Our trio arrived in Twillingsbee much later in the afternoon than we had anticipated, and decided to rest for the evening. The captain of the barge, Andrew, recommended lodging at his sister’s modest inn. This was a welcome development as I believe it is always wise to accept hospitality, especially with the promise of a hearty stew and has a separate room for me to rest.
Prior to heading to Mable’s Inn, Finn and Daphne wanted to walk about the town to see if any provisions could assist us on our journey. It was becoming clear that my two companions have not travelled much beyond their villages, and I must remember that they will be learning along the way. I think that I may need to sit back to see what they are capable of; gain some insight into the skills they can bring to our journey. This journey will be arduous and it will test the strength, both mentally and physically, of us all. Perhaps youth will assist both Daphne and Finn. As the younglings shopped, I decided to visit my solicitor, who is conveniently located in Twillingsbee, to update my last will and testament. Wisdom has taught me it’s always a good idea to be prepared for any adventures. Once finished, I joined Finn in the armaments store.
As I entered, Finn was closing a deal for a dagger that he secured on his own, for a fair price, no less. It’s not the dagger I would have chosen, but appropriate to his needs and situation in life, I suppose. It will do well enough.
After leaving the store, and meeting with Daphne, we left the market for Mable’s Inn. We were greeted by a warm welcome and a hot pot of delicious stew. Captain Andrew’s recommendation was a good one. Given the excitement of the day—at least for the younglings—it wasn’t long before we all sought the comfort of our pillows. The next leg of our journey, though long, was to be aboard the relative comfort of a paddle boat that I have enjoyed in the past. The time aboard would offer me an opportunity to focus on my manuscript. I also had time to examine the logistics of the next phase of the adventure.
We met the next morning at the docks, and boarded the boat without incident. I did hope that was to be an omen for our journey to come. Daphne and Finn seemed pleased with their rooms, and I told them to enjoy the creature comforts on board—it may be a while before we enjoy such luxuries again. The young ones headed off and at last, I was able to settle down at the desk in my cabin to get some actual work done.
On our first evening aboard the barque I met up with Daphne and Finn and to discuss our days. Despite being rather awkward, socially, Finn made a friend; or at least he reminded a passenger of her late husband, and she was kind enough to while away a few hours with him. Daphne decided to frequent the gaming tables and very deliberately lost in order to gain intel, the trust of those around her, and perhaps a few gold coins. Her sleight of hand may be a useful tool along the way. I was able make some progress on my manuscript, and intended to continue working diligently for the remainder of our time on the boat.
The next two days of our journey were relatively uneventful until out of nowhere I was disrupted by a loud banging on the wall that separated my room from Finn’s. He continued banging until I could not ignore it anymore. I was forced from my desk, and inquired what was happening? The response I received was intriguing. Finn said that there was a giant badger in his cabin!?! A badger so large, that it actually filled up the entire cabin. Finn had no idea what to do. He initially said that he got a box with toggles from the older lady. It had belonged to her husband, Ernie. The toggles were a puzzle, which he made quick work of, and he opened the box. Once inside, the box produced a grey sack with a soft fuzzy ball inside. Curious, Finn decided to through the fuzzy ball against the wall and when he did that it tranformed into a giant badger.
The creature appeared to be harmless, so I suggested that perhaps he ingratiate himself to it by offering thanks for its presence. And within a blink, the badger disappeared from his room, and a fuzzy ball was returned to the grey bag. Finn, learning nothing from the last experience, decided to throw the ball again, and this time he was greeted by a boar running down the hall of the ship. Again, the animal seemed harmless and again, upon an acknowledgment of the animal, it returned to the bag. Now I have heard it said, “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”. I’m not sure who to shame for the fool who falls for something a third time, but no sooner had the boar disappeared when Finn threw the fuzz ball against the wall again! This time a dire wolf appeared and disappeared, as before. By that point, my patience had worn very thin with the impetuous young man—if only he only knew what was at stake.
On our last evening, we met up to discuss what time we were going to meet up in the morning and what we were going to do in The Delta. Daphne certainly made the most of her time on the boat, and acquired some additional means. Finn remained enthralled with his box. After our plans were settled, we decided to retire for the evening and enjoy the last night of comfort for a while.
