[coronatiger]

Ilzo, Va’lyndra and Leopold eventually reached the counter. They talked for a while with the elven woman behind it, but she couldn’t help them, Va’lyndra informed me when they joined us at the bench. Ilzo asked why they hadn’t warned her of the threat, but Leopold said she wasn’t capable of handling it.

Va’lyndra said we should reach out to our contacts in town. I didn’t know we had any, and assumed she was talking knowledge guild business. Outside, we saw a finer inn. Leopold said we should check it out. Perhaps here, we didn’t have to worry about our valuables. I wondered why we hadn’t been directed here when I asked for the best inn in town.

Leopold and Va’lyndra talked to the elf behind the bar, who said the inn was full. Va’lyndra could get a room if she wanted, but she said she preferred to stay with us. Ilzo began to pile up gold coins, and didn’t understand why this elf didn’t take the bribe. Handing out gold had always gotten him what he wanted before.

I asked Va’lyndra if she thought the elves here were interested in hearing about the threat to Alvheim, but she said no. We should go. I had intentionally not lowered my voice. Leopold would like to stop by the marketplace here before we left the immigration district. He also gave a brief description of the town, warning us not to visit the district called the Pond. Not even the guards dared go there. I asked if the people at the Pond ate people, but didn’t receive an answer. I vowed to myself never to take Olivia there.

Talking to the contacts was more important than going shopping, so we left the immigration district. Leopold led the way, having learned the lay of the land. The buildings and people became poorer and poorer as we walked, and suddenly Leopold declared that we had entered the Pond. I shot an angry glare at him before scanning the surroundings. There were no obvious threats nearby, but I made sure to remain close to Olivia.

We stopped at a shed with a small vegetable garden and a chicken coop. This was one of the finest domiciles in sight. The door even had a lock. I asked what we were doing here, still angry at Leopold for bringing Olivia into danger. Va’lyndra’s contacts lived here, he said.

Va’lyndra knocked on the door, but got no reply, so Leopold asked if we should return to the inn to check on our stuff. I said that Olivia and I were certainly going, for this wasn’t a safe place to stay. Nobody came with us when we left. I guess Va’lyndra and Leopold thought Ilzo was protection enough. And Ilzo probably longed for a fight.

Back at the inn, I asked Olivia what she wanted to do. I could perform for her, or we could perform together, up in our room, I suggested. Olivia wanted to find a doctor, so we asked the innkeeper, and learned that there was a hospital nearby, as well as one on the hill. I asked Olivia if something was wrong, but she said she was looking for work.

We checked out the nearby hospital. It was a quite large building, at least compared to others here in Alvheim. We entered, and took our places at the end of the line. I got some glances, armed and armored as I was, but nobody bothered us. When it was our turn, the woman behind the counter asked if Olivia needed a check-up. Olivia said she was looking for work. The woman couldn’t help with that. We had to speak with one of the doctors, she said. “Then that check-up wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” I told her.

Olivia got her examination. The doctor said everything was fine. Both mother and child seemed completely healthy. “So, there’s no reason why she can’t work?” I asked. “Not at all,” said the doctor. “So, how much do you pay?” I asked him. He didn’t understand, so Olivia explained. The doctor asked her about lots of things I didn’t understand at all, and finally said she could start working whenever it suited her. I got the impression that she knew more about medicine than most doctors, not just here, but everywhere. The doctor was impressed with her book learning.

The two of them took care of the details, so Olivia could begin working, then we returned to the inn. I removed my arms and armor and changed into my dazzling costume, and went outside to perform. The street clogged up with spectators, and from the height, I saw that there were far more people around corners who wanted to watch. At least they could see me when I wasn’t dipping below the rooftops.

Ilzo and the others returned after a while, and he offered to throw me into the air like he had done before, so more people could see more of me. We had a great time with that, but only for a couple of minutes. Then, a guard complained that I was blocking traffic. Ah, well. It was about time to retire for the night, anyway. The guard informed me that there were other places better suited for my performances, and he gave directions. I raised my voice and told the crowd that I was going to perform on the Hill, tomorrow. The spectators cheered, and began to disperse, understanding that there would be no more to see tonight. I went to find Olivia.