The Night was reaching its end, patrons dotted around in clumps and a dull roar had turned to the odd mumble.

  The most energy was coming from the barkeep, who had just finished serving a round on the house for his most loyal customers.

  Nina had eaten 4 sand witches and had gone back to her dorm to lay down in a ‘carb coma’ as Ash had said.

  He was positively radiating delight and every so often stroked a pocket that held the coins that Ash had given him, smiling more deeply as he did. He noticed Ash looking over and cleared his throat, ‘So Ash what do you plan to do with the place?’ he asked

  ‘You know that really didn’t occur to me, I suppose I could hire a manager to watch the place whilst I’m away, any recommendations?’

  ‘Maybe Cooky would be a good manager, pulling a pint is simple enough but you’ll need someone with people skills for the back of house. I’ll have a couple of names for you in the morning’

  ‘Much appreciated Burt’ Ash smiled. ‘Wow if only my family could see me now running a successful business’

  ‘You got much family?’ Burt queried

  ‘No not much, and what I did I don’t speak to much’ he looked off into the distant

  ‘Aye family can be a tricky business, Elody and Rosey are my world.’ He looked happily across the room at his daughters clearing tables ‘Aint nothing I wouldn’t do for them’

  ‘It’s good to have family Burt, keeps you grounded, having people to come home to’

  ‘Sounds like you aint had the best of it’ Burt said mindlessly cleaning a tankard whilst looking over at Ash who seemed mentally a million miles away.

  ‘No, I wasn’t always the best, I struggled and went to some dark places and burnt bridges along the way’

  Burt was stunned for a moment, the usually chipper man had never alluded to his past before and certainly with no negativity.

  ‘I think everyone can take turns in life but don’t just assume that a bridge is burnt because you turned away from it, I’m not trying to overstep, I’m just talking from experience is all’

  ‘You could be right Burt, but for now I have no way to find out so I’ll keep moving forwards, onwards and upwards Burt, onwards and upwards’ he raised the mug and Burt did the same.

  The door suddenly burst in, a dishevelled figure coated in a mixture of mud and blood falling to the floor.

  ‘Help… help, help’ the man’s voice trailed off, and Ash leapt over the bar and ran over.

  ‘Hold on’ he said pulling the hood back to reveal the face of the young man that left with Alastair, well most of his face.

  The boy was missing an eye and half the skin on his face had ben gnawed off, his ear hung on by a string.

  Ash rubbed his hands together and they began to glow, he held them over the boy and channelled the healing magic into him.

  He got the sense that there as a limit to the good he could do for the wounds and the boy was most likely exhausted and dehydrated to boot.

  ‘Alas…, Alastair, caught, goblins’ the boy said spitting blood from his mouth.

  ‘An ale quick’ Ash shouted to Burt ‘The rest of you, get back or get help he needs some room’

  He ran his glowing hands hovering over the boy’s body until someone returned with a healer, they assumed the same position Ash had and through the pale green glow he could see injuries like some cat scan he could see the fractured ribs, broken jaw, various lacerations and chunks of flesh missing.

  After a few minutes of healing, any vital wounds were healed and the healer judged that he could be moved, he was placed on a bench in front of the fire and as the healer kept vigil over the young man healing him Burt brought the ale to the boys parched lips.

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  The boy drank heavily until he coughed and spluttered ‘We need help, the others were captured’ he took another gulp ‘by goblins’

  ‘How?’ asked Ash

  ‘We were checking the ruin out when Bandits came from nowhere we weren’t prepared and they herded us into the ruin’ The young man said ‘That villain Harrigan and his men they knew where we’d be and lay a trap, we have to go back, Master Alastair and old man Barrett’

  ‘We will’ said Ash ‘ Just rest, your wounds are mostly healed but you’ve been through a lot, you need rest’

  ‘Thank you’ said the boy grabbing Ash’s hand.

  A few minutes later guards came into the pub, followed by Captain Barristan, Ash frowned at the man.

  ‘Get the boy, he’s coming with us’ He announced

  ‘He’s wounded still, I’m not sure about him being moved’ Ash protested.

  ‘What would a serving wench know of healing’ he snarled ‘Men take the boy, we have healers better than you in the guards tower and this soldier needs debriefing’

  Ash made to stop the men but Burts hand fell upon his shoulder, Ash looked up to see the shaking head of the Landlord.

  ‘Best you forget any nonsense this boy spewed, we’ll get the truth out of him once he has passed his delirium’ Barristan said.

  The guards roughly lifted the boy to his feet and with an arm under each shoulder they hoisted him off the bench, the boy screamed in pain. Burts hand clamped down on Ash as he made to move again.

  ‘Best you all put this out of your minds, its guards business’ Barriston said.

  ‘What about Alastair?’ Ash managed

  ‘Hardly worth our attention, we’ll see what the boy knows, there’s no sense risking good men for a corpse after all’

  Ash’s hands clenched and Burt suddenly let go.

  ‘Right you are sir, no sense in losing anyone else tonight’ Burt said looking between Ash and the captain.

  ‘Quite so, and ill be here tomorrow for your donation to the guards fund, the boys injuries will cost money to fix and its not fair to ask his poor mother to pay out of pocket’ He smiled ‘and the way I hear it, you’ve found yourself rather successful of late, we may have to discuss rates as well’

  ‘Of course sir, would only be proper’ Burt bowed his head respectfully.

  The guards left and Burt immediately turned to his girls ‘ Please darling, get a mop and clean up this blood, Elodie go to the temple and make sure a healer has been dispatched to the guard tower as soon as possible’.

  ‘Ash I know you want to charge off but please at least wait till suns up, I wasn’t just talking when I said there’s no sense losing anyone else tonight, cool down and make a plan’

  Ash brough up his screen and clicked on the party interface.

  Nina rubbed her eyes under her glasses and the cleaned her glasses on the soft material of her sleeve. She had spent every moment since getting back cataloguing every artifact she had possession of.

  A pulsing blue shade from the right of her vision came up, when she looked over a window opened up.

  A party chat has been initiated by Party leader Ash do you Accept?

  Yes/ No?

  She pressed yes and the verbal tidal wave that came through was a blur even for her elven hearing.

  ‘Stop, slow down and start again’ Nina insisted sitting up and rubbing a slightly bloated midriff.

  Ash explained what had happened in the inn and that he planned to leave at first light to find Alastair.

  ‘Will you come help me?’ Ash asked

  ‘I really don’t do field work, it’s never been my thing’ she replied

  ‘I need your help Nina, I’m sure you can blow those gremlins apart with ease’ He pleaded

  ‘You are lucky elves don’t need much sleep, we leave at first light’