May: the Update

The month started off with a bang as book 3 of The Salon of Enchanted Beauty released on the 1st! The Sleepless Beauty is available in ebook form at your favorite retailer. If you join my patreon on the Bronze Dragon tier or higher, you'll receive the ebook at the end of the month as part of your patron rewards. It will also be added to the library for the non-merch tiers end of June or beginning of July.

Upcoming Release Schedule 2023

The Beastly Perfume (The Salon of Enchanted Beauty #4) --> July 3rd (ebook/possibly paperback)

The Salon of Enchanted Beauty #5 --> September 4th (ebook/paperback)

The Salon of Enchanted Beauty #6 --> October 30th (ebook/paperback)

Paperback versions of TSoEB #1-4 are estimated to be released in July. Hardback is still under consideration.

Audiobook versions will go into production over the summer but no projected release date yet.

Other projects

Märchenverse:

Book 1 is on the agenda to release sometime this year. Once TSoEB is prepped for all its 2023 releases, then I can turn towards editing this. My goal is to finish it by end of July.

No projected release dates on book 2 so far. The rewrite is still simmering away on the back burner, though I have generated some ideas for it. I probably wouldn't get around to working on it until 2024 most likely.

Magic Academy:

A few more ideas have been tossed into the pot to simmer, but no written progress so far. However, a recent binge of cultivation webnovels has definitely brought some inspiration.

Kagerou:

This poor baby keeps getting neglected unfortunately. I still want to get this released because I really want to share the fun with you! However, paid projects take priority.

Lastly, the goals for May

1) Finish writing The Salon of Enchanted Beauty #6

2) Get The Salon of Enchanted Beauty 4-6 edited, formatted, and up for preorder as ebooks.

3) Write a few chapters of Kagerou

That may not seem like a lot, but this month is packed with other events that will get in the way. Wish me luck! I shall do my best and try not to end up in another distracting reading binge.

2022 in Review

What a year it has been! I was not expecting the rollercoaster that 2022 turned into. 

The big high (and biggest distraction from writing) has been the new job I started back in February. I finally took the first step on the long journey of my career as a librarian. I found a niche job hiding in the basement of the central branch of a public library. What do I actually do? I catalog and process new materials. But hiding in the basement sounds more mysterious. I don't have to interact with the public aside from the rare occasions on which I venture out from my basement abode to help upstairs. The last time I did so, I ended up manning the teen desk amidst a horde of 7th graders on a tour of the library. Yikes! But for the most part, my position is an introvert's paradise. Books and hardly any people around!

To be serious, I have quite enjoyed my new job even though I had to put writing and publishing plans on the back burner for most of the year while I wrapped my head around the massive change in routine and location (moving to another city is not easy, regardless of the size of the move). However, I was finally stable enough to pull that back into focus in the fall of this year. That led to a retargeting of my publication plans towards the short story series "The Salon of Enchanted Beauty" while pushing back the "Märchenverse" series till a later date. Novels take so much more time than short stories to edit and I am terribly slow at editing to begin with. If I wanted something published before next spring, a short story it would have to be. 

In November, I attended, virtually, the 20booksto50k Las Vegas conference. Virtual only after plans to go in person fell through (drat cars and how expensive repairs can be!) It was highly inspiring and has only solidified my determination to attend in person next year. I'm extremely excited to buy my ticket next month!

Now, onto what you really wanted to know from this update: what projects am I working on and what is my progress! 

1) The Salon of Enchanted Beauty

As I mentioned above, this is the series that is at the forefront of my energy and attention. It's a cozy fantasy series of long form short stories following the misadventures of a sorceress named Philliya Wridall as she runs a magical beauty salon.

Status:

Book 1: In editing and pushing for a January 2023 release (I hope!!)

Books 2 - 4: Written awaiting editing

Book 5: Halfway written

2) Märchenverse

The series of sci-fi novels which cover various rewritten and adapted fairy tales from classics to lesser known tales. I do love this series, but pushing it back for now was the right step. I'm still eager to get this done and published! I can't wait to share it all with you. If you are impatient, you can join my patreon to read the original first draft of book 2 in the library.

Book 1: In editing

Book 2: Awaiting a complete rewrite.

Book 3: Writing, floundering, rewriting, etc. Horror is not my strong point when it comes to writing.

Books 4-8: Planned and waiting in the wings to tempt me to focus on them instead of what I should be working on! How rude of them. lol

3) The fanfiction - Kagerou: A Pathfinders Journal

I know, I know. I keep promising that this one will get done, but it keeps getting pushed back in favor my non-fanfiction series since I'm just your basic human who has to prioritize money over fun. 

