Cadmus is able to keep vigilant watch throughout the night. On occasion, he would spot an owl, a mink, and other various wild animals simply passing by. Nothing of incident happens during watch, and he is able to pass the next shift to Garrick. After Cadmus speaks his request to Garrick, the man chuckles and answers, “Aye. I’ll be sure to do so. Now, get some rest, Cad,”

Cadmus is able to sleep deeply during the period of rest. Faint images he cannot distinguish or recall dance in his vision only to vanish, like fleeting shadows. He feels memories returning to the surface only to flee to the back of his mind once more.



But it doesn’t last long as morning seems to dawn on him and his friends quickly. By the time he wakes up, the small camp is already packed and the retainers and Meli were waiting for him. Garrick tells him while handing him jerky to eat, “We figured we’d let you sleep a little longer since you took watch. No sense in having you continue this journey exhausted,”

After Cadmus eats, he and his friends are able to continue their journey. He can see the gray trails of smoke coming from the orchard. He can guess that the orchard is smoldering at this point in time. Regardless, the group continues on.

What would normally have been three days on foot was expedited thanks to the horses. They all reach Little Happens at sunset this day. Looking at the hamlet from the hill, they can see it is a small locale, but there are many people milling about and working. Some are bringing in lumber for the day, while other are closing their shops before dark. One large building has a rabbit standing in front of a full moon on the sign. The sign reads, “Moon Rabbit’s Respite”

It seems to be an inn and tavern.

I slept hard, but the brief, half-memories left me feeling restless when Garrick woke me. I sat up quickly, rubbing my eyes. The camp was already gone.

"Thank you, Garrick," I said, taking the jerky he offered. "I appreciate it."

I ate quickly, the rough meat and salt helping to fully wake me. Seeing the distant smoke trails from the orchard made the need to move even stronger.

The horses were a true gift. We covered ground fast. By sunset, we reached a hill overlooking the settlement. "Little Happens," I said, letting the name settle. Even the name sounded small and far away from the power struggles of Ophidia.

From up here, the town looked busy but calm. People were moving with purpose, bringing in lumber and closing shops. The buildings were rough but well-kept. I looked closely at the people, checking for any familiar sigils or anything that marked them as being part of the Crown. They looked like woodsmen and normal folk, dressed in simple, practical clothes.

My eyes landed on the large tavern sign: "Moon Rabbit’s Respite," with the rabbit and moon emblem. It looked solid and busy, the kind of place where we could get information and maybe a secure room.

"Let's head for the Moon Rabbit's Respite," I told the others. "We need to find a place to rest and learn what we can about the Forests of Vestarel."

I guided my horse down the hill and dismounted when we reached the entrance of the hamlet. I took the reins to lead the stallion.

"Garrick, find somewhere close to tie the horses, just temporary. We can't all leave them alone right now." I looked around at the others. "One of you should stay with Garrick and the horses for a moment, don't leave our old man alone. The other two, come with me. We will check the inn for safety and available rooms."

Meli speaks up, "I'll go with Garrick to tie the horses," She moves to accompany Garrick as he takes the horses to the shed near the barn. Before Cadmus, Isolde, and Elena head into the Inn and Tavern, he takes a moment to carefully observe the immediate area. The rest of the town seems very peaceful as the citizens are closing shop and are going back to their homes to rest. There is a guard post nearby, with two guards wearing leathers and furs standing guard.

Looking around at the people milling about, everyone is calm. Nobody is looking over their shoulders nor are there any signs of subterfuge. At the very least, Cadmus can say that the Windpikes aren't here. At least...not yet.

Upon entering the inn, the fragrance of apple cider and baked goods hits him like a wave. Music can be heard playing but not drowning out the din of the crowds chatting amongst themselves. A Harengon stands behind the bar serving drinks and cleaning up empty glasses as the night continues on. It seems like this bartender is always in a hurry, as he is moving quickly to get the glasses cleaned in time for new drinks that are immediately ordered. He's got good timing too, because shortly after he cleaned one glass, another patron calls out, "Another glass of Mead, Pacer!" To that, the Harengon fills the glass and hands it to the patron.

