My New Friends

My New Friends
So, I’ve been at the Tipsy Gypsy for a few days, scrubbing tables and singing songs while I search for my next adventure. Will it be a merchant ship on the way to the Crag? Probably not, because the dwarves are always suspicious of me. Well, not me, really, just my ears. Okay, well, me and my ears.

That ship is out, and the others are just doing boring ol’ supply runs. Or, even worse, pirate ships who fight, and do pirate-y stuff. Too scary.

Now, where was I? Oh yeah, my new friends! Practice, I mean Praxis! He’s the current bouncer at the Tipsy Gypsy. I’ve talked to him a couple times, but he seems shy. Lost his tongue, that one. He’s so cute, though I’d never call him that to his face. Somehow I don’t think he would like that.

So, Praxis was at the door when a group of dwarves came in—probably the crew of The Miner’s Daughter. I made sure my ears were tucked firmly into the brim of my hat and went to serving drinks. I tried to strike up a conversation with one of the dwarves at the bar, but he must have been too deep in his cups to even find my face, much less keep up a conversation. Everything was “aye lass,” and “I dunno.”

I was about to sing a jaunty little jig, when a stranger came through the door. No one paid him too much attention, until he struck up a conversation with a patron. The dwarf next to him took one good look at him, and pushed back his chair, ready to fight. When the stranger’s hat was knocked off his head, everyone knew who he was, or what he was. An elf! That's when the hyper butterflies started in my tummy.

Those pointy ears sure do get you into trouble around here. No one really bothers to listen to your story. They just see your pointy ears and mark you as bad. It’s really not fair! I wasn’t about to let those dwarves do the same thing to the new stranger until he had a chance to tell his story. He could be an escaped house slave just like me.

I headed toward the commotion to see if I could try to calm everyone down. I knew Mags didn’t like rough-housing in the Inn. Just as I came up to the stranger’s back, he side-stepped out of the way and I got a face full of ale!

“That wasn’t very nice,” I yelled as I mopped the ale off of my face and bodice, though it was already soaked through several layers of fabric. My brand new bodice, ruined! I feelt my bottom lip begin to quiver, so I dropped to the floor to clean up the spill before anyone could see me cry.

I heard the crack of a whip and Praxis’s voice as he tried to break up the escalating fight.

Once I cleaned up the mess and had my emotions under control, I stood up to see a dwarf break his chair over the elf’s back!

That was enough! With my hands on my hips, I summoned up all the courage I had. “You are acting like big bullies! What did this man do to you? Just because he has pointy ears doesn’t mean he’s bad.”

“She’s one of ‘em too.” I heard over my shoulder. There was a whooshing noise as the hair was lifted off the back of my neck. A second later, a tankard clanked on the floor. At this point, it was all out chaos. It was every dwarf against the elf, Praxis, and me. Everyone else was just enjoying the show.

A dwarf launched a chair at me. At me! What did I do? Thankfully it was just a glancing blow, but it still hurt … my feelings. My wand appeared in my hand and I started chanting to aid the elf. I would just make him hit a little harder, that was all. It wasn't like I was the one hurting anyone, though.

The sight of a little old wand caused people to cry “sorcerer” and “warlock!” I wasn't even a true “practitioner of magick,” at least not according to Saria.

The elf and Praxis were making quick work of the dwarves. One even ran away! After the fight was over, I did my best to smooth things over and clean up the mess everyone made. The patrons went back to their food and drink as if nothing had happened. I couldn’t believe it! The people that I had worked with and consider friends at the Tipsy Gypsy didn’t even lend a hand when I needed it! Was it because of my wand? My ears?

Oh well, that didn’t matter anymore. I had new friend now, and Praxis, of course. After I introduced myself and Praxis to the elf named Varis, we retired to bed and resolved to set out the next day on our next adventure.

Varis was a treasure hunter. He had been many places, but not to Laara ‘Tal. That seemed odd. I thought that was the place to go if it was riches you were after. I'd been to Laara ‘Tal, even if it was only for a short time. After the small scouting party never came back, the captain of our ship set back out into open waters. I did get to scale down the side of the ship and scoop up a pile of the sand for my collection, though. That sand now rested against my collar bone as I lay in bed, thinking about my next adventure with my new friends.

Oh, I could barely sleep!

-Zaly

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