Book 1: In the process of rewriting and editing

Book 2: Planned but no timeline set for actually writing it. 

Books 3-6: Possible and advisable if I want to complete the entire adventure path, but I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch.

4) The magic academy (series? webnovel? who knows at this point!)

This one is shaping up to be my longest work ever at a projected 300k+ words if I cover the four projected plot arcs, but it needs a serious world building overhaul before I can dig into rewriting and writing it. Apparently I am not very practiced at building magic systems and this book needs one that's pretty solidly planned out...yay me...

Book ?: Partially written, but needs planning and a rewrite.

5) Survival 

Aka the R rated sci-fi book/series I've been trying to write for years. It is also partially written, but needs a major restructuring and planning before I can even attempt to begin again. In other news, my brain has decided it's more interesting to work on plot arc #2 instead of #1. So I have made some progress? Brain! Focus!

So there you have it! Those are the major projects I'm attempting to guide towards publication. That doesn't mean they are the only projects bouncing around in my brain or on my PC, however! I don't lack for ideas (ever), but the other projects are on hold for now so I can try to focus my limited energy and time on the most viable series for publishing. (Though, check out my patreon for glimpses into the archives and chime in on whether a project should be pulled from cryostasis!)

Which project are you the most interested in? Are you leaning towards fantasy or sci-fi?

So long 2022 and thanks for all the fish! 

The Mid Year and Juggling

Photo licensed from Depositphotos

It's already July. Wow.

I'm astounded at how fast time is flying past this year. I thought it was time for me to do a check in on my writing goals I set back in January. How did I do? Some I accomplished and some I won't. I'm not displeased, however. Rolling with the punches is the best way to stay on track the best I can with my scattered brain.

Writing goal #1: releasing a new social media story. 

Status: Checked off and it's still running though I took a break from it for a while. No Return is live on IG and Patreon every Sunday.

Writing goal #2: launching the webnovel Kagerou.

Status: The novel is being rewritten and edited. I'm still on track to begin releasing it sometime later this year.

Writing goal #3: Finally completing and publishing book 1 of Märchenverse.

Status: Most likely won't happen this year. I had too much of a delay earlier this year. I have made progress on books 1-3 however. I haven't yet started draft 2 of book 1 but I have started to line things up that need fixing or adding. Book 2 is slowly pushing its way out the chrysalis to show me the new form it will take during the rewrite. Book 3 has almost completely replotted itself and just needs more work on the middle section before I can start it again from scratch to have a much more horrifically terrifying story that it was before. Wish me luck. I am NOT a horror writer...

Writing goal #4: Attending my first 20booksto50k conference in November.

Status: Car decided it wanted to use up all my available funds so, alas, I must postpone this until 2023. I shall attend virtually and still take days off of work to focus on that, however.

And why all the huge delays and postponements this year? 

That all comes down to my one non-writing goal: to land a full-time job. 

I did it!! Back in January I finally received an offer to start a full-time job at *drumroll* a library! Yes, that was the job I was hinting at in the previous post. I'm now a Library Assistant who gets to hide in the central library's basement doing cataloguing. It's fantastic and right up my alley, but it did require a move and a complete halt on the writing front for months while I unpacked and got settled into my new job and city. So, now that my brain has had time to adjust, I'm finally getting back into the groove for writing. 

First up on the writing schedule? Finish Kagerou and get that ready and waiting in the wings to start. July marks the running of Camp NaNoWriMo and I'm hoping to use that to motivate me enough to accomplish at least half the rewrite.

Second, back to Märchenverse and try to get as much of that done as quickly as possible so I'm prepared for any other road blocks that may pop up.

While you are waiting, I would suggest popping over to my patreon. I recently finished updating the patreon library and I've started posting occasional book reviews. I'm hoping to post a little more consistently over there with new content. But, writing comes first before updating here or on patreon so please forgive me for inconsistency. 

Happy 4th of July and enjoy your holiday weekend!

Photo licensed from Depositphotos

Looking Ahead to 2022

I can hardly believe that 2021 flew by so fast. I landed a new job, got rid of an old one, and the time flew by in a blur while I was adjusting. I didn't get much written in the last half of the year due to that, unfortunately, but I'm finally reengaging now that the holiday season is over (thank goodness that it is! I definitely burnt out during it).

