This month had been a whirlwind, which part of me was thankful for as it kept my mind off Obscura. I called off the search after that debacle in the sewers. I could tell by my team's eyes that they needed me to face what they all knew was true, Obscura was dead. I was being reckless and selfish, and Obscura would have been the first to tell me to get on with the mission. And so, we were back at Idlewood. Friz decided the clandestine life was not for him and wanted to concentrate on his tinctures and his new fascination with tea. Mr. N asked him to run the tea shoppe and Nine went with him. I was sad to see my old friend go, but he still came around to pick herbs and the mushrooms we were growing and of course for a good homecooked meal. Raelin decided to take up residence at Idlewood and took over the top room. He came and went usually using the old oak tree, so I never knew if he was home or not...well except for dinner time, then he was always at the table with fork and knife at the ready.

I had written to Mr. N. a fortnight ago that we needed help as we wanted to try and take the Iron Wolf payroll. Only this morning, I received a message from Nine that I was to expect three visitors at 10 PM. That did not leave me much time. I called upon my Unseen Servant to start cleaning up the dining area. It needed a good dusting, and the floors needed sweeping and mopping and I needed to get to the butcher before all the good cuts were gone and to the market for vegetables and …oh there was so much to do.

I made a quick breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast with the last of the bread and Samus and Raelin were at the table, Raelin with a fork and knife poised as I placed a plate in front of them. I told them about our guests and that I thought we should take the KFC and see about the Iron Wolf payroll that Mr. N. had spoken about. Samus looked gleeful at the prospect of taking out the hut, Raelin looked ill and pushed his unfinished plate away. He was such a city boy. With promises from both to be home early to help, I took Fluffy and went out on my errands.

I was able to procure a lovely brisket, some potatoes, carrots, flour, sugar, butter, cream and eggs. Wilma was there with some of that lovely cherry preserves of hers. Once home, I started making the brisket and cake and bread, and by 9:30 the garlic potatoes were mashed and the carrots glazed with honey. The table was set, the wine was breathing and Samus and Raelin were both home.

Exactly at ten, there was a simultaneous knocking at both the front door and back door, with Fluffy bleating a warning. I yelled at Samus to answer the front door and bustled to the back where two shadowy gentlemen stood on my step. I shushed Fluffy and invited them in – Mr. N.'s replacements.

One I knew, Kron Ursol, an old acquaintance of mine and Friz’s. I had not seen him in over a year. Friz and I would trade mushrooms, roots and herbs with him. He was a quiet man, rarely showing his face as if he were ashamed of his Drow heritage. The other was Leroy S., a bard that seemed to frequent the Dead Gull. Both Samus and Raelin shook hands with him heartily. The last gentleman was Rodrigo Livea who warmly greeted us and asked us all to call him Livea. Livea said he was sent by Mr. N. to act as our guide to the Wild Boar Roadhouse where we were to meet a centaur, Filanese, who would tell us about the caravan. Livea said he had traveled the Iron Road many times and knew how best to get us safely to the Wild Boar Inn. It was a long trip to the Wild Boar, an Inn about a week’s journey through the Grand Woods. There were establishments along the way we could rest at, like the gambling house known as Trippers. Both Leroy and Samus knew of the place.

I bade all to sit to eat, but Raelin insisted that we all show our tattoos. I refused but Livea had no issues dropping his drawers right there in my dining room to show us his ARTS tattoo on his right bottom cheek. I was a bit unnerved by this man.

As we tucked into a fine dinner and finer rum there was another knock on the door, loud and insistent. Who could be at our door at 11:00 in the evening? Raelin disappeared upstairs like a jack rabbit and Livea hid, very poorly, behind my water keg in the kitchen. Samus and I headed to the door and Leroy slipped into the shadows in the foyer.

I opened the door and standing on my doorstep was Cedric Tunney and behind him was the snake, Grayson. My heart stopped for a moment, but I felt Samus’ reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Cedric, what are you doing pounding on my door so late at night?”

“I’m here to collect your taxes.”

“I paid you last week,” I countered.

Grayson whispered in his ear and Tunney made an elaborate show of pulling out his tally book and looking down the rows. “No, taxes paid,” he said slamming the book.

