Page 31 of Sorcery, Swords & Scones
As if there had been an unspoken signal, the other members of the traveling party resumed their activities. The lute player's fingers found his strings again, the elf near the fire continued stirring something in the ornate copper pot, and the others sipped their wine as if they were guests at an elegant reception. Even Glen resumed looking bored.
Sass gave her head a small shake as she followed the elf onto the colorful, woven rugs scattered over the patchy moss and crumpled leaves of the forest floor. Around the elf’s chair, there were ottomans in rich brocade and padded benches covered in brushed velvet, each perfectly suited to willowy elves.
Korl approached one ottoman with obvious suspicion, then attempted to fold his massive frame onto the delicate furniture. Sass pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh as his knees practically reached his ears. Val didn’t even attempt to sit, and neither did Cali, whose bow remained unsheathed with an arrow notched but pointed safely toward the ground.
If Erindil was bothered by Cali's wariness, he gave no sign of it. He summoned his attendants to offer goblets of wine, which Sass accepted before staring into the ruby-red liquid. She held the goblet close to her nose and sniffed carefully, trying to detect any hint of something sinister beneath the spiced wine.
Thrain, apparently having no such concerns, downed his entire goblet in three enthusiastic gulps and immediately held itout for a refill. "That's the finest mulled wine I've had since the winter feast in the Ice Lands.”
Erindil beamed at the praise. “I add a touch of honey from the royal apiaries of Lananore, and just a whisper of moonflower essence. It's quite impossible to replicate unless one has access to very specific ingredients."
Korl waved off the offered goblet entirely, his expression growing more stern by the moment. "How do you know who we are, and why are you really here?"
The elf's eyes sparkled with what looked suspiciously like amusement. "I know all of you." His attention lingered on Val, then Cali, and finally settled on Sass with an intensity that made her skin prickle. Finally, he slid his gaze to Thrain. “Well, almost all of you. The dwarf gentleman is new to me."
Korl's scowl deepened, creating furrows across his broad forehead. "How do you know us? Have you been watching the village?"
Erindil chuckled. "Watching? Oh, my dear fellow, you make it sound so sinister. I prefer to think of it as merely taking an interest. Besides, this isn't my first visit to your charming little village."
The words sent a chill down Sass's spine that had nothing to do with the quickly sinking sun, the cool breeze, and lengthening shadows.
Erindil leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial hush as he stared at Sass. "The first time I came to Wayside, I acquired a tavern for you and Lira."
Twenty-Two
If Sass had thoughtshe couldn't be more surprised by the elf and his elaborate campsite, she’d been spectacularly wrong. Only when he cocked his head at her in amusement did she realize she was gaping at Erindil with her mouth dangling open.
Korl attempted to stand quickly, but his massive frame had been so awkwardly perched on the low ottoman that he rolled sideways off the furniture, catching himself before his face met the carpeted floor. Val helped Korl get to his feet, as Thrain's grip on his battle axe slackened so much that the weapon nearly slipped from his fingers. Even Cali's ears lay flat, and the fur on the back of her neck stood on end.
When Sass finally spoke, the words came out as little more than a strangled whisper. "You’re the one who bought the tavern for us?"
She and Lira had wondered about their mysterious benefactor, the anonymous elf who had purchased The Tusk & Tail and quietly transferred ownership to them. She’d never imagined that the answer would be sitting on a velvet chair in a forest clearing drinking mulled wine.
Then another possibility struck her like a hammer blow. Her eyes widened as she peered at Erindil. "Are you Lira's father?"
The effect of her words on the elf was immediate. Erindil's crystal goblet froze halfway to his lips, his eyes flying wide. For a moment, he looked as if he might keel over. Then he started laughing.
“A father? Me?" His laugh was both musical and slightly manic. "No, no, my dear. I am most certainly not Lira's father." He paused, seeming to gather himself before putting his goblet on the low table beside his chair, steepling his fingers, and gazing over them. "But I am her uncle."
Everyone in their group went silent, and Korl stiffened. Even the lute player paused, as if sensing the import of the moment.
Lira’s uncle? Sass hadn’t known that Lira had an uncle, and she suspected Lira didn’t know either.
Cali was the first to recover her voice, her ears pricking forward as she fixed Erindil with narrowed gold eyes. "This is a conversation that Lira should be a part of.”
Sass recognized the protective tone of someone who had known Lira for years and considered her family.
Erindil nodded gravely, his expression solemn for the first time since they'd arrived. "I agree completely," he said, his voice losing some of its theatrical lilt. "In fact, I've been trying to work up the nerve to approach her without completely upending her life."
Korl crossed his arms over his chest. "Why would you upend her life?"
Erindil reached for his goblet again, taking a longer sip of the mulled wine as if he needed the fortification. When he set it down, his hands were steadier, but his slender face remained pinched.
"Lira's father—my brother—left Lananore long ago.” He sighed. "He was never one to stay in one place for long, preferring the freedom of exploration to the responsibilities of court life. But he returned for brief visits over the years, and during one of those visits, he mentioned having a daughter who was half human." Theelf's gaze grew distant, as if he were looking back over years. "Since my brother never lingered anywhere for long, I made it my business to learn about this niece I'd never met. It took me quite some time to track her down, but when I finally did..." He gestured vaguely in the direction of Wayside. "She seemed happily ensconced at The Tusk & Tail, working alongside a dwarf companion to rebuild it from near ruin. It seemed only fair to ensure that both of you received ownership of the tavern, since I'd observed you working together to restore it."
Sass was pleased to hear about what she and Lira had accomplished, but another question quickly overshadowed it. "Then why come back?"
Erindil's smile flickered as the creature Sass had seen in the village approached with a tray of Pip's sweet rolls. The elf plucked one and held it up. "Aside from a fondness for halfling pastries?”
