Welcome to Gaia! ::

Miriam took Yosef's arm and slung it over her shoulders as she put her arm around his waist. Together, they walked the short distance from the stable to the inn and entered the kitchen. Ophelia turned at the sound of the door opening and took in the sight of Yosef hobbling with her daughters help. "Put him on the chair by the hearth dear and then help me get dinner started. We'll talk about your absence later when the customers have gone home." She turned and went back to what she had been doing a moment before.

"Here you go Yosef. Sit here and we'll talk to the mage after I'm done helping mother with dinner. Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes please, if you don't mind. I am rather thirsty," replied Yosef. He was fingering the ring where it laid in his pocket. He was still a bit leery of telling the mage about the ring, but he felt he could trust Miriam to know what was best in this situation. If she believed the ring belonged to him, then who was to say it didn't? Perhaps the mage would be willing to buy it from him and then he wouldn't have to go into town to try and sell it.

Miriam went to the cold box and took out the pitcher of milk, poured a cup and brought it back to Yosef. "Here you go. Don't drink it too fast or you'll give yourself a headache." Yosef took the cup and sipped the milk as Miriam went about getting dinner ready.

Out in the common room, Robinton was once again ensconced in his favorite chair with his harp in his lap. He was tuning the strings and wondering if he would have the pleasure of the young boys voice to accompany him tonight. He enjoyed performing for the customers much more when he had someone to perform with. Miriam was good, but she was usually too busy seeing to the needs of the customers to have time to stop and sing with him. He finished tuning the harp and began to play a quiet song as towns folk began to arrive for the dinner hour.

Yosef heard what the man said about someone being murdered and decided he would not venture into town anytime soon. If there was a murderer loose, he wanted nothing to do with it. He sat on the stool, nursing his ankle and drinking the milk Miriam had given him. Once the constable left, things in the kitchen took on a more animated atmosphere as Miriam and her mother talked about the old man who had died.

"Mother, you knew the old wizard didn't you?" asked Miriam.

Her mother was in somewhat of a dazed state and didn't hear her daughters question the first time it was asked of her. Miriam had to repeat her query before her mother took notice of her.

"Yes dear, I did. Back when your father was still alive, he used to frequent the Inn quite regularly. I haven't seen him in years though," Ophelia replied.

It wasn't often that her mother talked about her father and Miriam wasn't about to let this opportunity pass her by. "What did he and Father have in common Mother, that caused him to come here so often? Was Father interested in magic?"

"Heaven's no child!" replied Ophelia. "It was the old man that was interested in your father's business. They would sit for hours and talk about the running of an establishment like the Inn. Don't ask me why, I never wanted to know, so I never asked. If you want to know more, you should ask Robinton. I believe he visited the wizard now and again, but not until you're done with dinner young lady."

Miriam smiled at her mother and went back to fixing the meal. Her mind had momentarily drifted away from thoughts of Brekke and she worked with a smile on her face, thinking about the questions she would have for the harper when dinner was done.

She fixed Yosef a plate and put it down on a table she moved in front of him. "You sit right there and eat. I'll be back in a bit." Yosef set to eating the food before him and thought about just how lucky he was to have stumbled upon this particular Inn.

Miriam was busy carrying plates of food from the kitchen to the patrons in the common room and caught snippets of Robinton's song, which had been interrupted with the news of the wizards untimely death. It wasn't until she came to the table where Brekke was sitting that she remembered all that had happened just a short time earlier. Their eyes met and she could feel her face starting to heat up with a flush. She quickly retreated into the kitchen and returned with plates for other tables. She made a point of not looking over at his table while she went about her duties.