A New Hope (Tales From a Second-Hand Wand Shop Book 4)

by Robert P. Wills

  “Don’t forget our breakfast date tomorrow,” reminded Nulu.

  Grimbledung waved over his shoulder as he trotted out of the establishment. “Got it!”

  “I really worry about that Gnome.” Chéri offered.

  “Breakfast date?” asked Drimblerod.

  “Tell you later,” said Nulu. “It’s an unusual, long story. First let’s deal with matters at hand.”

  “Maybe later then,” suggested Drimblerod.

  With nods all around, everyone returned to eating with only small talk to keep them all company.

  Chapter 8

  Settling In

  “Well I’m going to head back to the shoppe,” said Drimblerod. “I’m glad we were able to work this out amicably.” He shook his head. “A little peace and quiet would be nice for a change.”

  “I agrrrree,” said Akita. “At my current salary, I am definitely overworked.” He let his tongue hang out. “I’m bushed. Wonder if I get any paid vacation.”

  Nulu gave Constable Akita a double take. “Vacation?”

  “Sure. Now I got someone who can watch the town while I’m away.” He pointed at Colossus. “Havin’ a deputy’s gonna work out real nice.”

  “You’re going to run off right before the celebration?”

  “Mayhap.” Akita shrugged at Nulu. “What could go wrrrrong?”

  “I suppose. All we have to do is keep Grimbledung’s grubby little mitts out of any planning for the jamboree, and I think we’ll be fine.”

  “How could he cause problems with a simple thing like a jamboree?” asked Liverioso.

  “Remember Aution?”

  Liverioso nodded at Nulu.

  “It’s not around anymore thanks to Grimbledung’s First Annual Gatherer’s Division Jamboree. That became, as Rat calls it ‘The Great Aution Conflagration.’”

  Semfeld sat back. “Gads.” He glanced at the door the Gnome had left through. “And you still keep him around?”

  “He’s not nearly as unstable now.”

  Nulu glanced at Drimblerod. “Well, there’s nowhere to go but up.”

  Drimblerod snapped his fingers. “Oh, except he’s a WereGnome now, so if he gets too agitated, he may …change.”

  “OK, so back to Liv’s question,” began Chéri.

  “He’s fine,” assured Drimblerod. He too looked at the door. “Really.”

  Akita stood. “Well, I’m going to go have a chat with someone about rrrrecent events.”

  “From what I’ve heard of it, I’d love to hear an explanation for that display,” said Nulu. “The crowd’s comments were that it was most impressive.” She prodded the Werewolf in the side. “You sure know how to pick them, Akita.”

  Akita shook his head. “I’m not being paid enough for the events in this town,” he said as he too stood. “Come by the constabulary in a couple of hours Colossus and I’ll make you official.” He looked between Chéri and Colossus then smirked. “Ahhh, or how about in the morning?”

  Colossus nodded at the constable. “That sounds better, Constable.”

  With a wave, Akita left the diminishing number of people at the table.

  “Well, I think I’m going to head back to the shoppe and see about making some sales before the day ends,” said Drimblerod as he stood. “Rat tends to sleep more than actually assist customers. I’ll see you folks later.” He smiled at Chéri and the two Magician Guild Enforcers. “Welcome to Julesville. May fate smile on you, all.”

  Fate looked over and shrugged. A smile was hard to come by from Fate. Shrugs? She would give those out all day long.

  “Am I invited to breakfast?” Drimblerod said to Nulu.

  “Yes, that would be a good idea, Drim.” Nulu stood. “Well, I’ve got a business to tend to, so if you’ll excuse me,” said Nulu. “Tell the clerk at the desk that you need two rooms and I’ve forwarded you credit for them,” she said to Chéri. “How does half board sound?”

  “That’s very kind of you, Nulu,” said Chéri. “And I’m good for it. Later this evening I will send word to the guild that I need money from my accounts there transferred here. I can’t imagine it will take more than a month, two tops to arrive.” She glanced mischievously at Colossus. “That is if the delivery isn’t interfered with by any rogue soldiers.”

