Campaign Log: Chaotic Pioneering

[coronatiger]

Thoughts on October 9th

Today was a good day. I practiced acrobatics while we traveled, and put on a show in the evening. While Olivia and Ilzo were the only ones to truly appreciate the performance, I didn’t let that bring me down. The weather was great, and we were heading for Urdon, where I’d reconnect with my fans. Olivia’s performance after our watch may also have contributed to my good mood.


Thoughts on October 10th

It seems we kept Va’lyndra awake last night, or perhaps she had one of her episodes. Anyway, she wasn’t in her sunniest disposition today. I think it was good for her to scout ahead, alone, while the rest of us followed after, in our usual groupings.


Thoughts on October 11th

Olivia and I made sure to be quiet during our activities last night, but Va’lyndra was still tired and grumpy at breakfast. Her insomnia had struck harder this time than it had for quite some time. She did her duties without much complaint, so the rest of us bore it in silence. Commenting on the matter would probably not be helpful, nor appreciated.


Thoughts on October 12th

Va’lyndra was still suffering, but she led us forth without fail, and I thought we were approaching the first signs of civilization. We should see roads and farms soon.

When we stopped and met up at midday, Leopold mentioned having seen some figures in the distance. When he asked if Va’lyndra had seen them, she snapped at him, “Are you sure you didn’t see them in your book?” Leopold pointed out that he couldn’t read while he was riding. Ilzo wanted to turn around to check out Leopold’s sighting, but the gnome pointed out that it was an hour since he saw whatever it was he had seen, and tried to convince Ilzo that we should continue north.

After a longer debate, mostly involving only Leopold and Ilzo, the orc grabbed a waterskin and some rations and started running south. I asked the others what we should do about it, and Va’lyndra suggested that I take a potion of fetching and carrying, and run after him. Ilzo may be the second fastest runner in our party, but I can still run circles around him, and with the potion, I should easily be able to pick him up and carry him back to the others. I didn’t like that plan, as I didn’t want to try to hinder Ilzo physically. That would end bad, for him, me or Olivia. So, we decided to set up camp here, where he’d be able to find us once he discovered that whoever it was Leopold had seen were long gone.

Ilzo didn’t return before dark, so Olivia lit up her lantern, since we didn’t have Surkalpi to make light. We’d wait until morning for the runaway, and if he wasn’t back by then, we could start looking.


Thoughts on October 13th

Ilzo showed up in the early morning, while Va’lyndra held watch, and she had instructed him to take over so she could try to get some sleep, so it was Ilzo who stood guard when Olivia and I rose this morning.

Ilzo told us that he had encountered two elves going south, who probably had been the ones Leopold had spotted. The elves didn’t want to say much about themselves or their errand, to Va’lyndra’s irritation. She was very curious about them. The elves had asked a lot of questions, but answered few.

Va’lyndra decided to pop a bottle of brandy, and shared it with Ilzo to celebrate him coming back. I was surprised at her sudden mood change, but decided I wanted to do some celebrating of my own, with Olivia. When Ilzo started throwing up noisily near our tent, that completely ruined the mood for Olivia, so we stopped what we were doing. I dressed and went outside to berate Va’lyndra for getting Ilzo drunk. After delivering my harangue, I turned around to stomp back inside the tent, but a large blob of water appeared around most of me, drenching me to the skin. I howled with pain, for the water was freezing cold, and tried to take cover inside the tent, but Olivia stopped me, for she didn’t want me to get all our belongings wet. I stripped hurriedly and left my wet clothes in a sodden pile outside before burying myself in blankets. Just then, Leopold was asking if we should take a day of resting, so I yelled “Yes!”

I refused to leave my tent all day. Olivia went outside for a few minutes, and came back with my clothes. They were completely dry, so even though she didn’t mention it, I knew she had asked Va’lyndra to dry them out with magic. I convinced Olivia to join me in the blankets, and we had a great time there until I had exhausted her. Then, I put on a show for her. The confines of our tent didn’t allow for jumps and leaps, but I could still do contortion.

Olivia left to do her chores in the afternoon, but I remained inside and practiced until she brought food. I resumed my practice when she left again to do the washing up. Then we had another round in the blankets. We were talking quietly, Olivia resting her head on my shoulder and idly tracing my abs with tender fingers, when Leopold told us it was time to stand watch.


Thoughts on October 14th

Va’lyndra finally had a good night’s sleep. That worked wonders for everyone’s emotions, and we resumed our journey.


Thoughts on October 15th

We reached the Silent Lake this afternoon. It won’t be long before we’re in Urdon and I can get a proper bed again.


Thoughts on October 16th

We had traveled for just an hour or so this morning when Va’lyndra spotted a ship on the lake. It was larger than the one we saw earlier, and Va’lyndra worried it might be a Tamburin vessel, so she stopped and let us catch up with her. She wanted to go down to the lake to take a look, and Leopold chimed in that he also thought that was a good idea. The trees between us and the lake made looking difficult from here. I suggested that Ilzo and Zalek also might want to check out the ship; Olivia and I could watch the horses.

A few minutes later, Leopold cleared his throat from near the horses. He and the others wanted to watch the ship sailing away, so Olivia and I could just continue whatever we were doing. But if we could keep an eye on the horses, too, that would be good. I neighed loudly and plunged back under Olivia’s skirts.

We resumed our travel after a while, and Ilzo told us that they had determined that it was unlikely that the ship was from Tamburin, as some of the passengers were ogres. They had sailed towards the south-west, paralleling the shoreline, just like the smugglers had done.

[coronatiger]

Thoughts on October 17th

We approached Urdon in the afternoon. Va’lyndra had Ilzo give Zalek a topup before we headed for the hidden knowledge guild compound in the woods. Zalek had now been in possession of the gauntlet for a few days, and I had seen him meditate over it on several occasions. He had even begun to learn Common, so I asked him if he needed to get life essence from people once Leopold handed over the staff from Carnus’s temple. He didn’t understand, so I called for Ilzo to come and translate. It turned out that Zalek would need to hunt animals from time to time, but his need for feeding would lessen with the staff.

When we entered the compound, I immediately noticed that the guild had set up more buildings to replace tents. Va’lyndra discovered that there wasn’t anyone here of sufficient rank to whom she could report, so she asked who wanted to go into town with me. I had made no secret of the fact that I longed to perform for an actual crowd again. Leopold and Va’lyndra chose to remain here, with Walter and Zalek, whom it was risky to bring to Urdon. So, it was only Ilzo, Olivia and I who rode off towards the small town.

The military still maintained their guardpost a couple of hundred meters from the gate, and they asked what our business was in Urdon. I took my helmet off and declared that I had come to spread joy! The soldiers recognized me, of course, and looked to my companions. Olivia said meekly that she was with me. Ilzo told the soldiers that he was the owner of an arena that was being built nearby, and had come to check on the progress. The troops stared at him, then told him to come up with a better story. He claimed to be my bodyguard, and they accepted that. The guards at the gate wore uniforms displaying the Sidel family’s coat of arms. That was new, maybe prompted by the presence of the army. They waved us by immediately. Fame has its advantages.

