Page 45 of Mountain of Mirrors and Starlight
“I’ll get the figurines,” Caerwyn said.
“You brought the figurines?” Minerva tutted fondly. “Wasting your packing space… though I can understand why.”
Aislinn watched as he brought out eight tiny metal figures, each in the shape of some fae or dwarven character. She picked one up, admiring the detail. It was a sturdy dwarven blacksmith in perfect miniature. “These are beautiful,” she said. “Where did you get them?”
“I, um, I made them,” he admitted. “The dwarves taught me how to use the forge when I first arrived—”
“Boy has a knack for it,” Minerva remarked, voice warm. “Although he insists on making everythingpretty.” She held up her hand, and Aislinn noticed for the first time that her smallest finger was engraved with a pattern of gems and axes.
“That’s exquisite,” Beau said, leaning forward to inspect it. When he leaned back, he whispered in Aislinn’s ear. “If you don’t want him, I’ll have him.”
Aislinn elbowed him in the side. “He won’t touch either of us. Hecan’t.”
“Oh, yeah, good point.” He paused. “So you’re saying you’vethoughtabout it—”
“I will hurt you.”
Beau shut up.
Aislinn turned her attention back to the others. They were double-checking their cards, and Fort was ‘catching them up’ by repeating what seemed to be some kind of epic quest to destroy an evil troll queen.
“So there we have it,” she concluded. “The weapon you seek is at the centre of the lake. Between it, and you—a sea-serpent, an ogre, and a sphinx. Your next move?”
“Bagpipes of Invisibility!” Bell declared.
“I love you, woman, but no. I vote the Stealth Flashbang.”
“Helm of Dutch Courage!” declared Luna. “Or the Towel of Galactic Protection—”
“Wrist-mounted Trebuchet!”
“Spurs of Inevitable Swagger—”
“Beards of Amazement! Definitely the Beards of Amazement!”
“I’m sorry,” Aislinn started, as Magna pressed a card that read ‘Ladle of Doom’ into her hand, “are you playing some sort of… role playing game?”
Minerva did not look up from her cards. “Aye, lass, what of it?”
“You could literally go out and kill a monster.”
“This is cleaner,” said Bell primly.
“Keeps the skills sharp,” added Diana.
“Good for morale,” Minerva informed her.
“I just think it’s fun!” declared Luna.
Aislinn stared at Caer. He shrugged. “I just like playing for the slim chance that I might beat them at something.”
“Want to join, lass?”
“No, it’s too late in the campaign to be introducing new characters,” Fort insisted, “and she doesn’t know how to play—”
“She can just play as herself. Luna and Caer are.”
“I am not!” Luna declared. “I am the faerie healer, Luneria…”