  “What?” Colossus’ eyes got large. “Are you saying that Halfling soldiers would resort… to… well…” He frowned.

  “I’m teasing, love.” She leaned on him. “Besides, I’m sure the wagon trains are well armed and can manage some rabble.”

  Colossus’ eyes got even larger. “Rabble? Are you saying that a group of trained Halfling soldiers would have a hard time taking a simple wagon train? They would be assured overwhelming success, I am sure.” After he realized what he said, he looked down at the table. “What I mean is...”

  “Yes?”

  “You’re in the right way to a smart bottom, lady.”

  “Here’s hoping,” said Chéri.

  Liverioso shook his head. Well, I apprethiate you loaning us some money to get tharted up, Chéri. We’ll make sure it happens thooner instead of later.”

  “Oh?” Chéri smiled at him. “You have a plan already? Do tell.”

  Liverioso nodded. “It theems to me that with Aution destroyed, there’s plenty of wood there that’s free for the taking. All we need is a couple of wagons and we can go get enough to put together a shop of our own with maybe living space as well.” He shrugged. “It couldn’t take more than a couple of trips and then we hire….”

  “Liverioso, that’s a brilliant idea.” Semfeld patted his partner on the shoulder. “I say we head out first thing in the morning and get the lay of Aution and bring back the first load. A place for the cost of a wagon rental and some cases of nails.” He smirked. “And a couple of hammers, augers, and saws, if course.”

  “You know, that’s not a bad idea,” said Colossus.

  “What?” asked Liverioso. “No, what I…”

  Colossus put his hands on the table. “I’m of a mind to follow you two out there and see about getting some wood to build a little cottage of my own.” He glanced at Chéri. “How’s a cottage sound, Buttons?”

  “But…” said Liverioso.

  “Splendid.” Chéri beamed. “Absolutely splendid. But remember you’ve a meeting with Constable Akita in the morning. I’ll go with Sem and Liv and see what we can see.”

  Colossus frowned.

  “We’ll be fine, Col,” assured Chéri. “After what we’ve been through, a wagon ride to Aution will be a pleasant day out.”

  Colossus looked at the pair of Humans. They had, after all, gotten Chéri to him safe and sound from thousands of leagues away, and from just the little he had heard, remained honorable in their actions, even rescuing her from certain death three times.[2] “That sounds good it me.”

  “Whath I meant wath…” Liverioso pursed his lips.

  “Well, if you want,” said Semfeld. “We can see what the livery has as far as wagons and what it will take to rent one for the day and let you know tonight.”

  “I’m going to be busy tonight,” said Chéri. Almost too quickly.

  There was a long pause around the table.

  “Oh. Well. How about the morning then?”

  Chéri nodded. “That will work better, I think.” She stole a glance at Colossus. “Not too early though.”

  “Okay,” said Liverioso.

  “About nine then?” Chéri asked as she stood. She looked down at Colossus. “You coming along?”

  “Abso-Lord-High-Priest-lutely.”

  Semfeld nodded. “Well then, Liverioso and I will go by the livery and arrange for another wagon for the morning.” He patted his partner’s shoulder. “Let the clerk know we’ll get our accommodations later.”

  “See you at breakfast then,” said Chéri.

  Semfeld stood. “Great. See you two at breakfast.” He grabbed his partner by the shoulder and the pair left the table as quickly as was polite.

 
; “I thought they’d never leave,” said Colossus. As he stood, he swept Chéri into his arms and kissed her. “You, my dearest, I have missed.” He hesitated. “Dearly.”

  “Ever the poet.” Chéri giggled at the Halfling. “If you get our bags off the wagon, I’ll get the rooms arranged and meet you upstairs. I’ll leave the door open so you know which one is ours.”

  “Oh, I’ll be right there,” said Colossus as he practically jogged for the side-door. “Right there,” he called over his shoulder. He banged into the door, pushing it open as he hit it. He spun in a circle and was off like a shot.

  Chéri moved through the tavern and through the curtain. Ducking under it, she went to the counter. There was an ancient looking Dwarf at it. “Hello, good Dwarf. Miss Nulu has arranged for a couple of rooms for me and my friends.” It was still strange to hear herself saying out loud the humans were her friends. Friends just weren’t things she had. Or used to have. “If we can get a room with two beds, and one with one big bed, that would be great.”