We rode up to the Golden Swan Inn. It was rather crowded, and the innkeeper said he only had one room available. It was one of his better rooms, and I could have it for the low cost of a performance tonight. As the inn was full, he couldn’t promise me the room indefinitely, so we agreed to talk again tomorrow. Olivia and I wasn’t going to want company tonight, so I asked Ilzo to check out the other inns, and not to be a bother if those were full, too. If he didn’t find room elsewhere, he could return here, and I’d figure something out. As he headed off, I overheard the innkeeper telling one of his workers to “put up the sign”. Leaving Olivia to deal with our horses and luggage, I followed the worker outside to check out the sign. It featured a tumbling acrobat, and read “Mattea Vishi’s Amazing Acrobatics”. I smiled from ear to ear and went inside to tell Olivia how happy I was.

I grabbed a small loaf of bread from the kitchen and brought it up to the room. I tilted a ladderback chair onto two legs and sat balancing on top of it, eating my bread and watching Olivia direct the servants as they brought in our luggage, and then as they prepared a bath. The servants stared at my nonchalant balancing act, but Olivia chivvied them on, saying I was going to perform in the common room in a couple of hours.

We had a bath together. Olivia gave me a taste of heaven so I could focus on my upcoming performance, and promised that more was to be had after said performance. Olivia brushed my hair and braided it, and I returned the favor. Then we went downstairs to have dinner.

The meal was delicious, but I asked for only a small serving, as I shouldn’t eat heavily just before a performance. Olivia took a full portion, for she hadn’t eaten a loaf of bread a couple of hours earlier, but with the crowded room, there was just so many fans to talk to, that Olivia still finished before me. I made sure to send compliments to the cook. The kitchen was surely busy enough, but it cost me nothing to endorse the food, and building up goodwill with the staff would make my stay here all the more enjoyable.

The common room was packed when I somersaulted onto the table I shared with Olivia and two others and struck a pose, signaling the start of the performance. I supposed I could have cleared a space where I could perform on the floor, but I’m not very tall, so using the table for a stage made sure everyone could see me. I had Olivia pass me a chair, and I did a balancing act on it, tilted like in our room earlier, but with contortion as I crawled and twisted around all over the chair. I was slightly dissatisfied with the execution, which was only natural as it had been a while since I last performed this act, but the crowd loved it anyway.

I made my bows and went upstairs to collect on Olivia’s promise. When we were both gratifyingly exhausted, Olivia broached the subject of a surgeon tutor again. She thought the army might have someone with the right skills, but expected that we needed to be cautious around soldiers, so acquiring a bodyguard would be wise. Soldiers did have a certain reputation, she claimed. I murmured agreement. Considering the placement of her hand, there was nothing I would deny her, although I did mention that we had agreed to meet up with Va’lyndra and Leopold at the knowledge guild tomorrow, and that we might decide to go off again soon, so we should probably postpone making long term plans until after we had talked to them. “Maybe the knowledge guild has a surgeon?” Olivia asked without really expecting an answer. She planted a kiss on my lips and handed me one more blissful shiver before we entwined and went to sleep.

[coronatiger]

Thoughts on October 18th

Ilzo was waiting for us in the common room when we came down for breakfast. I asked if he had found somewhere to sleep last night, and if he had seen the sign outside. He nodded yes to both questions, so everything seemed well. Ilzo had been here for a while, and had already eaten, but I ordered breakfast for Olivia and me. As the innkeeper served our meal, he asked if I was staying another night. I explained that I was meeting some friends to find out. “I just wondered if I had to take down the sign,” the innkeeper continued. Well, when he put it that way… I told him I’d for sure stay one more night, and I’d have an answer for him later today, regarding the length of my stay.

Ilzo, Olivia and I walked over to the master builder’s office. He wasn’t there, but an apprentice informed us that the arena would be finished within one week. I asked Ilzo if he wanted to go out and check on the progress, but that was unnecessary, for he had camped there last night. Ilzo mentioned that he needed a woodcarver, and I suggested Va’lyndra, as she has proven quite skilled in that regard.

We got our horses from the stable, and rode out to the knowledge guild. Ilzo went to search for Va’lyndra, but I found the most central location of the compound and stood there trying to look lost. It didn’t take long before someone approached me. It was an ogre, but a rather small and skinny one, at least compared to some others I have seen, like the one Ilzo brawled with the last time we were in Urdon. He invited me to join him for a bottle of wine. I asked if he was a surgeon. He said he could be if I wanted him to be, but I told him I needed a real surgeon. The ogre told me he knew of one, and we could discuss it over that bottle of wine. I turned excitedly towards Olivia to share the good news, but she had disappeared. I figured she was safe, here in the knowledge guild camp, so I went with the ogre so we could talk about the surgeon he knew.

The ogre brought me outside the palisade, but Ilzo came running after us and challenged him to a fight. Recognizing that Ilzo would easily trounce him, the ogre declined. Words got heated, and eventually the ogre stomped off into the forest. I turned on Ilzo and yelled at him, “That ogre had information I needed!” Ilzo claimed that Olivia had told him I had found an ogre who wanted to fight him. I told Ilzo he had to be mistaken. Olivia wouldn’t say something like that, especially since it wasn’t true. He had better go and apologize to Olivia for misunderstanding her, and to find out what she really wanted.

We returned inside the compound again, and I went to see if anyone else knew the surgeon the ogre had talked about, but the first person to find me was Olivia. I started to ask about Ilzo and the ogre, but she brushed it off as unimportant. It was far more urgent that we acquire a bodyguard, so we returned to Urdon and rode up to the adventurers’ guild. I didn’t see the importance of a bodyguard, as I felt more than capable of protecting Olivia myself, but I could tell how strongly Olivia felt about the subject, so I made no comment.

I asked about for Tinalla, but she wasn’t in town at the moment. That was too bad; both Olivia and I had been pleased with her performance. We asked around to find someone else, and it took some time, for being a bodyguard isn’t why people sign up to be an adventurer. Actually, there were several who showed interest in guarding my body, and Olivia and I consulted Gnomus, the local guild master, concerning their suitability. I knew Olivia would prefer a woman, as she’s not that comfortable around men, in particular big ones with weapons, but not many women choose the adventuring profession, and there were none present who cared to do bodyguard duty. Armed with Gnomus’s recommendations, we decided to interview a human named Edward Thrush. He seemed acceptable, and charged two thousand a month, not that I believed we were going to need his services that long, so we agreed to pay weekly wages. Olivia wanted to go over some details of his assignment with Edward, and gathered up Gnomus as well. She didn’t want to bore me with these details, and suggested I go and socialize with the other adventurers on the premises.

They talked for quite a while, and I managed to find a fellow adventurer, a dwarf called Origar Rockhall, who could teach Olivia about both herbs and surgery. He offered intense training for a week, for one thousand two hundred and fifty. That sounded fine to me.

When Olivia rejoined me, I introduced her to Origar. However, she reminded me that we still didn’t know how long we would remain in Urdon, so we should finalize the agreement after speaking to Va’lyndra and Leopold. I paid my October guild dues, and we left.

We met Ilzo on the road; he was on his way to fetch us. Some higher-up of the knowledge guild had arrived, and wanted to speak with us. The poohbah informed us that since we had done several favors for the guild, he wanted to give us a reward. He also said that he expected us to continue to come and go at the compound, and that wasn’t strictly proper since we weren’t affiliated with the guild. Honorary memberships would be a solution to both. Va’lyndra got a promotion, so she could start bossing people around.

