Chương 59: Chapter 57: Knife to See You Again!

Under the ghostly chef Alfredo's management, the inn's repairs were well underway. It wasn't just my little hovel in a dead town any more, a kitchen all to myself with all the little things I didn't own but that were still mine to use. Now, it was a living place once again - and work was proceeding smoothly. I found the newly minted Innkeeper standing proud, waiting for us as Gelidia and I approached the door. He looked tired but pleased, and looked me up and down to take in the traveler's dress that Ms.

Spruce had made for me with approval. My long blonde hair had been braided so it would stay out of my face, and it hung behind me in a comfy ponytail. I wore the full shawl-apron combination over the skirt and tunic, and I quite liked the effect - the green of the house of Windbinder went well with the gold of my hair and my moon-kissed skin, I thought, and he seemed to agree!

"You clean up nicely!" Alfredo said"Hello again, miss Emily, Your Grace. Let me be the first to welcome you to the Black Sheep." he said, and sketched us a bow. I returned it inexpertly as Gelidia just smiled, and once I'd straightened up, I gave the surprised ghost a big hug!

"Hello again - are you settling in well?" I asked He pat me on the back a couple of times, and nodded as he motioned us inside.

"Yes, yes! Come, come! I have much to show you!" he said in good cheer, and of course we followed him inside. The first thing of course was that the floor no longer had a huge hole in it! That was a big improvement all by itself. The debris was cleared out and the devastation of a piece of masonry crashing through it had been replaced by several carpenters working, laying out joists and hammering away. Not one nail was in evidence, not one that I could see and I turned my attention to the work with curiosity.

I found that... no, no nails were actually being used. Instead, I could see that interlocking wedges of wood were being hammered in and secured instead, and skilled hands were making light work of it before my very eyes, let alone what more I could see with my Synesthesia!

"The Borgermeister, he lent me these two chaps and this young lady!" Alfredo said expansively, and I could see two skeletons, with their phantasmal flesh manifested over their bones just barely visible where their old leather aprons were touching their bodies or where they gripped tools. The third was much harder to see, but I saw a spectral hand operating a saw, and pieced together the faintest outline of a shade as daylight shone through the busted roof through her.

"Fine folks, very skilled! They assure me the floor will be finished by the end of the week, and that the roof is their next task!" he said, and hooked his thumbs in his belt.

"Wonderful, Alfredo. I'm very pleased to see things progressing so smoothly." Gelidia said, hands folded in her lap. She had a travel dress rather like mine - green, of course, with the Windbinder's hawk crest. Hers was a little grander, with silvery brocade and piping, the hawk crest inlaid in bronze, all of it tastefully cut tight to her figure that made me walk into a doorway the first time I'd seen it without her shawl and cloak! Unlike mine, it wasn't a sturdy affair made for its hard-wearing qualities.

Despite the softer fabrics and thinner design, I was assured it would put up with a great deal of punishment, but mostly because it was as phantasmal as she was. It was a shock to me that this was possible, but... once it became hers, the clothing's nature changed in a way I couldn't quantify, and chalked it up to Ms. Spruce's skills and a bit of magic. I was too distracted by the way it cupped her chest and accented her figure with intricate, feminine corsetry to ask questions!

"A week past that, and I think I will have this place whipped into shape. The Borgermeister considers it one of our priorities, I hear. Are we... to expect travelers?" He asked, half hoping, half dubious of the idea of it. After all... he was a shade, a monster - in a town of monsters. Given what I knew about this world so far (that monsters were generally killing machines and not inclined to run an inn or eat food) maybe that was fair.

"Certainly" Gelidia replied, and nodded firmly"I fully intend to make contact with the Republic of Depli in order to open trade routes, and to join with them. They are, after all, the descendents of survivors of the fall of Stormwrack." She said, and sighed"I have no doubt at all this will... pose some challenges, given that this is a town of monsters, but I intend to try." she said, and I nodded in support of her. Alfredo shrugged philosophically about it, raising his eyebrows as he shut his eyes a moment.

When he opened the featureless milky orbs to look back down at her, he smiled.

"Suits me, Your Grace. It means bums on chairs and drinks in hands, food in mouths and heads on pillows." he said.

