After cleaning and putting everything away, Ed set the fire to slowly burn itself out. The ash would be useful for fertilizer and soap later for the family. Ed wanted to leave it a nice place. The family insisted on staying for dinner but Ed declined. He had taken up enough of their time and needed to get back to find out why Rennish had not come back yet with information about the supplies.
Jorgen and Juniper paid for Ed's services. He tucked it into the coin purse and felt inside. There were two new coins in the pocket inside the purse and what felt like paper. Ed had forgotten to check this morning but he was glad to know that the magic in that bag worked normally. Juniper passed Ed a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with string from the kitchen. It was a thick twine but the ends had been made into a bow. Ed tucked it into his bag and thanked her for the work and being a good host.
Jorgen shook Ed's hand and pulled him to the side. "You know you are always welcome back to my house. There is always room in my barn and family for someone like you. Are you sure I can't find some way to convince you to stay?"
The thought popped into Ed's head about just stopping and living here. It was everything you'd expect for a happy ending, but Golliad and Ysennia had made it sound like there was more Ed was supposed to do. He didn't have the option to stop and settle just yet.
"Thanks, Jorgen, Maybe later when I am done traveling. I have really enjoyed your family." Ed said and shook Jorgen's hand firmly.
Priya offered to walk Ed up to the main road, and Ed gladly accepted. She was in rare form today, quiet but feisty. And instead of her normal farm garb, she was wearing a dress. It was obviously one of Junipers that had been altered but the light blues and soft pinks of the fabric made her skin's tan stand out that much more. And the spreading gold in her hair looked tinged with pastel colors as it reflected them off the clothing.
Together the two of them headed away from the house towards the main road, through the lane between two major cornfields. It wasn't the normal way in but probably the shortest and most direct back to town. Ed guessed this was the case based on the packed in trail he could see in the dirt.
"You decided not to stay? I told dad you wouldn't do it." Priya said and sighed softly, almost like she was disappointed. Ed was probably the first boy near her age to show interest in the farm, so the talk of a dowry wouldn't be so significant. She was looking out for her family.
She was walking with her hands behind her back and looking at me over her shoulder. She had walked this way so many times she didn't need to look for rocks. Ed did though and he smiled at her quickly before looking again at the road ahead of him. Watching her bounce along the path was too much of a distraction and he would hurt himself if he wasn't careful.
"You sound sad about that Priya... the twins even made me a picture out of coal and old scrap wrapping paper. Trust me if I didn't have a reason to travel I would seriously consider it. But where would I even live..." Ed said with probably the most honesty he had ever really given her.
"Dad already had that figured out. Maybe one day I will tell you his secret plan! For now, he says he will get you back here eventually." She winked and then smiled at Ed like she was involved in something bigger than him and the gods. Ed was already pretty sure he knew his secret plan anyway.
Ed laughed a little at the absurd things going on around him. No one ever fought to get Ed's attention, but Erust, yeah apparently they fight over that. "Well, that sounds like a good enough reason to come back on my next round through the area." Ed stopped and looked at her. "You know Priya, I just wanted to tell you something."
"Oh? Well be quick we don't have far to the road. Only a few hundred feet from here. If you think too long you will miss your chance!" she said teasing him and leaning forward to look up at Ed across the path. In the two days, he had been here she wasn't the most overtly friendly person at times but she always brought fresh water and food. She forgave Ed for Juniper scolding her again about the barn after he settled that out with her. And she was honest with Ed. This coy talk of being married off like he didn't know was probably the first time she had tried to actually hide anything from him. Ed felt guilty because he was hiding so much from her.
"Thank you for bringing me here to your home. This was a very great trip and I really enjoyed my time here with you and your family." Ed said smiling and looking down at his feet. He was fighting to be Erust, the confident, traveling smith with the above-average good looks. But Ed, the absolutely normal nervous town errand boy, was coming out. "And you know, you should keep wearing that color, It really is beautiful on you. You look amazing today." He tried not to squeak as he said it.
Priya looked at Ed with a small blush in her ears. That was the only place that seemed to be capable of turning red when it wasn't sunburnt. "Oh is that so," she mumbled quietly. "Maybe if you come back I will wear it again. Don't take too long though. I might be taken when you get back." She teased me and pushed me, turning Ed around towards the road so he couldn't see her bite her lip.
Ed looked at her while he could and knew he was blushing but wasn't sure about Erusts face. She waved and pointed to the end of the path over my shoulder. "Okay get going, you can't come back and visit me if you never leave. Go finish your adventures and tell me your tales when you get back. The road is about 25 yards ahead."
Ed nodded and put his hand around the strap of his bag. Ed patted the front to make sure the package from Juniper was still inside. He looked toward the road and saw the familiar sight of chimney smoke from the left side of the road telling him that town was most likely that way. Ed walked up to the road and looked back and waved to Priya.
"I will tell you all about it next time. Be safe okay, and stay out of puddles and don't get any more blond hair!" She stood, one arm tucked behind her waist and the other waving with a sarcastic smile on her face. Ed started to walk towards town.
About an hour after he left the farm he wandered into town. Ed nodded to the guard and explained that he had just come from a Job repairing items on Jorgen's farm and was let me in with no problems. Ed had to start checking for Rennish. He couldn't feel him anywhere and he couldn't hear him when he reached out in my mind. He was around somewhere but just not near.
