Through the Looking Pool: Dragon Sin #3 (Dragon Shifter Romance) E-Book

Mac Flynn

• Herausgeber: Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Caitlin’s romantic time alone with Asher is again spoiled by trouble in their fantastical world. A letter arrives from an expensive mountain resort pleading for their help, and out of curiosity they travel to the hot springs. When they arrive not only are the guests stampeding to get to the healing waters, but so are the wild animals.

After the dust settles Cait is introduced to the Proxy, the elf who is second only to the reclusive Manager as leader of the elves. From him they learn that trouble has plagued them for months and the situation grows more dire with each passing day. The other residents of the mountain are not helping matters, as the village of the aware-hares now believes that the elves have lost their mandate from the god of the hill, Athas, and only the hares remain as the one true children of their deity. That pits their ambitious explosive digging against the concerns of the Proxy as more than wild animals shake up the place.

Cait and company have a monumental task before them to bring peace to the mountain and resolution to the Proxy’s troubles. While trouble piles on top of trouble, Caitlin finds herself being pushed away by her dragon lover. Between the mountain rumblings and Asher’s increasing aloofness, Caitlin begins to wonder if something more isn’t going on, both among the dying trees and her lover’s dying affection. Determination and a stubborn head will lead her to the truths, but will it get her out of it alive?

Leseprobe

Through the Looking Pool

Dragon Sin, Book 3

Mac Flynn

Copyright © 2021 by M. Flynn

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Continue the adventure

Other series by M. Flynn

1

Another day, another kidnapping. My kidnapping.

“Don’t you ever get tired of this?” I snapped at my kidnapper.

The witch cackled and did a loop-the-loop that sent my empty stomach tumbling. I had once more been caught unawares on my balcony, and the same witch had grabbed me, this time by the scruff of my neck.

“Hold on, Cait!” Asher shouted from the ground as he flew along the road atop the box on Ratatoskr’s vehicle. The rat-man himself was spinning the wheel like turning was about to go out of style.

“There’s not much to hold on to,” I retorted as I looked at the scenery around me. “Unless you count her petticoats.”

“This isn’t a joy ride!” the witch scolded me as she dipped the front of the broom and cracked me atop the head.

I saw red. The witch screamed as I reached up and yanked on her ragged dress. The ancient cloth tore away and revealed her pink bloomers.

“You little bitch!” she screamed as the broom shuddered under the tremor of rage in her voice. “This was my grandmother’s dress!”

“And this is just for you!” I snapped back as I swung my legs over the back of the broom and crossed them behind her.

I grabbed the front of the broom with one hand and lifted myself up to grab the back of her bowed head. With a quick yank backward I forced the witch forward and she smashed her long, twisted nose into her own broom handle.

That sent us into a tailspin dive. I tilted my head back and watched the upside-down world spin toward a small shop with a familiar sign over the door.

“Drop!” Asher shouted at me.

I released my grip on the broom and fell the fifty feet to Asher’s waiting arms. He caught me and Ratatoskr punched on the brakes. The funny machine screeched to a halt as the screeching witch slammed into the top floor of the building, barely missing the tiny window. She slid down the wall and dropped in a heap onto the ground. Her broomstick hid the hard dirt first and she followed with a resounding crack as the wood stick broke beneath her.

The door to the small office opened and Galen stepped out. He folded his arms over his chest as he inspected the huddled mass at his doorstep, followed by a sigh. “Get her in here.”

Ratatoskr leaned over the wheel and wrinkled his long, furry nose. “I say we throw her into the bay and see if she melts.”

Galen smiled. “If you’ll do the honors.”

The rat’s face paled a little. “Not on your life, Doc!”

“Then drag her in here,” Galen repeated with a twinkle in his eyes. “Maybe I can do something about that nose of hers.”

Asher hopped out of the vehicle and set me on my feet. I winced as a shot of pain came from the lump atop my head. “Owie. . .” I murmured.

“Let me have a look,” Asher requested as he examined me.

“It’s a good thing my head is hard,” I mused.

“It’s a good thing your underwear is thick, too,” Ratatoskr spoke up as he hefted the witch off the ground by her armpits.

I stared blankly at him until I realized what he meant. When I had crossed my legs over the back of the broom my nightshirt had hung down, giving the pair a great view of my underwear. Asher shot him such a glare that the rat wilted. He scurried backward, dragging the witch head-first into the doctor’s office.