The Harengon, Pacer, notices Cadmus and his two retainers before greeting, and he speaks very quickly,

"WelcomeWelcometotheMoonRabbit'sRespite! HowcanIhelpyouthiseveningDoyouneeddrinksoraroomtostayintonight? PleasespeakupquicklyI'mafraidIdonothavemuchtime!"

I watched Meli walk off with Garrick, feeling a slight ease knowing the horses would be tended to. I turned to the inn, taking a long moment to observe the area before we stepped inside.

The two guards at the nearby post looked relaxed, dressed in simple leathers and furs. The general atmosphere was calm; people were closing up shop and heading home. I saw no one glancing over their shoulders, and no signs of the Windpikes' sleek, predatory nature. That was a relief.

Elena and Isolde moved with me to the entrance of the "Moon Rabbit’s Respite." As we stepped inside, the warm smell of apple cider and baked goods washed over us. The sound of music and friendly chatter filled the room.

Behind the bar, a quick-moving Harengon, Pacer, was already cleaning glasses and serving drinks at a frantic pace. He looked up, spotting us, and his greeting came out in a single rush of words.

I stepped forward, keeping my voice clear and steady to cut through the din.

"We need room for five people," I said, speaking slowly and clearly. "And we have five horses that need to be stabled for the night." I paused, ensuring Pacer processed the request. "What is the total price for the room and stabling the five horses?"

Pacer’s long ears seem to perk up more than they already were, and his nose twitches as he listens to Cadmus’s request. He speaks frantically, “Fivepeopleyousay?! Five?! Withfivehorsestoshedaswell?! Goodnessmeohmythat’salot!” He then looks at the ceiling and mumbles calculations under his breath in just as rapid of a speed. Cadmus can see Pacer’s fingers twitch as though his hands were helping with the calculations as the mumbling continues.

When he finishes said calculations, he speaks rapidly again, “I’llhavetoprovidetworoomstoroomfivebutitispossible! Roomingshedforthehorsesandmealswillcostaboutonegoldandfivesilverpiecesintotal!”

Elena blinks in surprise and she comments, “One gold and five silver for accommodations? That’s quite generous!”

Pacer waves at her comment dismissively, “Icanassureyouit’sonlyfairmadame! Weofferrespitetoalltravelersandbesidesit’snotlikeroyaltywillbegracingourhumbleabodewiththeirpresenceanytimesoon. Butpleasespeakupdowehaveanaccordonthelodgings?”

Pacer’s rapid-fire calculation made my cheeks feel warm. Elena’s surprise at the low price only made the feeling worse. He had just referenced royalty, and here I was, the literal last prince, trying to barter down a price. I felt a surge of guilt, feeling like I was taking advantage of the generous Harengon.

"Are you certain about that price?" I asked, making sure my voice was firm and polite. "That is incredibly fair for two rooms and stabling five horses. We are very grateful for your kindness." I reached into my pouch of gold pieces. "If that is the case, we will pay you two full gold pieces instead, at least for tonight. Please consider the extra as payment for your generosity."

I handed the two gold pieces to Pacer, feeling much better about the transaction.

"Now, please tell us how to proceed with the horses. Our friends are waiting outside."

Pacer nods a yes in response to Cadmus's question about being certain about the price. Pacer accepts the two gold from Cadmus, and he answers him, "VerygoodSir! Thankyouverymuch!" When Cadmus asked about the horses, Pacer had already bent down behind the counter, and was rifling through various items. He can see random objects being tossed aside, like a clock, a chicken, and a rubber duck! Just what does Pacer keep nearby?!

In no time at all, Pacer rises from behind the counter with two room keys, and five numbered pins in hand. He hands them to Cadmus and he speaks, "Hereyouare! Tworoomkeysandtagsforyoursteeds! Besuretoattachthetagstoyourhorses'ridinggearandourstaffwillknowthatyoupaidforthesteedstostay! Otherthanthatyouarefreetoguideyourhorsestotheshedandwewillalsoserveeveningmealstoyoushortly!"

