The Willowsbrook Chronicles - Chapter 27: Shadows of desperation!
Back on the shore line, Gunther departed the skiff. He looked around the beach line, and the forested area a short distance away.
Despite the foul mood he was in, the owner of the Friendly Hands Inn did notice the river emptying into the ocean.
With the Cursed Lands cleansed, fish will be coming back this way soon. A good fisherman could make use of this and some of those fish could be edible. It would add something to the inn's menu, he thought.
“Goodman Willowsbrook?” He heard William Jordan inquire.
The innkeeper looked at the captain. “Apologies honored paladin I'm examining the area around me. As an innkeeper I’m always looking for new sources of good food. There’s a river here that could provide fresh water and fish for us.”
“Be careful to boil it first,” The Sorceress/rogue pointed out. “No telling what might be in that water.”
“Hello,” called a familiar voice.
Quigsley Starshatter approached, clad in another of his Grey robes. Gunther waved to his friend. “So, what was with that trip back to the Sea Hawk?”
"The ship has a problem with a sanctimonious egomaniac cook with Godhood delusions.” The Innkeeper explained.
The Illusionist grimaced. “Oh bloody ‘ell, not one of those bastards!”
And then Quigsley saw the company he was with. “Um…sorry lady Moonwisp.”
The woman rolled her eyes and chortled. “You need not worry about my sensibilities. I’ve heard far worse from the human and elvish sides of my family.”
Gunther then noticed a sly smile as she approached his friend. “Though I do appreciate the sentiment, it speaks of a man of character, I like that.”
Gunther looked at once surprised…and did his best to stifle the grin that wanted to form on his face. The Illusionist for his part definitely saw the woman was taking an interest. To this, he flushed.
Captain Jordan rolled his eyes, sighed, and offered up a silent prayer. “Um…” the illusionist ventured. “Lemme show you some of the works we found from Brianna Gabrielle’s book cache.”
“I would like that, very much.” The female Half-Elf answered in wry amusement.
Gunther saw the man tense, before he cleared his throat and retained some dignity. “Follow me, I’ve managed to set a place aside for them and ‘ave been organizing things.”
The two headed off for the Inn. That left Gunther to return to his own dark thoughts. Francois Monsolie was a problem, of that there was no doubt.
But then there was the issue of Gordon Lestant. The inn owner had a hunch about what was going on in the Sea Hawk’s kitchen. But he didn’t want to presume anything until he had proof.
The big man looked at the ship’s Captain. “Milord, I’m going to need yours and lady Moonwisp’s help on something. I know I’m asking a lot after what’s happened, but…”
The Captain cut him off. “You think something is going on in the kitchen involving Lestant and Monsolie?”
To this the big man looked surprised. The blonde bearded captain nodded, a serious look crossing over the man’s face.
“I wondered when it would come to this. Truth told, the crew and I have suspected something has been going on there for some time. But we’ve never been able to prove it.
“You understand how it is, we cannot act until we have proper evidence.”
Gunther nodded, “It is the King’s law. Yet, I have a hunch…” he commented, leaving the sentence unfinished.
“You think something is going to happen tonight.” Was the Solarin paladin’s observation.
“With all due respect milord, I not only think it, I know it!” The big man answered a look of grim certainty spreading across his own face.
The paladin nodded in understanding. “What exactly is it that you need us to do?”
“Well, I’ll need you, Lady Moonwisp, Quigsley, and Naomi for this.”
The captain’s face furrowed. “I do not see what kind of plan you have in mind Goodman Willowsbrook.”
“It started after Healer Marshan and Terrel removed that Slow Fury spell." The Innkeeper explained. "I’ve been remembering things from when I worked for one Jonathan Vanderbross.
“As I’ve been remembering stuff, I’ve found I’ve been putting it to use. If my hunch is right, tonight we’ll begin to find answers to what's been happening on your ship. Right now, milord, I need you to come with me. We need to find Naomi.”
“What do we need your chief Barmaid for?” he asked perplexed and slightly irritated.
“I’m going to need to find certain ingredients to lay out. Tonight I’m going to be doing some speaking with someone, in a language other than common.”
“Speaking with someone in a language other than common? I didn’t know you were fluent in other tongues Goodman Willowsbrook.”
The two started towards the forested region. “I’m not talking any kind of verbal dialects of Velstand or elsewhere milord. But something else the nonverbal language of the body.”
Night settled over the woodlands, and the Friendly Hands Inn. Animals chittered and went about their nightly business.
Into this serene situation, a figure crept. The person looked around, his body tense, speaking of one who feared getting caught.
Gunther could see an outline on the figure but not much else. Kyra Moonwisp was with him, and she had her Elf night time vision. The Shadow Minx nodded and waved for him to follow.