And so now, as I face down the coming year ahead, I see a year full of potential and possibilities. And that also means change and lots of it. Some decided and actioned by me and some foisted upon me to which I must adapt. So I thought I would officially write down my goals for the year so that you might have a glimpse into what possibilities I see lurking in 2022.

Writing goals:

1) The first goal I wanted to accomplish this year was to whip up a new social media story to air on my Instagram. It's a small experiment that I hope you all enjoy. I can check off this goal starting tomorrow when it begins releasing!

2) The second goal is a bit further out. I know I've been promising to finally get around to relaunching the rewritten Kagerou novel for quite a while now. I'm aiming to get it started this year (possibly spring). No idea when I'll get around to writing the second novel as that depends on where in my crowded writing schedule it could fit.

3) The third and most important goal: the completion and publication of Märchenverse. Book 1 is still needing rewriting and editing and I'm midway through the little prequel. Book 2 need a complete overhaul of a rewrite and I'm in the beginning stages of writing Book 3. That said, I am hoping to publish Book 1 in the fall of this year. *crosses fingers* So, I would hope to have books 1-3 written and edited by then so I could write book 4 during NaNoWriMo.

4) The fourth goal (numbered so by virtue of being the last scheduled to happen), is to save up for and attend the 20booksto50k indie publishing conference in Las Vegas next November. If I accomplish goal #3, then I can hopefully participate in the book signing event at the end of the conference and sell some physical copies of my new shiny book. But, I will need to save up the money! It isn't cheap and I've got publishing costs to pay before then.

Non-Writing goals:

I only really have one big goal for this year and it's the same one I've had since before the great plague killed the job market: get a full-time job! I've been switching from part-time to part-time for jobs and I'd like to nail down one that is full-time so I can finally get full benefits (and possibly finally latch onto the bottom rung of a career track). Now, if I do get that job, that's the big unknown factor as to how the writing goals will progress or if they even will progress at all for a time. And I might be completing this goal sooner rather than later as I currently do have a possible job (with a move!) lined up at present. We shall see what happens and I shall roll with it. If I go radio silent for a while, that probably means I got the job and am completely focused on adapting to the new situation and learning the ropes. 

Hopefully I'll remember that I wrote this post at the end of 2022 so I can see how much I checked off, or not, over the course of the year. As with any goal setting, I'm aiming to knock off every single item on the list! 

Do you have any goals you want to tackle in 2022? If you don't mind sharing them, comment below! 

Happy 2022 to you all and may this year be better than the last for all of us!

Rewrites and Updates: Kagerou's Pathfinder Journal

I officially made a start on the rewrite for Kagerou Book 1! I like to edit on paper so I had to print it all out. I'm hoping to hit this hard to have it done soon for releasing~

 

 

Yes, that is just the one novel! 222 pages...

 

 

In other writing news, I started off writing a new fantasy story two weeks ago. It's now turned into something that is beginning to resemble a full length novel...oops? But the story is demanding to be written so I must give in. My poor wrists are suffering from the fast pace it has set, though.

 

Wish me luck! And tune in tomorrow for Part 3 of The Salon of Enchanted Beauty~

 

The Joys of a Laptop Meltdown

Literal meltdown. My fan went out on my old laptop and melted something on the motherboard inside which caused multiple glitches. In addition I had to set it on an ice pack or point a fan at it to keep the thing from turning itself off. I'm still in the process of tweaking this new laptop to meet my standards for operating (which involves installing a lot of programs or "apps" as Windows 8 terms them). But, now I'm back in the business of writing and just in time for Camp NaNoWriMo in April. Yay!

For camp, my focus will be to add at least four more decent length chapters to Shadowrunning (published and hosted on wattpad). Right now there are five chapters up which marks the completion of the first plot arc. Read and comment please!

Also, I've switched over to hosting and publishing Kagerou (my blog serial story) on wattpad as well. You can find it here: http://www.wattpad.com/story/9481004-kagerou-a-pathfinder-journal-updating-weekly Parts 15 and 16 are up now! (Only up to part 14 is hosted on the blog.) Again, read and comment, please!

Kagerou might take a break during April as I focus on hitting Shadowrunning as hard as possible while juggling an increasingly insane work schedule. This month our teaching hours have gone up and it's not doing me any good stress-wise.

As for the NaNoWriMo interviews, they will resume on Monday as usual with a repeat from a previous guest. Why don't you poke around in the old interviews while you wait and have a guess?

Kagerou's Journal 14

Catch up on previous parts here.


