Toby started awake, expecting to be surrounded by flames and tentacles or to be face to face with a Demon set to devour him. Instead, he saw a white stucco ceiling and blue striped, white curtains hanging from metal rods around his small but comfortable bed. He glanced hurriedly down at himself, taking inventory of his body parts. He was relieved to see that all his parts were still there. His chest and arm hurt like he'd taken another beating on board the ship.

He'd never slept in a bed so comfortable and soft. Even before he was taken from his family his bed had been straw stuffed in some old canvas, and he'd had to share that small comfort with two younger sisters. This bed even had a pillow, not just some dirty clothing or discarded sailcloth folded to cradle his head. An actual soft pillow! Cloth sheets that felt as soft to Toby's hands as anything he could imagine. 

He was clean as well, for the first time since the big rain storm at sea several weeks ago. His ragged clothes were gone too and he was dressed in some sort of soft smooth robe. The room smelled of cleanliness. Sharp cleaning smells and some pleasant flowery smell over the top of that.

He remembered the chaos on the ship, the tentacles and the sounds of thunder and sizzling, the screams of men and the yelling. He remembered the smell of the tentacles, like they were soaked in sewage and offal. The smell of smoke and fire from the pit he looked into as the slimmy ropes lifted him and dragged him to what he knew would be a very unpleasant death. He remembered the crushing strength of the tentacles as they dragged him toward his death. The sharp pain in his arm and chest. Then blackness until now. 

The sound of an opening door brought his attention around toward the foot of the bed and the door there opened. Two men and a woman entered. Toby stiffened and brought his knees to his chest, pulling the sheet around himself, surely they were here to throw him out, return him to the Charge Priest and the First Mate of the Dutchess' Teat. They'd made a mistake and he was never supposed to be here. The smell of meadow flowers grew stronger and Toby could tell it was from the woman who'd entered.

Toby's eyes were locked on the woman who'd entered. He'd seen beastmen before, but always from far away and never one like this. She was beautiful, short golden hair surrounding her face, rounded furry ears set high on her head. Her face was smooth and slightly feline. Toby thought he should be scared, if the stories The Church told were true, but he only felt curiosity and wonder.

The lion-woman made her way directly to the side of his bed and reached out to touch his forehead. Toby drew back slightly but only for a minute. Her had was cool and smooth and soft.

"He doesn't have a fever. I'm sure he is still sore and he might be hungry or thirsty." The last bit was followed by the woman looking questioningly at Toby. "Hungry?"

Toby nodded and glanced at the two men now standing at the foot of his bed. They looked military, important men who would want something from him. He was a bit afraid they would deny him food or drink until they were done with him. What they would want with him though, Toby could not imagine.

"Are you ok to talk?" The lion-woman asked. She picked up a small cup from the table and offered it to Toby. Toby took it and looked inside. It looked like water. He took a small sip. Clean cool water. He was suddenly very thirsty and he downed the whole cup of water in just a few gulps.

"Whoa! Careful. Slowly now," the lion-woman placed a hand on the back of his head and steadied the cup, saw it was empty and took it from him. She filled it from a pitcher sat on another table near the wall and brought the full cup back along with a small plate with a domed cover. 

"Yeah, I can talk." croaked Toby. His voice cracked a little and he cleared his throat. "Where am I? What happened?"

"You were attacked by a Warlock, son." The dark-haired man moved to the side of the bed opposite the woman. His voice was deep and oddly smooth for a rough looking soldier. "Do you remember, aboard the ship? You were being taken by Demon tentacles, being dragged into a Demon Pit. Luckily we stopped him and saved you. You were injured and we brought you here to recover."

"I..I remember." Toby stuttered a bit at the memory. It seemed so long ago and like it happened to someone else. Laying here in this comfortable bed in a room as full of light as this one he could barely believe it had happened at all, except for the soreness in his ribs and arm and an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Why... how.. was there a Warlock on our ship?" 

"Well now, that is something we are trying to figure out." The too handsome blonde man said. He had a nice tenor voice. Something about him made Toby immediately want to like him. Toby smiled at him. "You are in the country of Malminar, in the capital city of Retinor," the man paused for a moment watching Toby's face. "Do you know where that is?"

Toby shook his head, he'd never heard of Malminar or Retinor. If the rest of the place was like this room, he had a feeling he'd like it though. The lion woman removed the dome over the plate revealing two slices of flat dark bread with meat stuck between. The smell made Toby's stomach growl and he looked up at the lion woman with a surprised and questioning look. 

"Go ahead. The sandwich is for you," said the woman.