I took the keys and the tags from the counter. I nodded to the Harengon.

"Thank you Pacer. We appreciate it."

I turned to Elena and Isolde.

"Please find a table where the five of us can sit. We will join you in a moment."

I walked back outside to where Garrick and Meli were waiting. I held up the tags so they could see them.

"We have rooms. Pacer gave us these tags for the horses. We need to pin them to the riding gear so the staff knows we paid."

I moved to help them attach the tags. I intended to go with them to the shed to make sure the horses were settled. If everything went smoothly at the stables I planned to lead Garrick and Meli back inside to find the table.

"Anytimeanytime! Pleasedon'thesitatetoletmeortherestofthestaffknowifthereisanythingyouneedduringyourstay. Alsopleasebesuretoletusknowhowlongyou'llbestayingwithusasitwillbeonegoldandfivesilverpernight," Pacer answers Cadmus quickly. Just after saying so another patron calls out to him, "Oi! Pacer! Another round here!"

"OfcourseI'monmyway!" Pacer calls back and he immediately hops back to work, filling glasses rapidly and bringing them over to a group at a table.

Elena and Isolde nod to Cadmus at his request, and after a quick glance around, Isolde speaks up, "We'll be at that corner table. It looks big enough for all five of us to sit," Elena and Isolde move to the table in question while Cadmus heads out.

When Cadmus makes it outside, he would notice that Garrick is speaking with the stable hands there, while Meli has three children surrounding her. All of them seem to be staring at her curiously. The eldest is asking a lot of questions, while the middle and younger children seem to be poking and prodding at her. Meli is still not her usual, exuberant self even with the kids around. She winces as the younger kids poke and prod at her. The youngest child even pulls at her own tail and her long hair, to which she lets out a surprised bleat and swats the youngest child away.

Garrick, Meli, and the Stable Hand look to Cadmus as he approaches with the tags. Garrick answers him, "Ah! That's great! Thank you, Cadmus," He looks to the Stable Hand, and he asks, "I trust our horses will be properly brushed and tended to? If not, I'll be sure to let the owner know of what I observed..."

The stable hand sighs, clearly tired, "Of course, of course. I won't disregard your...pointers, in the matter of caring for your steeds,"

The children, meanwhile, are still surrounding Meli, clearly not intent on letting her leave.

"Don't you sleep in the stables? Or do you sleep in inns, like we do?"
"Do you eat hay or other plants? Do you eat meat?"

I stepped outside and saw Meli. She looked small. Three children were crowding her. They poked her and pulled her hair like she was a petting zoo animal. Meli just swatted them away weakly. It made my blood heat up. She was grieving and scared and these children were treating her like a toy.

I walked over with long strides. I stood between Meli and the children. I drew myself up to my full height. I remembered Isolde's lessons on posture and tone. I looked down at the children with a cold hard stare. I did not yell. I spoke with the quiet authority of a prince even if I had no throne.

"That is enough."

I stared at the child who pulled her tail.

"You are being rude. Go back to your parents before I find them myself and tell them how you behave."

I let the silence hang for a moment to let them feel the weight of my words. I hoped they would run.

I turned my back on them and looked at Garrick and Meli. I handed Garrick the tags for the horses.

"The room is paid for. Elena and Isolde are holding a table for us inside. Let's get out of the cold."

As Cadmus approaches the children and Meli to interpose himself between them, the children instinctively move away from Meli in order to get away from Cadmus. After he spoke the first three words and stared at the middle child, the very child speaks up, "We-We were just--!" But his words fail him.

Cadmus continues speaking. After he gave the order, the children all look to each other, and they start scrambling to get away. They do indeed run away from Cadmus, Garrick, and Meli, without another word of protest from them.

Meli looks up to Cadmus, and she nods to him gratefully. She speaks quietly, "Thank you, Cad..."