I pushed past Samus and went to my desk and pulled out the written receipt I received from Tunney just last week. I stomped back to the door and waved it at him. Tunney took it, Grayson whispered, and Tunney said, “Forgery!” and ripped my receipt! Samus stepped to one side of me and Leroy on the other.

Grayson and Tunney both took a step back and Grayson whispered hurriedly in Tunney’s ear. “I’m going to get the Iron Wolves,” he exclaimed, and the two men scuttled off like the cockroaches that they were.

“I think we need to leave now, rather than in the morning,” I sighed. “Gather up the dinner and supplies, we leave within the hour.”

We made it through the gate with little problem and once away from the gates, Samus pulled out KFC and said the magic words and the hut grew into the one-room cabin. Samus put the crystal ball, sat his bulk down before it and started attempting to walk us down the road. After the second time I fell, I sat down against the wall with my sack of ruined dinner oozing juice and cherry preserves over the floor. To avoid thinking about my gurgling stomach as Samus lurched to the left, I used my magic to clean up the mess on the floor.

Kron heard sounds in the woods and saw orcs on the outskirts of the tree line. Livea seemed excited and said he knew these orcs and all he needed was some food. I handed him the sack of oozing brisket and preserves. He grinned and jumped over the side, gliding easily to the ground before Samus could bring the hut down. He strode ahead, Kron quickly following. Before anyone could stop him, Kron attacked, and we found ourselves in a fight. Livea shouted to stop, but it was too late, and the five Orcs were killed. Livea showed us their symbol, The Broken Fang, and said he knew this tribe and they could easily be appeased with food. There was no reason to kill them. As he was chiding us he created a fire and dragged a couple of the dead orcs around it, propping them up. In the hand of one he laid a piece of the brisket.

We climbed back into KFC and continued down the road. In the distance we saw a giant flying creature but it was too far away for us to identify. It was not coming toward us, so we continued on.

We came to a ruin of a wall where there were more Orcs and a couple of Ogres all bearing the symbol of the Broken Fang clan. We allowed Livea to approach them alone, all of us on high alert. Livea called out in common and held up the dripping brisket sack and the Orcs were soon feasting on my brisket, well at least someone enjoyed it. Cedric Tunney! How I hated that man!

Samus said the KFC should rest for a bit as he had hit a tree when trying to learn the navigation system and some of the shingles had fallen off. He found a clearing and said “Hut, Hut, sit on your butt” and KFC drew its legs up and settled to the ground. I started making dinner while others rested. Kron was standing on the roof keeping watch as he knew the woods were never safe.

He called out that there were some undead floating toward us and we found ourselves surrounded by wraiths who whispered the name “Grayssson” as they passed through the hut walls. Leroy noticed there were monoliths in the forest that seemed to be flashing every time one of us damaged the wraiths. He said to destroy the monoliths. I ordered them to take the wraiths out and I misty stepped out into the forest pulling out my rod. As the boys fought the undead I took out the stone monoliths with lightning strikes. How Grayson got the monoliths in the Grand Wood I will never know. Once the monoliths were destroyed the wraiths were dispatched and we could finally get a meal eaten and a rest in.

In the morning, we arrived on foot at Checkpoint Alpha where we were met by Sir Roger, commander at the Iron Wolves stationed there. Samus said one of the “good” Iron Wolves…though I think we saw “good” as two different things. While Sir Roger wasn’t like some of the others he still worked for the Iron Wolves and therefore was a follower of Drax. Sir Roger told Livea there was an attractive horsewoman looking for him and as we passed through the checkpoint we heard hoofbeats behind us.

I had only seen a centaur in pictures as they were never in Rel Astra and Sir Roger was right, she was very attractive. She said her name was Filanese who said she was sent by Nephus to take Livea to Gamberions’ Rift. She told the rest of us that she would meet us at the Wild Boar Inn in 3-4 days from now. When we arrived, we should look for Captain Kurloff, of the lizard folk who should be wearing a red hat.

Kron said he would lead them through the Grand Wood and told us to meet him at Trippers the next day. With a fond farewell we continued our travels down the Iron Road.