Toby had no idea what a sandwich was, but he didn't have to be told twice before he picked it up and took a sizable bite. It was delicious!  He began to eat in earnest.

"Malminar is a safe place. We almost never have Warlocks, and when we do, we always know well in advance due to the magic that protects our borders. That means the Warlock on your ship should never have gotten to our harbor and docks without us knowing, but he did. That is a mystery. Did you know this man Plug before he was revealed to be a Warlock?" 

Toby shook his head again, mouth full of sandwich. "Uh-uh," he managed to mumble. "I'd seen 'im. Dint know 'im," he spit some crumbs as he talked around the mouth full of sandwich.

Both men laughed a bit at Toby's attempt to talk and eat at the same time. The dark-haired man rested one hand on the sword hilt hung on his waist. The blonde man hooked a nearby chair with one foot and drug it over to the end of the bed, sitting on it backwards and resting one arm across the high back. Toby glanced at the woman still standing by the head of the bed, her face was a disapproving scowl.

"No hurry. Eat and then we can continue," said the blonde man with a smile.

Toby swallowed quickly before shoving the last little square of bread into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed quickly.

The lion woman reached out with a small square of cloth and wiped the sauce and crumbs off Toby's face. Then she cleaned the crumbs from the bed covering around Toby's chest and removed the plate from his lap. 

"Ok then?" asked the blonde man. 

"Could I have some more? I'm still hungry." Toby was sure they would say no, but he had to ask.

"Of course you may," said the lion woman. "You may call me Ms Almeia, and you can say please."

Toby saw the stern look on Ms Almeia's face and immediately amended his request. "Could I have some more, please, Ms Almeia?"

Her face broke into a caring smile, approving of Toby's correction. "You may.  I will go get another sandwich for you and maybe a cookie?" 

Toby didn't know what a cookie was, but, if it was half as good as the sandwich was, he was certain he wanted one. "Yes, please." He remembered 'please' and 'thank you' from a long time ago when he was still with his parents.

"These two gentlemen will introduce themselves properly while I am gone. And they will ask you questions respectfully and carefully until I am back." She turned her stern look upon both men who seemed as cowed as Toby had been. "Please tell us your name."

"Yes, ma'am," spoke both men in unison.

"Toby," said Toby. He paused, unsure of what else to add. "Just Toby."

"I am Able Haningway," said the dark-haired man at the side of his bed as Ms Almeia left the room.

"And I am Tybour Insuritor, First Mage of Malminar. Haningway is my second in command of the Phoenix Company. We are at your service young master." Tybour stood and executed a small bow toward Toby. "Tell us anything you can about the attack, the moments leading up to it, or anything you may have witnessed on the ship before the attack, please. Any detail may help us learn where the Warlock came from or what he was doing here." Tybour sat once again on the chair at the foot of the bed, his sharp, bright, blue eyes watching Toby carefully.

Toby swallowed hard, not sure what he could say. "I don't know much. I 'member 'im but only 'cause he weren't nice. He smelled bad and didn't talk much. No one liked him, I know that much. Mostly I don't 'member him for most of the time. I 'member that he tried ta get Rishmond to take the hammock next to his 'bout a week after Rishmond first came aboard. But I took care of 'im when they brought him on, all knocked out and stuff. He needed a friend and he looked like a nice guy, so I took care of 'im. Had a feelin' we'd be best friends." Toby smiled, a big open grin as he thought about Rishmond.

"Oh fer Cietus sake! Rishmond! Is he here? Do you know where he is? He's not got by the Demons is he? Is he dead?" Toby began to panic at the thought of his friend dead or worse, taken by Demons. "Rishmond's my best friend and he's got to still be alive! Plug was doin' sumptin to him, dragging him around with magic! What would he want with Rishmond? Is he here? Do ya know where he is?"

"Whoa, whoa! It's OK Toby! We don't know where Rishmond is," Tybour glanced at Haningway at the possibility of being able to put a name to the boy the Warlock threw through the portal. "He was portaled away by the Warlock. He was alive when we last saw him. We have men out looking for him now and we will find him and bring him here as quickly as we can."

"But ya don't know that he's not dead! Ya gotta find him! He's my friend!" Toby's eyes welled up with tears and his voice broke. Rishmond was his only friend. The only true friend he'd ever had. He knew Rishmond covered for him often on the ship, taking licks that should have been his, doing work that Toby should have done. Panic rose higher in Toby's chest and the tears began to flow. He found it hard to breathe.

