The Unfortunate Events of the Cook and the Madman

Onwards to Phanladin

The pack travelled on for another day, stopping for a short rest throughout the night before making the final trek to Phanladin. Poppy and Sildar sat on the bench of the wagon, making small pleasant talk now and again, both a little on edge after the previous days events.

Errick kept pace at the rear whilst Bale walked alongside Roclaf, conversing deeply with her and showing off Steve. The great big dog was enamoured with Steve and would often try to tear it from Bale's hand if he brought the fleshy puppet up too close.

The rutted cart track emerged from a wooded hillside and they caught their first glimpse of Phanladin. The town consisted of a ramshackle group of wooden buildings, forty or fifty or so of simple log structures with stone foundations. The town was surrounded by older, crumbling ruins of buildings long gone, covered in ivy and thick briar. Poppy thought this must have been a much larger town many centuries ago.

As the cart trundled on the track it began to widen and became a main street of sorts, with buildings either side and a large area that would be a town square. There was also a ruined manor house looming grimly on a hillside on the east side of town. Townsfolk tended to their chores, running errands at shops while children played on the town green.

People looked up as the wagon carried on, a few stopped for a moment to whisper, possibly about Roclaf, possibly about Bale who had taken to asking the locals if they wanted to see a dead body and then reaching for Steve. Each time Poppy would hiss Bale's name and Bale would erupt with laughter, putting Steve back while the halfling buried her head in her hands.

“My friend,” Sildar says to Poppy, “let us secure lodgings. I'm told the local inn is very quaint.”

Poppy mulls this over, it would be nice to have a warm meal and a comfortable rest that isn't a wooden bench but she dismisses his idea. “No, it's best to get this done and dusted.” Poppy said somewhat grimly. She could tell Sildar wanted to argue his point but he thought better of it and just nodded in agreement.

They reached Barthen's Provisions, the largest trading post in the town, to deliver their goods. Sildar helped Poppy disembark from the wagon bench while Errick began to untie the ropes and loosen the strapping of the load. Bale tended to Roclaf, letting her loose from her reins and harness, leading her to the trough of water and tying her to a post there with a loop of rope round the great dog's neck. Bale gave Roclaf a final ruffle and headed into the shop. In the shop there were shelves and shelves of equipment; ropes by the footage, bed rolls by thickness, various sized backpacks and rations by the basket load. Bale took a quick look around, tutting and sighing loudly, alerting the owner and staff of their arrival.

Bale withdrew from the shop, followed by the proprietor. He introduced himself as Elmar Barthen, greeting them kindly with a warm smile.

“I'm off to find better clothes and stabby things,” Bale annouces. Poppy winces at the remark but Elmar doesn't react beyond another smile.

“Bale, I think we should stick together, get our affairs in order before-”

“You can handle this I'm sure, I trust you to sort it.” He grinned beneath his bandages, giving the halfing a small shoulder squeeze. Poppy sighed in resignation and nodded. “Right! Where in this tiny podunk town can one procure some good armour and weapons?”

“Well, that'd be The Lion Shield Coster, just a ways down there, not sure if they'll have much in though, what with-”

“Thanks! Catch you guys up!” Bale sped off before Elmar could finish.

“Sorry about him, he means well, I think.” Poppy thought for a moment looking out over the main road, seeing Bale greet the townsfolk and laughing at their reactions to Steve. She shook her head. “We've brought Gundren Rockseeker's delievery of goods, as expected.”

“Ah fantastic news! You're a little later than I expected, I would've thought you would've got here last night?” Elmar mused as he got his staff to unload the wagon with help from Errick.

“Bit of trouble with some goblins,” Poppy replied, avoiding eye contact with Sildar as she fiddled with a strap on her pack.

“Oh? They're getting worse and worse! Terrible creatures! Can't go a day without hearing of another attack.” Elmar sighed, calming himself. He removed a fancy emroidered coin purse and counted out twenty gold pieces, handing them to Poppy.

“Now! Where is that old codger Gundren? He's not made his way to the inn already has he?” Elmar asked with a chortle. He looked to the saddened face of the halfing and then to the even sadder face of Sildar. “Oh. Oh no, what happened?”

“We were ambushed,” Sildar replied, his face etched with painful memories and bruises. “Tried to fight them off but you know how goblins are, two to replace the one you just felled.”

“We don't know where Gundren is, captured I imagine. He could be in those caves still. Or moved on. We just don't know.” Poppy said leaning up against the empty wagon, catching sight of a man over on the other side of the road wearing a deep red cloak.

“Oh this does pain me, I consider Gundren to be a good friend. He was so excited about that mine he and his brothers found.” Elmar thought for a moment. “What if you and your friend go look for him?” Poppy thought on this, she wasn't looking for an adventure, she was just paying off a debt which she considered paid now that the goods were in the shop safely. The red cloaked man had moved from across the street and was keeping to the shadows down the other end of the building.

“What of his brothers? Couldn't they go look for him?” She offered as an option.

“Nundro and Tharden? They're camped somewhere outside of town, been gone a tenday now. Though they should be back any day now to resupply I imagine.”

“A tenday? That's an awful long time isn't it?” Poppy questioned but Elmar just waved his hand dismissing her worries.

“They're Rockseeker brothers, made of tough stuff they are!” Elmar smiled trying to reassure the halfling but she was far from reassured. The man in the red cloak was now very close to the wagon, edging around it, sticking to the shadows, almost as if he was trying to get a peep at who had arrived. He had the sort of face that you would easily forget and a red band wrapped around his arm.

Poppy leaned around Elmar's legs and made firm eye contact with the shifty man. He paused in shock, like he thought he was invisible or something. Poppy cocked an eye brow and the man turned on his heel, slipping down an alleyway and out of sight.

“Will you at least consider looking for Gundren? He's a good man, doesn't deserve to die at the hands of those beasts.” Elmar pleaded.

“If it helps any, I could talk to my contacts and maybe procure a reward of sorts?” Sildar offered. Poppy let out an exasperated sigh.

“We'll see. I'm not agreeing to anything until I've discussed it with Bale.” Elmar gave his thanks and Sildar nodded in agreement. She had the feeling she wouldn't be seeing her goats for quite some time.