My cheeks felt as red as coals as I tugged on the bottom of my long nightshirt. “So you guys got a good view, huh?”

“I’m not complaining,” Asher replied.

Smack!

Or at least that would’ve happened if Asher hadn’t caught my hand before it connected with his cheek. He gave me a cheeky smile, too, and his eyes glistened with mischief. “Nothing was revealed to us other than the color,” he assured me.

“That’s enough. . .” I muttered as I pulled my hand out of his light grip.

Asher drew off his long coat and draped it over my shoulders. His dazzling smile soothed some of my frayed nerves as he set his hands on my upper arms. “Maybe some of my coffee will make you feel better.”

I winced, but let him lead me into the doctor’s office. “I’m not so sure about that. The last time I tried your coffee I spoke so fast even I could barely understand myself.”

“Then some tea,” he suggested with an exaggerated sigh. “But I still think my coffee is much maligned.”

“And for good reason,” Doc spoke up as we joined him in this office. The witch sat in the small padded chair and he was seated on his customary stool. He inspected the witch’s now-straightened nose and gave it a rap with his finger.

The witch yelped and shot up. She rubbed her bruised schnoz and glared at him. “What’d you do that for?”

He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at me. “For giving my friend here an unwilling ride.”

She shrank down in the chair and turned her face away. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted a pretty thing to play with.”

“I recommend dolls,” Galen replied, but a wicked glint in her eyes made him correct himself. “Not voodoo dolls.”

She wrinkled her nose and winced as her snout reminded her it was injured. “You’re no fun, Doc.”

“I’m quite fun, but outside of business hours,” Galen assured her as he put some gauze on her schnoz.

I glanced at the door. “Do you ever close?”

Galen slyly smiled. “Not often.” He cast a quick look at me and frowned. “But you look as though you could use a vacation. Perhaps a bit of fresh air would be better for you.”

I rubbed my bruised head. “It might be safer.”

“There is a fine place to settle for a quiet week in the mountains to the west,” Galen continued as he grabbed a folded bit of paper and handed it to me. The words emblazoned over the front read Earrach an Athas.

“What does that mean?” I asked him.

“‘Spring of Delight,’” he translated. “It’s the name given to it by the elves.”

My eyes widened. “There are elves in this world?”

He nodded. “Yes, though they prefer to stay away from human cities. They consider our architecture to be rather uncouth.”

Asher studied the good doctor with an arched eyebrow. “This suggestion wouldn’t happen to be because there’s been trouble there recently, would it?”

Galen’s eyes twinkled and his couldn’t hide the twitch at the corners of his lips that moved upward. “I wasn’t aware of any trouble, though if you happen to find the source, there would be many grateful people.”

I looked from one man to the other. “What kind of trouble?”

The witch’s pointed ears perked up. Galen noticed and finished taping off her nose. “That is as much as I can do for you today. Come back tomorrow and we shall see if there is any permanent damage.”

The witch’s face paled. “You don’t think it’ll straighten, do you, Doc?”

“Only if you keep kidnapping damsels from their balconies,” he warned her as he led her to the door. “And if you crash into my office again I won’t be giving you any of that boil cream.”

The witch’s eyes bulged out of her head. “I swear on Gaea that I won’t hurt her again!”

“Or anyone else,” Doc added.

“Or anyone else!” she swore as she grabbed the remains of her ruined broomstick and scurried off into the cool morning.

“She’s trying to get rid of boils?” I asked Doc as he shut the door behind her.

He smiled and shook his head. “On the contrary. Boils are a sign of beauty among her coven, so I give her a bottle to enhance her natural, ahem, assets.”

Ratatoskr beat me to the question that gnawed on my thoughts. “So what’s this about trouble at Athas?”

Galen took a seat on his stool and sighed. “I received a letter two weeks ago asking for advice on a recent spat of illnesses that struck some of the guests. The concern was that the illness came from one of the hot spring pools, since they had all shared one earlier that day.”

“Did it?” I asked him.

“No,” he replied as he pulled out a nearby drawer and handed the letter to Asher. “I traced the source of the illness to food poisoning.”

Asher scanned the letter and arched an eyebrow. “This is signed by the Manager himself.”

“Shouldn’t it be?” I wondered.

“The Manager of Athas is quite a recluse. Even I’ve never seen him,” Asher admitted as he handed back the letter. “How did you trace the source?”

Galen’s eyes practically danced with glee as he put the letter back. “Through some fecal matter provided by the patients.” Ratatoskr and I stuck out our tongues. “Ratatoskr himself delivered the package to me only a few days ago.”

