Blazen Inn History
Blazen Inn History II

---

The door creaked open, causing the candles to flicker, and a cloaked figure entered the inn. He paused and looked around him...once...then made his way to the bar. The hood of his dark, dusty, cloak was down, revealing a black-haired young man with wavy, windswept hair down to his shoulders with blue eyes and a closely trimmed moustache and beard. He smiled brightly at the woman behind the bar.
“Evening ma’am.” he said, touching two fingers to his forehead and then flicking them round in one movement so that he was pointing towards her in a kind of salute that she’d never seen before. “What ya got for a thirsty traveller?”

She set down the glass to pull a menu in neat handwriting. "That depends, what are you thirsty for?" she answered in a plesant tone.

One corner of the man's mouth turned up in amusement, and his eyes danced. "Something to revive a man's wiery feet, and put as spring back into his step."

She thought for a moment, "Then a Dragonbolt is what you'll be wantin'." She pulled out a dragon shaped mug of sparkling pewter and filled to the brim with a bright green foamy substance. She set it down with much pride and even added a little colorful umbrella to make it all the more cheery.

He studied it for a moment, and was about to ask what it was, but thought better of it. Instead, he took a large draught of the liquid, and smiled contentedly as he felt warmth spread through his body. "Ah, that really hit the spot." He announced, taking another swig. Then he held out his hand. "Karlo Frontaz." Pleased to meet you.

"Willowharp Embar, pleased just the same so long as you don't cause trouble." she said firmly shaking his hand.

"I'll try my best." He said, slightly destracted, as though he could hear something, and he pulled at his cloak as if afraid it would fall of, which it showed no sighns of doing.
"Say, you wouldn't mind if I brought my...pet inside would you? I don't trust h...leaving him out there."

Willowharp pointed pleasantly to a large sign over the door reading RULES FOR PETS; none bigger than the room, no chewing the funrniture, to biting guests unless they diserve it, no burning anything, and don't give pets alchoholic beverages, other than that pets are welcome.

Karlo smiled, unconciously drawing his cloak around him, and wend back to the door. "Alright Krix, in you come." A shadow slunk through the door and went to curl up unter a chair on the opposite side of the room, where it glared at Karlo. At first glance the creature looked like a wolf pup, but there was something more to the animal than that. Karlo sighed and went over to it. It didn't move. He proceeded to read out the sign to it, as if it understood what he was saying, and ended with "So you behave yourself ok?" The Krix continued to glare at him, and he returned to the bar and took another swig of the 'Dragonbolt'.

Suddenly the door swings open. A man, cloaked, removes his hood and strides over to the counter and asks for a drink, yet stopped mid sentence, walked to the door and shut it politely. Then, walked back to the counter and asked for a drink once more. Over paid for it, the walked to a vacant table and took a swig of his drink, and said nothing.

"That's a beauty of a pet you have there Karlo." Willow observed while she wiped off the bar with a truly white towel.

"er...what? Oh yes." Karlo finished the rest of his drink and set it down on the bar very slowly and deliberately, as if he was having trouble co-ordinating his hands. "That's strong shtuff" He observed

Willow laughed. "Well you said you did want something to put a spring in your step, here, have a bit of water." She said handing him a glass of clear water.

The cloaked man downed his drink, gave the glass back to Willow and asked for a new one. He took the glass and thanked Willow and walked twards the table thet Karlo and asked politeley if he could sit with Karlo.

Karlo took the water gratefully then turned to examin the stranger. "No need to ask me mate, it is a free country." Karlo grinned at him, but his levity seemed slightly forced, as it had from the beginning.

Willow looked over her two guests. "Would you be wanting anything to eat? My cooking hasn't killed anyone yet." she said with a laugh and a friendly wink.

"No Thank you." he replied to Willow, then turned to Karlo. "Hello, My name is Arondell. I am of the Dunidain, a ranger if you will. I've met a number of unfriendly creatures out side of the town, so it is a delight to meet someone as friendly as you. I wanted to ask you something, but I need to know I can trust you first. Please, tell me a bit about yourself." He took another Drink of his foaming liquid.

Karlo almost laughed out loud at Arondell's words. It seemed highly ironic, but he was farely pleased with himself for his disguise holding so well. Instead he said:
  "I'm Karlo. I come from a land beyond the Horsan Mountains. I like to travel around... what exactly do you want to know about me?" he wondered if he could get through this conversation without telling a lie.

"Perhaps, what you do while your traveling, where yo've gone, how you ended up here, if you have a family... Things like that."

