Brian Anderson - The Sword of Truth

“Lord Starfinder said that you were in need of grooming,” she said, scrutinizing Gewey. “I can see he was correct. Please sit down.” She motioned towards the chair in front of the dressing table.

Gewey wasn’t sure what to do, so he complied. “How long will this take? My friends are waiting in the parlor for me.”

“Your friends are being tended too as well,” she assured him. “To think of beautiful young women in such a state. Your elf friend-what was her name?”

“Kaylia.”

“Yes, Kaylia,” she continued, brushing the knots from his curls. “Such a lovely girl. Elsa couldn’t wait to get her hands on that one. Elves have such natural beauty. But when Elsa’s finished with her, she’ll be a goddess. The other one too. Celandine. That one is accustomed to less dirt and grime, if you ask me. Such a gorgeous complexion on her. Well tended skin and hair. It’s nice to see women who know how to take care of themselves. Don’t get me wrong, elves take care of themselves too, but it’s just different.” For the next hour, the woman talked and talked as she worked.

Gewey chuckled at the thought of Kaylia being fussed over and made up.

After a while, he found the process wasn’t so bad. The girl shaved him, then rubbed a sweet smelling cream on his face, letting it dry as she trimmed his hair. When she wiped the cream off with a warm towel, his skin felt alive, as if it had never felt the air before. ‘So this is how a lord lives,’ he thought. ‘No wonder they always look so healthy and clean.’

By the time she was done, he almost didn’t recognize himself. He had never spent much effort grooming. He cut his own hair most of the time. Occasionally one of the women of the village would do it instead, but none had ever made him look so…lord-like. Refreshed and filled with a new confidence, he thanked the woman and headed down the hall to the parlor. Lee was already there, sitting in a large cushioned chair and sipping a glass of brandy. He was wearing a navy blue suit and jacket, and an ash walking stick with a silver knob was leaning on the side of his chair.

Lee smiled as Gewey entered. “ Now you look presentable. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“Thank you,” said Gewey. “It feels different.”

“We still have plenty of daylight,” Lee observed. “I thought we should see if Dina can make contact with her people. I also think we should make contact with Lord Ganflin’s friends at the Frog’s Wishbone.”

“Don’t you two look handsome?” Dina remarked as she walked in. Kaylia followed close behind.

Gewey’s jaw dropped when he saw them. Dina was wearing a dark blue satin dress that hugged her figure lightly. Her hair was lifted away from her face and tied with a silver band, allowing it to fall loosely down her back. Kaylia wore a smooth silver dress with a small diamond cut in the midriff. Her hair was left down but Elsa had added shining gold strands that caught the light when she moved.

“By the Gods…” Gewey gasped.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Dina teased. She did a little twirl, causing the skirt of her dress to swish and spin around her.

Kaylia, on the other hand, looked very displeased. “I refuse to go out in public in this,” she growled. “How am I expected to fight in this if something happens?”

“Don’t worry,” Lee assured her. “You’ll be back in your old clothes before you know it. I admit it’s a bit early for such attire, but they probably assumed we intended to stay in until the evening.”

“Actually, I think we should do just that,” Dina suggested. “My people are hard to find in the daytime, but I know where to find them after dark. We should wait until then.”

“Excellent,” Lee said. “I asked Martin about the Frog’s Wishbone, and he said it’s a very nice establishment. It turns out Lord Ganflin bought it a few years back and completely remodeled the place.”

“He should have changed the name, if you ask me,” Dina said. “It sounds like a low-class tavern.”

“Maybe, but from what I’ve been told, it’s anything but,” Lee replied. “The good news is that we can keep wearing these fine clothes a while longer.”

“Wonderful,” Kaylia grumbled.

Just then, Martin walked in, followed by three men carrying a lute, a harp, and a flute. He served everyone a glass of honeyed wine as the musicians began playing softly. Gewey took a seat and allowed the music take him. The songs were sweet and intricate-much different from the music he had heard at the taverns, or even at the festival of Gerath. When the first song was over, he actually sighed.

“There’s so much left for you to experience,” Lee said to Gewey, noticing the boy’s expression. “When all this is over, I promise to show you as much as you want to see.”

“That would be great. But right now, I wonder if I’ll ever see home again, much less the rest of the world.”

“You’ll see your village again,” Kaylia vowed. She had been listening to the music as well, but now a fire lit her eyes. “That I promise.” Gewey smiled, but he was saddened with thoughts of home.

They talked until dusk, keeping the conversation lighthearted. When Lee noticed the fading daylight, he called for Martin.

“Will you be dining here tonight?” Martin asked.

“No,” Lee answered. “Please inform Harlondo we will be at the Frog’s Wishbone.”

“I shall send for the coach, my lord,” he said, backing out of the room.

“We’ll stop by the tavern first and make certain all is well,” Lee told them. “Then Dina and I will make contact with her people.”

“Shouldn’t we all go?” Kaylia asked.

“I didn’t really want to take Lee,” Dina admitted. “The order is very secretive, and distrustful of outsiders. For me to bring one person may be a problem; if they see me with three others, things could get…complicated.”

“You two will wait for us to return, assuming all is well at the tavern,” Lee instructed. “Then, we’ll come back here to regroup.” They all agreed, though Kaylia still wanted to change her clothes.

Martin returned shortly after, to inform them that the coach awaited them downstairs. They thanked him and left.

Lee told Gewey to make certain he wore his sword. “It’s fashionable here,” Lee said as he dropped by his room to get his own. “As for the ladies…”

“I’m armed,’’ Kaylia assured him. “As is Dina.” Gewey tried not to think about where they had hidden their knives.

“We’re off then,” said Lee, and they all walked down to the waiting coach.

When they arrived at the Frog’s Wishbone, Gewey was surprised to see that there were a dozen fine coaches parked out front. The building had clearly been renovated, though Lord Ganflin had left the old, faded sign depicting a frog with a wishbone in its mouth. Before they had a chance to exit the coach, the door flung wide to reveal Harlondo, smiling in at them.

“I was just about to head back to the manor to join you for dinner,” he said. “But I see that you’ve decided to join me instead.”

“Lord Ganflin recommended this place to us,” Lee replied as they stepped from the coach. “And since Martin informed us he owns it, we thought we should see it while we’re here.”

“He finds it to be prudent to have a place where old prejudices aren’t allowed,” Harlondo told them, glancing at Kaylia. “You’ll find that everyone is welcome here.”

Harlondo walked them in and instructed the barmaid to find them a good table. The tavern was by far the most elegant Gewey had ever seen, though of course he was no expert. Still, the floors were laid with solid stone tiles, and the sturdy wooden tables would have made anyone in Sharpstone proud. Fine lanterns hung from the ceiling, and the walls were decorated with beautiful oil paintings.