The rodent glared at the good doctor. “That was a dirty trick!” I couldn’t help but snort, and Doc laughed out loud. When Ratatoskr realized his words he sheepishly grinned at our smiling faces. “Oh, I see. . .”

Galen turned back to Asher. “What trouble have you heard about?”

“I received a letter myself, though not about food poisoning,” Asher admitted as he reached into the jacket I wore. “Pardon me.”

“It’s no-” I felt a strange sensation like a ripple run over the coat before he pulled out an envelope. I looked down at myself, but saw nothing.

Asher didn’t take notice of my confusion, but handed the envelope to Galen. He opened the broken seal and read the letter that was inside. It was his turn to arch an eyebrow. “Hexes among the staff?”

“And a letter I received only a few days ago mentioned a curse or two,” Asher added.

“The hot springs have changed a great deal since I last traveled there,” Galen mused as he returned the letter.

“I’d wager they’ve changed a lot since the updates they did a couple months ago,” Asher mused as he tucked the letter back into his coat. I felt that strange ripple run through the coat again.

Ratatoskr wrinkled his furry nose. “Didn’t they add on to the inn?”

“And tamed a few more pools,” Asher reminded him.

“Is that important?” I asked my knowledgeable companions.

“The mountain on which Athas sits is considered sacred to many different peoples,” Galen explained.

“Half of them want to shut it off to everyone and the other half wants to turn it into a massive prayer center,” Asher agreed as he cupped his chin in one hand. “This expansion falls between both of them, so neither side is happy about it.”

I winced. “That sounds like a mess.”

Ratatoskr folded his furry arms over his chest and shook his head. “Better off not doing anything about it.”

Asher cast a look at me. “What do you say?”

I blinked at him. “Me?”

“It’s a nice place to relax,,” he admitted.

“Even with the hexes and poisonings?” I countered.

He flashed me his adorable grin. “I’ll be right there to nurse you.”

“She would be better off with Ratatoskr nursing her,” Galen chimed in as he stood. “But if you intend to go there, you had best hurry. The next train leaves in an hour.”

All eyes were on me. I sighed, but couldn’t help but smile as I shrugged. “I guess this place is starting to get boring. I mean, it’s been a whole ten minutes since my last adventure.”

2

A half hour later found me looking out the window of the swiftly floating train. The countryside stared back at me in all its green glory. From small farms to quaint villages, the lands around the city of Tras were beautiful. However, I noticed my companion wasn’t enjoying the view.

I fell back against my seat and smiled at Asher. “You’re not mad, are you?”

“Why should I be?” he answered with a little more snap than was usual for him.

I nodded at the figure seated across from us. “He said he needed a break from Doc.”

“And I do,” Ratatoskr chimed in as he readjusted himself in the overly large seat. “Why don’t they make these things smaller? Or maybe add a cushion or two.” He glanced out the window and wrinkled his whiskers. “And why are we going so slow?”

“So we don’t fly off the tracks,” Asher pointed out.

“I could make these tracks more efficient with a little more speed, then we could get to Athas faster than sneaks at a chook barbie,” Ratatoskr mused.

I looked up at Asher who sighed. “Chicken cooked over coals.”

“Oh. So what is this Athas place like?” I asked him. “You said something about neither side being happy with changes.”

He leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. “The expansions spread up the mountain closer to the peak, which is where the remains of a few ancient temples sit. Those are sacred to aware-hares, while the pools are sacred to the elves.”

“You’re forgetting about the firfream,” Ratatoskr chimed in.

Asher shook his head. “I didn’t forget them, I’m just not including them.”

I tilted my head to one side. “Why not? What are they?”

“Legendary creatures said to inhabit the woods that grow along the entire mountain,” Asher told me.

“Lemme try this one,” Ratatoskr pleaded as he climbed atop his seat and raised his arms above his head. “They’re supposed to be this tall and-” He stretched out his arms on either side of him. “This wide. They shuffle through the trees on their long, sticky legs and snatch naughty children from their beds to eat up!”

“You’ve been listening to Sybil too much,” Asher scolded him.

I furrowed my brow as I recalled that name. “Isn’t she the aware-hare who took a look at me?”

“And one of the few who use their skills to help others besides her own kind,” Asher confirmed.

“And they know what they’re talking about,” Ratatoskr insisted as he sat back down. “They’ve been on that mountain forever.”

