A Loved One Comes Home

The burst of song from the enchanted fish above the door of the tavern was a welcome reprieve from the harsh winter outside. It all seemed to have worked out well but as soon as the owner saw the body slung over Brenna’s shoulder he began shouting protestations. It was the usual hysterical and perfectly reasonable reaction to seeing a dismembered body casually hanging off someone’s shoulder. A string of expletives burst out of the owner’s mouth as he spluttered at them to take the corpse out of his tavern.

There were a few people in the bar area. A woman and her children huddled together at their table. She was shielding her children’s eyes from the gruesome sight. Brenna looked but could not find the Dwarves that had hired them inside the building. Lullaby exited the room and tried to find the path again. It was the path that led her to where she needed to go. Dvalin followed her, knocking on doors as they went. The rest followed a ways behind. They finally arrived at a door where they inquired with a Dwarven butler as to where they could find the Battlehammers. He asked them to wait a moment and closed the door behind him. They heard a strange language, probably Dwarvish as none of them were fluent, and footsteps that came towards them at a fast pace. 

When it next opened, they were introduced to Hirna. She was the sister of the deceased. Her eyes were wide and frantic as she repeated what they had told her and asked to be taken to her brother immediately. She grabbed her hammer from inside the home and went along. Mythe led the group back to where Brenna was walking slowly, bringing a very heavy corpse along. When Hirna saw the remains she quietly asked if that was all they could find. Mythe let her know that they had not found the yeti to take any remaining pieces, the torso had been all they had found. Her sadness overflowed as she knelt over what remained of her brother. She was a little disappointed that she would never see his face again. Brenna apologized. It was everything they had found. 

Hirna waved away her apology and told her there was no need. She was grateful. They hadn’t expected for anything to be found at all. This was more than her family had ever hoped for. After a few more moments of silent grieving Hirna stood up. Her face was all business as she asked about the ingots. Brenna reassured her that they had been delivered and Zephyr handed her the receipt of delivery. They even offered to go with her to make sure it had been delivered. Again, she waved away their words. She trusted them so there was no need. Brenna asked if she needed help with the remains but the woman shook her head. Her family had always taken care of their own. They would manage. Her other two brothers came out and began wrapping the body in clean linens with reverence. When they were done they carried the body inside. 

A deal was a deal and Hirna handed them their promised jewel. She let them know that this would fetch a hefty price if they sold it. It was worth an estimated twenty five gold, which was a small fortune in this part of the world. The group slowly walked back to the tavern. Start twinkled above them, far away and detached from the suffering that permeated the land. The magical aurora had just faded, leaving behind a clear, cold night. Everyone just really wanted to rest. A good night’s sleep would really help everyone get back to tip top shape. Brenna also wanted some food before she collapsed with exhaustion. She was so hungry. They ordered a massive amount of food for their table and tucked in.

Dvalin left the group at the tavern and went to the blacksmith’s shop. He wanted access to that forge. It reminded him of home a little. Garn welcomed him back and let him know that, per their deal, he could use the forge anytime it wasn’t in use. Provided he also brought his own materials. Then he stamped a small, square, official looking paper. He told Dvalin that, whenever he met other Dwarves, the paper would ensure he got a good discount. A guild stamp and his name confirming a ten percent discount on all goods covered the page. He had a bunch of metal scrap to use and began working at the forge. A curious Garn looked on from a distance as he began to make something. He began to form the beginning of a dagger. A few minutes went by and although Dvalin was tired, the work he was doing at the forge was not sapping his strength further. 

At the tavern the group ate their fill of food and prepared to head upstairs to sleep. However, in their way stood the owner. His arms were crossed and a serious look covered his face. He looked them over and told them they needed to talk. A few of the patrons had reported missing items. When their silence continued, he elaborated that he suspected it might be their children. Zephyr stepped forward, puffed himself up and prepared to defend the honor of his friends.