"I imagine the dungeon here will draw... quite a bit of intrerest from the Adventurous sort!" he said, and Gelidia took that very well, considering it was her ancestral keep he was talking about.

"In fact I'm betting on it, Mr. Gehrman" Gelidia grinned.

"We represent a lost shard of our people's history, a number of forgotten skills and secrets that can be taught and more importantly, learned!" she sounded... cheerful even! She was excited, and it looked good on her. I took her hand, and she didn't even glance - she just linked fingers with me and squeezed tight.

"Well then. Most of the rooms are intact - they simply need cleaning up. Until you find your own arrangements, I am giving you, Your Grace and your consort, the Royal suite." Alfredo said, and produced a heavy bronze key from a key ring at his hip. He unhooked it, and handed it towards her. She half reached out for it before hesitating, and nodding to me. I took it for her, and pocketed it.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Gehrman. That is very kind" She said, and curtsied to him. I didn't try to do it, but we met gazes and I bowed. He bowed in return, and he smiled at me.

"Regrettably, we won't be able to take you up on your generosity just yet." Gelidia said, and I nodded.

"Yeah, we need to send a diplomat to um... establish contact, and..." How do you continue a sentence like that? I'd never even considered the vaguest possiblity of being a DIPLOMAT of all things. It sounded mad!

"I will be going, myself." Gelidia said, putting her hand on my arm. OH. OH THANK GOODNESS. Profound relief washed out of me in a great wave and I let out a breath I hadn't really noticed I'd been holding! Gelidia pretended not to notice. I had no idea how to be a diplomat! She at least had some kind of history of it, even if she'd subsumed her Noble class into her Ghost class. I had no idea, but I wondered what synergies that would have.

With that, I realized I didn't actually know much about Gelidia's classes or their skills. Sure, some general stuff like leverage and a couple of her abilities, but we'd never actually talked about skills and stuff like that. Did she have... social skills? Were there such things? I felt like I remembered something about that, but if I had, I'd only heard about it a while ago.

"And of course I'm coming too - I'm your bodyguard. Besides. I'm pretty sure you're actually b-" and she elbowed me in the ribs as her expression went wooden. I blinked at that, but shut my mouth with a clop! I had no idea why she wanted me to do so, but I figured she'd tell me when we had a moment together alone. Besides, it wasn't like that'd hurt. Alfredo outright decided not to notice. I could actually see him reach the decision not to say anything and decide that it wasn't his business.

"Well. Do you need any supplies? The Pantry, curse of my existence, is yours to use as you see fit of course, and I'd be happy to send a set of cookware with you, Good Hound." He offered, and I nodded gratefully to him.

"That would be perfect. I have a couple things already, but a restock of some supplies would be great!" I said.

"And I still have the soap I didn't take with. Did that finish curing? It's in the basement." I asked, and he nodded.

"Yes. We don't have much in the way of money, but I would be pleased to buy some of that from you. It is a serviceable and useful soap." He held up a bar of the milky white-green stuff, flecked with pretty shimmers in the light. The smell of it was very pleasant to my senses, and I let out a happy sigh as I inspected it.

A Bar of Sage-infused Tallow Soap of Good Quality, Made by Emily Goldtail It had the sage smell, but also a subtle smokey scent to it as well, giving it a bit of extra body that I found very pleasing. The Innkeeper seemed to agree.

"You have twenty eight bars of it in total. I would be pleased to buy them all for four silver each." he said, and I did a little mental math. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"I'd like to take four bars for myself. So that would come to Ninety Six silver?" I asked, and he shrugged.

"Call it a gold piece. Close enough, it's of good quality and it's been a big help already" he said, and made a show of spitting in his palm before offering it to me. I blinked at that, and then at Gelidia.

"It's... a traditional way to seal a bargain." She explained, wincing. But, I spat in my hand too and shook with the shade firmly. Then, he pressed a gold piece into my hand with another handshake, clasping it in his own hands.

"A Journey is a fine thing, Miss Goldtail, Your Grace. The World smiles on the wanderlust of her children, and her blessing will surely follow." he said, and I found myself smiling. The World had certainly been generous with me so far as I rolled with the punches, and I couldn't help but like that kind of goddess.

"She surely will!" I said with a nod, and pulled him into another hug, which he was ready for this time.