The two snuck to another tree. They poked their heads out, and watched as the man crept towards the inn. It was obvious he was intent on something, and Gunther had a pretty good idea of what. Now we’ll see if my hunch about this situation is right, he thought to himself.
As the man made his way closer to the inn, the big man and the Sorceress/Rogue followed. The innkeeper spotted a couple of other shadowy figures following. He hoped that this was who he thought it was.
They watched as the silhouette of the person made their way towards the main entrance to the Inn. Good, the Inn’s owner thought. He’s using the front entrance, so he hasn’t seen what’s in the back yet.
Connor McElroy you and your family’s ability to work is a Gods sent.
The big innkeeper watched as the figure looked around. Then he began to pick at the lock on the front door.
“Now what exactly is it that you have in mind?” The big man heard the voice of Kyra Moonwisp ask in his mind.
It was all the big man could do to keep from jumping out of his skin. For all that he’d seen, there was still so much that took him by surprise.
Sorry, he thought at Kyra. Not used to that mind speak ability you use. Anyhow, if my hunch is right we’re about to uncover an ugly secret.
I only ask you and Captain Jordan to trust me on this honored sorceress. Let me handle this my way.
The big man watched as the figure continued to work the lock. “It will be as you say,” Kyra Moonwisp finally answered. “Though I still don’t understand what you’re thinking.”
After several moments, the door was finally opened by the figure. The big Innkeeper tapped Kyra on the shoulder, and nodded at her. The two scampered towards the inn. The figure entered, unaware that he was being followed.
The two reached the front door, and entered the Inn. Even under such a blanket of shadow, the two made their way to the kitchen entrance. The figure made for the cauldron the Inn owner had selected for the forthcoming duel.
Okay Lady Moonwisp, He thought. Now you can turn on your magic lantern.
“Donata!” The Half-elf woman called out, in a commanding tone.
The magical lamp in her hand ignited, lighting up the room. The hooded figure let out a yelp of surprise as he turned towards the big man and the sorceress. The owner heard two more sets of footsteps come up beside him. “Ello-‘ello-‘ello,” Quigsley called in a tone that made him sound like a city constable. “And what have we got ‘ere?”
William Jordan stepped forward. “You can set the poisons you have on your person down,” he stated in a calm yet business-like demeanor.
The hooded man pulled the vials of liquid out from his leather attire. Quigsley took the bottles, examined the contents, then whistled. “Nightshade, nasty stuff it is.”
Kyra approached. “You seem to have quite the knowledge of various alchemical plants Quigsley.”
The man flushed. “Yeah well, growin’ plants is a ‘obby of mine. My family always said I ‘ave quite the green thumb I does.”
Gunther approached the hooded man. “Okay Gordon,” he commented in a gentle yet authoritative tone. “You can take off the hood, I know it’s you.”
The figure seemed reluctant, then did as asked. He glared at the big Innkeeper. “That’s right, it’s me. I was the one who was going to poison your porridge, I’ve hated you since I met you.”
But the big innkeeper was already assessing what was going on. It was true the man had tried to put Nightshade in his cauldron. Yet, it was obvious the man was making too concerted an effort to make it look like he was the one responsible.
“Well, you know it’s me now. Go ahead, have Captain Jordan arrest me and throw me in…”
“No,” The innkeeper answered, interrupting Gordon Lestant’s diatribe.
“What do you mean?” Gordon shouted.
“Ere’ Gunther, are you going daft?” Quigsley asked.
“No,” was the big man’s answer. “Captain Jordan, Lady Moonwisp, Quigsley my friend, if you’d be kind enough to head into the common room.”
The three did as requested, clearly perplexed. The Elegance man continued to give Gunther a look of such adamant hatred.
You can fool a lot of people with that act Gordon Lestant, but not someone who knows how to assess people with a look.
“What is this game you’re playing Willowsbrook?” the man growled.
“This is no game Gordon Lestant.” The big man answered, flashing a warm smile.
He walked over to a cupboard, and opened it. From it he withdrew everything he and Naomi had placed in there earlier.
Shortly, all the ingredients for the honey cake were on the counter. “Please follow me Gordon,” Gunther told him.
The other cook followed the big man out a nearby door. Outside, the man gasped as he saw the brick oven. “Par les dieux, c’est magnifique.” The man commented in awe of the oven.
“I don’t pretend to understand the Elegance tongue. But if what you’re saying is that this is a magnificent oven, I agree. I had Connor McElroy build this, knowing I'd need to provide more than food cooked in a cauldron for this inn.
“Baked goods are always known for attracting attention from travelers.”
