Page 67 of Sorcery, Swords & Scones
Erindil crossed his legs at the knee and draped his hands overthe ornate armrests of his chair. “I take it he’s not heading back to the Ice Lands anytime soon?”
“Rog promised to teach him the secret to making brandy, so he won’t be leaving yet,” Sass said. “That and he’s made friends he’d miss. Not that he’d admit that, mind you.”
Lira gave a knowing nod. “I did notice a bromance brewing with Vaskel.”
“If and when he does return, I’d love for him to find out where your parents found that marvelous dragon.” Erindil fluttered his fingers on the arms of his chair. “There’s a story there, and I must hear it.”
Sass wouldn’t mind knowing either, since she’d never heard her parents speak of dragon-riding and had only ever seen one dragon before the one that had transported her parents to the forest. “After you tell me how you know my parents and how many times you’ve been to The Ice Lands.”
Erindil chuckled. “That’s a longer story, my dear. Perhaps best told over the course of a few evenings.”
“You’ll be staying for a while then?” Sass asked the elf, noticing that his encampment looked more and more permanent every day. They’d even erected a golden flagpole, and a colorful flag bearing the sigil of Lananore flapped in the breeze.
The elf smiled at Lira and then at Sass. “My niece and I have years of catching up to do.”
Lira returned the elf’s smile. “There’s still a lot I want to know about the elven side of my family.”
She didn’t mention her father by name, but Sass suspected she wished to know more about him, as well, and where he might be.
Erindil squared his shoulders. “Plus, Lira has asked me to walk her down the aisle, and I would not miss that for all the jewels in the Known Lands.”
“Your wedding!” Sass smacked her hands to her cheeks. “I almost forgot about the planning with everything that’s been going on.”
Lira waved a hand at her. “Don’t worry. I have too, but there’s no rush. Besides, Tinpin is adamant I wait for a special fabric he’s ordered from Hearthorn, and I can’t get married without a proper wedding dress.”
Erindil’s eyes sparkled. “There’s nothing quite like a winter wedding.”
The nip in the air whispered the coming of colder weather, and Sass knew that winter would descend before they knew it. “Has Pip had any more thoughts about your wedding cake?”
Lira laughed. “Only that it has to be the most extraordinary confection anyone in Wayside has ever seen.” She held up a finger. “His words. Not mine.”
Sass’s stomach growled at the thought of Pip’s creations. “Speaking of Pip, I should head to the village for supplies.”
“I’m assuming those supplies include sweet rolls?”
Sass grinned at Lira’s eager expression. “You assume correctly.” She glanced around the camp. “How many should I get?”
“None for us.” Erindil leaned forward and winked. “I’m going to visit the baker myself today.”
“I might see you there then.” Sass waved to the elves as she headed back into the tavern. “Don’t forget that you left the chai on the stove with a flutterstoat stirring it.”
“Hells and cinders,” Lira said as she leapt to her feet. Clearly, shehadforgotten that she’d left Crumpet manning the stove.
Sass was already halfway across the great room and snagging her market basket from behind the bar when Lira rushed in and ran straight to the kitchen. Sass shook her head as she walked out of the tavern, pausing under the swinging Tusk & Tail sign to take another deep breath.
Rog and Rosie’s wagon squatted near the entrance to the tavern, the stairs folded up and the doors shut tight. Snoring and singing came from inside, both sounds muffled. Even when Rosie wasn’t hawking her apple brandy from the back of the wagon, thetart aroma of fermented apples seemed to seep from the wood itself.
The basket swung from the crook in Sass’s arm as she strolled toward the village, humming a sea shanty to herself. Once she could no longer smell apple brandy, every breath filled her lungs with the welcome scents of yeast and sugar. She picked up her pace and was about the turn onto the main road when her gaze snagged on something.
Val sat on the stone bridge with her feet dangling over the side and one of Pip’s paper bags in her lap. Her gold hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and she wore causal pants and a blousy top instead of her guard uniform. She waved at Sass and held up the bag.
Sass didn’t need more convincing than that. She quickly changed course and headed for the bridge.
“I thought I might catch you before you went to the market.” Val held out the bag when Sass reached her. “And I decided to lure you over with sweet rolls.”
“You don’t need sweet rolls to lure me,” Sass said, as she plunged a hand into the bag, her fingers meeting sticky icing.
“Then let’s call this me buying you breakfast.”