The poohbah revealed that Tamburin has been looking for divine relics, just like us. Those they found were stored in a vault in Landfall, the Tamburin capital, back on the east coast. Safety measures on the vault would be considerable, but now that Tamburin was on the retreat in the east, it was only a matter of time before their capital would fall. He suspected that the government would flee westward, taking the relics with them. A raid during their flight could allow us to seize the relics. Leopold suggested raiding the vault, using teleportation scrolls, but when I pointed it out, he acknowledged that we haven’t figured out the coordinate system for the teleportation. We also didn’t know the location of the correct vault. The poohbah warned us that the Church was also interested in the relics, and would be sending people of their own to retrieve them. He also warned us that Tamburin uses magic openly, and that their high-tech steam weapons that had proven so devastating in the Battle of Garuk, would also be in place to protect the vault.

If we decided to take this mission and infiltrate Tamburin, those of us who aren’t human have to pretend to be slaves. I told the others I was skeptical about such a mission, for I didn’t think I could act out a role convincingly, but Leopold and Va’lyndra said I could be myself. I could spread my fame to new lands, performing for the troops, for they said that bored soldiers cause trouble, and I should be welcomed with open arms. That settled it for me, but what about the others? Leopold said he was uncertain if he could manage to pretend anything. Va’lyndra offered to muzzle him, and to teach him and Ilzo how to behave like slaves. The poohbah wanted to know within a week if we accepted the job or not, and we decided to use that week to evaluate our competence. However, if we did decide to accept the mission, we would need someone who can talk for us, someone knowledgeable about Tamburin culture and customs, an administrator. He could pretend to be my promotor. We could get a couple of guards, too, said the poohbah, but while the relics were more important, he would prefer it if we didn’t leave anyone behind when we left.

[coronatiger]

Thoughts on October 18th (continued)

Olivia and I returned to Urdon, and rode straight to the adventurers’ guild. We notified Origar that Olivia would come to study with him tomorrow and the following week. We also picked up Edward to be our bodyguard. As an afterthought, I asked if there was anyone who could give me advanced archery training, but there were no one present whose skills surpassed mine. We had dinner at the Golden Swan, and I performed after letting the innkeeper know that we would be staying for another week.


Thoughts on October 19th

Origar had rooms at the Golden Swan, and we met him at breakfast. He and Olivia went up to his room after the meal, and I went out. I brought Mr. Bond, or what remained of him after Va’lyndra had chopped him to pieces, and went to see a ropemaker. I showed him my piece of rope and said I needed something like it, quality-wise, but obviously newer and longer. Mr. Bond had been ten meters long when I first bought him, a length that had served me well during tight-rope performances and on my adventures. The ropemaker understood my bumbling requirements and said he needed a couple of days. He would send an apprentice to the inn to deliver it, and to collect the pay, when my new rope was ready.

I went back to the guild to ask about archery training again, but still got nothing. Heading back to the inn, I asked Edward why he was following me around. “I’m your bodyguard, ma’am. Gotta stay close to perform my duties.” “Shouldn’t you be at the inn with Olivia?” I asked. “My instructions are to stay with you, ma’am,” he replied. “But Olivia is the one who needs protecting!” I protested. “You’ll have to take that up with her, ma’am.” I snapped at him, “Stop it with the ma’am business! I have a name, you know!” “Yes, Miss Vishiskaya,” Edward attempted. “It’s ‘Maystatea Viashniskaya’,” I sounded out for him, slowly and clearly, “but if that is too much of a mouthful, you have my permission to call me Mattea, like everyone else!” I put a strong, sarcastic emphasis on “permission”. “Right, Miss Vi… Mattea,” Edward agreed.

I stomped off towards the inn, ready to complain about him to Olivia, but of course, she was still busy. The innkeeper had some ideas for my performance, and then I lost myself in practice, so when Olivia finally emerged for dinner, I had completely forgotten about my gripe with Edward.


Thoughts on October 20th

Edward followed me around today, too. I continued my search for a master archer, this time asking the locals, but I needn’t have bothered. The skill level I required in a tutor would only be found in a specialist, and that meant adventurers to me. Maybe the army had someone, but they’d probably be far too busy.

When Olivia and I entangled for sleep, I remembered to ask her about Edward. Olivia explained that she trusted Origar completely and didn’t need a bodyguard while she was studying with him. Since we had already paid for Edward’s services, we might as well use him, and that was why I got to have a bodyguard. When Olivia put it that way, it made perfect sense, and I felt a little stupid for not reasoning it out on my own. At least he didn’t call me “ma’am” anymore.


Thoughts on October 21st

I tried at the guild again to find an archery tutor, but of course there was none to be found. Seeing my despair, Gnomus gave me a few names of potential candidates, mostly elves. They were all off on adventures, which was why Gnomus hadn’t mentioned them before, but if I happened to run across one of them, perhaps I would find my teacher.

Edward was rude to a fan who wanted to talk to me as I crossed the market, heading back towards the Golden Swan for lunch. As I was going to perform in the evening, I would only have a light dinner, and Edward had picked up on my habit of eating well at lunch instead, but that was no reason for him to brush off my fans the way he did. My performance wouldn’t suffer one bit if I was half an hour late for lunch, but my reputation would surely sour if I didn’t take the time to chat with my fans!


Thoughts on October 22nd

Va’lyndra showed up at the inn around dinner time with a middle-aged human woman. They set about hustling the patrons for free drinks, and I was about to show them how it was done, when Olivia put a hand on my arm and reminded me that I had a performance to put on. Getting myself drunk beforehand seemed like a poor idea. Va’lyndra and her friend left before I could catch up with them after the show, but that was just as well, for Olivia seemed extraordinarily eager to get me to bed. I didn’t mind that at all.


Thoughts on October 23rd

Edward had another confrontation with a fan today. I grumbled about it to Olivia in the evening, when we were alone. She said he was new to the bodyguarding business, trying to figure out how it worked, and we should be patient with him. I couldn’t recall Tinalla behaving so inappropriately, and told Olivia as much, and she promised to have a talk with Edward. Then she drew my attention elsewhere.


Thoughts on October 24th

Olivia’s words didn’t make much of an impression on Edward, for he continued to harass my fans. He was very respectful towards me, but shooing off my supporters was so annoying! I don’t think we’ll be hiring him again, once the week is up.


Thoughts on October 25th

Va’lyndra came to the Golden Swan in the evening. She and that friend of hers I saw a couple of days ago, whose name was Toril, had conducted an examination of Leopold and Ilzo after their week of slave mentality training. Va’lyndra told Olivia and me that while their performance wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good enough for the knowledge guild to risk a daring heist on top of them having to act like slaves. Instead, we would go to Landfall to gather what information we could safely, while I put on shows. When Va’lyndra left for the knowledge guild, I thought she winked at Olivia, but that was ridiculous. Va’lyndra should know by now that Olivia wasn’t interested in anyone but me; she has been traveling with us for well over a year, now. She must have had something in her eye.

[coronatiger]

Thoughts on October 26th

Olivia finished her training yesterday, so we finally had a full day together again. We would go by ship to Tamburin, so the animals needed to be left behind. Fortunately, Va’lyndra had made arrangements for them to be stabled at the knowledge guild until we returned. Her plans included having Ilzo pull a cart with our luggage, so we couldn’t bring everything. In particular, we shouldn’t bring more magic items than strictly necessary, since they might draw unwanted attention from Tamburin mages. We would have a secret compartment in the cart, but it could obviously not hold everything. The knowledge guild would keep our belongings in storage until we returned.