"I like to explore. Sometimes I think I'm too curious for my own good." He said with a laugh, and Arondell may have caught a glimpse of his fangs. "I ended up here just like I've ended up at lots of places in my travels. No particular reason. As for familly...I'm sure they are around somewhere but I doubt I'd be welcome. We did not part well." Well, it was almost the truth.

Willow finished cleaning the counter and walked over to the firepits around the room, poking at them and blowing softly till they flared to life adding a comfortable warmth to the inn agienst the evening chill. She began to set out long tables and rolling large wooden kegs to conveniently located areas and plenty of clean glasses near them. She gave Karlo a sidelong glance.

Karlo smiled as the warmth touched his face, and gave Willow a gratefull look. "Could you get me a saucer of milk?" He asked. "For the cub."

"Of course, what kind of milk would you like? I've got just about every kind buyable." She said moving to her ice closet where she stored things that needed to be cold, kept that way by a small ice melphit that looked up at Willow irritably when she opened the door.

Karlo looked over to where the cub was under a chair in the corner of the room. "I don't think it matters too much. Cow's...or goat's." His hands pulled at his cloak again, as if to make sure it was fastened properly.

Willow stepped in and got a very large bottle of cow's milk and poured it in a bowl.

"Here Krix." Karlo called to the cub, and it slunk out of its hiding place and sidled up to Karlo, and sniffed the offering before beginning to lap it up.
To Willow he asked. "How much do I owe you for the drink and the milk? And how much will a room cost?"

She thought for a moment, watching Krix. "The milk is on the house, I've got lots if you'd like to keep the bottle.Only ten copper pieces is what i charge for a room per night unless you plan on staying longer, then its a silver piece a month or a trade of services like Wendel over there does." She pointed to a form of a man slouched agienst the wall in a corner, his large instrument of many strings and spindles looking like a spider's web over him. He snored softly, clearly comfortable where he was.

"Karlo, just two more questions, then I'll leave you be for the night. One, where did you aquire that wonderful pet, and two, do you think I can trust you?

Karlo nodded at Willow. "I'll say one night for now, I may stop longer." He put his hand in his pocket to ratch for the money. The cub looked up for a moment, it's ears pricked, and then went back to it's milk. Karlow drew from his pocket the exact amount of money and gave it to Willow and thanked her, then turned to Arondell. "The Krix I...found in the lands to the south. The Krix used to be great, but few have heard of them and their power is deminishing." There was a faint snarl from the cub, but it did not pause in it's lapping of the milk. "Do I think you can trust me?" If Karlo was an honest man, he would have said no. "I think so."

"So, have you noticed the massive gatherings of cretures outside of the town? I mean not like orc tribes, but there are dragons, ors, goblins, specters, all sorts of creatures everywhere in groups stationed around rhe town. I've also heard rumors of Dragonkin wandering through the town annonymously. What do you think of that?" Said Arondell quietly.

Willow stood still at the table she was setting. "My good man I do believe you are hinting at something rather unpleasant. The man's ancestry you are hinting at is his own buisness. People would be better off if they kept thier noses out of other's pasts if they wish to keep thier noses intact." she said with a tome indicating someone who knew the unpleasantness of a pinning conversation about one's ancestry.

The Krix cub, who's true name was Kharagoradoth, finished his milk and slunk away, as if he didn't want to be near any of them. He sat under a table close by, and glared at his master.

Karlo paused in thought for a moment, wondering how to play this. "I thought something was a bit...odd." He said finally. "The atmosphere about the town was a bit off, I thought. but if all these creatures are gathering here...you don't usually get them in such numbers. Something must be afoot. As for dragonkin..." He glanced at Willow. "I don't like to typecast, but they don't tend to have good intentions." He knew all about that.

"Thank you, all I wanted to know is if you were in league with the evil dragonkin clan outside of town, because..." he paused, "They killed my dearest friend. yes well thank you for your time and apologies if any offense was taken." He took his drink to a vacant table and drank quietly. Then stood up again. He walked to the counter, handed Willow his glass, got a new drink, paid for a room for one week, then walked back to the table and drank.

Karlo watched him for a moment as he sat alone, and wondered exactly what had just happened.

Willow gave Arondell a raised eyebrow look and then walked over to a table setting places to eat while yelling over at Wendel. "Shift yourself man! The dwarf band will be here soon and you know how they like music while they eat, be sure it has lots of phrases about gold and such."