"When I get back, do you think I could try working in the inn? I'd love to practice my cookery skill - it's rank C right now, but I have lots of Peasant skill points to throw around!" I asked him, and he blinked at me, clearly taken aback!

"Why, I'd be quite pleased! That nose of yours is worth your weight in gold, Good Hound - when the season comes for it, the mushrooms that grow out in the Western Woods are a delicacy! You will make finding them simplicity itself! Your talent for finding herbs and things will likewise prove a boon." he said, and looked like I'd handed him a winning lottery ticket!

"And you know, that nose of yours will do you no harm at all in the kitchen either. I will teach you!" he said, clearly enthusiastic about the idea. I couldn't help but get a bit excited about it myself! I didn't notice my tail forming or my ears going lupine until they had already, and he gave me a funny look! My tail blurred behind me, fwuff fwuff fwuff, disturbing my cloak.

"That sounds great! I'm excited to learn!" I chirped, and he laughed merrily in a pleasant tenor that was bigger than he was! It transformed his face, turned him from a rail-thin, severe looking man with a very serious mustache and trim little beard into somebody's favorite uncle in the space of a second. I liked how it sounded, and the ease in his face as he gave me a pat on the arm.

"My goodness! I appreciate the enthusiasm!" He chuckled, and nodded.

"Let me go and get your soap, miss." He said, and vaulted the counter in front of the kitchen with a fluid motion that looked natural on him. Then again, I'd seen the man fight in the kitchen once before - using a saucepan lid as a buckler and a butcher's knife as a short sword, he could have been a greek soldier! His grace wasn't a shock to me at all, I realized. Gelidia's hands closed on my ears and I melted as she gave me scritches, digging her fingers into the fuzz she found there as she murmured"Sorry love.

I don't want people to know about the pendant if I can help it. It's a weakness." She explained into my mind. Ah, somebody could use that against us, couldn't they?

"Exactly, my love. Not that I think Alfredo would, but sharing it around serves no good purpose. A very few people know, but you should keep the wolf pendant under your clothes and out of sight." she said as she continued giving me them sweet sweet scritches, turning my legs wobbly a bit! It just felt so good, I could hardly think straight. She blessedly stopped and blinked at me.

"... Does that really feel that good, Emily?" Gelidia asked, and I blushed a little, but didn't deny it.

"That is..." she seemed to struggle a moment with it before continuing"... You're so fearsome and scary, Emily." she said sarcastically, and I shook off a little on instinct, adjusting my hair and cloak a bit afterward.

"The fearsomest!" I agreed, and bludgeoned her a little bit with my tail as I sucked her into a side hug beside me. We stepped apart as Alfredo returned though, and I tried to look serious. Honest. Gelidia gave me side eye as she stood poised as Alfredo approached, vaulting the counter again. I tried to as well, but my tail definitely didn't get the idea and blurred happily behind me with a swiffaswiffaswiffa noise as it battered my cloak some more.

"Here you are then." Alfredo said, and placed two small cloth-wrapped bricks into my hand, and I could feel that each had two bars of the lovely soap. He also produced a stew pot and pressed that on me as well. It was a bit heavier than it looked, and I opened it to discover a saucepan, a spatula, a ladle, and a metal knife. A metal knife! I took it out and looked at it carefully with admiration! I'd seen swords and lucerne hammers and all sorts.

And sure I'd seen the staff using kitchen knives, and I'd borrowed the use of one while I'd helped prepare the Gnocchi, but this was mine. Gehrman Heirloom Chef's Knife, Masterwork Quality made by Yonti the Blacksmith, Old This blade is enchanted to hold its edge This blade is bane against Vegetable-Type Monsters Gelidia blinked. My eyes went wide. Alfredo crossed his arms and watched my reaction as my jaw fell open.

"My gift to you, for giving me hope, and for saving my life. I won't need it any longer, I am retiring as a cook." he announced, and I blinked at him.

"I will teach you everything of the craft that I know, and return to it no longer."

"This... this is... such a handsome gift, Alfredo... I can't accept this!" I protested, offering it back to him, and he shook his head firmly, closing my hand around it again.