Olivia and I spent quite some time deciding on what to bring, and what to store. It went without saying that my acrobatics and gymnastics gear would go with us to Tamburin. All the horse related gear could obviously be left behind, so could my adventuring tools, like climbing gear and grappling hook. We decided to bring Olivia’s lantern and a sack of extra oil. Olivia thought we should bring our camping gear in case we have to stop between villages on the tour. We packed only a few healing potions, compared to the total amount we owned. Healing potions could be useful if an accident happened. I didn’t see the need for most of our other potions, but Olivia insisted on taking along those most useful in combat, in case we got waylaid on the journey. Anyway, the potions would need to go into the secret compartment, at least when we crossed the border. As I wasn’t planning on going off without Olivia, we wouldn’t need a first aid kit each, so one could be left behind. I decided to leave the statuette Va’lyndra had made, depicting Olivia, and the painting of me, from winning last year’s summer games, but I couldn’t go without the miniature portrait Gnomus painted of Olivia. That went into my belt pouch.

We couldn’t leave without a more or less complete wardrobe for each of us, but we weren’t going to need two sets of winter clothes, nor the kinky leather outfits that the leatherworker in Garuk had made for us. They would be fun, but we didn’t actually need them. Olivia counted out one hundred gold coins from her reserves and added them to what was already in her belt pouch, doubling its weight, but I expected there to be both silver and copper there from before. I noticed that the reserves now consisted of one full pouch, one quarter-full, and one empty one. When I suggested to put a few coppers in the empty pouch and leave it for the maids to find after we vacated our room at the inn, Olivia informed me that the pouch wasn’t actually empty, in fact it held our collection of gems, meagre as it was. These would be standard currency gems, each worth ten gold or a thousand copper. Just one such gem could pay for three months of labor from a menial worker. Or a servant, like Olivia had been. I had never thought of it that way before. I knew we were rich, but this … It completely blew my mind! And we haven’t even shared the loot from the goblin zombie fortress yet.

I decided to bring along my armor. It wasn’t magical, but it was exotic, so it could function as a costume. My bow wasn’t magical either. I determined to make up an act where I combined archery and contortion. Perhaps I could shoot the bow with my feet? I couldn’t bring my quiver on stage, as that was obviously magical, even to a casual observer, so I would need to get arrows. I didn’t want to leave Scorchmark at the knowledge guild, so it would have to go in the secret compartment with Va’lyndra’s and Ilzo’s weapons. Come to think of it, it wouldn’t be necessary to hide Va’lyndra’s bow and quiver, as I could use the quiver on stage, and have her bow as a backup, or perhaps as a practice weapon. I could reserve my own bow for the actual performances. I pulled my brass knuckles from my belt pouch and put them in the saddle bags we would be leaving behind. I can punch hard enough without them in a common brawl, and in an actual fight, I would use Scorchmark instead.

When we had finished packing, we each had a full backpack and a pair of saddlebags that we were going to bring on the tour. Thank goodness we would have a cart to put it on!


Thoughts on October 27th

Olivia and I brought Lightfoot, Marvin, Bluebell and Snowflake out to the knowledge guild compound after breakfast, the horses loaded with all the stuff we were going to put in storage. We met Ilzo, Va’lyndra and Leopold there. In addition, Toril would join us for the tour, as would Trond and Petter. The two men looked like armsmen of some kind. Trond wore leather armor and carried axe, shield and crossbow, while Petter had mail, wielded a spear and had javelins on his back. Trond looked to be around my age, while Petter was a little older, but it was hard to tell while they wore helmets. Why the guild would send guards along on my tour, I didn’t understand, since we weren’t going to do the mission they had first suggested, but I was grateful, so I said nothing about it.

Back in Urdon, Olivia and I picked up our traveling luggage at the inn and said our goodbyes there. Then we headed for the river, where a boat was waiting. The boat wasn’t very large, it had a cargo hold and a common sleeping area under a tarp on deck. The cargo hold was too cramped for anyone to sleep there, but I got permission from the captain to borrow it when I needed some privacy.

Everyone was expected to help out on board, for with eight passengers, the captain could only bring a crew of four. Trond proved to be an able seaman, and the rest of us did as best we could. I took care of the entertainment on board, obviously.

I took Olivia down in the cargo hold in the evening, and we got some glances afterwards that said we hadn’t been too quiet about our business. Under the cover of our blanket, I started undressing, but Olivia stopped me, aghast. I tried to argue that nobody could see through the blanket, but Olivia was adamant. We entangled and Olivia fell asleep immediately, but I had difficulties. All the clothes between us made me uncomfortable.


Thoughts on October 28th

Va’lyndra, Leopold and Ilzo practiced pretending to be slaves, and Olivia practiced commanding them. I enjoyed the show, daydreaming about Olivia being this masterful towards me when we were alone. I’m usually the one with the ideas and the initiatives, but I’m not opposed to a little role play. Maybe she could tie me up and punish me for being naughty. The dream suddenly shattered. There were people in Tamburin and elsewhere, actual people, who were owned by others. They couldn’t stand up and say, “That’s it! I’m done with being a slave! I’m leaving!” They’d be tied up and punished if they did, and not in a way they’d enjoy. They could probably be killed, just for speaking up against their owners.

I climbed up on top of the mast to get away from the others, letting the wind and the magnificent view blow away the gloom. While it was nice up there, I soon started feeling lonely, so I climbed back down. I asked the captain’s permission to borrow the cargo hold, and took Olivia down there. We talked for quite a while and then we comforted each other, returning to deck only when dinner was served.

I put on a show, and then Olivia and I returned below-decks again for a top-up before bedtime. We wouldn’t have the privacy to be intimate after going to bed, so it was best to get it out of my system first. I’d had a dose already, but we didn’t want to take any risks.

[coronatiger]

Thoughts on October 29th

Va’lyndra had another insomnia episode again last night, but for once, I knew it wasn’t my fault. That is, unless she had heard Olivia and me doing our thing yesterday, and lay awake all night pining for my luscious figure. I mentioned my theory to Olivia, and she took my hands and looked deep into my eyes. “Are we having an oversized-ego-day? You ARE beautiful, and you ARE incredible between the sheets, but I don’t think even you could get Va’lyndra to switch teams. Now, give me a kiss and go fetch your bow! You need to practice that contortion routine you described to me earlier.”

I spent most of the day standing on my hands, trying to figure out how to shoot the bow using my feet. For safety’s sake, I pointed the bow out at the passing landscape. I didn’t actually fire the weapon, I just practiced holding it steady and keeping the arrow level as I took aim.


Thoughts on October 30th

Va’lyndra still had trouble sleeping last night, tossing and turning nearly enough to capsize the boat. I practiced more contortion archery after breakfast, and then Olivia and I took a break below. The sailors had learned what it meant when I asked the captain for permission to borrow the cargo hold, and tried spying on us. Olivia was mortified when she noticed, and I had to take a break to close the hatch properly in the sailors’ faces. When we emerged on deck a little later, the sailors gave me several suggestions of what I should do with them. If Olivia hadn’t been there to guide me away to a secluded spot near the bow, I’d probably have taken them up on their offers. I knew I would have regretted it afterwards, so I was deeply thankful to Olivia for saving me from myself. “Why is it that when men learn that you are sexually active, they take it as an invitation?” Olivia complained mutedly. I nodded agreement, but looked hungrily after the sailors. Olivia put a finger on my cheek and turned my head towards the plains that rolled by as the boat made its way east.