"Toby." Tybour's tenor voice broke through the wall of tears and sorrow fogging Toby's brain. The visions of a life without his best friend, his only friend in all the world, broke for a moment as something in Tybour's voice caused Toby to look into Tybour's sky blue eyes. He began to feel calmer. Tybour seemed certain they would find Rishmond alive and well. If someone like Tybour believed something, then it was certainly true. He was a man who knew what the world was doing and how things would turn out. Toby's tears slowed and his breathing began to return to normal.

Tybour's spell was subtle and gentle. He just needed to calm the boy a bit, no need for him to panic over something that may not be real and something that no one here could control even if it were. Haningway placed a gentle hand on the boys shoulder. "It'll be ok Toby. We'll find him soon." 

"How do we find him then?" Toby began to swing his legs out of the bed, ready to head out to find Rishmond himself. "Do we know where to look? Do you even know what he looks like?  How would you know if you found him? I know what he looks like, I have to go look." Toby's heart rate began to climb again. Toby paused as Haningway gently kept him from hopping off the bed. He looked up at the rough soldier with the kind face and he relaxed a bit. Rishmond was the luckiest fella he'd ever met. Everything almost always broke his way. Once during the voyage from Mott, Rishmond had dropped a bucket full of water on one of the priests during some rough swells, thoroughly soaking his robes. The priest was fit to be tied and began yelling at Rishmond and striking him with the crop many of the priests carried. He'd only landed a couple of glancing blows before a fight broke out among several of the sailors. The fight spread quickly and it took all of the priests and most of the officers to finally quell it, but by the time it was over, the offended priest had forgotten all about Rishmond and the bucket of water. That was just one of many times Toby saw evidence of Rishmond's incredible luck. He'd even heard one of the older sailors comment on it toward the end of the voyage to Retinor, saying Rishmond had Petior's own luck, Petior being the God of Luck.

Tybour stood from his chair, swinging one leg around the seat like he was dismounting a horse. Toby was oddly struck by just how graceful he was and he felt a strong need to be liked by this man. Haningway was a soldier and an instant father figure to Toby, but Tybour was someone Toby wanted to be liked by, wanted to be friends with. Toby watched as Tybour moved to the side of the bed.

"Not to worry, Toby. We've got a whole company of men out looking as well as notices out to the citizenry of Retinor for a boy who fell from a portal. It is quite likely someone has found him already and is bringing him to our headquarters as we speak.  Once there, my men will make sure he gets any and all care he needs and they will notify me just as quickly as they possibly can." Tybour placed one hand lightly on one of Toby's shoulders. "You and Rishmond will be reunited soon." Tybour's smile shown down on Toby like a ray of sunshine.

"Now, meanwhile, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?  Where are you from? What about your family? How did you become a sailor aboard the Dutchess' Teat? When did you meet Rishmond? Have you been friends for long?" 

Ms Almeia pushed through the door to the room carrying a tray with a silver domed plate on it as well as a small plate of some sort of round bread, like the hard tack sometimes served on the ship. Toby could smell the food as Ms Almeia crossed the room to the bedside opposite of the two men.

"Get yourself back into bed young man. You are not yet in any condition to go anywhere, and I have brought you another sandwich, a couple of cookies and a glass of milk. You will not be going anywhere until you have consumed everything I have brought you." It was not a warning or an order, but a mere statement of fact and Toby knew Ms Almeia would brook no argument about it. He swung his legs back onto the bed and Ms Almeia covered him back up, raising the head of the bed somehow as well as settling two of the pillows behind Toby as he sat back. 

The smell of the food was sweet and warm, not the smell of the sandwich he had before. Maybe the cookies. Toby hadn't ever smelled anything like it that he could remember, maybe the smell of the fresh baked bread his mother used to make. He'd not really thought about his mother is quite a while, not since the long wagon ride from home before he'd become part of the ship's crew.

Ms Almeia lifted the small metal dome from the plate on the tray revealing the sandwich, different this time. The bread was a bit darker and something green and frilly stuck out from the bread as well as the thinly sliced meat. The sandwich was thicker this time too. All good things to Toby, although the green leafy stuff was something Toby was not looking forward to, but, if he had to eat it to get to the meat and other flavors he'd had on the last one, he'd do so. 

The smell from the round bread pieces on the other plate made Toby's mouth water. He reached for one to give it a try. Anything that smelled that good had to taste delicious! A cookie they'd called these. Toby glanced up at Ms Almeia's face as he picked up the still warm object. She frowned for just a second before smiling and giving a small shallow nod. 

