NEVER SPLIT THE PARTY: The Adventures of the Creeping Bam (BOOK 4: The Hunt)

CHAPTER TEN: THELGAEWYNN

Ignoring Du's sharp glare, I pick up the bacon sandwich and turn it around in my fingers for a moment, lifting it under my nose to inhale deeply and prepare myself. Gods ... if I hadn't already eaten three fried eggs and four whole sausages my mouth'd be watering a whole lot more, but smelling this just makes me hungry all over again. Maybe it's just that this food is so bloody good, I swear I never eaten half so good anywhere else as I have here in the Temple of Minerva ... or maybe it's the fact I'm so completely alive right now, like my recent brush with death is making me appreciate all these simple pleasures so much more all of a sudden. I suspect it's both.

Clearly I ain't alone, the twins sure like this grub too. The two teenage half-orcs are absolutely mowing their way through substantial trayfuls of heaped food, with grease-splattered grins on their faces and big, sparkling eyes as they snipe and josh with each other between mouthfuls. They're an infectiously likeable duo, I can definitely see why Shay's so fond of 'em both, beyond her simple projected kinship. I wonder how much she was like that when she was their age.

Their father's real interesting too. I never actually met a military orc before myself, not even an ex soldier, but if I ever imagined one Sonagh's just who I'd picture in my head. He's real tall and broad across the shoulders, powerful but not too overlarge altogether, and he clearly keeps himself in muscular, fighting fit form despite his clear advancing years. He's pretty good looking too, although really not my type at all, worn and weathered without looking broken down, his still thick black hair shot through with plenty of silver.

He looks a bit battered now, but I hear that's cuz he's been right through it recently. 'Parently Kesla and her crew saved him from a real nasty assassination attempt last week, day after they arrived, courtesy of the very folk we been hunting. I'm told he was at Corvina's Black Door not long ago, near dead from some real nasty exotic poison from two arrows in the back, only for the skill of Brigid's clerics to pull him back from the brink. He's been holed up in her temple since, at first just recovering, but since then laying low with his children at the insistence of Madame Daste, on account of Vandryss wanting him dead.

In spite of it all, though, he looks passably spry, all things considered. Dark circles round his eyes and a little more drawn in the face than I might've expected for his age, but he walks steady enough, and his colour's good, while his appetite's suitably strong like his son and daughter's. Certainly he makes for good company now.

Shay and Krakka were sure surprised to see him, when he just seemed to wander into the lounge almost of his own accord with his kids in tow. They got over their initial surprise quick enough, though, immediately descending on him with greetings and congratulations at looking so well, all things considered, and soon enough started plying him with questions. Yeslee, meanwhile, simply slunk off, likely with the intention of finding the others from her group in order to inform them too of this new development.

Almost of his own accord, I mean, he was in the company of an Authority official, someone I was a moment placing before recognising 'em at last, as much I think cuz I was just surprised to actually see 'em alive. Junior Deputy Administrator Cafi Sirsk should be dead, I'm sure of it, I sure expected her to be among the dead from Madame Daste's ill-fated drive to reinforce us before Vandryss pulled her latest cruel trick. Instead they showed up here today with Sonagh and his kids in tow.

As they finally make their way to the table now with a much more modestly laid tray in hand, I have to admit they don't look like they been through hell. They're a little twitchier than they seemed last time we met, in the Transit House, but under the circumstances reckon that's to be expected. They manage something resembling a pleasant, disarming smile as they greet us all once again. "I trust I'm welcome to join you all?"