We talked for an hour or so, reminiscing about our time in the Old World. Then Olivia fetched my bow so I could practice, and went back to commanding Ilzo, Va’lyndra and Leopold. I looked toward the shore, aiming where no one could get hurt if I accidentally released an arrow, and listened to the sounds behind me. Whenever bare feet approached, Olivia’s hurried steps brought her to me to chat for a minute about this or that. The bare feet receded.


Thoughts on October 31st

Va’lyndra’s insomnia refused to let go, and it was a bedraggled elf that came for breakfast this morning. She followed Olivia’s commands dutifully, though, so I wasn’t too concerned. When Olivia and I went below for a private session, she had a plan. I lay down on the floor and started making noises, but she stood ready at the hatch when the sailors tried to sneak a peek. The surprised sailors slammed the hatch shut before Olivia’s wrathful visage. “That ought to show those louts,” she said loudly and rubbed her hands together, “Now let’s get down to business!” She remained beneath the hatch, and right enough, the sailors tried to spy on us again. Twice burned, they didn’t try again the rest of the day.

We had another session in the evening, and then we went to bed. I had just fallen asleep when I heard Leopold call out for help. Moments later, something gnome-sized hit the water with a splash. I threw off the blanket and tore myself from Olivia’s embrace, leapt up and dove over the side of the boat. The cold water washed the sleep out of my eyes, and I spotted Leopold a few meters downstream, struggling to keep his head over the surface. I took three powerful strokes to close the distance and grabbed hold of him. In his panic, he tried to get loose, but I held on and pulled him back to the boat, where Ilzo had lowered a rope. Olivia had dry clothes ready for me when I got up on deck, and held up a blanket so I could change unseen. Va’lyndra and Ilzo agreed to tie Leopold’s leg to the mast so he wouldn’t sleepwalk off the boat again. I shivered uncontrollably, jealous of Leopold’s gnomish tolerance for cold temperatures. Olivia gathered me up in an embrace and wrapped the blanket around us.


Thoughts on November 1st

One of the crewmen told a recent story about Garuk. He had traveled by ship up the Silent Lake, and they had docked at the harbor below the occupied city. The merchant guild-owned vessel had unloaded its cargo, which mostly consisted of foodstuffs. It seemed strange to me that the merchant guild was allowed to trade so freely with Tamburin. Of course, Garuk needs to import food, as the land up there is too barren to grow enough for the city’s populace.


Thoughts on November 2nd

I didn’t spend much time talking with our new traveling companions, Toril, Trond and Petter, but I still picked up some facts about them. Toril was a veteran of the knowledge guild. She grew up in Garuk and had lived there for most of her life, until the chapter house relocated to the forests outside Urdon when Tamburin invaded. I got the impression that she had spent a few years back east, not that long ago, but that was all very hush-hush, so she didn’t give any details, at least not to me or Olivia. Maybe Va’lyndra got to know more, outranking Toril in the guild. As far as I could determine, Toril still has relatives in Garuk, but they’re not very close, and she found a new family in the guild.

Trond comes from a long line of Urdon fishermen. He decided not to follow in his father’s footsteps, and hired on as a guard on a riverboat. Toril was a passenger on his last trip from Surd, and they hit it off to such a degree that he decided to join her guild. They’re not involved, in fact my senses picked up that he’d rather go out with Petter than with her. I didn’t tell anyone about this, though, except obviously for Olivia, for his feelings are his alone, and he decides who he wants to share them with. I know first-hand how painful it is to have your heart spilled out over the pavement for everyone’s amusement.

Petter is of course blissfully ignorant of the fact that Trond might have a crush on him. Like Olivia and me, Petter was born and raised in the Old World. And like us, he ran into some trouble that gave him no choice but to leave for the New World. He served a few years in the army and then in the house guard of some minor noble in Surd, but Petter didn’t want to settle down. He quit his position and signed on as a caravan guard. Traveling, he eventually came into contact with the knowledge guild, and he decided to join them. For how long, nobody knows, but it won’t be forever. Petter left a wife and two small children behind in the Old World, and whenever he talks of Miriam and the twins, he gets a gleam in his eye, so it’s clear that he intends to return to them eventually.


Thoughts on November 3rd

Trond confronted me today. We had competed against each other in the Urdon summer games a year and a half ago, and I didn’t recognize him. Embarrassed, I blushed and apologized. Trond reminded me that he had competed in the archery contest, and he remembered clearly that he had stood next to me in the semi-final. We had even spoken a few words. Was I sure I didn’t recall that? He hadn’t made it through to the final round, but he had stayed to watch me grab first place, with thirteen out of fifteen possible points. I apologized again, and went to find Olivia.

I told her what Trond had said. “Why can’t I remember people who I meet? Who I talk to? My fans would love it if I recognized them, recalled their names, when we met again the next time I come to town. But there’s just so many of them! I can’t keep track of them all!” Olivia picked at her ear exaggeratedly. “Did I hear you right? Did Mattea Vishi just complain that she has too many fans? Are you not feeling well?” I replied that she had better take me below and check me out, in case there was something wrong.


Thoughts on November 4th

I continued working on my archery contortion routine. The hardest bit by far was fitting the arrow to the string, and I seriously considered having an assistant hand me the bow and arrow already aligned, but that is not the Mattea Vishi way. Therefore, I spent most of the day in various contorted postures, rehearsing how to ready the bow for shooting.

[coronatiger]

Thoughts on November 5th

The cold weather made me wish I had thought of this trick half a year ago, so I could practice through the summer. Luckily, the sun was shining, but the cold air numbed my bare feet, so I could only practice for so long before I couldn’t feel what I was doing with my toes. Olivia started giving me foot massages as part of our cargo hold activities.


Thoughts on November 6th

Now that I’ve had some more time to observe them together, I’ve come to believe that Trond’s pull towards Petter is due to him being what Trond aspires to become. Petter takes care of his weapons and armor like a good soldier, behaves respectfully towards others while maintaining an air of self-assurance and confidence, and is not afraid to stand up for himself or for his current employer, the knowledge guild. In short, he is a good example for Trond to follow. I still think Trond prefers boys to girls, but I’m not sure he has admitted it to himself, yet. I see it in his eyes when he looks at me. It’s like he looks because everyone else does, but his eyes, they say, “Yes, she’s beautiful, but so what?” There’s no lust, no desire. That’s quite unusual to see in a man’s eyes; maybe that’s why I pick up on it so easily?


Thoughts on November 7th

After four days of intense training, I finally feel that I’m able to reliably draw an arrow with my toes and fit it to the string in a relatively smooth, if somewhat slow, motion. I only dropped the arrow once, today. One time is one too many, of course, so more practice is needed. I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow.


Thoughts on November 8th

Apparently, I’m not a very good oracle. The weather’s turn for the worse made life aboard this small vessel miserable for everyone. I did some contortion practice under the sleeping tarp, but the space was so crowded that it was out of the question to wave a bow around. Nobody wanted to step out into the sleet unless they absolutely had to. The only good thing about the bad weather was that Olivia and I felt quite safe from prying eyes when we went down to the cargo hold.