“Why are you telling me this? I am your enemy, I tried to put Nightshade in your cooking cauldron!” The man demanded.
The big innkeeper smirked knowing that the Elegance man might try this tactic.
“You did try and put that nightshade in the cauldron, I don’t argue that fact. But as for you being my enemy,” he quipped making his smile as friendly as he could. “No, you’re not!” he stated.
Whatever the Elegance man had been expecting, it hadn’t been that. Gunther then gave him a matter of fact look. "Okay Gordon I want to see you work. I want to see you prepare a Honey cake."
“Pardonez moi?” the Elegance man asked slipping into his native tongue.
“Come now Gordon Lestant," The inn owner noted.
"We both know that loudmouthed horse’s arse has no talent with rice porridge. Yet somehow, he makes Honey Cakes of the sort that master bakers create? That seems a little inconsistent.”
“He’s bad at one thing and good at another.” The cook pointed out.
Gunther pursed his lips, waggled a finger at him, and nodded. “Fair point, I’ve seen people like that. But my instincts tell me Monsolie would burn that pastry like he makes rice porridge.” He observed.
“While you, are a man who is concealing hidden talents for some reason.”
The other cook looked surprised at this. “How…can you figure such things out?” he asked.
The big man smiled. “I’ve been remembering a lot of stuff that my first boss Jonathan Vanderbross taught me about running an Inn. Especially how to read people. I get the feeling that you don’t want to do this.
“But you have no choice, because someone has something over you. Am I right?” He ventured.
The Elegance man’s mouth dropped open in stunned surprise. “I knew it,” Gunther cheered.
“All right Gordon Lestant, let’s have a look at what you can do.” He stated in a tone of gentle challenge.
The owner brought the other cook into the kitchen. He oversaw the other man work, careful to pay close attention so Gordon couldn’t botch anything up. As the Elegance man worked, the big man continued to assess him.
Look at the way he moves, there’s a comforting and practiced skill there. Yet, I also get the sense of someone who’s caught in a trap not of their own making. What are you hiding Gordon Lestant? He wondered.
The big man watched him through every step of the baking process. By the time the cake was cooling, the big man had reached a horrible notion of what was going on.
“There you see,” Lestant growled. “The cake has been completely screwed up. There’s no way I could’ve…”
“Gordon,” Gunther again interrupted. “There’s no sense trying to lie your way out of this. The proverbial trout is on the table before us!”
The owner fetched a knife from a drawer and walked over to the cake. He caressed the pastry with the flat of the knife as he spoke. “The crust of the cake is delicate and flaky.”
He then moved the knife over the center of the bread shaped cake, the metal of the knife scraping the top. “The sugar is almost glazed, and there’s not one mushy spot on this!”
The big Innkeeper then fetched some plates and began to cut up pieces of it. He set one piece on the plate and served it to the cook. “Look at that,” He explained emphasizing the words.
“Look at how hot and flaky that piece of Honey Cake is! The insides are the right amount of soft and the honey has melded into the cake to perfection. This is the sort of confection that's made by some of Elegance’s finest bakers.”
Whatever defenses the man was trying to put up, were breaking down under Gunther’s kind words. He put his hands on the shoulders of the cook.
“Gordon there's something that’s going on, and I know what it is. You’re a family man, aren’t you?
Men who have families consider them the most precious thing in the world. I’ve seen that look, so I know it.”
The man shivered and nodded. “Oui, oui tis true good Innkeeper, I am a married man. My beautiful wife Alicia is the love of my life. We have a daughter, Josette, who is as much everything to me.”
“I thought as much,” Gunther noted.
“Gordon listen to me! Whoever is holding something over you involving your family it’s not worth it! I know about those sorts of black-hearted swine, they never keep their word!
“They’ll use this for as long as they can, then they’ll stab you in the back anyway. Whoever it is you’re protecting it’s not worth it. Please, tell us the truth, give yourself some peace.”
With those words, the last of the Elegance man’s defenses shattered! He leaned against the counter and sobbed. As I feared. Gunther thought, a sense of anger rising in him.
Whoever’s holding this thing over Gordon, it’s bad.
“I tried to poison you, but you showed me kindness. Tis more than others would do.” He said between sobs.
Finally, the man looked up, his face streaked with tears. “All right, I’ll tell you why I did what I did.”
Now we get some answers, Gunther thought.
Oh come on, did you think I would make the resolution that easy? The evil cliffhanger strikes again! You want to read more? You’ll have to come back next time for the continuation of the WIllowsbrook Chronicles. Next time, we find out why Gordon Lestant did what he did, and the answers will shock you.
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Previous: Chapter 26: Gauntlet thrown down!
Next: Chapter 28: A father's desperation.
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