The sweet warmth filled Toby's mouth. Small melty bits blended with the sweet bread and Toby forgot for several moments about anything except this wonderful taste! He stuffed the remaining cookie into his mouth and chewed with extreme gusto. Nothing could be better than this! He swallowed hard and reached for the other cookie. 

The room was silent for several long moments as Toby devoured the food with abandon. The other three in the room watched with some amusement and much concern from Ms Almeia.

When at last the food was gone and the milk drunk, Toby looked around the room at the adults and smiled a shy smile. "That was very good! I don't think I've ever eaten anything that tasted that good!" 

Tybour and Haningway laughed aloud. Haningway clapped him on the shoulder and Tybour reached out to squeeze the other shoulder. "Right your are!  Nothing like a near death experience to sharpen the senses and make one appreciate good food!" Tybour laughed.

"Mister Tybour! Seriously! Near death! Please do not exaggerate! At no time was Toby in danger of death!" Ms Almeia's tone was sharp and disapproving, but it didn't seem to phase Tybour at all. Instead he smiled at her in an amused and charming way. "Yes, Ms Almeia, as you say." He winked at Toby in full view of the lion woman.

"Now then," Tybour reached to the end of the bed, grabbing the chair by the top of the back and spinning it up and around to land in front of himself where he stood at the side of the bed, straddling it backwards once again. "Let's hear it."

Toby thought for a minute, back on the questions Tybour had asked earlier. "They brought Rishmond on board just a'fore we shoved off from Mott." He stared down at his hands clasped in his lap. "I'd been a board fer a couple of weeks, sailin' in ta Mott from Balft where I'd got put on board. I'd been in lots a trouble fer just two weeks. I guess imma little clumsy and I hadda hard time gettin' tha hang of e'r'ything they wanted me ta do. I tried, but I caught the boot and the strap sev'ral times just from Balft to Mott. The priests didn't like that I asked so many questions either, that got me some smacks." Toby's voice stayed firm and quiet, like he was telling a story of someone he'd heard about, not something he'd lived.

Toby glanced quickly up at Tybour. Tybour's face was firm and intent, listening, not concerned or sympathetic, just taking in the story. He returned he gaze to his hands clasped tightly in his lap.

"We was all chained up in our berth due to us bein' in a port when they brought Rishmond in all knocked out and bleedin' from the knock on 'is head. They put 'im in the hammock below mine and chained his arm to a deck ring. He looked like a good person and nearer to my age as anyone else on tha crew, so's I took it on myself to try'en heal 'im up a bit. I had a bit of mostly clean cloth, so I cleaned the bash on 'is head and kind watched o'er 'im until he woke. We been best friends since then. He teaches me stuff and keeps me outta trouble and I watch his back and make sure he gets enough food and water as imma lot sneakier than 'im." Toby stopped there, looking up at the three adults, knowing he shouldn't steal, but also knowing that if he hadn't, they'd have both been a lot skinnier than they were now. Maybe even dead from being weak at the wrong time. The adults didn't look disapproving or mad. Maybe they understood?

"I know stealin's wrong. I was raised right. Sometimes we just had to ta survive. Rishmond said we did what we had to." Toby relaxed at Tybour's smile and small nod.

"It's OK, Toby. Stealing is wrong, and you know that, and you know you had to do it. You're forgiven and you won't have to do that anymore." Tybour stated it as a fact and Toby was comforted at Tybour's confidence.

"Rishmond and I are best friends. We got each other's backs. Rishmond promised we'd never have to be apart. He's smart and good at stuff. And so lucky, e'rythin' breaks his way. Well, 'cept for the gettin' caught up in the crew and getting his head banged. But still, most times he's as lucky as they come. He got washed o'erboard in the storm what killed those two other kids, but a wave just washed 'im right back on ta tha deck. I saw it from where I was lashed to the stair post. He'd gone to help them two what got drowned, took off his rope and took off 'cross the deck, just like we'd been told not to do. All three went over an' only Rishmond got thrown back. It was a few days later Plug tried to talk Rishmond into moving to the hammock near him. Told him some stuff 'bout how they was both from tha same place and they was alike as peas in a pod. Rishmond told him no. Told him he was gonna stay near me, to keep an eye out and repay me for my kindness when he was first brought on board. 'Course I knew it was because we were best friends. Plug asked several more times but finally stopped after one of the priest overheard and asked him why he was so interested in a boy bunking next to 'im. Kinda implied Plug might be a boy-lover, not sumpthin' The Church really likes."

