Aiding the Spirits

Jocasta grabbed her stew and ale, taking it over to the locals by the bar.

"A round of drinks on me for the good people at the bar here!"

The barkeep nodded and left to get a round.

Ashera stared at Jocasta while she ate, very confused. After eating about half the bowl, she pushed it over towards Myrddin and gave him a questioning look.

Myrddin looked at the bowl and tried (with some success) to keep how much he wanted what was in it to himself. "Aren't you hungry?" He asked, pleased that at least someone around him wasn't either bafflingly hostile or outright crazy. Granted, she had said only a handful of sentences in the last day, but quiet was easily the most pleasant personality to deal with of those around him. "After everything that's happened since yesterday, surely you must want more than that."

Ashera shook her head and pushed it closer to Myrddin. She continued to watch Jocasta in fascination, sipping on her water.

A few moments after Jocasta sat down with the other patrons at the bar, the barkeep was back with a round of drinks. He set them down in front of everyone and gave Jocasta the total. The patrons gave Jocasta a salute and a few pats on the back!

"Always nice to see some travellers in these parts!" One said, "any news from the road?"

"Well," Jocasta said, "I came all the way from the Black Lake, so there's been a a lot of road and a lot of news. Some bandit troubles in the Maribella Valley, but they were sending for some good mercenaries as I passed through, so it probably won't be a problem if you're looking to travel that way."

Jocasta grinned, remembering how those bandits had prudently stuck to the trees as soon as she pulled out the Black Lake mercenaries banner. It would have been about a dozen on three, two of whom were a merchant and her assistant, but that banner had inspired fear in bandits for dozens of miles in any direction from the Black Lake.

"Met some interesting people on the way, too," Jocasta added, leading into a few stories from the road, appropriately embellished for the right balance of awe and laughter. When she judged her audience had warmed up to her, and after another round (which she didn't have to buy this time), Jocasta asked, "So what's the news in town here?"

"ah, never much new here," one of the friendlier ones said, "hereabouts the only news is when Abe here drops the price of ale!"

The group chuckled for a bit before one spoke up, "except old Joe down the road a ways said he's been seeing some odd figure wandering around his place at night. Course Joe's often hittin' the old home brew, so we don't listen to him much!"

The group laughed again.

Myrddin thanked Ashera, and dug in with gusto, delighting in the first hot meal he'd had in a week.

Ashera gave Myrddin a concerned look before turing to watch the others again.

Jocasta grinned.

"If old Joe's lonely and drinking, I'd think it would be a very..." Jocasta made appropriate hand gestures, "Womanly figure. I know a few mercs who'll see one of those anywhere!"

There was more laughter from the group before one replied, "Nah, he said he wasn't sure if it was a man or woman...maybe he thinks the spirits are visitin' him!"

The group laughed again, most of them more than a little intoxicated.

Myrddin, already polishing off the last of the stew, perked up at the mention of the spirits. "That's interesting." He said, mostly to himself, but loudly enough that Ashera could clearly hear him.

Jocasta laughed and chatted for another few minutes before stretching and pushing her empty mug and bowl of stew away from her.

"Well, I appreciate the company, but I'd better see to the kiddos. They tend to get lonely if I leave them too long."

The group saluted Jocasta and thanked her for the round of drinks.

Jocasta walked back over to Myrddin and Ashera.

"You both eaten enough?"

Ashera nodded and gestured towards the empty bowl.

Jocasta's question startled Myrddin slightly, as he was lost in his mind, and not paying particular attention to his surroundings. "Yeah," he said, after a moment's delay, "we're good."

Jocasta stretched her arms and her neck, accompanied by a slight cracking sound. Damn, I'm getting too old for sleeping on the ground.

"You ready to go, kiddos?" she asked in the loud, jovial voice she had been using since entering the bar. Under her breath, she added, "There's a man on the edge of town who claims he's seeing spirits. Wolf-boy's going to be a while, so let's check it out."

Ashera's eyes widened, but she nodded and stood up to leave, waiting to follow Jocasta out the door.

"...Okay." Myrddin said, gathering his stuff to go.

Galileo looked up from the food he was preparing. "Pet? Well, not really. I guess to most people he'd just seem like my pet, but to me, he's more like family." He took a taste of the broth, and with a small nod of satisfaction, grabbed a leather bowl and scooped some if the stew in. He offered it to Merrick.

Merrick took it with a nod of thanks.

"So how long have you two been together?" Alan asked

Galileo decanted some stew and offered it to Alan.
"Oh, how long now?" He said reflectively. "Since he was a pup."
He took some of the deer meat and set it in a bowl. He added some crushed herbs and some of the stew broth, then gave it to Asher.
"I wasn't very old myself; perhaps ten or so. I was with a hunting party when I found him, abandoned and near starved. I'm sure you can probably guess how things went from there." He patted Asher's head affectionately.
Looking up at Merrick, he said, "What about you, then? How long has this village been your home?"
- - - - -
Asher patiently waited for Galileo to fix his meal, licking his chops in anticipation. He happily began eating, looking up and listening to the conversation as he chewed.

"I grew up here," Merrick replied, "we didn't have much, but we were happy!"

He dug into his stew with enthusiasm, giving Galileo an approving noise.

Jocasta left the bar, heading immediately to check on her horse and ensure that no one had tampered with her saddlebags while the group was in the bar. She looked down the road, watching to see who was out and about.

It was a rather quiet evening out, only a few people around though they were a ways off.