The horses are already stabled, and Garrick places the tags on the gear. After Cadmus informed them about Elena and Isolde holding a table for the party, Meli nods in agreement, ad Garrick speaks, "Aye. It is getting quite brisk out here,"

Sure enough, the tavern's ambience inside has not changed. Cadmus, Garrick, and Meli find that the table Elena and Isolde are holding for them is a corner table, with a booth against the wall to form seats in an L shape for the wall, with three chairs up against the table.

The table already has numerous plates of food and drinks on the table: Meats, vegetables, breads and glasses of water and mead. The food is standard fare, but it is a welcome meal for Cadmus's friends after a long day of journeying and eating rations.

I sat down at the table with my friends. The smell of the roasted meat and fresh bread was strong. I picked up my knife and fork. I moved with the grace Elena and Isolde had drilled into me for years. I kept my elbows off the table. I took small bites. But beneath the manners, a savage hunger clawed at my stomach. I wanted to tear into the meat with my bare hands. I forced myself to eat slowly and stay in control.

I took a drink of the mead and looked at the group.

"Little Happens seems like a safe place for now," I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin. "But we must be careful. We only have twenty-three gold pieces left. If we plan to stay here for a long time, we will need to find a way to earn coin."

I turned my gaze to Meli. She still looked shaken from the children outside.

"Meli, if you are feeling up to it, I think we should enter the Forests of Vestarel soon. We need to find whatever it was that Adam hid for us. It might be the key to saving your family."

I paused and looked around the busy tavern, thinking about the danger that was coming.

"But before we go into the woods, I think we should try to find the leader of this town. I heard his name is Chief Garou. You said he has opposed the Ophidian government for a long time. The Windpikes burned our orchard and took the Gathering. They will not stop there. They will likely try to expand here next. If we warn him, he might become an ally."

All of Cadmus's friends eat as soon Cadmus does. Meli ate the vegetables and bread on her plate with significantly less manners than Cadmus and the Retainers. She doesn't even bother to use utensils, she just eats her food with her hands. The meat on her plate remains untouched. She even subtly, or not so subtly, moves the roast meat on her plate over to Cadmus's plate.

They all listen to Cadmus when he speaks. At the mention of finding a way to earn coin, Elena reassures him, "I'm sure the three of us can find a way to earn payment during our stay if we need to,"

Meli looks to Cadmus when he brings up going into the Forests of Vestarel. She simply nods quietly in response to his inquiry if she's up to going into the forest.

When he brought up going to meet the Chief, Garrick answers, "That would be wise. I'm not sure if we'll be able to catch him tonight. He might be heading home if he hasn't already,"
Isolde adds, "We did arrive at sunset. If Chief Garou isn't at his office tonight, then we can meet with him tomorrow morning. At the very least, I think we can agree that wandering into the forest at night is not a wise idea right now,"

Meli answers in agreement, "It is better to start looking in the Forests in the morning,"

I noticed Meli sliding the roasted meat from her plate to mine. I didn't say anything, but I nodded my thanks. My body needed the food, and she seemed happier with just the bread and vegetables.

I listened to Garrick and Isolde cautioning against going out tonight. I shook my head slightly.

"I did not mean we should go tonight," I clarified quickly. "Isolde is right. Wandering into strange woods in the dark is foolish. And the Chief deserves the respect of a morning meeting, not a late-night intrusion."

I took a long drink of water, feeling the exhaustion of the last two days finally catching up to me. The warmth of the tavern was making my eyelids heavy.

"We all need rest. I am tired deep in my bones. Tonight we sleep in real beds. Tomorrow, we start the work."

I finished the last of the food on my plate.

"Let's finish up and get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us."

The meal does indeed go uninterrupted, and Cadmus is able to find rest in the Moon Rabbit's Respite. Upon checking the two rooms, they find that one of the room has two beds, while the other has two beds and a couch. Elena makes a point to take the larger room with the two beds and couch for the ladies, while Garrick and Cadmus take the smaller room with the two beds.

The night passes by peacefully, and the group is able to have a full night's rest. Soon Cadmus would wake up to the sound of soft music echoing in the air. It's soothing enough to not rouse anyone who are still asleep, but it is there to let those who are awake know that breakfast is being served.