"So, Rishmond and I been friends for something close ta six weeks or so? Not full on sure of the days, but that's gotta be close now. Not so much about how long, but we're the best of friends and he would do anything for me and I would do anything for him." Toby's face was set in a look that dared any of the adults to doubt his word on this. Rishmond and he were thicker than blood-honey and would remain that way for as long as either had life in them.

All three faces looked back at him with full acceptance of his story and his friendship with Rishmond. Tybour met his gaze and smiled encouragingly. "What about where you come from, Toby? I don't know much about The Arrangement outside the big cities and the capital. Are you from that other city you mentioned? Balft?"

"Oh no, sir. I'm from Olitaft, north of Balft an' Mott. I don't know much about locations 'cept I had to ride in a cage for weeks from Olitaft to get to Balft. Pretty sure it was a few weeks travel."

Tybour raised one eyebrow and cocked his head a bit to one side. "OK. How did that happen?"

"My Dad and older sister got killed when the house burnt down. Mom was left to try and raise us, but with the baby and my sister, she didn't have much choice and there was no place for us to live. So, the taxers came and took me and my sister. Mom and the baby went to live with the Count. My sister and I were sep'rated and I was put in a cage headed south. I don't know where Pauly went. She's younger and smaller, so maybe she went with our aunt, or maybe she was taken ta a Church house. Mom was pretty sad, but she got to go live at the castle with the Count, and he always seemed a nice man, so I hope she's doing OK. She got ta take the baby with her and I know she was worried they wouldn't let her keep 'im, so there's that."

A strong knock sounded at the door and a moment later a soldier dressed much like Haningway stepped into the room. He was shorter than both Tybour and Haningway, his face was long and framed by red fur, two long pointed ears stood on the top of his head. Toby noted his legs were oddly shaped, like a dog walking on its hind legs. He'd never seen a beast-man like this one. 

Tybour stood from his chair. "News, Sergeant Cordy?"

"Sir, Lieutenant Norft sent word that First Sergeant Halmond paid him a visit with a special guest. Looks like the kid we were looking for. They are on their way here now. The other special guests are not aware of his presence. The Lieutenant also told me to tell you that the guests at the barracks are asking for our searches for their missing to be escalated. They are insisting we know more about them than we are telling them." The soldier spoke quickly and quietly, but firmly, standing at a relaxed attention with his helmet under one arm.

"Right. Good. Ok," said Tybour. "Toby, it looks like Rishmond has been found, and he seems to be in good shape." Tybour looked toward the fox-like soldier who nodded in return. "And he appears to be in capable hands and headed this way to see you." Tybour turned to Toby with a bright grin. "He should be here very shortly. He was apparently found by a friend of mine not very far from here."

"I told ya he was super lucky. I bet he has some wild tale to tell too when he gets here. 'Bout how he was zapped in ta a dragon's cave and narrowly 'scaped with 'is life." Toby's smile was as big as could be with relief on hearing that his friend was alive and well and on his way here.

"Sergeant, would you bring First Sergeant... I mean... Halmond and the young man here as soon as they arrive. This young man will be wanting to see his friend as soon as he can, and we're gonna want to talk to Rishmond." Tybour returned to his chair.

"Yes, sir!" the sergeant barked, then saluted crisply and turned about on his heel and left the room. 

"Well, Toby.  Looks like things are getting better all around for you. And for your friend. We're grateful for your information and we are all glad you both are alive and well." Tybour smiled with genuine pleasure. "Any more you can tell us about Plug? You see, Warlocks shouldn't be able to get close to Malminar without us knowing, but he seemed to be able to hide himself and bypass our protection. Any information you have could be useful."

"I can't think o' anything Mister Tybour. I didn't like 'im and didn't wanna be 'round 'im. He was weird and not liked. He always smelled bad, like chicken blood an' old sweat. Prob'ly 'cause he always volunteered for slaughtering duty. He seemed to enjoy killing the chickens and the live fish. Kinda weird. I mean, killing chickens ain't all that weird, but why'd he always want to be the one to do it?  Guess he just liked killin' things." Toby kept his eyes on the door and spoke almost without taking a breath. His excitement at the prospect of seeing Rishmond alive and unharmed distracted him from what he was saying.

Tybour looked up at Haningway standing nearby. Their eyes met and both nodded slightly. Perhaps this was a key to the Warlock's ability to sneak past Malminar's defenses, some sort of concealment ritual. Something to look into. Not something either of them had ever heard of. They definitely would not get any answers from Plug at this point, unless he'd also found a way to preserve his life with less than half his body still attached to his head. 