Wendel grumbled a bit, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Buggered dwaves never like any o' me other songs. Don't give 'em any of the weak ale marm, its so diffucult to sing when they're clamering for more ale or roast mutton. They don't even eat the mutton, let alone know that its really roasted boot leather!"

Karlo watched for a moment, then decided this Arondell might be interesting for a while. He got up and went over to him.
"I don't wish to intrude, but I'd like to know a bit more about these demons you spoke of. What you told me is worrysome."

Arondell sipped his drink pensively, "Well there's not much specifically other than the odd tale here and there but I have been told by my order to keep an eye out for shady types. By the order I mean the order of The Holy Light Knights, no pun intended."

"So, should I be worried?" Karlo asked. "Are you about to do anything about them?"

Arondell laughed lightheartedly, "Nah, I just want to relax and enjoy a good ale tonight. I'll let someone who's on duty deal with it until its my shift. Personally I dunno if I agree with all of this but," he shrugged nonchalantly "I'm just the lowly follower of the order."

Karlo frowned. "The order?" He wasn't sure he liked the sound of that, he decided to try and get some more information. "I did not know of such a thing. Is it your job to protect the world from evil? That must be a noble cause."

Kharagoradoth dosed under the table, curled up with his nose pressed into his tail.

Arondell shook his head and sipped his drink. "Well, we're supposed to but it seems to me that we are battling whatever evil the Archpaladin feels has been particularly evil recently. Its more putting on a good show of protection to keep the populus feeling comfy."

"Would you rather be out there fighting real evil?" He asked "If it exists at all." He added thougtfully. "I suppose it depends on your definition of evil. Are dragons evil for finding us to be convenient sources of food?"

Arondell thought for a moment, "Well I suppose so long as he doesn't eat anyone I know or care about." he said with a chortle, then more seriously, "As long as he eats people who diserve it I personally don't mind."

Willow bustled quickly to her counter, flinging pint onto the bar and filling them hapahazerdly while trying to open a cabinet at the same time with her foot. Wendell moved chairs and tables form the path to the bar, clearing 

"I don't think a dragon would be so discriminating." Karlo laughed.

Arondell chuckled also. "True, but I'd hope he'd think twice about eating me. My sword and I don't take kindly to being digested." He said with a wink, patting his sheathed sword strapped across his back.

"I pity the dragon who fancies you for a meal." Karlo smiled. "So what brings you to this inn? Business, pleasure or just sheer randomness?" Karlo made himself more comfortable, and ajusted his cloak. He looked around for the krix but saw that he was safely asleep.
Arondell was about ot awnswer when the sound of thunder filled the air. Willow dove for the bar and Wendel scrambled for the stage just as thirty or so burly, grungy, greesy dwarves tore into the bar. Arguing and shoving one another they made thier way over to the bar where Willow spun out pints of ale in a blurr. Wendel strummed a rousing song on his contraption of an instrument which sounded more like an orcestra tuning up.
Arondell tried to smother a laugh in his drink, trying to not attract the attention of the four foot blocks of raw muscle.

Karlo smiled. He liked dwarves. They were so much more tollerant of his position, or rather, they treated his kind like they did everone else, which made a change, even if it wasn't particularly pleasent treatment.

One of the dwarves brandished a ale mug in the are at Wendell. "Hurr! Go on and sing a good song about gold or sum odd, nun o' this sentimental mush!" Several other full mouths grunted thier concurrance. Willow looked warningly at Wendell who looked obvoiusly displeased and launched into a ridiculous ballad mostly about gold and ale. The dwarves stomped and banged the furnishings in time with the song often joining in the chorous of "Gold! Gold, luminous gold! Fortunes and riches of kings have been told!"

Willow proceeded to move suprisingly nimbly between the stocky patrons, picking up stray dishes or refilling half empty mugs. She made her way over to Karlo and Arounel and looked sympathetically down at them. "If you'd like the library is upstairs and its made from very thick wood so not much sound carries if you'd like. I'm heading there myself, Wendell can handle this crowed so long as her remembers to say GOLD very loudly." she shouted to them over the commotion with a smile.

Karlo smiled in amusement at the dwarves, then raised a questioning eyebrow at Arondell "what do you think? Shall we move?" He asked him over the noise.

Arondell nodded and downed the rest of his drink before following Willowharp.

Karlo followed them, watching the dwarves as he went.