“And according to legends no one has seen a firfream forever, or ever,” Asher reminded him.

Ratatoskr slumped down in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. “I still think they’re real. I mean, who made that huge temple on that top of Athas? The hares?”

“The ancestors to the elves could have easily built them,” Asher pointed out.

Ratatoskr turned his face away and wrinkled his nose. “I still think it’s firfream. . .”

“So how can we help them with these troubles?” I asked Asher.

A cloud darkened his brow as he shook his head. “I won’t know until we get there. The elves might not even be reading the signs right.”

“Signs?”

“Hexes and curses are similar, but come from different magic and are dealt with in different ways,” Asher explained. “Likewise with the poisons. It may have been an accident, or it may have been intentional.”

“But all at the same time and so soon after the expansion?” I reminded him.

He bowed his head and frowned. “That’s what makes me think it isn’t just a coincidence, but we’ll just have to see.”

We passed along the tracks for several more hours, passing dozens of stops at stations big and small. The mountains I had seen in the distance from Rosebud Manor grew closer until we found ourselves at the foothills. We disembarked with a couple dozen other passengers at a large station with a new boardwalk and station office. The gentle slope of the tree-covered mountains rose up from the station and climbed westward high into the sky. A long, winding road disappeared into the thick trees. There wasn’t any sign of a shack, much less a lodge.

Behind the station, a long line of elegant two-horse carriages waited. Asher led us up to one and the driver hopped down. He wore a top hat and cowl over his dusty uniform. The man swept his hat off his head and bowed low to us, and I saw he wasn’t a man at all. His long ears were pointed and when he looked up I could see a strange mixture of colors in his eyes, like swirling pools of paint.

He put his hat back on and smiled at us. “Good afternoon. Are you expected at the lodge?”

“Not quite. I received a letter from the lodge asking for my help,” Asher informed him as he drew out the letter and handed it to the elf.

The driver lifted the paper to the sunlight and inspected the contents. He smiled and handed the letter back. “It all checks out, Lord Nilogh. I would be glad to drive you up so you can speak with Proxy Iston.”

“Is the Manager available?” Asher inquired.

The elf’s face blanched a little before he shook his head. “No, Lord Nilogh, but Proxy Iston will be glad to answer any questions you might have.”

“Very well. Take us.”

Our bags were packed and we climbed inside. The other guests were hurried into their own vehicles, and soon our driver cracked the reins and we set off, followed by a long train of carriages filled with laughter and chatter.

Asher leaned out the window and addressed our driver. “Aren’t we heading out a little earlier than usual?”

“Yes, sir, by orders of the Proxy,” the driver confirmed.

“Who’s this Proxy Iston?” I asked my companions.

Asher dropped back into his seat. “The Proxy to the Manager.”

Ratatoskr snorted. “More like an Proxy to a ghost.”

“I’m guessing nobody sees much of this guy,” I mused.

“Or at all,” Ratatoskr confirmed with a solemn nod. “I’ve even heard he doesn’t exist and they just keep the title around so that they can take some sick satisfaction out of telling people who are complaining that they can’t see the manager.”

“Don’t tell me you don’t think the manager exists,” Asher teased our rodent friend.

Ratatoskr crossed his arms and glared back at him. “I’m not about to believe in spirits and spooks, and especially about only one person having the eyes for a job.”

I blinked at him. “The eyes?”

Asher tapped the side of his face close to his eye. “All elves have eyes that can see the spirits in the woods, but rumors have it that only the Manager has the colors that can see the Great Spirit of the Mountain and appease it so that the lodge can continue to operate.”

“What color do they need?” I asked him.

“The color of the greenest earth and the bluest sky,” Asher told me.

“See? A bunch of bullshit, if you’ll pardon the phrase, Cait,” Ratatoskr insisted.

“We’ll see,” Asher replied.

I leaned out the window and watched as we wound our way up the dirt road. The thick trees were as tall as skyscrapers and thicker than I was tall. Brush ruled the forest floor, but here and there were a few animal trails that wandered off into the woods. The smell of pine and fresh water permeated the air, and a soft breeze brushed against the creaking carriages as we climbed ever higher.

“I can see why people like this place,” I told my companions as I plopped back in my seat.

Ratatoskr tapped the side of his nose and grinned. “Just you wait. The hot springs are the real attraction here. There’s even one that people say can-”

“People say a lot of things,” Asher spoke up with a knowing look at our sneak friend.