Haningway took out that little book he carried everywhere and the tiny pencil that looked so ridiculous in his big hands and wrote something in the little book. Tybour smiled to himself at the site. Haningway was a good man and was always a great one to have around, his great attention to detail and his constant habit of taking notes of everything came in quite handy very often.

Ms Almeia stepped back to the side of the bed opposite Haningway and Tybour, carrying a bundle of cloth. "If you're to have visitors, Mister Toby, then you will need to be dressed. The back of that gown is pretty much missing and you don't want to be indecent around company." She laid the bundle on the little table by the bed. "Gentlemen." The look on her face brooked no comment or refusal and both men moved to stand near the door. Ms Almeia drew a curtain around the bed leaving Toby and her isolated from the rest of the room. Toby was fascinated by the track attached to the ceiling and the way the curtain was attached to it so it swung around with a swishing sound. "Can you dress yourself, Toby?"

Toby's head snapped around and he suddenly felt shy and a bit exposed as he realised that he only wore a kind of thin cloth robe with nothing on beneath. His back-side felt oddly exposed even though he sat upon it. "Y..Yes.  O' course I can!" he said with more than a hint of indignation. "Whe're my things?"

"What you were wearing when you arrived here, if you can call those clothes, were damaged and dirty. Those have been properly disposed of and I have brought you some new things to replace them. No arguments!" she said in a firm tone that shut down Toby's protests. He paused for a moment, thinking about new clothes. How long had it been since he gotten anything that he hadn't needed to steal or hadn't found discarded among the trash. 

"Yes, ma'am. But I had somethin' in the pocket, it was special. You din't toss that too, didja?"

Ms Almeia pointed silently to a small bowl on the table next to the bundle of cloth. Toby quickly reached for the bowl, careful to keep his back-end firmly on the bed so as not to expose it. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the small wooden horse laying there in the bowl. The last and only thing he still had of his Father, his family, the only thing he could truly call his own in this world. His Father had carved it for him as a gift on his tenth birth anniversary.

The little wooden horse was a bit worse for wear, the wood was darkened with sweat and stained with other unknowns. Some of it had been worn down over the past two turns by constant rubbing in his hands or in his pocket, but it was still his and still wonderful. His father had been quite talented at carving, creating small bits of art that often sold for a good solid gold piece. Occasionally he'd been commissioned by a rich noble or a priest, it was how his poor family had afforded and actual house and didn't have to live beholden to a lord or lady. Nothing that would have made him rich, that's true, but enough to get by. Toby gripped it tightly in his hand, feeling the wood dig into his flesh, feeling like this was a sign that things were going to be better soon. 

"Mister Toby. Can you manage by yourself or do I need to help you dress?" Ms Almeia's voice was soft and warm. 

"No ma'am. I got it."

Ms Almeia stepped through the curtain leaving Toby alone to dress. 

The clothes were the nicest Toby had ever seen. Fine cloth with real brass buttons! An all white shirt with no stains! The pants were a bit large around the waist, but the suspenders worked great once he figured out how to put them on. Shoes too! He'd couldn't remember ever having or wearing shoes! They were brown leather and stiff as wood. He decided it was best to not put his feet through that. Bare footed meant sure footed the way Toby saw it. The tiny white shorts didn't make any sense either, but likely that was some spare cloth to wipe his face and hands with or for emergencies if he needed to stop some blood. He stuffed that in his left pocket and the little horse in his right pocket, after carefully checking for holes. The pants were soft but tough. Very nice, like something a priest or a nobleman would wear. Well, he'd enjoy them while he could, until he had to give them back and find his old clothes or something less fine on his return to life aboard the Dutchess' Teat. That thought put a firm damper on his mood, but only for a minute or two  as he thought about being reunited with Rishmond and maybe getting some more sandwiches and cookies.  Wait until Rishmond got a load of cookies! He'd catch a hollar at that!

Toby left the shoes on the table and made his way to the curtain where he'd watched Ms Almeia pass through a bit earlier. He paused for a second and took stock of himself. He was clean, in fact cleaner than he'd been in a long time. The itchiness he lived with every day in his hair and.. other places.. was gone. He actually smelled good as well, like sunshine after a rain. He could get used to this. He and Rishmond were gonna have to make plans to try and stay here and take advantage of all of this they could until they had to go back to the ship and the hard life again.

He pushed his way through the curtain. On the other side Tybour and Haningway both stood near the foot of the next bed over, alert but relaxed, definite soldiers. Toby knew soldiers but had never felt like he didn't need to run from them until now. Ms Almeia was busying herself with something at a cabinet against the wall near the door. Toby doubted she was still much, she seemed the type to always be doing something and also the type to be expecting others to always be doing something or she'd give 'em something to do!

