The Wyvern's Gift

Chapter Three

The sun had only begun to set when they entered the small tavern attached to the inn. Both Wren and Yophiel had decided it would be best to stay the night inside where everyone could rest and collect themselves. Less than ten hours ago they had all been jammed in tiny cells awaiting judgment. Those that had been cramped up the longest were already exhausted from the walk around the city.

Yophiel shooed them away to a table while he talked to the innkeeper. Situated just outside the city walls, The Cowbell was a temporary home to dozens of travelers from all over. They were lucky to have gotten a place to sleep there at all. Yophiel slid the crest over the counter to grab the man's attention. "I believe someone inquired about rooms for six earlier?"

"Indeed they did," the man answered. He dipped below the counter and slid over two keys. "Your traveling gear has already been moved to the rooms."

"Just two?" he questioned.

"It was the best I could do, sir," he sighed. "Showing up the week before Ouna's Festival and you think I'll just have rooms?"

"It was worth a try," Yophiel muttered. He snatched up the two keys and joined the others at the table. Wren had taken the outside seat of the booth on the right, Evander was to his right followed by Weylan. The two of them were whispering to each other but stopped when Yophiel neared. Haelyn looked to be asleep. Her head was resting on Weylan's shoulder, bronze hair tucked behind her ears. Evanora let Yophiel scoot past her to sit on Haelyn's right.

"So good of you to join us. Wake her, we need to go over some things," Wren ordered.

"I'm awake," Haelyn snapped. Her eyelids opened to thin slits. "Get on with your explaining then."

Wren slapped a map down on the table and used a thin piece of charcoal to mark a part of the forested area. "This is where we're going. It's a two day journey on foot and I intend to get there with enough strength and energy to deal with the wyverns."

"Then we should take the more straightforward route and shave some time off our trip," Yophiel stole the charcoal away from him and drew a straight line from the city entrance to the circled area.

"No, that's downwind of them. They'll smell us coming from miles away," Weylan argued. He took the charcoal and drew a line that curved around wide and came to the nest from the back. "We'll need to sneak up on them as well so using the trees as cover is key.We'll also need to find a back way in to keep them from tearing us to pieces."

"Then you won't want that side, it's all open fields," Haelyn made small marks along the area to the right of the nest.

"That's why," Wren began as he took the charcoal back, "we're going this way." The line he made was a mirror image of Weylan's along the left side.

"Then we should go on horseback to save time," Yophiel suggested. Without a word he took the full mug of beer away from in front of Evanora. It was the third time he'd had to move it away.

"Horses will be no use there, the trees are too tight together," Wren said. The mug of beer began to slide back across the table on its own and Wren put a hand out to intercept it. "And we will need to be clear headed to get through."

"I can handle a few beers," Evannora argued.

"Not at that age," Yophiel said. "You two shoudln't be encouraging her."

"We're not doing anything," Weylyn said. The mug in his hand sloshed when Haelyn pulled it away from him. "Oh not you too."

"I don't want you to get us killed because you can't see straight because of your hangover." She struggled to keep the drink away from him and Evander. In the struggle, the liquid splashed over the side and across the table. The map got the worst of it, the charcoal smearing in washed out streaks. The three paths blurred together.

Yophiel pulled it up as quickly as he could but the damage had been done. "We should all get to sleep before anything worse happens tonight," he sighed. Haelyn and Wren agreed and urged the other three towards the stairs.

Haelyn and Evanora were glad to have a room to themselves, though they had no choice but to share a bed. The men were squeezed into the second room with three beds. Wren was glad to take the floor rather than share. He briefly considered sleeping in front of the door but the cold draft coming through the crack made him steer clear.

He should have slept in front of the door.

Three hours later, Haelyn rubbed at her eyes and glared at the blurry dark ceiling. The festivities downstairs had reached a new level. Cheers and music shook the floorboards. "This is ridiculous," she muttered to herself. "How are you sleeping-" she paused and looked at the pillow lying lengthwise behind her. "Evanora?"

Haelyn pulled on her boots and stumbled out of the room. Her mind was still foggy from sleep but she was aware enough to recognize both Yophiel and Wren stumbling out of their room. The party below them was in full swing. Haelyn averted her eyes from the darker corners where couples had taken up residence. Those weren't the places anyone wanted to look during a festival for a fertility goddess.

"Are they with you?" Yophiel asked through a yawn.

"No, but I can guess where all three of them are," Haelyn answered. She looked over the railing at the tavern patrons below. They had formed two rings, one small and the second larger around it,made out of at least a dozen people holding hands as they moved around the table in the center. Standing on the table, each with a full mug of ale, were the three wayward travelers. Weylyn and Evander held Evanora on their shoulders and shouted to the dancing crowd.

"Great, that's just wonderful," Wren snapped. "Let's get to work, if we're lucky we can get them back to bed within an hour." He started down the stairs and Haelyn reached out to grab his arm.As she did, someone bumped into her and knocked her down the first three stairs. Wren turned and caught her by the waist before she could get any further.

"What the hell is his problem?"Yophiel sputtered. He held out a hand to help them both stand upright.

"I don't know, but I'm ready for tonight to be over," Haelyn said. "I have a better plan than dragging them off by brute force. Just give me a moment.." She fussed with the front of her shirt, smoothing it out as she walked downstairs.

"It's Haelyn! Everybody cheer!" Weylyn called to the crowd when he saw her. They all shouted her name and he jumped down from the table to hug her. "Have you come to join us, or are you going to try to shut us down?"

"I was going to try to stop you, but you look very determined." Haelyn tapped the bar counter to get the attention of the innkeep. "Four whiskeys."

"So you've come to join us! I take back all the awful things I said about you," Evanora cheered as she ran across the room to join them.

"Oh, thank you," Haelyn said awkwardly. She grabbed the four shot glasses by their tops and handed over the two in her left hand to the men and one of the ones in her right hand to Evanora.

"What do you think you're doing?" Wren yelled and tried to take the drink from her.

"Drink, quick," Haelyn urged. The four of them downed the drinks and cheered loudly. "Nice. Now on ten, nine, eight..." Haelyn counted down slowly. She reached one and the other three dropped to the ground like stones.

"What did you do?" Yophiel asked. He checked Evanora's pulse, relief flooding his face when he found a steady thrum.

Haelyn shook a small bag of dark purple powder. She moved it back into her shirt.  "A sleeping powder of my own creation. Valerian root, chamomile and a little nightshade."

"Nightshade? That's poison," Wren shouted at her.

"Only in large amounts, relax. I know what I'm doing. One pinch of this is a light sleep, two a good sleep and three a deep sleep," Haelyn explained.

"How many did you give them?" Yophiel asked while he slung Weylyn's arm over his shoulders.

"Two and a half, one for her," Haelyn lifted Evanora carefully and cradled her in her arms.

"Sleep at last. Let's go before anything worse happens," Wren said. He threw Evander onto his shoulder and hurried for the stairs. The blonde man grunted in his drug induced sleep and his arms dangled over Wren's back.