Thoughts on November 9th

The sun was back today, and I had another intense day of practice. We arrived in Surd in the afternoon, and I suggested that we head for the White Truffle, the best inn outside of the nobles’ district. Ilzo got some ugly remarks when we walked through the city from people who thought he was a primitive, ugly beast who wasn’t welcome in civilized society. Other people recognized me, and I waved and somersaulted for them.

After a quick talk to the innkeeper, I got one of his best rooms for free, actually a suite. To be fair, our agreement demanded that I perform in the evenings, but I believe I would have done that anyway. Leopold realized that he had left behind all his money among his other stuff in the knowledge guild, but Ilzo paid for a room for him. Toril stayed with Va’lyndra, and Trond and Petter shared the servant’s room of my suite, with friendly warnings of murder and mayhem if they wandered into the master bedroom.

I entertained in the common room after dinner, as promised. Olivia and I made sure to lock the door to our bedroom when we retired for the night, and then we celebrated having a proper bed again.


Thoughts on November 10th

The ship for Landfall doesn’t leave before the fifteenth, so Olivia and I decided to linger in bed this morning. After a late breakfast, we learned from Trond that Va’lyndra and Leopold had gone to visit Leopold’s history guild.

We hit the town in search for a carpenter. Finding one wasn’t too difficult, and I explained what I wanted: It should be two five-meter-long poles – no, six meters – with a two-meter crossbar from which I could suspend gymnastic rings or a trapeze bar. It needed guy-ropes to hold it steady while I used it, and the feet should have spikes that were to be driven into the ground, so it didn’t shift; the feet had to be wide to prevent everything from sinking into the ground, for the entire thing would be rather heavy, not to speak of the weight that I would add. Oh, and it had to be constructed so that I could take it apart for travel.

The carpenter said this wouldn’t be very difficult; he could have it ready by early tomorrow. That was awesome! Olivia paid him and informed him that we stayed at the White Truffle. I was so elated that I could have kissed the man, but Olivia took me back to the inn and celebrated with me instead.


Thoughts on November 11th

The carpenter delivered as promised, and showed me how to attach the pieces together. I showed it to Ilzo afterwards. Actually erecting the frame demands at least two people, as someone has to hold the poles steady while the guy-ropes are tightened, so I intended to show Va’lyndra and Leopold, too, as they would be my “slaves” when we got to Tamburin.

I asked the innkeeper for advice regarding where to set it up. The inn was built around an inner garden, where the best rooms had private patches, and while there was a common area too, I didn’t think it was large enough for my apparatus. The innkeeper recommended asking at the city hall, where the bureaucrats could assign a space for me, for a fee. Olivia suggested using Toril for this task, so I discussed it with her, and ended up going with her, in case a pretty face could speed up the approval process. Olivia decided to come along when she heard my reason for going.

Va’lyndra acquired a cart and took it out to the history guild to modify it, that is, she was going to build a secret compartment in the bottom. Leopold decided to move out there for the remainder of our time in Surd, so as not to be a burden on Ilzo’s purse. Or perhaps he just preferred bookish company. Va’lyndra and Leopold were gone by the time we returned from the city hall.

We got permission to set up my frame in a market square not far from the inn, between the inn and the nobles’ district. Ilzo, Olivia and I set it up, and Olivia had the foresight of suggesting that we attach the ropes for the gymnastics rings to the crossbar before erecting the stand.

I marveled in the practice. It was indeed practice, for I hadn’t done this since before I started adventuring, a year and a half ago. Olivia managed to gather a decent pile of copper coins, all the same. When it was time to go, I had Ilzo toss me up to the crossbar so I could untie the suspension ropes. It was quite a hassle to set it all up, and I didn’t want to spend an hour both before and after each performance, but at the same time, I didn’t want anyone to attempt one of my stunts and get hurt. If someone had the skill to get up to the crossbar and attach ropes, I supposed they’d have the skills to use the apparatus safely, too.

We had dinner at the inn, with Toril, Petter and Trond, and then I performed in the common room again.


Thoughts on November 12th

I had found a new daily routine. After a late breakfast, Olivia, Ilzo and I would go to the market place, and I’d perform for the passersby, then we’d return to the inn for our midday meal. Then, Olivia and I would go to our room for some well-deserved relaxation, which included a bath and whatever followed from that, before we’d meet the others again for dinner. Dinner would be followed by a show, and then it was time for bed.


Thoughts on November 13th

I saw Lord Karl Morgenstern and his wife and son watching me perform today. He talked to Olivia, who informed me that I was invited for lunch tomorrow. She had already said I would be there. I nodded agreement, of course I would go! The invitation was only for me, but Olivia said she could pretend to be my servant. Ilzo wasn’t invited either, but unlike Olivia, he had no reason to come.

[coronatiger]

Thoughts on November 14th

We rose earlier than usual today, so I’d get in a few hours at the marketplace before my appointment with Lord Karl. After the show, Olivia and I said goodbye to Ilzo and headed for the nobles’ district. Lord Karl and his family lived in one of the finer mansions that we could see.

Lord Karl had expected more details from the letters I sent him, but I told him I wasn’t very good at writing coherently, and had just sent him the most important information. He thought I was exaggerating the value of my missives, but I said he could ask me anything, so he did. He wanted to know everything that had happened to me since this spring.

When I got to Walter and Zalek, he groaned and brought out the liquor to fortify himself for my tale of necromancy. Being a polite high human, he offered me a taste as well, and I really liked the stuff. I was going to perform later today, so I tried to take it easy, but it was just so tasty! Fortunately, I have a healthy constitution, so I didn’t get as affected by the liquor as Lord Karl did. He said he would like to know how to get in touch with Zalek, but as far as I was concerned, Zalek belonged to the past. We resurrected him because we had questions, which he had answered. After that, we left him in Urdon, and he was going to build a temple to Carnus, but I had no idea where.

Lord Karl thought it seemed suspect to bring Leopold, Va’lyndra and Ilzo to Tamburin, but I explained that we were going there to relax and tour and entertain, and to pick up the adventuring career again afterwards.

I told him about our quest to save the world by restoring balance between order and chaos. He perked up at the mention of a secret organization of Serals, and promised a bounty if I could provide him proof of its existence.

I had really hoped to catch up with his wife and son, too, but the nobleman was so sauced up by the end of our interview that I thought it best to make my goodbyes. I returned to the market and showed off some more, then Olivia and I packed up the frame. At the inn, Va’lyndra and Toril stored it on our cart along with some other big things. Toril informed us that the captain of our ship wanted a word once we got on board tomorrow.

In the evening, I held my final performance in Surd for the time being, but both the inn’s staff and its patrons wished for a hasty return. I kept Olivia awake well into the night, fearing that the sleeping arrangements would be as abysmal on this lap of our journey as on the last.


Thoughts on November 15th

The ship we boarded this morning was a steam boat. While some of the others stared in amazement, I have long ago come to terms with the fact that there are some things in this world I can’t understand, like how Va’lyndra can summon water from this air, or how this ship could move without sails. I made note of the two giant wheels that dipped below the surface on either side of the ship. Brilliant! While the ship moved, however it accomplished that, those wheels could be used to grind grain or something equally clever, for the ship’s movement across the water would make the wheels turn!