He sees Garrick is awake, and he speaks, "Meli is already up and downstairs. She should have a table for us,"

Should Cadmus go downstairs, he does find that Meli is indeed sitting at the corner table waiting for everyone. Garrick, Isolde, and Elena all join them shortly after and breakfast of eggs and bacon is served to them with glasses of juice.

Garrick speaks up during breakfast, "We have been thinking, Cadmus...We could look around for jobs here to earn coin, while you speak with Chief Garou and head into the forest. What do you think, Cadmus?"

I went downstairs to the smell of food. The eggs and bacon looked amazing. It wasn't quite the same as Elena's pancakes back home. But it was still a warm meal. I sat down next to Meli and started to eat.

Garrick mentioned finding jobs. I chewed slowly and nodded. It was a practical idea. We had some gold left. But it would not last forever.

"I agree, Garrick. We need the coin if we are going to stay here."

I looked at each of them. Elena, Isolde, and Garrick were not just servants. They were my family and they were skilled.

"But please be careful. Do not take work that is degrading. You are skilled people. Make sure they treat you with respect."

I finished my eggs and looked around the busy tavern. I needed to start my own task. I scanned the room for the quick Harengon. I hoped to catch Pacer between his tasks.

---

Isolde chuckles lightly as she answers Cadmus, "You didn't need to tell us that, Cadmus. Of course we'll be sure not to let anyone demean us,"

Looking around in the immediate vicinity, Cadmus does not see Pacer. But, should he take a moment to listen past the soothing music from the bard on the stage, he could hear noise coming from the kitchen. It's clear that someone is cooking in the kitchen. Sure enough, after a few moments, Cadmus would see darting out from the kitchen with dishes of breakfast on a tray, and doling them out to those who are awake, before he hurries back into the kitchen.

Cadmus does try to get his attention, but apparently Pacer was too much in a hurry to hear him. He can easily tell that Pacer isn't intentionally being rude. He just has a lot on his plate right now...pun fully intended.

Thankfully the bard nearby heard him, and she answers him quickly before starting the next song, "You're looking for Chief Garou? The largest house in Little Happens is both his home and office. Find that building, and you find him. You can't miss it. Good luck,"

After that, she begins to play the next song.

I smiled at Isolde. She was right. They had raised me and they knew how to carry themselves better than anyone.

I looked toward the stage where the music came from. The bard had heard me when Pacer did not. She pointed me to the largest house.

"Thank you," I said to the bard. "And thank you for the music."

I turned back to my family at the table. I felt a weight in my chest when I looked at them. They were ready to work immediately. They were trying to be strong for me.

"I know I worry," I admitted softly. "But please listen to me. You do not need to find work today. Or even tomorrow."

I leaned in a little closer to them.

"We just lost our home. We ran through the night. Take a few days to just breathe. Rest. Walk around the town. We have enough gold for now. Let yourselves grieve before you start serving others again."

I looked at Meli next. I kept my voice gentle.

"Meli," I said quietly. "I am going to find Chief Garou now. To talk about the forest and the Windpikes."

I waited a moment.

"You can come with me if you want. But if you want to stay here with Elena, Garrick and Isolde, that is okay too. It is safe here. You choose."

The bard nots and gives a tip of the hat to Cadmus before the next song plays.

All of the retainers look to Cadmus when he reassures them that they can take the time to grieve the loss of the orchard once more. Elena smiles at him gently and she speaks to him, "Thank you, Cadmus. But please, don't worry about us. We'll take what time we need, and we won't forget to help you. You can count on us for that,"

When Cadmus's attention turned to Meli and offered her a choice to go with him, or to stay with the Retainers. He can see her taking a moment to think about it, before she stands up from her seat at the table. She answers him, seriously and with a look of determination to match her voice, "I'm going with you. I can't just sit and do nothing but mope forever,"

She then gives a smile as she makes an irreverent comment, like she used to in the past, while gently nudging him with an elbow, "Besides, someone's gotta make sure you do't get lost in the Forests of Vesteral,"