  The Dwarf turned and looked at the keys hanging behind him. “Got a couple of those. You want them side by side with your companions?”

  Chéri smirked. “Actually, no. How about one on one end of the hall and one on the other? I want to be able to look them in the eye in the morning.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing. If you can put a little space between them, please.”

  The Dwarf nodded and took two keys off pegs. “One oh one and one oh six. Opposite ends of the hallway.” He raised an eyebrow on her. “That good enough?”

  “Hopefully.”

  “That’ll be a silver a day for the two.”

  Chéri held up her hands. “Oh, we’re on half-board as well. Nulu said.”

  “Then you’re looking at three silver a day for the pair then.” The Dwarf narrowed his eyes at the Gnomess. “Nulu said?”

  “She’s extended me credit until my funds arrive,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “Funds that are gon’ta arrive?”

  Now Chéri narrowed her eyes. “Yes, from the Assassin’s Guild. I have funds arriving shortly.”

  The Dwarf’s eyes un-narrowed. “No offence meant, Miss. It’s just it’s not often the boss extends credit.” Now his face scrunched up. “Except for those two Gnomes. I don’t think they’ve paid full price for a meal since we set up here. Course they do tip well, so...”

  “Well, my credit is good for the two rooms and meals, I assure you.”

  The Dwarf waved a hand at her. “Fine by me. Just fill in the register for the rooms and that will…” he was cut off as Colossus barged under the curtain holding three backpacks. He was out of breath.

  “You stayin’ here too, I take it?”

  “I am,” said Colossus as he breathed deeply.

  “Ya run here, or something?”

  “Had to get wagon to the livery. Run back with bags,” he said breathlessly.

  “In a hurry?”

  Colossus eyed Chéri hungrily. “Yeah.”

  The Dwarf looked from the Halfling to the Gnomess and back. “Youth.” He shook his head. “It’s wasted on the young. So you two’ll be in one oh six with the one bed. Who’s in the other room, then?”

  “Couple of Magician Guild Enforcers. Two human males.”

  The Dwarf looked at Colossus. “An assassin, two enforcers, and what’re you, sonny?”

  “The town’s new deputy.”

  “Well, we could use one of those in town,” said the Dwarf. “Definitely use one of them. Maybe two even.”

  “The two enforcers will pick up their key later, if that’s alright.” Colossus put two of the packs on the counter. “This is theirs.”

  “Ya don’t have time to take the key, run the bags up to their room, then bring the key back, do ya?”

  Colossus shook his head. “No. No, Sir, I do not.” He eyed Chéri again. “I’ve got... other things on my mind.”

  “Off with you two youngsters then,” said the Dwarf. “Want a snack sent up in an hour or so?” He handed the key to Chéri. “I don’t imagine you’re coming down till the morning from the looks of this lad.”

  Colossus shrugged the backpack on. “Not very likely, good Dwarf.” He moved forward and tossed Chéri over his shoulder. “Some snacks and wine would be excellent.” He grinned. “In an hour” he glanced at Chéri’s bottom. “Maybe an hour and a half.” With that he bounded up the stairs.

  “Youth,” tut-tutted the Dwarf as he slid the two packs behind the counter. He thought back to his own younger days, centuries ago. “I’ll give ‘em two hours, I think.”

  Semfeld and Liverioso moved down the street towards the livery Stable. “Uhm, Sem?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you know anything about building… anything?”

  Semfeld shrugged. “What’s to know? You put boards together in the shape of what you want. Then nail them together. If anything is sticking out, you cut that part off.”

  “I don’t think it’s as easy as that.”

  “Well, if we get in over our heads, we can see about hiring a few day-laborers. Right?”

  “Right. Thath sounths good.” Liverioso put his arm on his partner. “We’ll be back in buthiness in no time.”

  As they walked, Colossus barreled by in the wagon.

  “He’th in a hurry.”

  “We could’a taken care of the wagon if he’d have asked,” said Liverioso. “I think his judgment is clouded.”

