud her efforts, but I would do no dubbing or distribution of titles today. 

    Dare, with some rarely seen from him, and for lack of a  better term, “Samurai Shit” sliced into an ogre drawing a perfectly fountain like spurt of blood that arced right into the vial. I then passed him the other one and watched in awe as he duplicated it. Most impressive. Then of course when we settled down for a quick rest, he totally botched butchering the deer. Orcan Samurai master, or absolute moron. Who the hell could tell.

    Now we prepare to hopefully, finally find the dwarf that led us all here. The last time I assaulted a castle was in Ravenloft. That did not go so well. Hopefully, this would go much better, and I really felt it would. Despite some recent returns to my old ways, I hadn’t felt this far on the side of “Right” in a long time. Conscious clear, mind focused, it was time to stage a rescue, and most certainly time to get our murdering on.