First mate Lars welcomed us aboard and showed us to our room. One room! For all eight of us! There were hammocks for everyone, but otherwise the room was empty. Lars informed us that Captain Frigg, who also held office in the merchant guild, would like to see us as soon as we cast off.

We left Trond and Petter to keep an eye on our luggage, and went to explore the ship. Of course, Ilzo got in trouble at once. The rear end of the ship was cordoned off, but Ilzo simply had to cross the rope. Sailors converged on him, and Va’lyndra, who was closer than I was, went to clear up the mess. I had assumed that she would manage to defuse the situation, but the sailors drew knives and attacked. I wondered for a split second what she and Ilzo had said to the sailors, before I let go of Olivia’s arm and rushed in to prevent bloodshed.

Ilzo hit the arm of one of the sailors, causing him to drop his knife, and Va’lyndra kneed another. I could hear Ilzo threaten to break everyone’s arms. The sailors were crowding together around Ilzo and Va’lyndra, so I launched off the railing, flipping through the air and landing in the middle of the throng, shouting for everyone to stop fighting. The sailors put away their knives, while still glaring at my companions, except for the one who had taken a knee to the groin and lay on the deck, clutching himself.

I told Ilzo to go to the cabin and be ashamed, and asked Va’lyndra to make sure he did as I said. She slapped Ilzo across the face and dragged him off, ignoring the complaints of the one Ilzo had struck. The captain arrived on the scene and asked what had happened. The sailors talked on top of each other, explaining how a monster had come aboard to sabotage the machine room.

Toril came over and pulled the captain and me aside. She asked what the captain needed to ignore the situation, and he answered that the sailors needed some kind of compensation. I offered a performance, but the other two agreed on the price of five gold pieces, which Toril handed over, with a comment to me that she would want that money back. I told her that Ilzo would reimburse her. The captain said that everyone of our party, except Ilzo, should come to his cabin when we cast off. Ilzo should remain in our cabin until the sailors had forgotten him. I thought about offering Olivia’s medical skills, but reconsidered when I remembered that one of the sailors had taken a blow to an area that Olivia would feel uncomfortable handling. Anyway, they had something the captain called the sick bay, where the wounded sailors would get treatment. Presumably, they have a physician on board, or at least someone knowledgeable about first aid.

The captain led off the injured seamen, but the rest of them stood there complaining. I put on a show for them to take their mind off Ilzo, and I succeeded quite thoroughly based on the whistling and the sleazy suggestions they had for me.

Before I could take anyone up on their offers, the captain reappeared, this time in company of a man with a fancy uniform. They wrote something on a piece of parchment, and the uniformed man went ashore. The captain started calling orders, and the sailors ran back to their posts. I didn’t understand half what the captain said, but soon the huge metal chimney was spewing out smoke, and the ship started shaking. A loud “TOOT TOOOOOT” shattered my ears, and then the ship began moving.

I sent Olivia to fetch Va’lyndra, Trond and Petter, and waved Leopold and Toril over. Everyone gathered, we knocked on the captain’s door. He bade us enter, and to sit down. His cabin was luxurious compared to ours, which didn’t even have a window.

The captain introduced himself and repeated his affiliation with the merchant guild. He explained that the Seabreeze usually carried cargo between Surd in the south and Ferdinand City and Landfall in the north. On this voyage, we would go straight across “the bay” to Landfall, skipping Ferdinand City. Captain Frigg then asked who we were, and which of us were supposed to be slaves. He noted down our answers, telling us that he would fix the necessary papers for us. He also warned us that he was the only one aboard who knew about our subterfuge.

The captain said it was regrettable, this incident that just happened, and I repeated my offer to entertain the crew. Va’lyndra said she would like to give a bottle of brandy to the two sailors who got hurt in the brief brawl. The captain thought that was a good idea, and moved on to inform us of the routines on board. Breakfast was served devilishly early, at seven o’clock, lunch was served at twelve, and dinner at six in the afternoon. When we needed to relieve ourselves, we had to do it over the side of the ship. Haven’t these people heard about chamber pots? Lady Karita would never have stood for it. As it were, Olivia and I agreed to go together, so one could stand guard while the other did her business. The captain, to his credit, provided tarps to shield us from unwanted eyes.

As I hadn’t seen any other passengers on the Seabreeze, I asked the captain about the possibilities of a private cabin. He patiently explained that this was a cargo ship, not a passenger ship, but I could try to convince one of his officers to sell his cabin for the voyage.

Leopold asked if there were any areas on board that were off-limits to us, and Captain Frigg answered that we had to stay away from the machine room and the weapons rooms, as well as the cargo holds. If we needed to access the luggage that was stored with our cart, we should get someone to take us there.

The conference ended, and I asked the captain where I could find his first mate. Captain Frigg took me through a locked door and up some stairs, to a room with windows everywhere. He asked me to wait outside and closed the door in my face, something that rarely happens to me. After a minute or two, he let me in.

[coronatiger]

First mate Lars stood behind a large wheel, and there were levers and instruments everywhere. I sashayed over to the first mate and asked as nicely as I could, “Can I borrow your cabin on this voyage?” Lars cleared his throat and said yes. I asked if there was anything I could give him in return, but he told me not to worry about it. He asked the captain to take over the wheel while he vacated the cabin, and told me I could move in after dinner.

“Well, now! That was something to see! Indeed, it was!” the captain muttered to himself after Lars had left. I glanced out through the windows, and the view was magnificent. I could stand there looking out for hours, and I did. The locked door below had told me I wasn’t really supposed to stay here, but the captain made no comment. Maybe he enjoyed the view, or maybe he didn’t want me to turn my charms on him. The way I turned his first officer to jelly had made an impression. I asked when it was appropriate for me to hold my performances for the crew, and Captain Frigg suggested around meal-times, when most of the crew was gathered in one spot.

Lars returned after a couple of hours, surprised to find me still there, but said the cabin was ready for me. I repeated my offer of repayment, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Although, from the way he studied me hungrily, I knew he was just being polite.

The captain escorted me below, and I went to find Olivia so we could check out our new cabin. Like the captain’s cabin, this one was furnished with a table and chairs, and had a proper bed. Olivia was happy that I had acquired the cabin without any hanky-panky, and showed me her gratitude. We didn’t have time for much before dinner, though.

I performed while everyone else ate. One of the sailors asked me to strip, but another hushed him. There were other comments as well, but everyone seemed to know who I was, and that was what was important. Olivia had food ready for us when the rest finished, and took me back to our cabin so we could eat in private. Someone made an interesting comment about what we could do with the food, but Olivia turned bright red, so I didn’t follow up on it. We ate our dinner like proper ladies. The way I had my dessert, on the other hand, was not suitable for public display.

We were relaxing in the bed, when Olivia suddenly remembered something. We dressed and returned to the others’ cabin. Olivia said we should start acting as soon as tomorrow, to get into the habit. She wanted me to give orders to the pretend slaves, but I wasn’t sure I could manage that, so I suggested instead that she and I could whisper to each other, and she could come up with orders for the slaves and pretend it was really I who wanted it. We agreed that Leopold, Ilzo and Va’lyndra should take turns watching the cabin. That way, they could have some time to relax from being ordered around, while pretending to doing some chore.