A stop at Plim's store confirmed that the last of the items he had ordered would be here tomorrow morning. Only a few things were delayed and they were minor. If Ed needed he could tell them he would come back to get them later, whenever later was going to be. While Ed waited he checked his bag and felt the small note tucked into the coin purse. Ed needed to go through everything and make sure they were really ready to go.
Worried about Rennish Ed decided to poke his head around town. He figured he was probably out and about enjoying his chance to be human. If he had really followed the instructions though he should be waiting at the inn. Ed checked every bar, saloon, and restaurant in town between Plim's General Store and the Inn. He was at none of them and his frustration was rising by the minute. When Ed got to the Inn he wandered in and waved to the unfamiliar man behind the counter.
"Oh, your back Erust! I heard you took a small job at Jorgen's. You missed the best roast ever!" the man said as if they had met before. Then Ed took a good look at him and realized it was Oscar. He looked about 10 years younger though. His skin pulled tighter than the wrinkles that had occupied him before. His voice was more vibrant and his spine was straight. All together it made him look so much younger. And with that Ed felt horror at what his divine magic was doing.
"Oh, Oscar!" Ed said, faking surprise. "I was so lost in thought I almost didn't realize it was you! You look good this morning? You get extra rest or something?"
"Oh, I know! I feel 20 years younger. But you know its happening all over town. Harvest is coming in early, ladies are getting pregnant, even wrinkles are working back. It's like time is flowing backward. The whole town is excited like it hasn't been since that one group of actors came through 4 years ago doing to that play about the gods and their bard." Oscar walked around the bar and patted me on the shoulder.
"I am glad you sent your hired man-servant to let us know you'd be late getting back though," he said.
"So he made it?" Ed said.
"Yes, he came in, ate your food, and then left that evening to go home," Oscar said holding up a piece of paper. "He left you a note for when you got back."
Ed opened it and looked at it briefly. In the most artistic handwriting ever was a note from him. "I have retired to a spot near the chapel where I might make music in the real once again! See you when you get back into town. R"
Great, he was off playing music in nature, probably with his spirit buddies. And had probably not done anything to get us going. "Was he by himself?" Ed said looking at Oscar and tucking away the note in my satchel.
"He left by himself but seemed to be following several ladies." Oscar winked. Lily, the owner's wife, walked in and stood next to Oscar. She too looked younger, the wrinkles of hard work in a kitchen were softer. Her skin looked more supple too. She was almost attractive. "A real lady killer that one," she muttered, obviously snooping on the conversation.
"Great," Ed said with a sigh. "Thank you I must find him. He was supposed to stay here so we could leave in the morning." He nodded and headed towards the door.
Lily yelled out the door as Ed walked out "Dinner at 6, don't skip this one!"
Where could that idiot spirit be! "RENNISH!" Ed yelled in his head as hard as he could and heard every spirit in the whole town jostle. Too much power was in that one Ed thought to himself.
He searched through the whole town. Where could he have been? Ed knocked on every door he could find. Everywhere Ed went he heard tales of a tall skinny man with the twinkling eye are giving out free drinks and chatting with everyone. Every bar, every diner even the constables' office seems to have seen him but no idea where he went. His aura wasn't showing up and nothing in the town looked like it glowed from magical power except the occasional lamp and for some reason one section of bricks in the wall of a house on the way out of town.
Ed reached out to him again and again and finally, on the outskirts of town, he found him. Rennish was laying in a barn, sleeping with a bottle of some kind of cheap booze. A horse was licking him to tell him to get out of his hay. He snored as a human, what a way to discover that.
It was nearly noon and Ed was already exhausted just searching for him. And to think this is where he would find him. Passed out like town drunk sleeping in a stable. If Ed could have been anymore furious he would have but the searching and activities were already wearing him out. The heat of mid-day and the stress of thinking he had lost the divine spirit given to him as a guide was frustrating.
Ed walked over to the horse trough sighing to himself.
"What kind of useless spirit did they give me, I give him one day of freedom and he's passed out drunk in a stable instead of the perfectly good room I gave him. I hope he hasn't ruined whatever small reputation we had in town." Ed took the bucket from the side and scooped up a few cups of water carrying it back to the sleeping spirit and promptly poured it down the front of his shirt.
"HAA-GAH!" he screamed sitting bolt upright. He patted his own lap, then looked at the horses as if to see if they had doused him with water and then he saw the shadow of Ed standing there
He looked at him with surprise. "Oh, I have news, and stories, and something you need to know!" he said trying to ack like he'd been awake.
"Really? Well great tell me tomorrow. Make yourself a spirit again and don't ever do this again." Ed reached into his pocket and pulled out his sham note, crumpling it and threw it on the ground in front of him. "I was certain you were dead and Golliad was going to kill me, again. But when Oscar and Lily said they had seen you tailing a group of women down the street I knew you hadn't gone to the church," he said with a sigh. Ed was tired of looking for him only to find that he has spent the night living it up, most likely being shady and shiftless.
"Well if you think that's best but, you probably want to know now," Rennish replied sheepishly ignoring Ed's anger. He wasn't even curious at this point, he was tired and sore. And more than that Ed really wanted to get out of this town before he did settle down and give up on the world.
"Tomorrow, on the road," Ed stressed again. "Our supplies will be ready before sunrise and I want to get headed towards the capital. We need to find a big church. I have the feeling that is where I get real answers." The exasperation was leaking out in my voice.
"Okay, tomorrow it is." He said jumping up and dusting his pants after wobbling around still partially drunk. "First thing in the morning I tell you the whole story."