Day 3

I take my pen up again today to recount the events which transpired. We discovered some disturbing information about the night raid by the goblins which I will explain.

The day began normally enough. Over breakfast Eyotah received word that the armor she’d ordered would be ready the next day. The halfling, Stormy, set off to the cathedral to have a few flasks of water blessed. She appears to be proficient in the holy arts herself, but I suspected, at the time, that she wanted to visit the healer.

She left the three of us sitting at the table eating leftovers from the feast the night previous.  I couldn’t quite remember but I thought I’d heard something about a grave robbing at the cathedral.

Abruptly I shoved myself upright. “There’s no point in setting off on our job until tomorrow when you get your armor.”

“What about it?” Eyotah yawned, bored.

“I thought I heard something about a grave robbing so I’m going to poke around for curiosity’s sake.

Now both of them looked more awake.

“Count me in,” said Breuvial.

“Me too.” Eyotah rubbed her forehead. “Maybe it’ll take my mind off this hangover.”

I ducked my head so she wouldn’t see my smirk. It’s little wonder her head hurt after all she drank. I stretched leisurely as they persuaded their bodies to stand up. Then I set off in the direction I thought the halfling had gone.

“I suppose one of us knows the way to the cathedral?” I mumbled.

The spire of the cathedral guided us like a beacon so we made good time. The priest was escorting Stormy outside as we arrived.

“Father Tobyn’s tomb. That’s the one.”

“The earth is still turned up?” Stormy asked.

“Aye. We haven’t had the time to restore it yet.” The priest looked worried.

“Rest assured. I’ll let you know if I find anything new.”

“Thank you.” He bowed slightly and hurried back inside.

“How’s the healer, Hannah?” Eyotah asked.

Stormy registered our presence. “She’s doing badly. Father Zantus is unable to heal her at the moment.”

Breuvial clucked her tongue sympathetically. I changed the topic.

“I take it you’re interested in the grave robbing too?”

She whipped around to face me. “How…?”

“I heard some rumors back at the tavern. I’m not deaf either. You were just talking about a grave with that priest.” Nonchalantly I dug a finger in my ear.

She relaxed. “The previous father’s, Tobyn’s, tomb has been disturbed.”

“Then let’s go investigate and see if we can’t shed light on the situation.”

Eyotah grunted her approval and Stormy led the way.

“The night guard only saw shapes of people in the graveyard. One tall and several short. They carried Father Tobyn’s body away. For what purpose no one knows. Here we are.” She stopped in front of a fresh pile of dirt.

Eyotah bent down to examine the prints on the ground. “I see six goblin prints and one human size boot print. Beylor?” The bear sniffed the ground. He growled in Sylvan that he smelled three drunken goblins and a familiar human scent.

We all looked at each other at that. So the human was familiar. That boded ill to me.

Stormy lent her nose to the effort. “The human smells similar to our tavern host, Amico, and someone from the glassworks. Maybe a relative?”

“We should go back to The Rusty Dragon and confirm that it isn’t Amico’s scent.” Eyotah pushed herself up and started walking.

I nodded my agreement and followed. The others came as well, though Stormy’s face was blank of any emotion.

Kagerou's Journal Links

I thought it'd be convenient if I collected all the links to Kage's story in one place. Enjoy!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14

Kagerou's Journal 13

Read part 12 here.


Aldern smiled and nodded eagerly. “I’ll have everything prepared for your visit.” His eyes lingered on me slightly longer before they focused on the halfling instead. “And lastly, who are you?” He was done eating so he clasped his hands and leaned forward.

She grimaced. “My name is Stormy.”

“A halfling I see.”

She hesitated, then nodded. “Yes.”

“Are you from here? You appear to know the area. I didn’t think, though, that halflings were native to this region.”

“We aren’t. I’ve visited this town many times and have had extended stays.”

I noted the discrepancy with what she had told us, but kept quiet. She must have a reason to hide her true business.

Cheers and applause prevent Aldern from addressing her again. Breuvial dropped back into her seat, fanning her face with her hand. Her clothes seemed to clink a little more loudly than before and I wondered how much money she had pocketed.

Aldern clapped his hands together. “Wonderful dancing, Breuvial. Correct?”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

Aldern refilled her cup and she gulped it down. “Ah, it’s empty.” He moved to refill her cup again but only a drop came out.

“Another keg!” he called.

I saw one rise up and start bobbing and weaving through the crowd. Ick appeared underneath it as he approached the table. He banged the spigot into the keg and set it on the table.