  “Most likely.”

  The pair rounded a corner onto the street the livery stable was situated.

  Just as they reached the stables, Colossus barged out of it, running full tilt towards the Duck Inn and Dine.

  “Hey, we can take our…” Said Semfeld to the running Halfling, but it was too late; he rounded a corner and was out of sight. “I hope he doesn’t drop our bags.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah, I don’t think he’d stop to pick them back up again.” Semfeld opened the door to the livery stable. “After you.”

  Liverioso gave a short bow and the two entered the stable.

  Chapter 9

  Breakfast, First. Aution Second

  Semfeld and Liverioso sat at the table eating their breakfast. “You know, this is good, but it’s not the Are and Eee or Eee and Are.”

  Liverioso nodded at his partner. He had an entire egg in his mouth.

  “Slow down. Chew your food,” warned Semfeld. He picked up his cup of coffee and slurped it noisily. “You gotta show you have manners, you know.”

  Chéri pushed around the curtain. “Morning all,” she said to the room. Several patrons replied in kind, others nodded. She stretched as she walked to the table, dancing on her toes as she got there.

  “Good night’s sleep?” Liverioso asked.

  She dropped down to the flats of her feet. “Eventually, yes.”

  “Fine, fine. Let’s not have any more of that, if you please,” said Semfeld. “It’s going to get uncomfortable.”

  Chéri laughed. “All right. All right, I’ll tone it down.” She sat at the table. “So what’ve we got to eat?”

  “Some hard boiled eggs, some toast, jam, and coffee.”

  “No pancakes?”

  Semfeld shook his head.

  Chéri put out her lower lip. “It’s no Are and Eee or Eee and Are.”

  Semfeld nodded. “True.”

  “Maybe we can suggest pancakes and syrup.”

  “Well, it’s hard to complain when the meal’s free.”

  Chéri stared at Liverioso.

  “What?”

  Chéri spread her hands out across the table. “This isn’t free. It’s on my tab. Did you even ask for pancakes?”

  Liverioso looked down at the table. “Well, no. Thith is what they brought out.”

  Chéri huffed and raised a hand over her head. She waved it around. After a few moments, a server approached the table.

  “What’cha need?” Asked the young Human.

  “Panc
akes and syrup if you have them?”

  The server nodded. “Sure, sure. Want some bacon to go…”

  “Yes!” Interrupted Semfeld.

  The server glanced at him. “Anything else?”

  Semfeld blushed. “Some juice?” He added meekly.

  “You’re getting a ‘no’ on the juice; the juicer hasn’t been by today. The rest is coming right up, though.” With that, the waiter left to fetch the additional items.

  “You never know what you’ll get unless you ask for it.”

  Semfeld nodded at Chéri. “That’s a good life lesson.”[3]

  “So,” Chéri rubbed her hands together, “what’s the story with the wagons?”

  Liverioso had another egg in his mouth, so Semfeld spoke up: “Well, we talked to the livery owner and she was willing to let us have two wagons to go with the one we already have.” He took a sip of his coffee. “And we worked out a deal where we’d give her nieces a birthday celebration in payment so we’re not out any coins up front.”

  “Not her own kids?”

  “She didn’t mention them; just nieces.”

  “So just one birthday celebration for the use of two wagons?” Chéri poured herself some coffee. “Nice.”

  Liverioso shook his head. “No, one per kid. For the year. She has five nieces, so five celebrations and we can use the wagons three days.”

  “In a row?”

  Semfeld opened his mouth and then closed it. “We just agreed to three days. I don’t think they need to be in a row.”

  Liverioso nodded.

  “Well, that sounds like you got a good deal then.”

  “She got the good deal.”

  “Oh?”

  “Well, typically a party hosted by the Magician’s Guild costs you two silver, one to the magician, one to the guild. So she’s gotten five of those for using wagons that probably sit most of the time anyway.”

  Chéri nodded as she drank her coffee.

  “Of course, it’s really good advertisement. All those kids who come to the festivities will want one of their own and they’ll have to pay full price.” Semfeld smiled around his coffee cup.