Ratatoskr sank into his chair at that look of warning and turned his attention to the window. “I suppose they do. . .”

“What do they say?” I asked the men.

“They say that the springs rejuvenate the body and soul,” Asher told me.

I didn’t buy that for a minute, but I gave him a smile anyway. “Then I can’t wait.” To find out what they were really talking about.

With a promise like that my expectations were high, and the elves didn’t disappoint. The road curved inward onto a large plateau hidden by the trees, and soon the lodge of Earrach an Athas rose up from the woods like a great oak. The building was three floors tall and a hundred years wide. A bell tower rose sternly above the roof, its imperious chime like a watchman overseeing the coming visitors.

Stones made the foundation, but the rest of the structure was hewn from the local forest. Intricate carvings were woven into the window frames and walls, creating scenes of elves dancing among the trees and stones. Thick ivy framed the scenes in their greenery, and bushes encircled the base of much of the foundation.

A large portico welcomed visitors, and we drove under its elegant, grape-vine covered canopy. The entrance was a pair of wood doors with more scenes of elves on them, and they were thrown wide open at our coming. Tall elves in crisp green suits hurried out and stood at attention on the left side of the entrance.

Being the first in line, we rolled past the front doors and to a stop a few yards past the portico to let the rest of the carriages park close to the entrance. As I alighted with Asher’s help one final welcomer stepped outside. This was a young man who appeared to be twenty. His pointed ears bespoke his lineage, but his eyes were different. Rather than the typical swirl like the others, they were just a simple light gray color, so light, in fact, that I could hardly see them. He was dressed in a black suit with matching undershirt and shoes, and he carried a dark cane with a green gem to top off the majestic stick.

“The Proxy,” Asher whispered to me as Ratatoskr hopped out of the carriage.

The sneak wrinkled his nose. “He’s trying too hard to look two hundred.”

My eyes widened. “He’s that old?”

“And older,” Asher told me.

“How old he is is anyone’s guess because these elves don’t tell anybody anything,” Ratatoskr added.

Laird Iston opened his arms and gave us a gentle smile that seemed to pull my cares out of me. “Welcome, guests,” he called out as the others in the carriages crowded around us. “We are very pleased to have you all here with us. May your stay give you happy memories for many years to come. If you would step this way-” He stepped to the right side and gestured to the open doors. “You can check in at the front desk and your bags will be taken up to your rooms directly.”

The guests filed into the doors in pairs, and the Proxy bowed and smiled to each of them as they passed. We stepped into line and reached our host.

His smile widened as he noticed Asher. “Lord Nilogh, what a pleasant surprise. Does business or pleasure bring you here?”

“A little of both,” Asher answered.

Laird Iston’s eyes settled on me and a glint of some fleeting emotion passed through them. He bowed his head to me, but his eyes never left my face. “A great welcome to you, My Lady.”

“And me,” Ratatoskr chimed in.

Laird Iston chuckled. “And a great welcome to you, Lord Sneak. If you will all step inside and register then I recommend a tour of the hot springs.”

“We’ll do that,” Asher assured him.

“Excellent!” Iston turned his attention to the guests behind us, and we went on our way.

The lobby proved to be no less spacious than the portico. The ceiling stretched to the peak of the roof Soft rugs covered the stone floors and a long desk against the back wall was manned by a half dozen more elves in crisp uniforms. More hurried to and fro, carrying packages and luggage, and held hand towels and bath soaps in wicker baskets. A pair of thick doors stood behind the desk. They were without adornment and the thick brass handles were in stark contrast to the elegance of the rest of the place.

The centerpiece of the lobby, however, was an elegant statue that stood on a tall stone pedestal. The figure carved from stone itself was of an elven man with pointed ears and eyes that, while stone, gazed upon the guests with an unnerving realism. The elf was attired in a simple tunic and sandals, his arms were stretched downward to gesture to the stone at his feet.

“Who’s that?” I asked my friends.

“The legendary god of the mountain,” Asher told me.

“Old Athas himself,” Ratatoskr added.

As we walked past I paused and studied those gray, pupil-less eyes. I was transfixed by them, so much so that I started when Asher set his hand on my shoulder.

“Are you okay?” he asked me.

I shook myself and smiled. “Y-yeah. Just got lost in thought.”

We continued on our way up to the front desk where the elf gave us a warm smile. “Name, please?”

“We aren’t registered, but Laird Iston invited us here,” Asher informed him.

