32. Fenric #2
“This isn’t dinner. It’s a snack,” Fenric corrected with a grin.
“I felt I needed to buy a few skewers since that man over there”—Fenric swung around and pointed the two skewers he was still holding at a wrinkled old man flashing them a wide, nearly toothless grin—“was kind enough to tell me where to find Tookie.”
“Oh!” Lirion waved one hand and made a show of ripping a big piece of meat off the skewer with his teeth. “Oh shit! That’s good.” The words came out muffled as he chewed.
“That one is beef. I also have a pork and a chicken one,” Fenric said as he turned Lirion in the direction he needed to go. “But I thought because you don’t need food that you only ate in social settings, like on the boat.”
Lirion snorted. “I might not need food like you do, but I can still enjoy the taste.”
As they walked through the crowds, keeping an eye out for any suspicious-looking businesses, they passed the skewers back and forth so they could enjoy all the flavors.
Lirion was right—the old man made a mean meat skewer with peppers.
More than anything, though, Fenric was relieved Lirion wasn’t so stressed that he wasn’t able to enjoy a snack while in a heightened state of stress.
Lirion still looked alert as he ate, eyes sweeping the crowded, narrow roads, but he wasn’t neglecting his body.
They had just finished their snack as they drew closer to their destination. Yet as they rounded a corner, they ran smack into Maxie.
“Puppy?” Fenric threw out an arm to catch Lirion before he could fall into the young man. “I thought you were hitting the pubs with Rain and Mal after finding an inn?”
“Er, well, I did. Or I was. But we got separated and we agreed if such an occurrence happened, we would reconvene at the inn. Oh, yes, Malfas got us rooms at The Greasy Gull Inn.”
“Sounds lovely,” Fenric muttered. He should have sent Belstrom for the inn. Rain and Malfas had a knack for picking the absolute worst places imaginable. Usually because they thought the name was funny or because there was a busty wench hanging around out front.
“Also, when I was at the last tavern asking questions, someone suggested a man by the name Tookie? And gave me directions but, um”—here Maxie looked about him with a very obvious I-be-lost-as-hell face—“I think I got turned around?”
“We are looking for Tookie, too. You’re in the right place, I think. Or close to it.”
“Excellent! Um…should I go with you and Lirion?”
“Sure, no reason not to.” Rather, every reason for him to join them. If Maxie was going to wander around, Fenric would prefer it if he stuck nearby. Maxie lost in Baza was a disaster that hadn’t hit yet.
With a very serious expression, Maxie asked, “Should I use the eyes on him?”
“Fucking hell no. No, okay, do not.” Fenric shot a dark look at Lirion, and the incubus had the gall to flutter innocent eyes at him in return. Lirion had practically created a monster.
“But it’s highly effective!” Maxie argued.
Lirion nodded. “He’s right. It is effective.”
“That’s very much the fucking problem.” Maxie was so good at the skill that Hapi, their ever-stoic elf, had almost crumbled in their practice sessions.
Fenric caught Maxie by the shoulders and steered him in the right direction.
“Just walk, okay? Don’t use those eyes on people.
No one here has immunity, and I’m not fighting off an entire street. ”
Fenric ignored the sputtered protests and steered them down the street and into another market.
This one, though, had proper buildings instead of moving carts and cloth stretched overhead.
He followed the instructions and found the right door.
Even with the sun having retreated for the day, the door was eye catching, with its bright white paint and a yellow umbrella that took up half the door.
Shadefinder. Perfect.
He let go of Maxie only once they had passed through the doorway, which turned out to lead to a single room with a small, dark staircase winding up the side.
It wasn’t very large, but then, Tookie didn’t need a lot of room.
The couch, two chairs, and even the fireplace were half the size of normal ones.
The only large item was a map of the city dominating most of one wall.
Oh, and Tookie, of course.
Tookie was a goblin, which was obvious from his green skin, pointed ears, and bulging golden eyes.
However, Fenric had always suspected the man had dwarf in his ancestry somewhere because he had an impressive white beard, which wasn’t something most goblins could grow.
As if to compensate for his lack of hair everywhere else, he kept the beard well trimmed and braided, right down to his navel.
It would have been impressive if the man wasn’t three-foot flat.
“Tookie,” Fenric greeted with a smile. “It’s been a while.”
“That it has, that it has,” he replied, his voice low and gravelly. Tookie didn’t rise from where he was ensconced in his chair but waved them inside. “Close the door, come in. Who are your companions?”
“I’m Lirion.” He bowed his head slightly and offered a polite but cool smile.
“I’m Maxie,” Maxie said with a short bow. “A great pleasure, sir.”