<div dir="ltr">I'm putting myself back into MK with a couple new Round Robin sections. This first one follows on directly from "Gallus's Story" I sent out in September.<div> </div><div>----</div><div> </div><div>Before Gallus could respond, the caravans suddenly shuddered to a crawl. "We're here!" the merchant told them. Midtown was a small town normally, but enough caravans were there that it looked like a carnival. Gallus saw Gwayn waving to him and Achem, and so he nodded to the three travellers. "I must return to business. I hope we'll see each other again tonight or tomorrow." Gillie smiled. "Thank you for your time, mister..." "Gallus. I hope you do find your brother. And I hope he hasn't caused any trouble up here." Gwayn and his guards followed the other wagons to a roped-off area that directly adjoined the common green, where several tents had been set up for each party. Instead of following them, Gillie, Timios, and Freya rode with their merchant into town, the dirt roads more lively than ever. "Watch the wagon for me, would you?" the merchant said, rising from his seat. "I'll see if I can find Stefan in this mess." "We will," Gillie waved him off. Freya took out her whetstone and began to sharpen one of her blades. "How long were you going to tell us you were seeking your husband-to-be?" Timios asked. "Didn't matter until now. It may still not matter, depending on how the curse took him. But I believe our paths have crossed for a reason, just as my man and your brother's have. Are you two both still headed for Metamor as planned?" "Of course," Gillie said. "If what Gallus said is true, everything we need to know is there." "I see." Freya was silent for a moment in thought. "I will continue to Metamor tonight on foot. Perhaps we will meet in the marketplace, but if not, I thank you for your company." "Leaving already?" Gillie was astounded, as Timios held in a sigh of relief. "But surely we could help each other. Someone may have heard something about your fiance or my brother, and surely it will be easier if we work together." "My business with Reed is a personal one, and not one that needs a chaperone. If you really need to find me, just look around. I will find you first." "Well, if we don't, you were very pleasant company to ride with," Timios said with an insincere smile. It seemed to Gillie that he could not, for even an instant, conceal his true feelings. For her part, Freya kept her feelings to herself. She dismounted and had disappeared into the crowd within an instant. ---- The first problem came when he tried to enter the inn. Every corner of the bar was packed with travellers and soldiers of all kinds. Some looked like common guards, even bandits. Others looked to be knights and captains. Some were plainly garbed merchants; others were richly garbed merchants. Some held themselves as if they weren't merchants. More than a few were speaking in foreign tongues; some looked to be from the Southlands, or even the Eastern deserts. How many friends could one fox have? "No room," said the gruff innkeeper. That was plain enough, even with the din. "You want a drink, pay upfront." "I'm looking for Stefan," the merchant replied. "Where is he?" "Busy with the rest of you. You gonna order something or what?" "Actually, I'm looking to sell." "I have enough merchants in here, I don't need some Sathmoran..." The innkeeper stopped and gave him a second glance, snapped his fingers for one of the serving girls to handle the bar, and then walked up to the merchant with a smile. "Sorry about that, Isador. We're all on edge here. We got more people here than over a decade, and most of them keep grumbling about the curse. I gotta keep one eye on the bar, and on the rooms, and on any fight about to break out. Us normal folks are ready for them to be gone tomorrow." Isador offered a polite hand to shake. "No apologies needed. Is there anywhere quieter we can talk?" "If you want to talk, come back in the morning when no one's left to drink. If you just Stefan, you'll find him at the tents outside of town. Better yet, sell it yourself. Most people here are in a buying mood." "I've got potatoes and spices. You think you could use any back there?" The innkeeper grinned. "How much?" "Two sacks, and whatever you fancy. I've got rosemary, parsley, chives, coriander, cloves, pepper, mustard..." "Hey, hey, we ain't that fancy. We'll take pepper, and ginger if you have any. The rest, you oughta take to the tents, they've got rich men aplenty who'll eat that. Can you believe it, how much some people are willing to pay just to keep the riffraff out?" "I'd be surprised if they didn't. Most rich folk prefer a castle to sleep in." The innkeeper laughed. "Then it's no wonder why we get none here in Midtown." </div></div>