Faerveren Deverin enters the salon. Her jaw drops "Don't tell me it's him!"
"Now that will be fun." Abomentolor replies with a facepalm.
Mrs. Heidmarch is taken aback "You know each other?"
"Down to the core of her black soul." Abomentolor jokes.
"I'm not going with this evil torturer!" Faerveren states.
"When I look at the people you met and their reaction I recognize a pattern." Mrs. Heidmarch sighs.
Turning to Faerveren she asks "What has he done to you?"
"Tell her what she did to earn it first!" Abomentolor throws in.
"He shrunk me to half my size and threatened to leave me that way if I didn't do dirty slave labour for him." Faerveren tells.
"And what did you do to earn that treatment?" Mrs. Heidmarch inquires.
"I did nothing that would earn me such an unfair punishment." she replies.
"She made a joke about my size. And she tried to steal something from my pocket. I think I let her off pretty easy." Abomentolor explains.
"Great. I see you two are a perfect match. You have two weeks to talk things over together. No stealing and no casting on involuntary targets. If that doesn't work I have 1000 pages of documents to copy for you and a seven foot half orc as company for you. Have fun together and stay out of trouble. Any complaints about one of you are addressed directly at me. Got it?" Mrs. Heidmarch states.
"And I also get an immediate report if he tries anything else than relaxing and staying safe."
"Yes." Faerveren hisses.
"I'm not stupid." Abomentolor replies.
"Wonderful. You can stay here until you decide where you will relax the next two weeks. Please use a disguise if you have to leave the manor that you're not recognized on the streets." Mrs. Heidmarch adds. Then she leaves.
"If I'd get to see that orc pushing you around while I have to copy the 1000 pages I'd totally do that." Faerveren says.
"Compared to what I had in mind as I asked for a nice girl to serve me the difference between a half orc and you is not that big." Abomentolor gives back.
"Haha. Dream on. I'm your babysitter. Not your servant. And I'm also not going to change your diapers." Faerveren replies.
"Alright. I give up. You win. Just bring me to my bed and let me sleep." Abomentolor replies. His mind could argue like that for hours but his body can't hold his head up any more. It's too strenuous.
"What?"
"You get yourself killed and poisoned and raised again. And after that we continue this discussion. Now help me to the guest house. Mrs. Heidmarch doesn't pay you for nothing."
"Okay." Faerveren replies baffled. Then she drags the gnome - who has the body tension of a limp bisquit - to the guest house and places him on the bed.
Meanwhile in Sandpoint
____________________
"You mean that overly talk-active ball of feathers you put in that cage that I don't eat it?" Destinée asks.
"Yes, that." Gwenhwyfar replies. "How did you find me? Did you just guess and try Sandpoint?"
"Guess!" Destinée spits out disdainfully. "I asked the one who knows."
"Okaaay." Gwenhwyfar replies now a bit unsettled herself.
"Now I feel humiliated. You're gone for a month and now even your cat has more magic abilities than I have. In the end the cat is even a better healer than I am." Fiona protests.
"Knowing all about healing what Gwenhwyfar knows I might be better in theory. But having no opposing thumbs is a big handicap. Also my healing magic is rather limited." Destinée replies.
Noticing some dirt in her fur she checks with her nose what it is. But instead of licking it off she speaks a word and casts prestidigitation on herself.
"They can certainly do some amazing magic." Jimmy chirps in, "But that is all because of you. The way you brought Gwen up is the reason she wants to heal and help people..."
Gwenhwyfar smiles at Jimmy. "That's true." Taking her mum's hands in her own on the table she says "And you could do too. It's this 'always the same' life here in Sandpoint that prevents you from surpassing yourself."
"Like I said. You should become the head priest of our temple in Magnimar. And don't tell me: 'I'm only an unimportant acolyte'. All these important priests of Sarenrae gave up on Magnimar many years ago. And not one of them has shown up ever since."
"We found some people willing to help us with the orphanage and everything. But for Sarenrae to become the shining light in this darkness again I need a real follower. Someone able to call on Sarenrae's power. And you know I can't do that myself."
"But I've been here for all of my life. And all my life is here." Fiona replies thinking about the consequences this path would have.
"That's not true." Gwenhwyfar disagrees. She looks her mum into the eyes with a smile. "I'm no longer here. Part of your life has already moved there."
Pulling her hands back Fiona objects "You can't simply appoint me to lead a temple. That's not the way this works. And you can't put all this responsibility on your mother just because you want it that way." In her mind she pushes this option far away from her.
"Hrmpf. You go and ask Sarenrae if she'd rather have her temple fallow than having it led by you." Gwenhwyfar replies crossing her arms in front of her.
"You're not going to ruin this visit by planning my life for me. We change to another topic." Fiona insists.
"Do you remember Susan? The wife of Klaus the farmer. She got twins. A boy and a girl. Now they have eight kids already."
"Hihi. I do. Hannah told me Susan would either give birth to a giant or a whole litter. Looks like it was the latter." Gwenhwyfar replies.
"Better for her too. And the kids are so cuuute. They have more hair than their father." Fiona tells. "Have you talked to Hannah lately?"
"No. I came to you first of course. But I hope to talk to her. Maybe tomorrow."
"Do we have a place for Jimmy to sleep tonight?" Gwenhwyfar asks.
"There is always the floor in front of the hearth for our beloved guests." Fiona replies. "Sorry. We have no spare bed. Much less a spare room." she says to Jimmy.
"Well it will certainly do Ma'am." Jimmy says with a smile, trying to follow the conversation but having no idea who they are talking about except for Hannah
Gwenhwyfar leans towards Jimmy "I would sneak you into my bed but I'm sharing a room with mum."
"First day in my own body, and I have to end it alone." Jimmy pretends to frown but it is easy to see he is smiling
Fiona rolls her eyes. "Maybe I really should come to Magnimar. It looks like the lack of parenting does not suit you."
"Yes, I'm a bad girl now! I eat dessert before finishing the main course!" Gwenhwyfar states with a deeper voice and then starts giggling.
"That reminds me." Fiona says turning to Jimmy "When are you planning to ask her hand in marriage?"
"Sorry to bother you, but as my daughter here wants to have the dessert before marrying the soup..."
"Mum!" Gwenhwyfar protests blushing. "I didn't mean it THAT way."
"Uhhh" Jimmy says, shock and uncertainty spreading across his face
"That you say now and next thing I know is you carry around a prominent belly." Fiona replies trying to hide a grin strictly looking at Jimmy to keep Gwenhwyfar on the hook.
"Uhhh" Jimmy continues to have no idea how to respond
"You two are cute when you're embarrassed." Fiona laughs. She leans back and takes a sip from her tea.
Tereze Amnell
