Sunday, November 07, 2004
Day 46
Broadwater is certainly big. I suppose most of the bustle will be in the docks area, but we've found a decent tavern well away from there, on the feeling that it would be less noisy, less likely to be completely full already, and probably cheaper too. I chatted to one of the gate-guards, as mid afternoon is a relatively quiet time for them, and he recommended the place, and gave us directions. The owner of The Speckled Leaf, Armon Birch, is his cousin apparently, and Armon and his wife Athriel seem to be running a clean and welcoming establishment. Cleve has her own small room on the attic floor, and Memree and I, naturally, are sharing a slightly larger room on the main upper level. Hengist is in the stables, and the other two horses have been passed over to the people Ashil asked us to leave them with, so they are no longer our responsibility.
We had an early dinner, with an excellent vegetable soup with fresh-baked bread, then some sort of baked fish, which was very tasty. Apparently Armon brews his own ale in the basement, and it was excellent, dark and smooth and not too sweet. We were offered some local cheese, but by that time all three of us were pleasantly full, so we just took further mugs of the ale to chairs by the fire.
"So, we're here, in Broadwater", Memree announced, putting her mug down on the table. "Now what, my barbarienne?"
"We look for a job worthy of our many talents", I told her, and grinned. "Maybe we join a party going into the underhills in search of treasure, or maybe somebody has a dangerous but rewarding mission that only we three can handle. A princess to rescue, a kingdom to save, an evil wizard to thwart - happens all the time, so why not to us?"
Memree sighed. "My own fault, I should have asked you before you drank that second pitcher-full..."
After our time on the open trail, I must say that I'm about ready to fall into bed. It's good to have some privacy, after having Cleve so close by, so that bed is starting to look very inviting. Oh, and I must remember to get some sleep later on, heheheheh...
We had an early dinner, with an excellent vegetable soup with fresh-baked bread, then some sort of baked fish, which was very tasty. Apparently Armon brews his own ale in the basement, and it was excellent, dark and smooth and not too sweet. We were offered some local cheese, but by that time all three of us were pleasantly full, so we just took further mugs of the ale to chairs by the fire.
"So, we're here, in Broadwater", Memree announced, putting her mug down on the table. "Now what, my barbarienne?"
"We look for a job worthy of our many talents", I told her, and grinned. "Maybe we join a party going into the underhills in search of treasure, or maybe somebody has a dangerous but rewarding mission that only we three can handle. A princess to rescue, a kingdom to save, an evil wizard to thwart - happens all the time, so why not to us?"
Memree sighed. "My own fault, I should have asked you before you drank that second pitcher-full..."
After our time on the open trail, I must say that I'm about ready to fall into bed. It's good to have some privacy, after having Cleve so close by, so that bed is starting to look very inviting. Oh, and I must remember to get some sleep later on, heheheheh...