Willow showed her two patrons the library, a large richly furnished room that was quite comfortable and cozy with a large cheery fireplace and several lamps along the walls. She pause by each of these to light them and poked at the fire to start it back up. Almost every shelf as well as the drawers of the pleasant tables were filled with all sorts of books both old and new. Willow was obvously a person who dearly loved her books.

She walked over to a long squashy armchair and plopped down into it, the cushion giving a pleasant sigh.

Arondell looked over to what seemed like every book, then, looked them over again.

Kharagoradoth slunk into the room after them, trying not to look like he was following his master, and lay behind a chair.

Karlo pretended not to notice the krix, and began to examin the collection of books.

Willow materialised a cup of herbal tea witha flick of her hand and began sipping it, watching Karlo examine her books. Most were of lycantrhopes or of magics and ancient lore.

Karlo pulled out a book that looked very old. It was a bit dusty and he doudted it had been read in a while. The faded gold lettering on the front proclaimed it to be. "Rouglock's guide." It didn't say what it was a guide to but Karlo had a good idea. He was pretty familliar with Rouglock's thoughts. Most thought him to be a mad man with mad ideas that were nothing more than fantasy. For the most part Karlo aggreed with that sentiment and was surprised to find a book of his here. But amongst his ramblings there were some gems of information that had come in very useful. He settled down in a chair and set about finding the begginning of the book. It turned out to be upside down and written from back to front. Karlo smiled slightly, you had to admire the man.

Willow laughed when sha saw what book Karlo was reading. "Haa haaa, figures someone would find that old thing. I read it a few times, the man's madder than a mad hatter but there are some good things in there under all the insanity if you iknow how to look. Never understood why he wrote the way he did. I've got a book that beats his though, it was written by a Leprechaun." she said proudly, slight fangs poking out from under her smile.

Karlo looked up and smiled back at her. "I have to see this." he said.

Willowharp got up and pulled a large green (obviously) bound book from the shelf. She set it on a stand and opend it up to a page. "I have to put it on a stand here or else I get disy from looking at it." she explained with a smile.

Karlo went to look at it. He stared for a moment, and then blinked a few times. "I can see what you mean."

Kharagoradoth watched them from around a chair. He didn't like sound of that book. Rouglock had done enough damage on his own. He put his head on his paws and watched Karlo with distaste.

Willowharp laughed. "Yeah, the way the text moves like this makes it easy to read though, you never have to turn the pages." She pointed to the emerald text scrolling across the pages of the book written in gaelic.

Karlo leaned closer and squinted at the dancing letters, reading a passage. "It seems to know what you're thinking too." he said "it flips to things that are relevant." Karlo wasn't so sure about that. He distrusted anything that could read minds, but he didn't show it.

Willow laughed again. "Its allright, it mostly just speaks in riddles, tells old leprechaun legends, and pokes fun at the reader. It can't do any real harm."

Karlo read some more. It spoke in riddles that would probably take months to decypher. And knowing what these kind of things were like, would probably have multiple interperatations. He got the feeling that the book was enjoying a private joke, and was sure that he was the butt of it.

Iro tapped on the door frame and walked in. "Hello!" she said smiling. "Wendel said I could find the Proprietoress here."

Fandarel walked up behind Iro, lowering his head to her shoulder.

Willowharp turned and smiled, a little wolfishly. "Welcome to the Blazen Inn! Yes I am the proprietoress but you can just call me Willowharp. How can I help you? Sorry about the noise downstairs, the dwarves always cause this much of a racket at dinner time."

Iro laughed. "I don't mind the noise, dwarves are always fun. I was wondering if we could stay for the night. I am Iro Sierra. This is my evil side, Fandarel."

Willowharp looks Fandarel over with a careful but polite eye. "Of course, so long as you don't start any trouble." she said pleasantly but meanfully emphasising not to start trouble. She didn't like trouble makers of any kind, more often those prying officials who lable her just by her curse and try to "cure" her with thier wierd incantations and bad smalling holy water. "What type of room would you perfer? Upstairs, roof, basement, ground floor, or nearest to the windows? The one nearest the kitchens is mine if you need anything, and in case Wendel didn't tell you this is my library and sitting room you are more than welcome to use but do not take and of the books from this inn without asking first. I won't be held responsible for what happnes if you don't." she said with a still pleasant smile.

"I'm not a thief!" protested Iro, "Although I am a bit of a bookworm." she admitted with a smile. "I would prefer a room on the ground floor, Fan doesn't like stairs."