“Breuvial, tell me, are you from this area?”

“No. I’m just passing through.” She waved her hand vaguely and her sleeve fell back, revealing more of her tattoos.

“Is that a mark of sorcery? Can you do magic?”

“Yes. I have some skill in it.”

Aldern offered to refill her cup.

“Oh no. I’ve drunk enough. Thank you.”

“Then don’t mind me.” He picked up the keg and chugged it down. Those surrounding us caught sight of him and cheered him on. He banged the empty keg down on the table, grinned and then passed out flat on his face.

A servant wearing Aldern’s insignia approached behind his master’s slumped form.

“Please pardon my master. He wished to reward you for saving him.” The servant set down a small, heavy bag in front of each of us. He bowed, picked up his master and left.

I hefted my bag in my hand. It was of a decent weight and clinked softly. “I wasn’t expecting money.” I grinned at the others. “But it is welcome.”

They nodded in response and Eyotah pounded her fist with the bag on the table.

I rose to my feet. I wanted to count my money in my room away from prying eyes. The crowd was so dense I had to detour all the way past the bar.

“I’m taking off to check things out. Those goblins are up to something.”

I froze as Ick’s whisper reached my ears.

A female voice replied, “Be careful. You don’t want a repeat of last time.”

The voice belonged to the owner. I lingered a moment longer but neither poke again and I thought I saw Ick leave the building.

I reached the bottom of the stairs in time to hear Eyotah begin shouting and babbling in her native tongue. She had found a dog somewhere to mount and, waving wildly, she yelled something about slaying a hog monster before she overbalanced and fell off with a crash into a bucket of slops.

Laughing, I climbed the stairs and thanked the gods I wasn’t her roommate.

Kagerou's Journal 12

Read part 11 here.


She was quite right. Many people filled the tavern judging by the noise level, and more were still crowding in. The Shoanti shoved her way in first making room with her spear as needed. I darted forward and took advantage of the path she created.

The crowd parted for us, though, once Aldern called out loudly,

“Welcome, my heroes! Please come over here. The feast only awaits your presence!”

Every head turned to watch us and many clapped or cheered. I even heard a few wolf whistles but I couldn’t pinpoint the source. Aldern was dressed in an extravagant outfit, flaunting his wealth. It matched his pompous, overblown attitude. I barely registered the presence of a woman with asian features standing near him. She stood there watching us until Ick called her away to the bar.

Aldern jumped around making sure we were seated and our plates filled with food. Once our cups were filled as well, he grabbed his own and toasted to us. Most of the people in the tavern followed suit. The Shoanti gladly joined in and downed two cups in a row. With a silly grin on her face, she called for a refill.

Aldern filled his own plate with food and sat down at the table with us. “We haven’t had a proper conversation yet. Even though you are all heroes, I cannot continue calling you that. It would be rude. What are your names?”

We glanced at each other, silently willing another to go first. Eyotah gave in first with a wave of her hand, being the least hesitant due to drink.

“The name is Eyotah. I used to be part of a Shoanti tribe up north.” Her mouth twitched and she raised her mug to hide it. In one gulp she drained half of it.

Aldern leaned forward, riveted, but she didn’t elaborate. “And the rest of you?” He addressed us, but he still appeared intrigued by Eyotah.

My roommate gave in next. “My name is Breuvial.” She bowed her head slightly.

“A Varisian I take it?” She nodded. “Well met. Might I be correct in saying it was your dance I witnessed early yesterday in the square?”

She flushed slightly. “Yes, that was me.” She winked and smiled. “Would you like a repeat performance?”

Aldern clapped his hands. “Yes, please!” I would be honored.”

He rose to his feet and graciously helped Breuvial to her. She batted an eye at him and drew out her scarf with a flick that caught the attention of everyone in the room. The noisy partygoers stamped their feet and whistled at her and she began to twirl.

Aldern resumed his seat and joined in, clapping. His eyes followed her progress around the room. I thought I saw the glint of coins in the air around her.

She’ll make a pretty penny tonight. I sipped at my cup before realizing that Aldern’s eyes were now fixed on my face. I sighed.

“My name is Kagerou. A pleasure to meet you my good sir and thank you for the feast.” I raised my cup and drank once again.

“Well met indeed.” He raised his glass to me. “Where do you hail from? A half-elf like yourself is rare in these parts.”

“I was born in Erages though I did not spend many years longer than childhood there.” I paused but his eyes kept boring into me. “I passed through the lodge in Magnimar before coming here. They sent me on business.”

