Nell's room at the New Flounders Finn

[Nell du'Galle]

The exquisite pleasure of a hot bath can never be underestimated. The moment she eased her aching and chilled body into the warm water, she felt her whole being relax. Soon she was half-asleep, leaning back with her head resting against the cushioned top of the tub, her feet gently floating in the soapy water. Beside the tub were the clothes she had peeled off, a pile of clammy rain-soaked material. Not a spot on her body had escaped the drenching from the storm in the wilderness. Not a muscle in her body did not ache from the horse ride, unused to such exercise as she was. Yet now … were it not to slowly turn cool, she could stay in this water forever.

About her were the rich furnishings of the deluxe suite of the New Flounders Finn Inn and it appeared to be worth every crown of the twenty five crown per night fee. Nell’s stay in Taralon had spoilt her, for there she had been invited to stay in a similarly furnished apartment. Stretching her neck to one side and then the other, she sighed with contentment and looked about the candle lit room. A comfortable double bed beckoned to her, tempting her to sleep by the low burning fire which kept the room toasty, rather than redressing for dinner. It would be so easy to do, to send an apologetic message excusing her presence, pleading tiredness and a slight chill. Smiling, she knew that of course she would do no such thing. After all, she was Nell Eventide - reliable, sensible, polite Nell Eventide – and to refuse an invitation kindly given would be – wrong. With a rueful smile, the young woman took a deep breath and then slipped under the water.

Half an hour later, the young woman was pulling a comb through her still damp hair in final preparation before going to the private pracenda with Alytsa, the owner of the inn. Tying her hair up into a loose top knot, she stood and checked her appearance in the mirror on the inside of the closet door. The long red velvet skirt had a few creases in it from being tightly packed for the journey but would have to do and the dark tones complemented the creamy white of the linen blouse. She pinched her cheeks a few times to bring colour into them and then shrugged. At least she wasn’t the bedraggled rat that had entered the Inn earlier that evening. After a final smoothing of skirts, she left the room, locking the door carefully and then headed back to the reception.

[Nell du'Galle]

Nell packed her small bag slowly in preparation for the return journey to Taralon. It had been an interesting and lucrative trip on the whole to the city of Narim. And a comfortable one, she thought, as she looked about the room which had been allocated to her at the New Flounders. However her four brightenings were up and the five thousand crowns for the sale of the necklace were carefully stowed away from easy reach. She had notified the guards of the wilderness watch who were acting as her escort that morning about the need to return to Taralon. Matters regarding her family and the search for her parents were pressing on her mind. This took priority over everything else and despite the desire to return to the arcana academy and meet with further Mages to discuss the ins and outs of mysticism, such things would have to wait for another time. Despite the overt presence of dracons in Narim, though, she had been left with a favourable view of the city and set it in her mind to return one brightening and hopefully not in the too distant future. After quickly braiding her hair into a long shining dark rope, she picked up her bag and made her way to meet Senara, Kharadmon and Yuoli. Time to move along.