WIllow smiled again but htis time apologetically, "I didn't mean to imply that you were a thief. The books in my library actually belonged to someone else who spelled them with things to be sure they didn't leave the library without the owner's permission. I was just warning you, I had enough trouble dealing with the last poor fellow who tried to take a recipie book out to his mother to show her that there wasn't supposed to be any rudabega in meat pies. Poor chap, 'took us near a week to get him out of the woodowrk. Anyways a groundroom floor is it? Right then." she gave a sharp whistle and waited a moment.

Fan hissed at krix. Iro put her hand on his head. "We should probably get settled right away." she said a little uneasily.

A small homely looking creature scuttled in the room. She barely reached Willow's waist but she made up for it in the hugeness of her smile which was ridiculously big and joyful. It made one's face hurt just to look at it and made one wonder if it was really possible to be that happy. She was female Garden Gnome of unknown origin. She was undoubtably a garden gnome since she wore the trademark pointed hat and had that look of a gnome that would look pleasant sitting in one's garden. "Camilla please stop smiling like that, it gives me the shivers." Willow said to Camilla in a tone that suggested this was not the first time she had said it. "Please take Iro and Fan's belongings to the vacant room on the ground floor. Show them where it is and this time I'd better not hear of you using the baths for a pond." she said wagging a finger at the jolly gnome who tried to look abashed but came of as rather overly dramatic.
Camilla protested slightly "But mistress I 'twas only lookin' far a home for me wee toadies that time-"
Willow cut her of with a polite but forceful "Now." that held the slight sound of a bark in it. Camilla silenced herself and proceeded to pick up the guests's things. 

"Thank you, Camilla." Iro pushed Fan out ahead of her.

Camilla led them to the ground floor to a quaint little room with two feather beds and a large brass bath in the corner. Camilla stodd by the door to let the guests look around and ask her any questions they might have.

"Can we have something to eat?" Iro asked her. "Fan will have whatever I do...unless, do you have some fruit?"

Camilla curtseyed rather pudgily in her apron. "'tof course me ladyship. Would you perfer to eat 'ere in the room or in the library?"

"I think we'll go back to the Library, Its nice to have company after so long on our own." Iro smiled at the gnome.

Camilla smiled creepily again "Of course, shall I bring up the regular meal or would you perfer something specific?"

"The regular is fine." She may be a bit creepy at times, but she is really very cute Iro thought.

Camilla curtseyed once again and the scuttled, as martonly as a gnomish servant wearing a pink apron can scuttle, off to the kitchens.

Iro and Fan returned to the Library.

Willow is seated again, sipping her drink and watching as Karlo peers through the Leprechaun book.

Iro Sits in a comfy chair near the fire, Fan dissapears among the shelves.

Willow notices a bit of grime on her "Proud to be a Wolf" pin and scrubs at it furiously with her finger. The sound of the drunken singing dwarves dies down a bit as the night has deepened and the ale had made their speech more slurred and less brittle.

Kharagoradoth, who had cowered behind a chair when Fandarel had returned, remembering being hissed at, was too curious to stay hidden and looked out at the collection of people.

Karlo pulled away from the book and rubbed his eyes. He had a thoughful expression on his face as his eyes sought out the Krix.

Iro stared at the Krix. "What are you?" Iro asked in astonishment. Now that she could really see it, she saw that he was no ordinary wolf.

Kharagoradoth looked at Karlo edgeily, then sat up straight infront of Iro. "My name is Kharagoradoth. I am a Krix." He said rather proudly.

"Pleased to meet you, Kharagoradoth. I am Iro Sierra." she gave a slight bow.

Kharagoradoth bowed his head slightly in return. Then he diflated and lay back down. How had it come to this? Sitting in some cosy library greeting humans and human-kin as if they were equals. He should be out there in the cool dark night fighting along side the clans. If he listened hard he thought he could hear the howls from the hills.

Iro-with her unusual sensitivity to others- noticed the twitching of his ears, as if he were strining too hear something. "Do you miss your people?" She wondered what a creature like him was doing among humans. She knelt on the rug.

Kharagoradoth looked at Iro, but didn't reply. She wouldn't understand. No-one could ever understand. Except the Krix, and those few who knew of their law, like Karlo.

Willow stayed silent and thought carefully. She wasn't totally sure what Kharagoradoth was but she could understand the seperation feeling. She sighed a little and then yawned showing her slightly elongated canines.

Karlo closed the book he was reading and yawned. "Could I possibly get a room for the night?" He asked Willowharp.

Fandarel stalked back to Iro, not liking the attention she was paying to the krix.

---

Back to the Blazen Inn