Thoughts on November 16th

Ilzo had cabin duty today, so Olivia instructed him to polish Trond’s, Petter’s and Toril’s weapons and armor. I entertained at lunch and dinner, and Olivia found me so alluring that she just had to get me for herself for a while after each show.


Thoughts on November 17th

It was Leopold’s turn to remain in the cabin today, and I realized I couldn’t see land anymore, only water as far as the eye could see. Some sailors surrounded Olivia to talk to her while I performed at lunch, and she called me over. A seaman with his arm in a sling asked if he could have some words with me, but I brushed him off until later. I whisked Olivia away and into our cabin. I asked if the sailors were mean to her. “Not particularly, but I got very uncomfortable,” Olivia explained. We sat down and chatted, looking out the window at the rolling waves.


Thoughts on November 18th

The sailors didn’t focus as much on my show at lunch today as they had done before, so I decided to change things up by doing ropewalking instead of the ground-based routine I had done so far. Olivia wanted Leopold and Va’lyndra to set up the rope, but while Va’lyndra fetched it, Leopold argued that I should tie it up, as I knew how it should be done. I didn’t question Va’lyndra’s choice to give Ilzo her day off slave duty. She must have had her reasons. After the show, she took Olivia aside to talk.

While they were out of sight, the sailor with his arm in a sling approached me. He complimented the performance, as well as my body, and asked what I thought of him. It was obvious what he was angling for, so I tried to tell him to shove off, but what actually came out of my mouth was a question of where we could be private. He answered that he would have his cabin cleared. Some of his friends ran ahead of us and chased out the four sailors sleeping there at the moment.

I kept him going for an hour, and then one of his mates entered and said it was his turn. I threw myself at the fresh meat, the hunger making me a mindless beast. I changed partners two more times. When I had exhausted all four of them, and there was no more to be had, my hunger finally abated, giving way to bone-deep guilt. I dressed and returned to my own cabin, hoping no one saw me slink away.

Olivia found me on the floor, curled up in a corner, for I didn’t want to contaminate our bed, and she knew at once what had happened. I saw tears brimming in her eyes and wailed, “I’m sorry!” She fell to her knees and started stroking my hair, but then she got a look of revulsion in her eyes and stomped over to the door, where she yelled for Leopold. “Get us washing water! And dinner should be in an hour; you had better bring it here,” she ordered when the gnome appeared. I couldn’t see him, for Olivia blocked the view through the door, thankfully.

Leopold brought water in a small basin and Olivia took it and shut the door. “Strip!” she ordered, “Your costume needs cleaning too! And you’d better wash your hair. How you got that there, I don’t know, and I don’t care. Just get it out!” “I’m sorry, Olivia,” I whispered.

When Leopold knocked on the door and told us he had dinner for us, we were lying in bed, entwined as if for sleep. Olivia got out and answered the door, for I was still naked, although blissfully clean. My costume was hung up to dry. Olivia had emptied the washbasin out the window after I finished washing, and refilled it from her water skin. She had washed my dirty outfit without comment, crying silently all the while. I had forced myself to watch; that heart-wrenching sight was my self-imposed punishment. When my costume was clean, she hung it up, turned to me and said, “I forgive you!” I cringed under the weight of those words, for I knew I didn’t deserve to be forgiven, but Olivia had gathered me up in a hug, and we let the tears flow.

We ate dinner in silence, for even though Olivia had forgiven me, we both had to process my betrayal. After the meal, we returned to bed. Olivia undressed; I hadn’t even bothered putting anything on before eating. We entwined again, and then we cried ourselves to sleep.


Thoughts on November 19th

When we woke this morning, I told Olivia that from now on, we would remain in our cabin. Our “slaves” could fetch food for us at meal times, and the stupid sailors would just have to do without my fabulous performances. I vowed to devote all my time to make her happy. “Well then,” she said, giving my head a nudge in the right direction, “you had better get started!”

[coronatiger]

Thoughts on November 20th

Thankfully, Olivia is easy to please, and loves lengthy cuddling to build up her stamina, otherwise my tongue would have fallen out by the time Va’lyndra knocked on the door around noon. The captain wanted to see us all.

In his cabin, Captain Frigg told us that we were approaching Landfall, and he had our papers ready. He had traveler’s visa for the “free humans” and slave certificates for the others. Toril gathered up the paperwork. When we docked, the captain would take care of all the talking; we should only speak when spoken to. The slave certificates were fakes, he informed us, so we shouldn’t do anything that would make anyone want to check them out thoroughly. He warned us not to go to the slum or to other unsafe places. He also had a more personal piece of advice: If we need to flee Landfall, we shouldn’t postpone it until the last moment before the invaders arrive.

Ilzo asked if he was allowed to hit back if he was attacked. Leopold told him that his job was to defend me, not himself. I clarified that he should defend me if I was the one who was being attacked. Va’lyndra added that he could fight back if someone actually tried to kill him, but not if they just wanted to smack him around a little.

We docked in the afternoon. A customs officer wanted to see our papers, and I directed Toril to show them. The officer took the papers and left the ship, entering a building on the harbor.

We waited and waited for his return, and it was dark when a functionary came aboard with our papers and said we could go ashore. The sailors had prepared a crane and hoisted the cart and the luggage we had stored with it up on deck. They rolled the cart down the gangplank and left the luggage to us. I had Ilzo carry it. Va’lyndra had to help him stack it all. The functionary asked if this was all our luggage, and we said it was. Captain Frigg’s goodbye was much colder than I had expected, but on the other hand, our luggage wasn’t searched, so I relaxed.

Leopold said he knew a place nearby where we could spend the night. I looked at him with surprise, for I know how gnomes are treated here in Tamburin. “Have you been here before?!” Leopold informed me that he had read up on the area. Well, perhaps reading isn’t so useless, after all …

There were few people out in the dark, just a few uniformed patrols who looked at us with suspicion. At the inn, Toril directed Leopold to open the door for the rest of us, even though there stood two guards just outside. A sleepy ogre receptionist named Snarr wished us welcome to the Crowded Throng. I looked around. There was no one else present. What a strange name for an empty inn! Although, considering the time, perhaps everyone had gone to bed.

Toril ordered rooms, and had Leopold deal with the details. He gave my name to Snarr, and indicated that Olivia was my servant; we would share a room. Toril should also have a room. Our two guards could share a room, and then we had three slaves and a cart. I asked Toril in a whisper, “Should we have Ilzo stay with the cart to watch it?” She said it wasn’t necessary. This fine inn was guarded. In other places, we might need to have Ilzo stay with the cart, but not here.


Thoughts on November 21st

As we needed to keep up appearances, I couldn’t have breakfast with Olivia today. Toril tried to make small-talk over the meal, but I couldn’t stop myself from thinking back on Olivia’s words last night: “It’s my turn now to make you happy.” Everything after that was a blur, but a good one.

Leopold suggested that we tie him to his bed from now on, so he doesn’t go wandering the hallways in the middle of the night. Luckily, he didn’t walk off last night, but we really should have taken precautions.

Today, our main task was to find out where I can perform. We thought we also might want to find a more convenient inn, closer to the stage. Va’lyndra and Toril suggested that we do a tour of the different city districts, to maximize my exposure. Toril left to find out where I would be performing today.