"Toby, did the shoes not fit? And where are your socks?"

"I never had any shoes to wear and those seemed awful stiff and uncomfortable. Barefoot is best unless it's really cold out and then I just wrap 'em up." Toby looked crestfallen, he didn't want to disappoint Ms Almeia. He glanced toward Tybour and Haningway. Tybour had slightly amused smile and a twinkle in his eye, he was enjoying this, but it was not clear why to Toby yet. Haningway however had a look like his Dad did when Toby did something that could get himself hurt, concern mixed with pride and care.

"I left them in there." Toby gestured back toward the bed behind the curtain. "I suppose I could wear 'em if you really want me to." He really hoped Ms Almeia would say he didn't have to.

"Ok, Toby, you don't have to wear those shoes. We will find some that may be more to your liking. We can't have you running around hurting your feet because you didn't like the shoes we brought you. That would make me feel like I failed to take care of you properly." The fact that his failure to wear the shoes made Ms Almeia feel bad at all almost made him agree to wear them after all, but he held out.

Toby was almost shocked that she'd agreed so easily, he had really expected to have to beg, plead and maybe even whine a bit to get out of wearing shoes. The floor beneath his feet were smooth wood, smoother than the ships decks, that was certain. His feet were already nice and warm from the covers on the oh so soft bed. Toby could hardly imagine that any surface in this building would be worse than the decks on the ship. And those were not the worst he'd ever walked on.

"Shoes are not really necessary here anyway, Toby," Tybour stepped toward Toby and put his arm around his shoulders. He smelled of wood and leather and something else Toby could not identify. "Let's step out into the waiting room and sit in some comfy chairs while we wait for Rishmond to arrive.  Perhaps you could tell us a bit about your adventures in getting here. Sailing around the Shattered Islands must have been exciting."

Tybour guided Toby toward the door out of the room, Haningway following behind. 

"MISTER Tybour," Ms Almeia's voice was firm and disapproving, Toby didn't even have to see her face to know she was wearing a scowl, "We will PLEASE NOT refer to a conscripted and forced voyage, on little better than a slave ship, as exciting. There are standards to maintain and people should not be treated as he was. Being treated as a slave is not 'an exciting adventure', it is deplorable and wrong!"

Tybour continued on through the door, propelling Toby along with him. Ms Almeia pushed past Haningway and stepped up next to Tybour. "Ms Almeia," Tybour said contritely, "you know I didn't mean it that way. I'm sure a young man such as Toby here would have found a way to deal with the hardship and find the adventure in a sea voyage, no matter the circumstances." Toby glanced around at the big room they'd entered. The floor was still wooden and smooth, polished to a high gloss. Several large leather lounge chairs sat about the room, a large overstuffed couch sat against one wall. Large glass windows formed a bright checker pattern on the wall opposites the couch, the heavy, dark red curtains pulled back and tied to either side of the full wall of windows. Two of the windows stood open, letting in a pleasant breeze that smelled of grass and honeysuckle. "You know I would not aggrandize such circumstances. I only wish to hear Toby's accounting of his passage and experience. I also don't want him to feel such accounts are unworthy of sharing with us, just because they are about a difficult time under dire circumstances." Tybour guided Toby to one of the overstuffed leather chairs and gestured for him to take a seat, winking at Toby as he did, out of sight of Ms Almeia. Toby was very sure this was some sort of on-going back and forth between them. Tybour spun and smiled broadly at Ms Almeia as he threw himself into the chair next to Toby. Toby scooched back into the deep chair, his feet sticking almost straight out.

"Almeia, surely you don't think I would make light of Toby's situation, and especially not in front of you. I am aware of your delicate sensibilities and your exemplary sense of morals. If I have offended you in any way, please accept my most humble apologies and my promise to try never to do it again." Tybour stood again and bowed low toward Ms Almeia, executing a little flourish that ended with one hand out toward the lion woman and the other folded to his chest.

"MISTER Insurator," her voice sounded exasperated, but a little smile played around her lips and eyes.

Toby watched and smiled. 

"I am sure there are many women who would be taken in by your practiced charm and your insincere prose, but I am not one of them. You think everything is a game, to be played and won, and most importantly to be won by you. Well, not all the world is as lucky as you, nor are they as cavalier. Some day soon you will learn that bad things do happen, even to good people and I pray it is not a lesson that leaves a permanent mark, on your body or soul."