“Then I will put you in the VIP suite,” the elf promised as he wrote out the details on a slip. He paused and looked over we other two. “Will the lady be staying with you?”

“Yes, but not the sneak,” Asher told him.

Ratatoskr frowned and his whiskers twitched. “So where am I staying?”

Asher leaned one arm on the desk and his eyes were full of mischief. “Is the basement unoccupied?”

“T-the basement!” Ratatoskr sputtered.

The desk worker smiled. “I am afraid it is occupied by our wine cellar, sir.”

Ratatoskr froze open-mouth before he snapped his jaws shut. “But maybe I can give it a try-”

“Give him a room next to ours, if you would,” Asher requested.

Ratatoskr drooped and cast a dark look at Asher. “Mongrel.” I didn’t need a translation to understand that insult.

The desk worker finished writing out the forms and grabbed two sets of keys off the large hanging rack against the back wall. He held them out and gave us his warmest smile. “Here are you keys, sir. Enjoy your stay.”

And boy, were we in for a stay.

3

I opened the door to the suite and my jaw hit the carpeted floor. The room was massive, with a parlor set in the right-hand corner closest to the door and a writing desk complete with a small library on the opposite side. In the middle and against the back wall stood a bed with posts thicker than my arms and a lace curtain that hid the interior like warm fog on a summer’s morning. The third-floor windows looked out on the wooded area, but I could just make out a stone path that wound its way up the mountain.

I paused on the threshold of the room and looked left and right. “There’s only one bed,” I commented.

“Were you expecting something else?” Asher asked in his I’m-not-innocent voice as he walked over to the desk. He ran his hand along the top and rubbed his fingers together. “Spotless, as usual.”

“There’s only one bed,” I insisted.

“He could always take the couch,” Ratatoskr piped up as he strode into the room, skirting my horrified self.

Asher looked up from his dust perusal and shot Ratatoskr another dark look. “The bed will fit two people.”

Ratatoskr snorted. “Yeah, but what are they doing?”

I heard a slight commotion, as did Asher, and both of us reached the path window at the same time. He opened the window and leaned out. “It appears the lodge has some company.”

“You mean guests?” I guessed as I joined him at the sill.

What I saw was more like a troop than tenants, and all two dozen of them were aware-hares. The marching band of fluffy brothers stood on the pool path, and what stopped them was the proxy himself, Iston. He appeared to be conversing with the leader of the mob, many of whom carried signs that had a matching ‘the-end-is-nigh’ tone to them. The leader of the group was a rather tall hare. The rabbit wore a black vest over his chest and a spiked collar around the neck. The fir was a dark-chocolate brown and an impressive mustache covered the rabbit’s upper lip.

The hare stomped the stone with a long foot, but Iston merely smiled and shook his head. The aware leader turned to the followers and pointed back up the trail. They turned fluffy tail and disappeared back up the mountain.

“That didn’t look good,” Ratatoskr commented.

“It looked like they were going to picket the lodge,” I guessed as I backed away from the window.

“Excuse me?” I jumped at the voice behind me and spun around to find a young elf boy of about fifteen. Our luggage was tucked under his arms and there was an uneasy smile on his face. “Where would you like your luggage?”

“O-oh, I’m sorry, we didn’t see you there,” I apologized as I hurried over to grab some of the load. “Let me help you with that.”

He shook his head as he scooted past me. “There is no need for you to do-ah!” His foot caught on the rug and he crashed to the floor.

I hurried to his side as Ratatoskr conveniently shut the door with his foot, hiding the elf’s mistake from the curious eyes of other guests and employees. “Are you alright?” I asked him as he sat up.

He cupped his head in one hand and winced. At the sight of me his face blanched. He flipped over and scrambled for the lost luggage. “I-I’m so sorry, miss! I didn’t mean-” He froze and more face color was lost. “I mean, I am truly sorry, miss, I did not mean to-”

“You’re new here,” Asher commented as he stooped and pulled our luggage from the young elf’s fumbling hands.

The elf hung his head. “Yes, sir. . .”

I put my hand on his back and gave him a smile. “It’s alright. I trip a lot, too.”

He wrapped his arms around himself and shook his head. “I-I can’t-I mean, I cannot-”

“You look like you come from the line of Theodan,” Asher mused.

The young elf’s breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened. “Y-yes, but how did you know?”

Asher plopped our bags at the end of the bed and turned to lean his back against one of the posts. “You have that distinctive nose-” The young elf slapped his hands over his nose. “-and you are rather clumsy on your feet.”