“A pathfinder.” His eyes brightened.

“Only an initiate.” I returned to my cup. People like him were far too interested in my occupation because of the knowledge I might have come in contact with. I disliked such people, consciously greedy or not.

He continued to attempt to prod me into speaking with his eyes, but I had had enough of speaking. Instead, he broke the silence.

“My main residence is in Magnimar. I assume you’ll be passing through once more when your business here has concluded?”

I nodded.

“Excellent!” He fished out a piece of paper and handed it to me. “Please come visit me. Here is my address. I’ll treat you to another feast when you do.”

I smiled politely and took the card. “Thank you for the offer. I shall try to take you up on it.
I do have to pass through Magnimar on my way back to the main lodge.”

Kagerou's Journal 11

(Now that my life is starting to settle down a bit expect the Kagerou posts to resume with a more regular frequency. You can read part 10 here to refresh your memory.)


The inside of Quink’s house was cluttered with curious, ancient scrolls, books, artifacts and many things of which I had no knowledge. He led us to a small seating area and cleared off enough room for us to sit. He put the kettle on to boil and arranged five teacups beside the teapot on a table. He spooned tea leaves in the teapot very carefully. By this time, steam poured out of the kettle. He removed it from the fire and filled the teapot. The lid of the teapot clinked softly as he settled it into place.

“I tell you ‘bout Sinspawn now.” He sat down facing us. “They creatures summoned by rune lords to do bidding. Very evil magic. Each is different. Each comes from one of the seven deadly sins – envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride, sloth, and wrath.”

“How can you tell them apart?” the halfling asked.

“Each looks different. Different in size too. Depends on which sin it came from.” He shrugged.

“So you can tell us which kind of sinspawn made this print!” She waved the sheet of paper in her hand.

“Do I look like I see one?” No. I do not know. I only hear about them. Don’t want to see one. Might die! You crazy.” He shook his head as he poured tea into the five teacups.

I accepted mine and sipped at it, thinking. The presence of a sinspawn meant that someone else had been behind the attack. So why target the healer?

Putting the teacup down, I asked, “The priest mentioned an event in Sandpoint five years ago that paralleled yesterday’s events. Might you be able to tell us about it?”

“Oh that. That worse. Whole town burned down. Called the Late Unpleasantness.

“A mild way of putting it,” I muttered. “How is it similar?”

“Probably same cause.”

The halfling cut in. “What do you mean by that?”

“Sinspawn cause craziness. Woodcutter called Chopper went crazy. Tried to kill lots of people with axe. Even now hi house empty. And priest’s daughter went crazy too and burned down last cathedral!”

“How does a sinspawn cause that?” asked the spearwoman.

“Wrath sinspawn cause wrath in people near it.” He spoke as if it should be obvious. “You know more ‘bout sinspawn once you go to ruins. Job, right?”

We nodded.

“Bring interesting this back and use paper to make rubbing of things on walls like writing. Ok? You understand? I pay gold when you come back.” He rose and shooed us out the door. Once we crossed the threshold he slammed the door behind us.

“What an odd fellow,” I remarked.

“Indeed.” The Shoanti shifted her spear.

“Where to?” Breuvial asked.

“I suppose that young man, Aldern ought to have the boar ready by now.” I watched as a half-orc stumbled out of the building across the street. He noticed me looking and sneered at us before he lumbered off to the Hagfish. The name reminded me of the job board.

“Perhaps we could inquire about the jobs at the Hagfish.”

I spoke to no one in particular but the halfling answered. “Not today. It’s a nasty crowd in there. Let’s return to the Rusty Dragon.”

I nodded along with the rest and we retraced our steps back to the tavern. The Shoanti fell back to match my pace.

“Where did you disappear to earlier?”

“The North gate. I saw some fighting over that way last night so I wanted to find out what had happened. And what about you?” I looked her up and down. “You didn’t have those bruises or that rip when I left.”

“I…sparred with Stormy.” She shrugged it off.

“Who’s Stormy?”

"Oh sorry, she’s the halfling.”

Looking ahead I studied the halfling. “What an unusual name. Do you two know each other?”

She hesitated. “We’ve met before.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll stop prying. Though,” I added, as an afterthought, “you stink. Did she throw that goblin’s barrel of pickles at you?”

She laughed. “No, no. I had some business at the tanner. The smell of the baths must have clung to my clothes.”

“Looks like the party has started without us,” Breuvial called from in front of us, interrupting our conversation.