Tybour's hand rose to touch the scar along his neck, the smile gone from his eyes for just a moment. Then the mischief returned to his face and his smile deepened, "I hope the same, and work every day to ensure it does not, Almeia."

The smile fled from Ms Almeia's face as if a cloud had come between it and the sun. For just a moment the room seemed to darken before she smiled again, softer, eyes caring. Her eyes met Toby's for a moment before she spoke, "Try to behave for once Tybour. Be a bit more like Haningway here and restrain yourself. You are an important man and you will have an effect on this boy as you do on many others." She turned and moved to the open stairs at the other side of the room, descending them quickly, her own bare feet making almost no sound as she went.

Haningway came back into the room from the hall that led past the stairs, he was carrying three large wooden mugs. "Drink up young Toby, this should help clear any cobwebs that might be left from your ordeal." He handed one of the mugs to Toby. It was heavy and had a dark bubbly liquid inside. Toby sniffed it. It smelled sweet and peppery in an odd way. He took a sip as Tybour took one of the other mugs and gulped a large quantity of the liquid. 

The taste was sweet, creamy and bitter all at the same time. Small bubbles tickled his nose and pricked at his tongue. It was good. Cold. The after taste was almost spicy. Another amazing thing! How many great things could a place he'd never heard of have!

"Toby, how long ago did your father die?" Haningway sat on the edge of one of the chairs against the other wall. His voice sounded warm and concerned.

Toby looked at Haningway and then looked down into the dark liquid in his mug. "Been at least a turn now, maybe a bit more, hard to keep track of the days. I stayed with Mom for awhile, at my aunties place, but there was too many of us and the owner raised the cost an account there was so many of us, what with me and Mom and the baby and my sister. My cousins too. We all tried to pitch in and earn what we could, but there's not a lot of work for those under seventeen turns old. 'Ventually the Count came by, he always helped my Mom out and he always brought us candy, but he offered to take Mom to his manor, but he couldn't take me and my sister, so we got given to the Church and they put us to work. 'Ventually I got 'dentured to a man said he was with the Mer'cant Marys or somethin' like that and I was carted to Balft and got put on the Dutchess' Teat. Kinda right good I did really. I'd 'ave ne'r met Rishmond if not for that. I mean, I loved Dad, and Mom, and all my brothers and my sisters," he reached into his pocket and pulled out the little wooden horse. "But I guess sometimes people pass on and the rest of us gotta keep livin'. I cried a lot the first few months, mostly alone at night." Toby glanced at Tybour and then at Haningway. Tybour seemed politely interested and not embarrassed about a man crying. Haningway looked concerned and kind, just like Toby had seen his Dad look when talking to him when he was sad or crying.

The sound of someone hurrying up the stairs caught Toby's attention and he looked up from his mug. A second later Rishmond came hurrying up the last of the stairs and in to the room. Toby took less than a moment to recognize his friend before he dropped the mug still half full of his drink and launched himself from his chair at the older boy across the room, flinging himself into his arms and wrapping his around the other boys neck in an almost death like embrace.

"Rishmond! I was sure you was dead!"

"Toby!  Not a chance! We still got a lot of world to see together and I could never leave my best friend alone in this world, now could I!?"

The hug went on for several long moments before both boys suddenly released each other and stepped back, both wiping tears from their eyes. They took stock of each other for a moment. 

"Looking good, Toby. You get adopted by a nobel or something?"

"Me? No. What about you? Pretty fancy clothes. You fall into a pile of money through that hole? It'd be just your luck to stumble into a small fortune in gold," Toby retorted good naturedly. 

"No, no such luck. Funny it took all this to get you to bathe, you smell like a nobleman's daughter!" Rishmond smiled at his friend.

"Hey! Have you tried cookies yet?" Toby exclaimed suddenly. "Ya gotta try cookies! There the absolute best!"

"What's a cookie? It can't be better than pie, and I had pie today, something called strawberry, it was delicious!" Rishmond's face lit up with an ear to ear grin.

Halmond stepped around the two boys and gripped first Haningway's arm and then Tybour's. "Gentlemen. I hear you might be looking for this young man? Something about Warlock portals and more danger and adventure for the First Mage of Malminar?" His face broke into a grin.

"Hey! Toby! This is Halmond. He and his wife Beritrude saved me from drowning." Rishmond pointed Toby towards where Halmond stood. "They've offered to take me in. To take us in..."

It took several long moments for the words to sink in to both boys heads. Friends reunited in a safe and wonderful place.