"I never had children, and the secrets of my family should not die with me. I have decided to make you my apprentice, Good Hound, and a finer student I think I shall never find - I've spoken with my good friend Rose about you, and you're a good kid" He said firmly, and poked me in the chest"So you had best return safely from your journey, and keep her Grace safe as well." he said, and I nodded at him.

"Okay! I'm looking forward to it!" I said, and he pat my arm as I lifted my head and faced towards the street suddenly, my attention drawn by the approach of my friends. Torch was the first of the three-strong group of adventurers that I'd sensed returning to the inn, but he was not the last - Fel, and then Roxala appeared in my senses shortly afterward. They walked calmly through the town with an aspect of guarded awareness and clear purpose about them that I could nearly taste.

I realized I'd seen them acting like this once before in the Dungeon. They were talking - Fel and Roxala were chatting about the different qualities of whetstones and how they might be used, but it was almost hushed - like they were nervous of things. Torch was in the lead, and his weapons weren't drawn, but his catlike calm and blank expression in my Wolf-Ren looked guarded, watchful. And Roxala, she walked at pace with Felorikaan, and kept her own eyes moving, even as she held a coherent, if quiet, conversation.

They were on guard, they were uncertain of their surroundings and while not openly hostile, they were certainly watchful. Which, honestly, seemed fair. I was pretty sure a fortified town of ghosts and skeletons would be something you normally approached with caution, not a place you could get a room for the night.

"What is it? You have been staring at the doorway for almost a minute." Alfredo asked, dragging my attention back to him. Gelidia was looking at me thoughtfully, her eyes full of understanding, but Alfredo was downright concerned, and hesitating on the verge of touching my shoulder, like he'd spoken to me before and I'd not responded. I blinked at him and smiled.

"Sorry - one second!" I said. A GREETING! Yes! They are Friends! THEY ARE PACK Sort-of! They're nervous - did you see that? RESPECT my wolf said, and I got a rush of something from her, a kind of understanding - she thought this was her territory, her Lady's place, and that everyone else had dang well better be respectful or else! - and I couldn't help but feel the same, when I thought about it later. I met them at the door and scooped Torch up in a sudden hug and a twirl!

He didn't make an undignified noise at ALL as I did so!

"E-Emily! Oh crap!" Torch said, and pulled back the knife he'd been about to plunge into my abdomen.

"World, woman! Don't DO that!" He complained, and I blushed a little, watching him sheathe the blade a moment. Had he really drawn on me like, that quickly? Was that a reflex? So cool! I smiled a little, and felt a little bad for jumping the man. Wolf just felt smug - she'd snuck up on him! There was no malice to the thought I realized, in her own mind she was helping him be a better hunter. If she could surprise him, he wasn't good enough yet!

"Sorry, Torch - you guys find what you were looking for?" I asked, and the scout nodded firmly.

"Yup. The Alderman - what was his name?"

"You mean the one with the skeleton dog Spelt? That's Albert, son of Albert." I offered, and he nodded amiably"Well he showed us around and while had some supplies in storage, it was neither fresh nor what we needed so we couldn't really restock. So" he said, and crossed his arms "Roxala's gonna ask proper-like, but she was wondering if you've got any to trade." he said.

I grinned at him"Sure, I have some things, and I can get you whatever you need I think, but-" I said, and turned my gaze towards the doorway as Fel appeared, smiling warmly. He had his hat-hood down and off his crown, showing a man with mousy gray-brown hair he wore cropped short to his head and a number of whorls and markings in a cobalt blue on his relatively youthful face. Honestly, it was the first really good look I'd gotten at the man for some time, and he just looked a bit more tired.

Excited, wide awake, and smiling kindly at me, but tired. I moved up to his side and gave him a hug too, which he was ready for just before I closed the distance and hugged him. There was laughter in his eyes and bubbling in his voice "Miss Goldtail, Your grace" he said, and nodded to myself, then to Gelidia in turn.

"Hello again, Wizard. And a warm hello to you as well, Dame Roxala" Gelidia said formally as I moved to hug the orc maiden as well. She let me do it, and pat my back once, but then shook me off a bit.

"Let's talk business. Hey Alfredo" Roxala said, nodding to the man"You got a place we can have a little chat semi-private like?" Alfredo nodded firmly, and nodded at the kitchen.

"You can use the kitchen. Private as it comes, I think." He said, and led us in.