Firewind

Chapter 39-Althaea

The Vard was very busy this morning and all throughout the day. And that evening was no excuse. The sun had barely set when all the nightly customers had arrived for their poker and other games, betting and drinking and of course, gossip. The tavern room was lit with torches and candle holders hung from the ceiling like chandeliers to keep the dark night away. The bar goers applauded for a group of tumblers that were the night's entertainment.

Once the sound had died down again, I turned to the man across from me. He was making kissing faces at me and I rolled my eyes to the ceiling, and sighed. I was making little to no progress with the mystery man I was trying to find. The dark druid I was looking for seemed only to exist in my memories.

I sighed once more and joined Enialis at the bar. He was wiping out glasses when he looked up to meet my gaze over the counter. I shook my head.

"No luck," I said. Grabbing a glass and a towel, I sat on one of the four-legged stools at the bar. "It doesn't help that none of them will take me seriously."

He nodded absentmindedly.

"Well I don't blame them." A lady joined me at the bar. Her voice rasped as if her throat was full of gravel, which, if true, sounds like a terrible choice of food. She licked her crooked teeth and cackled to herself.

"And why not?" I scoffed, turning to address the woman. She was even less pleasant to look at from the front. Her greasy, stringy hair was so thin I could see the top of her pale head.

She let out another cackle that soon turned into a hacking cough. "Maybe people that can't be found easily are meant to be left that way," she managed.

"Don't be talkin' to 'er now eh?" said one of the red faced men at a table nearby. "Y're just a silly little girl af'er all. Don't know what yer talkin' 'bout. Not to mention wit 'hoo. Mad Molly's as mad as mad gits."

His table of card players joined him, chortling at my expense. Enialis set down a glass abruptly. I turned to see him glaring daggers at the guy who called me a "silly little girl". I caught his eye and grimaced. His expression softened and I laughed to myself slightly. He smiled sheepishly.

"Well next time I need someone to dictate my every breath, I'll remember to let you know," I replied coolly. I turned back to mad- I mean Molly. "You know about the dark druid?"

"I know 'im, alright," she swirled the ale in her glass. "Why's you wonderin'?"

"I need to request something of him." I shrugged.

"'Is name is Kanithar Rumnaheim. He lives abouts in the town of Seramin. In the north. Just inside of the Tallio mountain range. But beware, for some hermits such as 'imself don't take too kindly to visitors."

She attempted to cackle but doubled over in a coughing fit. She soothed her raw throat with the last of her ale and left the Vard, humming no apparent tune to herself as she did.

The table of card players nearby whispered to each other and shot glances my way. I turned back to the counter, ignoring them. I grabbed a couple of glasses and helped Enialis wipe out the last of them. He went into the kitchen to assist Kathra as I attended the bar.

A meaty hand slammed down on the counter beside me. I turned to see the man that called me a silly girl. His red face was shining from the light of the candle holders on his sweaty forehead. I rolled my eyes and he grinned, grabbing my wrist and pulling me closer to him.

"Now what's a pretty girl like y'self doin' in a bar all alone?" he sneered in my ear.

I wrenched my arm out of his grasp and kicked the stool between us. Two of his buddies were already at my side. I prayed that I remembered even the smallest advice from all my sparring sessions with Leshanna. I punched the first one in the nose and kicked the less fortunate in the groin. The latter groaned in pain and the one that seemed to be the leader advanced on me again.

I was saved from any further complications as Kava entered the tavern room.

"There'll be no brawling in my Inn!" she scolded and shooed the card players out the door. She turned to me with a sympathetic smile. "Pay them no mind dear. They was all drunk anyways. You best be keepin' and eye on yourself. Come help me peel some potatoes now."

She led me into the kitchen where we sat down and got to work. Conversation flowed easily. I always found that about talking to mothers. They always had plenty of stories and could always talk about their kids. Kava was no exception.

"I remember when my wee Kerri was just a babe," she smiled. "One time when I was making cookies she had gotten into the floor and got it all over her clothes!"

We giggled as Kerri exclaimed from the kitchen: "Ma why do you need to tell everyone that story? I was two!"

"It's hard to believe that in a couple of months she'll be a mother to her own wee one," she continued.

"When is she to have the baby?" I asked.

"In november. Next month! It's crazy how the time flies!"

"Next month? November's next month already?" I asked. "My brother's birthday is in November and I'm gonna miss it!"

"Which brother?"

"My brother Talkinn," I smiled, remembering the little goof. "He'll be 3 on November 14th. He must have grown so much since I last saw him. He'll be too old to chew on sticks then."

Kava tilted her head as if asking a question.

"It was a habit of his." Kava nodded. "He was always putting things in his mouth. My madara was always scolding him."

"You must miss him terribly," she said, putting her hand on my arm.

"So much."

She nodded. I really did miss my siblings. My heart ached with regret at having left them. But finally that guilt was slowly loosening its grip on me. I knew where the dark druid, Kanithar was. I could soon fix this whole thing and everything will be back to normal. And maybe, with luck I could fix mistakes further in my past as well. I was, and still am willing to do whatever it takes to keep my family happy and whole.

"Well these potatoes are ready to be thrown in the soup. And that's all we need to do for the rest of the evening," Kava said, wiping her hands on her apron. "You go get some rest. By the looks of it you'll be leaving soon. I'll be sorely missing the help. Of course I got Arizima doing the cooking. And Alton to do the repairs."

I nodded reassuringly. Arizima had worked at the Vard since she was 8 she told me. She ran everything in the kitchen and Kava took care of the customers and pretty much everything else. Alton, Kerri's husband, was lucky to have Zander's help for the time being. The Vard was not as young of a building as it used to be and the things requiring fixing piled up.

"Thanks for accepting our help as pay," I said. "I don't know what we would've done otherwise."

"Not a worry dear, I'm always willing to lend a hand where I can," she replied, waving a hand. "Now you go get some sleep, you look plain exhausted!"

I laughed and did as she said. She was right, I was tired. I slept with little troubles and even the nightmares that usually haunted me kept their distance.